Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 2:19-25; 2 Kings 4:1-44; 2 Kings 5; 2 Kings 6:1-7
In this message we will consider what is revealed in 2 Kings concerning Elisha's ministry of grace.
Elijah was a type of John the Baptist in convicting people unto death (Luke 1:17; Matt. 11:11, 14; 3:1-2, 6-11a). John the Baptist, who came before Christ, ushered in Christ. This is typified by Elijah's ushering in Elisha.
Elisha was a type of Christ in doing miracles of grace in life. Elijah did some great miracles, such as closing up the heavens so that it might not rain and calling down fire from heaven to consume the burnt offering and the water that had been poured upon it. However, when Elisha came in to replace him, he did not perform wonders. Instead, Elisha did miracles of grace in life.
Many Christians pay attention to miracles, but they neglect the matters of grace and life or speak of them in a very shallow way. Paul emphasized grace very much in the book of Romans. In Romans justification by grace is unto the reigning in life (3:24; 5:17-18). Grace in life is, therefore, a crucial matter in Romans.
Grace is God doing everything for us by giving Himself to us as our enjoyment. This grace issues in the divine life, which is rich and high, even unto making us co-kings with Christ. However, among today's Christians it is not likely that one will hear a message telling the believers that God's grace issues in the divine life for us to reign as kings.
First, Elisha healed the bad water of Jericho (2 Kings 2:19-22). When the men of the city told Elisha that the water was bad and that the land was barren, he went out to the source of the water and threw salt there, saying, "Thus says Jehovah, I have healed this water; there will not be any more death or barrenness from there" (v. 21). Jericho signifies Satan, and with Satan everything is death, including the water. But the bad water of Jericho was healed according to the word of Elisha and became good water, water that gave life.
The first miracle the Lord Jesus performed in the Gospel of John was the changing of water into wine (2:3-11). The significance of this miracle is the changing of death into life. Changing death into life is the governing principle of all the Lord's miracles in the Gospel of John and of all the cases dealt with by Him in chapters three through eleven of John. The significance of the miracle performed by Elisha in 2 Kings 2 and of the miracle performed by the Lord Jesus in John 2 is the same — the changing of death into life.
Next, Elisha called the things not being as being (2 Kings 4:1-7, 8-17, 42-44; cf. Matt. 14:14-21; 15:32-39; Rom. 4:17b). In particular, Elisha called things not being as being when he produced many vessels of oil from one vessel. The Lord Jesus did the same thing in principle. In Matthew 14 and 15 He fed multitudes with a few loaves and fishes.
In this matter also Elisha was a type of the Lord Jesus in the New Testament age. More than any other prophet, Elisha did things that, in type, were the same as what the Lord Jesus did in reality. In principle, Elisha and the Lord Jesus did the same thing, performing miracles of grace in life.
Elisha also resurrected the dead from death (2 Kings 4:18-37; cf. Heb. 11:35; Luke 7:11-17; John 11:41-44; Rom. 4:17b). The Lord Jesus has resurrected millions of persons, including us (John 5:25).
Calling things not being as being and giving life to the dead are not merely miracles. They are grace resulting in life unto the reigning in life as kings.
When the disciples of Elisha were short of food, they cooked a stew with poisonous gourds. Elisha nullified the poison of the wild gourds with flour (2 Kings 4:38-41). In principle, the Lord Jesus did the same thing for His disciples. He warned them, saying, "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Matt. 16:6-12), and He healed the disciples with Himself as the fine flour.
Many of the teachings in today's Christianity are "poisonous gourds." Some Christian books are good, but many are not pure. We have recommended certain writings by Andrew Murray, Madame Guyon, Brother Lawrence, and others. We have especially recommended Andrew Murray's masterpiece The Spirit of Christ, as well as God's Plan of Redemption by Mary E. McDonough and Life on the Highest Plane by Ruth Paxton. Among us we also have the ministry of Brother Nee. Brother Nee's ministry was rejected by the Western missionaries in his youth, but today his ministry is known by seeking Christians throughout the world. By the Lord's mercy and grace, in the last seventy years nearly all the crucial, important revelations of the Bible have been covered in Watchman Nee's ministry and my ministry. I would urge you to pay attention to these pure and healthy things and not waste your time collecting "poisonous gourds."
In 2 Kings 5 Elisha healed a case of leprosy (Luke 4:27). The Lord Jesus did the same thing in His ministry (Matt. 11:5; 8:1-4; Luke 17:11-19).
In 2 Kings 6:1-7 Elisha floated with a wooden stick an ax head that had fallen into the waters. This signifies Christ recovering with His cross, in resurrection, the power of sinners that had fallen into the death water. As sinners, we lost our "ax head," our power, but Christ has recovered this lost power in resurrection with the "wooden stick" of His cross.
In 2 Kings 2:23-24 Elisha cursed the mocking boys to be torn up by two female bears out of the woods. Those who think that the Lord Jesus did not do the same thing in principle need to read the Gospel of Matthew again. Matthew 3:12 says that the wheat will be gathered into the Lord's barn but that He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. To be sure, this burning of the chaff is a curse. Furthermore, in Matthew 12:31-32, 34 the Lord Jesus warned the Pharisees concerning an unforgivable sin, the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 23 He spoke eight woes to the scribes and Pharisees. This was His curse to them.
By all of the foregoing we can see that Elisha was a very accurate type of Christ. Elisha changed the age in type, and the Lord Jesus did the same thing in fulfillment. Today we are in the changed age, the age of the fulfillment of God's New Testament economy.
