In the days when the son of Jesse had but few friends, it was a precious
thing to be treated in the style Barzillai and his neighbours entertained
him (see 2 Sam. xvii. 27-29). They were rich farmers, and had land which
brought forth with abundance, so were able to act with princely
hospitality to the fugitive monarch. But plenty may live with avarice,
and when that is the case it is not to be expected that men who are
fleeing for their lives will be received with kind generosity. In this
case, however, the sight of the needy soldiers made the hearts of those
kingly farmers beat with sympathy, and so the provisions were put there
for the men to help themselves. "Hungry, weary, and thirsty" were they,
but their hospitable entertainers made them welcome. Never would those
dust-covered soldiers forget the halt they made in those green fields.
None felt, though, as David did. He had seen one trusted friend after
another fall away, and the thought that the chief among the rebels was
his own beloved son pierced him to the heart. It was then he composed
the fourth Psalm. And just then to have this welcome feast must have
cheered his soul even more than his body.
Do you live among those who are the enemies of David's greater Son? Is
Jesus in a minority? Are there those who work with you who delight in
making assaults upon your faith? Do they insult your God? Stand up for
Jesus! Be faithful when others are recreant or hostile. A working man
the other day, who has to win his bread among those who hate the name of
God, and who profane the air with their blasphemies, said to one who was
cursing, "Draw it mild there, that's the name of my best friend." Let us
play the man even though we be alone. What did Barzillai care for
Absalom's popularity? David is my king, and he shall have the best I
have: Sooner or later the king will have the opportunity of rewarding the
faithful. The king kissed Barzillai when parting from him; he had
pressed his friend to go back with him to Jerusalem, but
II.--WE SEE A BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATION OF CONTENTMENT.--They had come down
together after the great battle, and David said, "Come thou over with me,
and I will feed thee with me at Jerusalem." It was worthy of them both,
and we cannot but feel touched at David's gratitude; he would fain have
the patriarch spend his last days with him. "With me," said he, "I will
see thou hast everything thou canst want." "Nay," said the old man, "I
will see thee safely over the river, and then I will return to the green
fields I love, and when the time comes for me to die I will be laid by
the side of my father and my mother."
When will men learn that it is not their surroundings but themselves that
make a place comfortable or not? Paul could say, "I have learned in
whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content," and he said this in a
letter he wrote to the town where he had sung praises in the jail! Some
people would have jumped to have had this chance of going to live in a
palace, but this farmer said, "Give me my farmhouse and my quiet grave
beside my mother." Elevation may undo us. A sparrow could only chirp
even though in a golden cage. Barzillai felt, "A rustic, like I am,
seems all right among my ploughs and cattle, but I should not fit a
palace." Many a man has made himself a laughing stock because he left
the place he was fitted for, and so looked like a dandelion in a
conservatory.
III.--We have in Barzillai's words AN OLD MAN'S VIEW OF EARTHLY
ENJOYMENT. As though he had said, "I have lost hearing, sight, and
taste; what are all these things to me? I am soon to be in my grave,
what do I want away from home?" It would be well for most of us to weigh
these words, "How long have I to live?" To judge from the way we see men
toil to get houses and land, you would think they were going to live for
ever. Watch them how they are scraping the money they have; they have
none to spare to feed the hungry and clothe the naked; they have poor
relatives, but they cannot help them. Are they not going to be rich,
live in a splendid house, be grand folks some day? Aye, but death cannot
be bribed. I was passing through a splendid estate the other day, and
was told of the gentleman that owns it; he is an old man, but he will not
own to it, and he is quite a fraud, with his dyed hair and wrinkled face;
he looks quite ghastly, in spite of all that art can do to pad him and
make him up. I wish some of those who are denying themselves the luxury
of giving, because they have determined to have a splendid estate for
their children, would think "How will my mansion look with the blinds
down, and a hearse at the door with a coffin in it, with my name on a
silver plate?" We cannot refuse to help the poor, and hear Jesus say,
"Well done." We cannot save money for selfish purposes and go to heaven.
Besides, to leave riches for those who come after us is the way to have
dry eyes at our funeral!
IV.--THOSE WHO ARE LOYAL SHALL WIN PROMOTION FOR THEIR CHILDREN.--Although
Barzillai was not willing to go to live in Jerusalem, he felt that his
son might enjoy it, and so called the king's attention to Chimham. Let
him go over with my lord the king. He is not too old to bend. He can
adapt himself. There would be many questions asked by those who had not
left the palace when the king returned, as to who this rustic was who was
in the palace of David, and they would be told, "This is the son of
Barzillai. His father was a faithful friend when friends were few, and
his son is promoted to dwell with the king."
When David gave his dying charge to Solomon, he said, "Show kindness to
the sons of Barzillai" (1 Kings ii., 7). Tears had passed since he saw
the provision made for him and his men, but he could never forget it. On
his deathbed he could see the bed that was placed by the road side, and
upon which he had rested his weary limbs when a fugutive, and so he would
repay his debt to the children of the aged farmer. How true it is that
we can make futurity our servant and the servant of our children by at
the present time caring for our King. Does God see that we stand by His
cause when it is weak? Do we find food and comfort for His fainting
soldiers? Then he shows His appreciation by inviting us to Jerusalem the
golden. We shall not wish to excuse ourselves from going to that blessed
spot. Be we young or be we old, we shall not wish to return, but shall
go on to find that the singing men and singing women wish us to join
their number and to help them in praising the King, immortal, invisible,
to whom be glory and honour for ever.
LVI. "THEN THE FIRE OF THE LORD FELL."
1 KINGS xviii. 38.
It was fire that came direct from heaven. It was not the first time it
had fallen; we read of it in Leviticus ix. 24 as coming from before the
Lord, and consuming the sacrifice. It was God's way of showing His power
and his favour, and it was something that could neither be imitated nor
produced by anyone else besides Jehovah.
I.--THIS FIRE CAME AT A TIME OF APOSTACY. The nation, headed by King
Ahab, had gone very far away from God. They needed some signal display
of God's power to win them back again. It is interesting to notice that
God has been in the habit of manifesting Himself in a remarkable way just
at the time when his foes seem to be triumphing. The religion of Jehovah
was almost forgotten, the rites of unclean idols were popular both in
court and cottage, and it was then that the word of the Lord came to
Elijah. When Satan can produce Ahab, God can assert Himself by raising
up the seer who shall put him to shame. Has it not been so many times
since? When the rulers had put Jesus to death, He proved His
resurrection by sending tongues of fire on those who kept His word by
remaining at Jerusalem. When Popery had placed its iron heel upon the
head of Gospel truth, Martin Luther was converted; and later on, when a
cold rigour was upon Christendom, Wesley and Whitefield felt the fire of
God in their very bones, and were sent out to tell of the Jesus that
delivers the vilest of men.
May we not expect in these days of blasphemy and rebuke that the fire
shall fall upon the Church, and that some shall be so filled with the
Holy Ghost that the enemies of God shall be delivered to derision and
contempt? Let us not be dismayed by the power and number of those who
are arrayed against us. _Elijah was in a minority of one_. He had the
king and queen against him; hundreds of well-fed priests opposed him; the
whole nation had turned its back on God, and were opposed to this single-
handed prophet. If the fire did not fall, he would become their victim;
but they could not prevent the fire coming from heaven. It is the unseen
forces that are to be dreaded by the enemies of God. There was no sign
of this fire; but there was a needs-be that Jehovah should prove his
supremacy, and He did it unmistakably, for the fire of God fell!
II.--THE FIRE WAS SOMETHING BAAL'S PRIESTS COULD NOT PRODUCE.--The
Creator has a pre-emption on His universe. He has not given the key of
His treasury to any man or angel. Those heathen priests may have
been--some of them doubtless were--sincere. They had cried unto Baal for
help; they had implored his assistance; but neither the deaf idol nor the
listening devil who had invented idolatry could reach the source of the
flame which was to come, but not in reply to their desire.
It is well for us who are sometimes in perplexity because of the power of
evil to look at the helplessness of sin when in extremity. These
shrieking priests of Baal are a picture of many a one since, who has
cried for help and had no reply. Let the cholera come a little nearer
our shores. As I write these words I hear it is in Spain; it may be in
London before this is printed. There may be in the printing-office some
infidel compositor, but though he sneers at religion and those who
believe the Bible, he cannot keep away from the pestilence as silently it
steals along the street where he sleeps! The cholera would drive
infidelity away from many a scoffer were it but to slay a few hundreds of
Englishmen. How powerless are God's foes at such a time!
Should there come a universal drought that meant famine if there were not
showers to come copious and lasting, how many would look up to God who
now never think of Him! What could science and skill do for us when rain
is needed? A famine would make Bradlaugh very unpopular. "If the God of
the Christians does not help us by sending rain, what can we do but
starve," would be the cry. These prophets cutting themselves and howling
their own shame supply a picture of the powerlessness of sin when
confronted with necessity.
III.--THE FIRE FELL IN ANSWER TO PRAYER. What a scene is depicted in
verses 29 and 30! There were neither voice nor any to answer, nor any
that regarded, and Elijah said, "Yes, if we are on the side of God and
righteousness we can afford to wait." There will be a time when even
those who have opposed us shall long to see us act. The prophet waited
for his turn, and it came. How the priests would watch him as he
repaired the broken and neglected altar of God? Digging a trench round
the stones he had piled, and then laying the bullock on the wood, he sent
down to the shore for water, which he continued to pour on the sacrifice
till it had filled the trench. Ah! if the fire can consume that, it is
no trick. Those who live as near to God as Elijah did, can get fire
enough to conquer all His opponents, and need not fear the issue.
And now he is about to pray. How all would listen as each word smote
upon their ears. He puts God to the proof, and asks Him to show who is
master, Baal or Jehovah. Do we not need more of this kind of prayer?
Would there not be more of it if there was only greater faith? Who is
the God we serve? Have we Elijah's Lord to cry unto? Then how is it we
allow the servants of Baal to triumph over us? Prayer is as great a
power to-day as it ever was, if only we have faith in Him who tells us,
"Knock, and the door shall be opened." Dare we put Him to the test, and
ask for that which is sure to bring glory to Him, feeling that if our
prayers are not answered it is God's name that will be dishonoured more
than ours? Whenever Christians come up to this standard they will
prevail in prayer, and be able to call down celestial fire. Pentecost
will repeat itself whenever the whole Church will wait on the Lord, as
the early Christians did, with one accord. To believe otherwise is to
reckon that God has no care either for His glory or for a perishing
world.
IV.--THE FIRE CONQUERED ALL OPPOSITION. The physical difficulties were
as nothing, it consumed and licked up all. Flesh, stone, wood, and water
alike were wrapped in flame, and appeared no more. Difficulties are fuel
to the heaven-sent fire! Opposition is opportunity to omnipotence. Does
not the history of the Church teach this over and over again? The
Israelites crossed the Red Sea "By crystal walls protected." The three
Hebrew children "walked unburned in fire." Do not let us be afraid of
physical or spiritual difficulties if there is a promise or command.
The prophet wished to have his countrymen converted, and prayed that
their hearts might be turned back, and this miracle convinced them that
Jehovah "was alone among the gods, that all their idols were as nothing
before Him. And what is wanted to bring about moral victories is the
fire from above, the same fire that fell at Pentecost, tongues of fire,
whether we shall see them or not; the people must feel our words to burn
them if we have the heaven-sent fire. Nothing will save England and the
world but this, and do we not read, "Elias was a man subject to like
passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly? Why should not future
writers say Jones or Robinson, or whatever your name is, was a man, and
he prayed, and there was a mighty revival?
All opposition will fall before the fire. Neither Sacerdotalism nor
Atheism can hold its ground before the celestial burnings. What the
enemies of Jesus have to fear is for the Church to fall upon its knees.
Those who bow before the Lord can stand upright in the presence of His
enemies. The man who, later on in this chapter, we are told cast himself
down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees when he prayed,
was wont to say, "As the Lord God liveth before whom I stand." Let us
only be mighty in prayer, and we shall be mighty enough to make wicked
men tremble. HE WHO CAN WIN FAVOUR IN PRAYER CAN WIN VICTORY IN BATTLE.
THE DEVIL IS A GOOD ANGLER,
HIS MOST CRUEL HOOKS ARE IN
HIS NICEST BAIT.
LVII. A PICTURE OF CONVERSION.
2 KINGS ii. 19-22.
Are not the stories of the Old Testament the parables of the Holy Ghost?
Jesus taught by parables; and the Holy Ghost, the Divine Teacher, who yet
leads into all truth, has stored doctrine in these tales. There is a
kernel inside the shell, if only we have the teeth to crack it.