The House of God

KI 4:1-7{We have noticed that the first mention of Elisha in Scripture tells us of his repentance. He determined that he was going to follow Elijah wholeheartedly. Elijah tested the reality of Elisha's desire when Elisha said he first wanted to kiss his parents before following Elijah. After this Elisha followed him down from Gilgal to Jordan, where he saw him go up into heaven. Then he went back over Jordan in the power of his master, and he retraced the path leading through the four points: Jordan, Jericho, Bethel and Gilgal. This journey covers, in type, about two thousand years of the Church's history.

The subject, "The House of God," which we shall now consider, does not have to do with length of time but with the assembly of God as a testimony to the great truths given in 1 Tim. 3:15,16¹⁵But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. ¹⁶And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:15‑16) and 4:15,16.

Let us turn to 2 Kings 4:1-7¹Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. ²And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. ³Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. ⁴And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. ⁵So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. ⁶And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. ⁷Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. (2 Kings 4:1‑7).

"Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen." 2 Kings 4:1¹Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. (2 Kings 4:1).

In another translation "sons" in verse 1 reads "children." It suggests the thought of adoption. This is the beginning of our knowledge in the things of God, the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. One of the first actions in the soul with divine life is to cry, "Abba, Father!" Every one who by faith can cry, "Abba, Father," is one of the children of God and belongs at the Lord's table as well. Being at the table is not a question of intelligence but of nature.

New creation is not a question of time or place, but of kind. Of what kind are you?

What nature do you have? Are you in the flesh or in Christ?

After Elijah had gone on high, Elisha represented him, giving a picture of Christ working on earth through His servants by the Holy Spirit.

In 2 Kings 4:1¹Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. (2 Kings 4:1) the Holy Spirit has set before us a woman who had lost her husband. "Woman" in Scripture is sometimes used to set forth position in contrast to responsibility.