History is not usually the place to find food for the soul, but the Bible is a unique book. Samson's riddle can be found in it in more than one place; for, again and again," Out of the eater comes forth meat, and out of the strong comes forth sweetness " along its pages.
Nowhere, perhaps, are grouped together a brighter cluster of subjects than in the first few chapters of the second book of Kings, in which, after the dark history of the first chapter, comes what evidently sets forth the journey of our Lord Jesus Christ through this world. If this be so, we may expect great and marvelous things to follow-and they are there, as we purpose to show. If one will but read those chapters to the seventh, inclusive, with a heart open toward God, he will find his soul all aglow with the "grace and truth" which shine there.
The various stations of Elijah's journey told out in chapter 2 speak plainly, in a typical way, of what characterized our Lord's journey here. As both moved only among the Jews, we may expect the features of their course to be Jewish, though our Lord goes beyond the confines of Jewry both in His actions and teaching. This is what makes His teaching rather complex at times, especially in the Gospel of Matthew. Judaism was not yet past, and Christianity not yet established. It is a transitional state of things.
As Elijah's journey speaks of the Lord's journey, so does Elisha's, who accompanied Elijah, speak of the disciples who companied with the Lord.
They start from Gilgal. That was the place of circumcision-the people separated to God from all their uncleanness. Our Lord's baptism in Jordan answers to this. There He identifies Himself with a repenting, sin-confessing people, and pledges Himself to go through death for them-the only means of separating them from all their guilt and shame. Then they go to Bethel, where God had met most undeserving Jacob and made him bright and blessed promises. It is sovereign grace, even what flows from our Saviour's death. In His baptism He pledges Himself to die; in His death He fulfils all righteousness-all that divine justice demanded against sin, that thus "grace might reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 5:21). No wonder the disciples clung to the Lord when such sweet lessons could be learned in His company.
From Bethel they go to Jericho-the city of the curse, but also of the great triumph of faith in the people, on God's side; for, if Jesus has died to bear the curse, only faith can apprehend it and triumph through it. And if a Christ-rejecting world is under the curse, only faith can take its place with God in relation to it.
From Jericho they go to Jordan-the river of death; not here in the sense of making atonement, but of going out of the world which would not have Him, and returning to the home He came from. So He goes through dry-shod. It is not as when He cried, " My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me ?" This view of His death is in sacrifice for sin; but the other is that view of His death which tells of His rejection by the world and His leaving it to return to His Father. So, as the two men are journeying on together, suddenly Elijah is taken up. How all this is like the scenes surrounding the death, the resurrection and the ascension of the Lord, and His intercourse with His disciples in the interval. If Elisha saw his master go up he would have a double portion of his spirit. So also the descent of the Holy Spirit from heaven was dependent upon the ascension of Christ. The ascension of Christ is an extraordinary event in the chain of truth. It said that He had fulfilled all His Father had sent Him to do. He had triumphed over all the power and malice of Satan. He had annulled death; and, for all who trust in Him, robbed it of all its terror and bondage. He had proved His "delights were with the sons of men" (Prov. 8:31) and now, ascending up to heaven, He is, in His own person, transferring humanity from earth to heaven. Thus by the eternal redemption He had obtained for them, He was giving them a much higher place than they had occupied by creation before the Fall. All this is marvelous, and the Holy Spirit, who is the Revealer of all truth, could not come to make His abode in men until He could bear witness of all that the return to heaven of the Mighty Conqueror meant. This is no more Jewish, though Jews are welcome to it. It is not Gentile, though Gentiles are as welcome to it as Jews. It is Christian. It is the feast of grace and love which God has spread for all mankind and to which He bids us, His people, to invite every soul in His behalf. Who but God could be so rich, and so liberal with His riches! But we shall prove this as we proceed with the chapters that follow.
Only one word more concerning Elisha. His master gone, he returns to Jewry. Even so the company of the Lord's disciples, after the Holy Spirit had come upon them, were bidden to proclaim the gospel into all the world, beginning at Jerusalem. Does not this tell of the amazing grace of Christianity ? Jerusalem had killed the prophets, stoned those sent to her, and finally crucified the Son of God. Yet pardon, and a welcome back to God, is to be proclaimed there first.
(To be Continued.)