(Concluded from page 267.)
Practical Results.
The various steps we have gone over in the history of God's people have brought us to where we can now look at the practical results, and at the ways of God with them.
As we have seen, Israel failed to take possession of all that God had given them; and this failure leads us from the book of Joshua to that of Judges.
They did not drive out all their enemies; "the Canaanite dwelt in the land" (Judges 1:27-30). Their failure arose from the self-confidence which prevented their drawing upon the never-failing resources in Jehovah their God. The enemies not driven out became aggressive and bold until they overpowered Israel. Similar failure has occurred among God's people in our dispensation. It is recorded in the parable of our Lord, "while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares" (Matt. 13:25). God's people may become careless and indifferent, but the enemy never sleeps. If we neglect to judge ourselves constantly, and cease to be governed by the word of God, little by little the evil increases and develops; and, instead of being overcomers, we are overcome.
If we leave the aggressive, triumphant spirit of the book of Joshua, we drop into the entanglements and defeats of the book of Judges. How important, therefore, the apostle's exhortation in Eph. 6:13, "and having done all, to stand." Having gone in and taken possession, there needs to be the strength to hold and maintain the same; and for this we need "the whole armor of God," and the continued aggressive spirit to march on and lay hold of the further possessions which lie before us, leaving no enemies behind. Not one foot of the ground taken should ever be surrendered. "Behold, I come quickly:hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."
Alas, declension is now seen everywhere; those who once possessed, are being driven back, and the enemy is encroaching. This is especially true concerning the Church testimony as a whole:the vigor, freshness and spirituality of the first days have been given up, and we are in the difficult days predicted in 2 Tim. 3:1-15; Jude 25; outlined in Rev. 2:and 3:; and all illustrated by Israel in the book of Judges. Joshua passes away, then the elders. Then departure is very marked; declension, and even open apostasy from what their fathers had fought for and won at great cost.
Indeed, throughout the Old Testament striking illustrations are furnished us of the declension and failure of Israel as a nation; whilst bright and happy exceptions to the rule shine out, also, here and
there.
Never did they enjoy so much of the whole land as in the days of David and Solomon; but after they pass away, failure develops again, and the conditions described in Judges return. It is written concerning Rehoboam, that he "forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him" (2 Chron. 12:). Those words give us a clue to all the after sorrow and disaster- the key that unlocks the mystery of their weakness and of the strength of their enemies. God's government there is over all, and His chastening hand falls upon them; for God is true to Himself and true to His people. After this it is further written, " Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord. . . . And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. … So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all; he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made." The enemy is triumphant.
In Joshua's day the people were strong, for they walked in self-judgment and obedience. Jehovah could be with them then, and they drive out the enemy and take possession. But with Rehoboam it was different; they were in possession of what their fathers had won by many struggles, but had become indifferent and careless; so they transgressed "and forsook the law of the Lord." Then the enemy came in, and they were weak as water; God was not with Rehoboam; so defeat and loss follow.
Shishak represents the god of this world-the prince of the power of the air-who ever watches the people of God and seeks to get a point of attack in their weak hours. The record of his victory, so soon after the bright, golden days of David and Solomon, leads faithful hearts to weep even now, three thousand years later. "Be not high-minded, but fear," is a needed word of admonition in our day; for human nature, even in God's people, changeth not, whether in the past dispensation or the present- with Rehoboam or with us.
In Paul's day, like failure in the Church gave the devoted apostle and Timothy, his son in the faith, much sorrow of heart. "All in Asia have left me" were among his last words. They were turning away from the truth at the very time he was about to go to a martyr's death for the same, because he knew its value, its power, and what it had cost. Whole companies, as " fenced cities " were taken away by the tide, as individuals also had been severed from him and the testimony of the Lord. All this was but the beginning of grievous departure, an ear-nest of what we may now observe on every hand in the closing of the history of the Church. Yet Paul had rest of heart; for he could say, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure." God never fails; His truth, sacred and precious in every part, is ever the same, and is a stay and guide to the devout believer-no matter how difficult the days may be. Moreover, the Holy Spirit abides with the Church until "the Morning Star" appears. The land lies still before us, with its fruitful hills and fertile valleys flowing with milk and honey; the smile and favor of our God rests continually upon it (Deut. 11:12):let us therefore maintain and defend with spiritual energy what we already possess of it. While the failure is general, it is not all. God preserved true witnesses for Himself amid the darkness of their day and time, and they did shine in their sphere amid all the departure and gloom in Israel.
Two such bright exceptions we will especially note here, for our encouragement and profit. They are taken from the list of David's mighty men (2 Sam. 23:8-12).
Eleazar ("help of God") comes, first, at the time when the Philistines "were gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away." Those enemies of the Lord had moved up over the fields of Sharon, and entered the possessions of Judah, " Ephes-dammim "-border of blood, as it implies ; and the narrative is quite conclusive that the place fully answered to its name. At this place there "was a parcel of ground full of barley" (i Chron. 11:13, 14). "He arose and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword; and the Lord wrought a great victory that day, and the people returned after him only to spoil."
In Eleazar we see a man who answers to his name. A weak man was made strong, because his help was in God. The people gave him none; they forsook him and fled when they saw the Philistines;
but he arose and smote the enemy one by one. He was a man like the rest, but dependent upon
Jehovah, and true to Him and to Israel's heritage. Such, in the hands of the Lord, are worth a
thousand. In the conflict he became weary, but his hand clave to the sword; he felt the force of what
was written after-ward, "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully (negligently), and
cursed be he hat keepeth back his sword from blood" (Jer. 48:10).
The ground was not only God's gift to His people, but food for them-a field full of barley. Those who fled before the enemy did not think it worth contending for, but Eleazar valued it, and stood in the midst of it and defended it. " Having done all, to stand" was a principle that governed him that day; if all the rest of the Israelites turned away, he encouraged himself in the Lord, and got the victory.
Every part of the truth is our heritage from the Lord; we are here to care for and defend it:and the weapon with which to meet the enemy is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
After the battle and victory, the people return to share the benefit; but no credit to them:had it not been for Eleazar, Israel would have suffered loss. The Lord wrought through a dependent man, and the result was a great victory-the might, the battle and the victory all the Lord's. How blessed to be thus used of God!
After Eleazar was Shammah. "The Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great victory." Here we learn, as in Eleazar's time, that the same enemy surrounded Shammah, and the people again had fled. History was again repeating itself with both the Philistines, as the enemy of God's people and of God's heritage, and with His people, for their lack of confidence in Him ; for they fled as did the people in Eleazar's time. This was a very discouraging time if Shammah had put his trust in men. But, as David long before, he "encouraged himself in the Lord his God," so did Shammah; he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it alone.
At a later time his Lord did the same-"all forsook Him and fled "-even the disciples; but He with a firm step went to the cross, faced the battle and, by the sufferings that He endured, overcame the enemy, put all the powers of darkness to flight, and gained for those timid disciples, as well as for us, a glorious victory (Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14, 15).
Still later, when Paul's life was in danger because he would not surrender the truth entrusted to him, and "all forsook" him, he wrote, "Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me" (2 Tim. 4:16, 17).
In Shammah's case it was a piece of ground full of lentils. It was little in man's eyes, but faith values all that is of God, and this man of God would not surrender it.
In the case of the Lord Jesus, God's glory was at stake respecting sin, and the everlasting blessing of millions of precious souls; hence He endured the cross and despised the shame.
In Paul's case, after Christ returned to glory and all men sought their own, he stood for the truth which circles around a glorified Savior, and defended it.
God would encourage His people in our days by the noble example of such men and their soldier-valor to "earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints " (Jude 3). The truth given us is a priceless gift, a sacred trust to guard and keep as our spiritual heritage. The whole land is ours, and we need to guard every part, great or small, even if but like the little patch of barley in Eleazar's day, or of lentils in the time of Shammah. All is needed, every part is intended to serve as food, to nourish and sustain the new life in the children of God. " Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God," said our Savior.
What Eleazar and Shammah achieved at those two different periods may have been considered of little importance by many; but when David got his right-ful place upon the throne, and all the acts of those who followed him in the days of his rejection were brought into review, Eleazar's and Shammah's names were placed first upon the list. In his kingdom they were his mighty men, and did shine as the stars of heaven.
Many now also may achieve much by faithful adherence to the truth of the Holy Scriptures, by their refusal to surrender any part, known, loved, and en-joyed; and amid the constantly renewed assaults against it, yet, with a firm, unyielding grip, as Eleazar, "cleave to the sword."
We are nearing the end of the dispensation. The dark clouds are growing thicker and darker each day
in our sky, and the Scripture of truth has announced that in the last days perilous times should come, and that men should depart from the truth. We need Calebs now, men who will wholly follow the Lord; Gideons, who keep close by the wine-press, threshing out the grain to guard it from the enemy; Eleazars and Shammahs, who, single-handed, will defend and save the fruitful fields; Pauls and Peters, willing even to give up their lives for the truth; men like Timothy, as the others pass away, to commit the truth to others also, and not be discouraged by the repeated failures of men (2 Tim. 2:2). A. E. B.