Aug. 1st, 1 Kings 8; Aug. 15th, 1 Kings 22; Aug. 31st, 2 Kings 16; Sept. 15th, 1 Chron. 6.

COMMENTS

We have traced in David's history the type of God's Anointed, first in rejection and suffering, the object of hatred and persecution at the hands of Saul, the man of flesh; then brought to the throne, and as the warrior-king subjugating enemies, extending his kingdom, and providing for the accomplishment of what he knows to be God's plan, for David enjoyed the knowledge of this both as to his own house and the temple-God's house. Now we see the issue of this in Solomon set up as king, peace prevailing, the temple built, wisdom, riches and glory characterizing the kingdom-the type of Christ reigning in righteousness and peace after all enemies are judged.

But while the foreshadow of Christ's glorious kingdom is seen in this history, there is also the lesson of God's government in dealing with the house of David according to responsibility; for along with the promise given to David, which could only be fully accomplished in Christ, there was also the provision that if David's son committed iniquity he would be chastened. God must deal with him according to His own holy nature (compare 2 Sam. 7:12-17; 1 Kings 9:3-9). It is as under the responsibility here outlined that the history of the kingdom is given to us in these books, affording a demonstration of God's ways, of man's utter failure in the kingly place (as we have already seen his failure in the priestly place), of how God maintains amid the ruin a witness to Himself, of His patience and longsuffering yet sure judgment, as required to vindicate His own name and character against the departure and wickedness of His professed people-all of this bearing solemn testimony to man's worthlessness, and that only in and by Christ can be the fulfilment of God's purpose and plan.

It is well for us to see that in God's ways with man, He first establishes His order with man under responsibility. This serves to bring out, over and over again in varied relation,. divinely instituted for the purpose in view, man's complete breakdown; in no situation in which he is placed can he maintain himself in the established order of God. This we see in Adam, Noah, Israel under law, the priesthood, the king, whether in Israel or among the Gentiles as set up in Nebuchadnezzar, and now the Church as the responsible vessel of testimony on the earth. But God is not defeated through all this, for the accomplishment of whatever may be His order is finally realized according to His own counsels through grace and truth in Jesus Christ. Everything in which man has failed will be found perfectly realized in. Him. What we see, too, as tracing these ways of God, is that while His righteous judgments are brought in, He also shows His grace in provision for those who are of faith and walk with Him amid the abounding ruin which man by his failure brings in upon himself and his surroundings. Thus He maintains a testimony and shows His sovereignty. Especially is this evident in the prophet and his ministry throughout this period.

Toward the end Solomon departs from God and His Word. Then God, according to that Word, brings in chastening and trouble upon the king, and from his son rends the ten tribes, under the leadership of Jeroboam.

The remainder of 1 Kings deals chiefly with the history of the northern kingdom to which the name of Israel is generally attached. There are notices of Judah's kings -Rehoboam, Abijam, Asa, Jehoshaphat and others-but in the main it is the history of Israel up to the captivity (2 Kings 17), after which the closing history of Judah's kings occupy chapters 18-25. This seems to indicate that God deals with Israel (the ten tribes) as the responsible part of the nation, while Judah with whom the lamp of David is preserved fills the place of a remnant testimony in the midst of the break-up. With this testimony there is a maintenance of God's order, though much failure arises there also, but still it is in Judah we find the repeated work of revival and blessing until at last the scourge must fall; yet in this case it is of limited duration in contrast to Israel, and restoration takes place in God's due time.

Of central importance in this history there is the ministry of Elijah and Elisha – a double ministry in which righteousness and grace find expression, showing God's judgment upon evil and His blessing upon faith. In the circumstances which close Elijah's history and introduce Elisha we may see how a ministry connected with the earth, and with man's responsibility as represented in Israel under law, can only bring to Jordan-to death; and that in passing beyond it to ascension the significance appears to be that all link with Israel on that old basis is broken forever, Restoration has not been accomplished, spite of Elijah's faithful ministry and notable miracles. It was so with Christ who, though a minister of the circumcision to confirm the promise made to the fathers, could not in that way restore Israel, Jordan must be crossed; in other words, death must be passed through, the old judged and set aside, that in the power and blessing of ministry of a new order, as coming from the ascended Man (like Elisha returning from the translation of Elijah), grace and power together may bring in the blessing. Upon new covenant ground alone can Israel be blessed. Already this is in operation since Jesus was glorified, the Spirit coming to take up the work so that grace flows out to all now, as it will also in due course to Israel as a nation according to promise, and through her to all nations in the day of the kingdom. So in Elijah we learn there is the rejection and ending of the old condition and its basis, since restoration and blessing could not be realized in that way. Then, death and glory coming in for the rejected prophet, Elisha's ministry is after a new order, linked with the man in the glory. Christ will thus return to Israel in due time; but in the meantime, while the heavens retain Him until the time for the restitution of all things shall come (Acts 3:19-21), the blessed principles of this new covenant ministry are in operation, in the present going out of the gospel to Jew and Gentile and the gathering of all who believe into one body-the Church. As customary in the Old Testament, this interval is not noticed in the double type of Elijah and Elisha. We have in these things an interesting and instructive analogy.

Sept. 1st, 2 Kings 17; Sept. 15th, 1 Chron. 6; Sept. 30th, 1 Chron. 21; Oct. 15th, 2 .Chron. 7.

COMMENTS

The opening chapter of our reading records the overthrow of the northern kingdom by the king of Assyria, the captivity of the ten tribes, and the re-peopling of their land with foreigners. God had long suffered the evil ways of Israel, and had witnessed against them, warning of judgment by His prophets. The ministry of Elijah and Elisha had not effected their restoration, yet after the latter's death we read:"And the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them from His presence as yet" (ch. 13:23). Such was His long-suffering, and this lingered over them for about another 120 years during which time Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Isaiah prophesied, the two former particularly addressing Israel. The book of Hosea especially is like a series of sermons based upon the verse quoted above, for he more than any other sets forth the amazing patience and kindness of God toward this wayward people. The prophets bring out the real moral condition of the people, whether Israel or Judah, as God saw it, making evident the causes for the judgments He brings upon them. They give the internal and spiritual view, with blessed promises of restoration to be accomplished according to God's grace, the principle of the new covenant under which alone the blessing can come, and indeed according to this principle also our own blessing is alone realized. As necessary to the understanding of this prophetic ministry, these historical books give the actual events, the surface movements, within the two kingdoms and their unfaithfulness in association with Gentile powers. In all of this history we have not merely a true record, but history so written to teach moral lessons, and in certain parts typical as being foreshadows of events in the end of the age. This appears particularly true in the case of the Assyrian, for this power appears in prophecies distinctly future, for example Isa. 10, 11; Micah 5. It may be well to note that the end of the northern kingdom and the captivity of Israel constitute a solemn judgment of God upon that nation which occupied a place of relation to God in respect to the earth and His government on it, and should have loudly spoken to Judah, but it is not the turning point in God's dispen-sational ways when the "times of the Gentiles" begin to run their course. This could not be as long as David's throne remained at Jerusalem with which God identified Himself, rather than with the throne of Jeroboam which He permitted to be set up as a severe stroke of judgment upon David's house because of iniquity. When longer patience would have compromised His glory, God then set aside the throne at Jerusalem, giving over His land to be trodden down of the Gentiles to whom He gave dominion first vested in the head of gold, Nebuchadnezzar, until He shall come who is both the root and offspring of David, who will then set up the kingdom in power and glory on earth, fulfilling all the promises made to Israel as a united nation of twelve tribes and bringing blessing to all nations through that nation which will then be truly Abraham's seed both naturally and spiritually.

After chapter 17 the history is entirely that of Judah from Hezekiah to Zedekiah at the end of whose reign Jerusalem was taken and the temple destroyed. Throughout this period we have the prophecies of Isaiah, Micah, Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, and Obadiah. The other prophets, except Jonah, were either during or after the Babylonish captivity. While Judah was permitted to continue, two notable revivals took place, first under Hezekiah, then under Josiah. But what we see is that these revivals pass with the men used of God. The deep seated corruption of the people is not overcome, there is no permanent change. While the mercy of God is seen in these times of revival, and they assure us that God will so act from time to time while He continues in longsuffering with that which has departed from faithfulness to and testimony for Him on the earth, still on the other hand they witness to an irremedial condition upon which judgment must fall ultimately. Not having continued in the goodness of God, He must act in severity. This is equally true of Christendom. Though God has raised up men through whom times of revival have been experienced, the general state grows worse, and the announced judgment is certain. Even with Hezekiah there is failure in his closing years which furnishes the occasion for the announcement of the judgment which will close Judah's history as a separate kingdom. Constantly the shadow of the future is permitted to fall upon the present, as with Ephesus the warning is given that the lampstand would be removed, so in the end the word is "I will spue thee out of My mouth."

The Kings have chiefly treated of the northern kingdom, called Israel and Ephraim, that is after the history of Solomon's reign, only bringing Judah and her kings in so far as they had connection with Israel, and then Judah alone to the captivity under Babylon. But in Chronicles we chiefly get the history of David's house with the purpose of showing God's grace in relation to its history so that only that measure of failure is brought in which helps to illustrate His grace. Kings affords us the more general and public history, Chronicles, the inner and more spiritual aspect. Chs. 1-9:34 give genealogies which carry us into the list of those who returned from Babylon. Generally speaking it is the line of descent drawn according to relation with God in way or another, in respect to His dealings and testimony on the earth, with emphasis upon the royal and priestly relations. Ch. 9 refers to those who returned from Babylon, but particularly as to the two relations just mentioned, and in connection with Jerusalem and God's house.

Ch. 9:35 opens the history, giving first a brief account of Saul's house and end to introduce David, Jehovah's choice. From this the history follows along the line of showing the order and power of the kingdom according to God's appointment, While perfection is not found, only that measure of failure is recorded which serves to bring out more clearly what is God's order. Thus silence is maintained as to David's early history of mingled suffering and failure, and his terrible sin in the matter of Uriah; but his sin in counting Israel is brought in for out of it came the purchase of the site for the temple, which then becomes his chief concern. As to it he gives his charge to Solomon and the princes of Israel (chs. 21, 22). A careful comparison of these books with the earlier book cannot fail to show special design. Doubtless 1 and 2 Chronicles were written after the return from Babylon, and perhaps by Ezra, thus the special treatment of the history in them would be of distinct comfort and encouragement as showing God's interest in Jerusalem, the temple, and His order in government and worship.

FRAGMENT "God has not opened up my way so far, to leave me now; this I know. He does not so work. 'The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost'-not earthly comforts, but heavenly and spiritual things. My greedy flesh shrinks from banishment for 'a little while' from kith and kin, but there are 'better things' remaining to me. Let my one desire in this life be to possess to the full those 'better things' at whatever cost to the lesser. 'Ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord made by fire' (Lev. 2:11). It is ours then to lay aside the honey of this life, and let Him Who filleth all things fill us with Himself."-Extracts from "THE LIFE AND EXPLORATIONS of F. S. Abnot" (p. 58).