The deep sorrow of bereavement was not the only burden pressing upon the heart of this saint of God. To whom should she look for comfort and consolation at such a moment if not to the father of her dead son? The lack of sympathy and inability on the part of her husband to understand her reasons for going to the prophet, must surely have intensified the trial, but it made manifest that she alone was the subject of the Lord's dealings at this time. Whilst many may pass through similar circumstances, yet few get the blessing in result which God has intended. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But it ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth a matter of joy, but of grief; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:6-116For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. (Hebrews 12:6‑11)).
The unexercised soul goes through the trial in pride, or in the strength of nature. The heart is hardened and perhaps the conscience seared, and so the blessing is lost, for God would deal specially with the conscience. We see this in Elihu's answer to Job (Job 33:19-2519He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain: 20So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. 21His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out. 22Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers. 23If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness: 24Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. 25His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth: (Job 33:19‑25)). It is said of one of the most self-willed kings of Judah, that “At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him.” “For Jehovah brought Judah low because of Ahaz, king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against Jehovah, and Tilgath-pilneser, king of Assyria, came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of Jehovah, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria; but he helped him not. And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against Jehovah: this is that king Ahaz” (2 Chronicles 28:16, 19-2216At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. (2 Chronicles 28:16)
19For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord. 20And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. 21For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not. 22And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz. (2 Chronicles 28:19‑22)). Ahaz was a man whom affliction could not soften; on the contrary, it hardened him.
It was not that there was anything very bad in this woman's husband. We do not read that he opposed or attempted to hinder her, but he failed to hear the voice of God. Passing through the same circumstances as his wife, he was not exercised thereby. He received the gift without either astonishment or thankfulness. In the death of his son he had no question to ask of God or of His servant, and henceforth he disappears from view. Such people prefer instead to have some kind of religious profession-a lamp, even if they have no “oil in their vessels with their lamps” (Matthew 25:44But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (Matthew 25:4)). They remain satisfied with mere externals, “new moons and sabbaths.” They know nothing of the power of revealed truth received by faith that sets the soul in the immediate presence of God outside and above all such influences. We may notice here that faith grows with exercise. The more that grace is manifested so much the more does faith press its demands. We need not marvel at this when we consider that the God who blesses is the same God who by His Spirit awakens desires towards Himself, which He alone can satisfy. Surely we may say with Hezekiah, “What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit; so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live” (Isaiah 38:15, 1615What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. 16O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live. (Isaiah 38:15‑16)).
The man of the world desires nothing better than uninterrupted peace and prosperity. The Christian can “glory in tribulations also,” because every fresh difficulty or painful trial sends him to God in prayer, and each new experience of the Lord's unbounded love draws out his heart afresh in thanksgiving to God. Where this is the constant habit of the soul there will be no intemperate display of either joy or grief before the world. And so with this Shunammite; she has but one answer to all inquiries as to her trouble, for “the heart knoweth its own bitterness and a stranger intermeddleth not with its joys,” and, in a way, even her husband appeared a stranger to her.
“So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite! Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, [Is it] well with thee? well with thy husband? well with the child? And she answered, Well. And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet; but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her; and Jehovah hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my Lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me? Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way; if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. And the mother of the child said, As Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose and followed her” (2 Kings 4:25-3025So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: 26Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. 27And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. 28Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me? 29Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. 30And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. (2 Kings 4:25‑30)). It is evident that the deep exercises of her heart found no expression in her outward demeanor. Faith and spiritual discernment had drawn her to the prophet, and to no one else would she make known her sorrow. It would have been waste of time. Her behavior under this deep trial was beautiful. Like another, she could say, “Surely I have behaved and quieted myself like a weaned child.” This is the first manifested result of having to do with God. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6, 76Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6‑7)). The trial may not yet be removed, but the heart is satisfied, and it is only a question of waiting His time. “Thou wilt keep [him in] perfect peace, [whose] mind is stayed [on thee], because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in Jehovah forever: for in Jehovah is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:3, 43Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 4Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: (Isaiah 26:3‑4)). Faith gets the victory and blesses God for it, but the soul thus blessed does not spread before others the secret exercises of the heart. These are before God in the sanctuary.
“It is well” might suffice for first her husband and then Gehazi. But to the man of God she reveals the depth of her sorrow, yet in such a way as made it evident that she had grown wonderfully since the promise had been given. She reminds him that she had not desired the son now lying dead in the prophet's room. Was, not this equivalent to setting up a claim upon the living God that He should give her back her son in resurrection? Faith is bold and God delights in encouraging and satisfying the faith which honors Him. The unbelieving and the unspiritual are left far behind here and faith gains its end. Even Elisha finds himself at fault, although his ignorance of what had actually happened was used in the wisdom of God to complete the test that so she might be shut up to God Himself. Her knowledge of the ways of God, learned under Elisha's ministry, forbade her expecting any good results from the prophet's staff in the hands of his servant. This was to be classed with the “new moons and sabbaths” her husband spoke of, and which, through human interference with divine institutions, had been deprived of their value. In point of fact there was nothing real in Israel now. The emblem of power in the hands of a hireling could accomplish nothing. She was not to be put off with such. A very definite need was pressing upon her heart which God alone could meet. Her strong faith did not prevent her from feeling deeply the weight of the trial. Words and actions alike gave expression to it. “Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me?” Her faith was indeed sorely tried, but the end was near. The divine Husbandman was purging this promising branch and pruning the tender plant with infinite skill and patience. Only what is of God will stand such searching tests. The dross is consumed, the gold abides. Human workmanship is destroyed, for “the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.”
From the very earliest days it has been the sin of the church to deny the presence and operation of the Holy Ghost and to substitute human activity and human wisdom, both in the worship and service of God. Of course, this has not been done openly, although the progress of “Modernism,” the “New Theology,” the “Higher Criticism,” etc., are every day bringing us nearer to the apostasy of Christendom and its judgment. They alone are safe who in the consciousness of weakness cling tenaciously to all that God has given, and which faith values. In Elisha's day what was there of reality in Israel but that tender mercy and compassion of God in which Jehovah visited His people? There was nothing he could connect Himself with, hence the necessity of getting rid of whatever interfered with the free action of God's Spirit, or that obscured the testimony to that boundless love and mercy in which God was yearning over His poor sinful people to do them good. The worldly wisdom of the husband must be set aside. He could see no reason or utility in drawing near to God or seeking Him at such a time. So, too, must the zeal of Gehazi for his master be disowned. It would have kept her away from the Lord she sought. Officialism or delegated power or authority breaks down and fails completely to meet her case, but she never trusted it. The words, “As Jehovah liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee,” attested the reality of her faith and the depth and intensity of her spiritual convictions. These words are the same in which Elisha's faith at the commencement of his career had declared itself in his own attachment to Elijah. These are not mere sentiments, but the unmistakable signs of divine workmanship giving the individual where all is lost as to collective and united testimony to take his stand upon divine principles and to say to the Lord Jesus, “Come what may, I will not leave Thee.”
[G. S. B.]
(To be continued)