The dialog between the Lord and Elijah on Mount Horeb brings to our attention reasons for God’s dealings with men and why they change. Elijah’s name means “Jehovah is God (judge),” for he was raised up to turn back Israel from idolatry and follow Jehovah the only true God. He did it with demonstrations of power from the Lord, but afterward when Jezebel threatened to kill him, he fled to Mount Horeb with this sensibility, “I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (1 Kings 19:1010And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. (1 Kings 19:10)). No doubt Elijah felt keenly that he had been rejected. And this is normal and not wrong, but the real issue was that if his ministry was unavailing to change Israel, what is next! He was situationally in the place where the law had been given, and it seems that Elijah was ready to give up on Israel. But God had further plans before setting aside Israel. The law of Moses was not to be God’s final dealing with them. Therefore when Elijah complained on the mount, God said to him, “What doest thou here, Elijah?” This searching question was followed by a great and strong wind, an earthquake and fire. But the Lord was not in these demonstrations of power; they command attention and were used of God, but were not the end purpose. Elijah was brought to realize the Lord was not in these acts, but in the still small voice he heard afterward. God was not finished with Israel. The law was not the end of His ways with Israel; Elijah must be brought to realize this too. There was more to be done after his ministry of law terminated. So he is instructed to do three things: anoint Hazael king over Syria, anoint Jehu to be king over Israel, and Elisha to be prophet in his place. These three were to play distinctive roles of God’s ways with Israel. They were to be representative cases of the changes to take place after the time of Law: Grace and then the Kingdom time, or time of Judgment.
The Mindset of Elijah
Elijah’s mindset at that moment was on setting things right, then and there. However, the Lord added that there were still 7,000 not given over to idolatry; he was not alone. The Lord tells him that those who escaped Hazael’s sword Jehu would slay and the rest Elisha would slay. It should be noted that the Lord did not stipulate in what order the three should be anointed, but we plainly see by the way Elijah carried out the mission that the Lord had altered Elijah’s mindset. This was according to God’s ways. It was not time to destroy Israel. Thus Elijah went directly to Elisha (“Jehovah is salvation”) and anointed him. He held back from completing the appointment of the other two. In fact, they were not anointed until much later by Elisha. It was necessary for Elisha to complete his testimony of grace first. God had a purpose in dispensing grace before kingdom judgments. For this reason, those of us that live in the present day appreciate the extension of the fullness of His grace that comes before the accrued judgment that has been pending since the rejection and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Elisha Anointed
We have noticed how God allowed Elijah, a man on earth with human feelings and a sense of justice and mercy, to make the decision of who was to be anointed first. He chose Elisha rather than Hazael or Jehu. No doubt he understood what kind of persons they would be, and how severely their swords would slay the people without mercy. We believe this decision was right. It would be better that the judgments take place only after the ministry of Elisha failed to turn Israel back to the Lord. Grace being rejected would determine that judgment was necessary to complete God’s work with Israel. Jehu accomplished judgment within the confines of Israel, and Hazael as an enemy outside of Israel.
Jehu
The anointing of Jehu as king over Israel is recorded in the chapter after Hazael is anointed; however, we know they lived and served concurrently, and both were used of God to judge Israel after Elisha’s mission of grace. In the book of Titus we are told what the proper response to grace should be. “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (ch. 2:11-12). However, all men have not faith, and grace has not reformed the world for God’s kingdom. This lack of appreciation and ultimate abuse of the truth was first observed in the days of Elisha. Did Elisha’s ministry usher in a kingdom of blessing to Israel? No! Neither has it changed the heart of man in the present time which we rightly refer to as the dispensation of grace. The preaching of the gospel has not converted the world, causing it to practice righteousness. What happened in Israel in Elisha’s day has happened precisely as it says in Isaiah 26:10,10Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. (Isaiah 26:10) “Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness.” The dispensational dealings of God teach us that under grace men do not learn righteousness, but as the preceding verse says, “When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (vs. 9). The history of these two kings has important dispensational teaching for us regarding this last point.
The Heavenly Calling
Before we continue with the narrative before us, it seems good to comment on a sphere outside earthly times and seasons. While all the comments above are true, we know of another marvelous thing that is happening in this dispensation of grace. The Lord Jesus has entered heaven and from there is forming the kingdom of heaven with a view of taking it to Himself in the Father’s house. This being outside the sphere of earthly dispensations we mention only as a side comment, though it is paramount in the eternal counsels of God and a very important part of our Christian portion.
Grace and Judgment
The contrasting differences between Elisha and Jehu stand out at the time when Jehu was anointed. The relationship they have with each other is significant. Elisha performed only one miracle that brought a curse, while Jehu’s work was almost exclusively with judgment. Each did what the other could not do, so Elisha did not personally identify with the anointing of Jehu. One cannot be a minister of grace and judgment at the same time, as these are opposites. Elisha’s one miracle that brought a curse on the children that mocked him was a demonstration of what would happen if grace was rejected. The long-suffering and patience of God throughout his course are remarkable. The mission given to Jehu was to be severe, to avenge the blood of the prophets, to destroy all the house of Ahab. It was a judgment from within the kingdom of Israel. For everyone who rejects Christ and abuses His grace, there is no other way of getting around judgment. Grace reigns through righteousness for everyone today, only because of the work of Christ. But when souls abuse such great favor, there are consequences. Jude warns about this as, “turning the grace of our God into dissoluteness, and denying our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ” (vs. 4 JND).
Naboth
So it came to pass that when Jehu slew king Joram, he cast him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite which Ahab his father had unjustly taken from Naboth, a man of faith. Ahab killed Naboth and destroyed his lineage. Ahab the king of Israel, along with his wife Jezebel, was very guilty. She also meets her judgment in the same place. She is mentioned by name in Revelation 2:2020Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. (Revelation 2:20) and by action in Revelation 17, which is prophetic of the judgment of Christendom (the false church). Jehu gives the reasons of her judgment to his captain: “Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the Lord; and I will requite thee in this place, saith the Lord. Now therefore take and cast him into the plot of ground, according to the word of the Lord” (2 Kings 9:2626Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the Lord; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the Lord. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the Lord. (2 Kings 9:26)).
Hazael Anointed
When the time came to anoint Hazael king of Syria, we read in 2 Kings 8:77And Elisha came to Damascus; and Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither. (2 Kings 8:7) that Elisha went to Damascus. There he met the messenger of Benhadad the king of Syria who was sick. As it was with Jehu, so the contrast of their hearts became evident. Elisha, foreseeing what would happen, wept because of the ruthless cruelty Hazael would carry out toward even the women and children of Israel that he would kill. Hazael esteemed such acts toward Israel as a great feat. We see how hastily he acts after he was anointed, but it appears to be without the fear of God. Yet God was over it and allowed it. This kind of judgment on Israel would necessarily be left to the last because of their departure from Jehovah their God. The children of Israel (the northern kingdom) were eventually carried away captive where they have been lost to history. Yet, the Lord will revive them again and bring them back into their land.
Grace Abused
These things are a lesson for us today as we see grace rejected. May we not be blinded by present favor, but see what will happen on earth after the dispensation of grace passes. We are reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul regarding the removal of Israel in the past, and the possibility of the removal of the Gentiles. “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again” (Rom. 11:22-2322Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. (Romans 11:22‑23)). As the judgments by the Syrians fell on Israel after Elisha, so a judgment will fall when the present day of grace is ended. And it will be severe, as it says in Hebrews 10:29: “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” May the Lord give us discernment to properly lay hold of grace without abusing it by a lax attitude toward the tremendous cost it was for God to provide grace to us, and thus understand the true purpose of it as we approach the close of this wonderful dispensation of grace.
D. C. Buchanan