Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 1:17; 3:1-27; 2 Kings 6:8-33; 2 Kings 7; 2 Kings 8:1-15
The Old Testament history is closely related to God's economy in the way of typology. The prophet Elisha represents God's New Testament economy in typology. Elisha was a type in the Old Testament who typified the real things in the New Testament. In Luke 4:27 the Lord Jesus referred to Elisha as a type of Himself, saying, "There were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them were cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian." Here the Lord indicated that Israel's rejection of Elisha and Elisha's turn to the Gentiles was a type of Himself as the Son of Man. This offended those in the synagogue, and they cast Him out. This fulfilled the type of Elisha, who came to God's people with the word of grace but was rejected by them. Christ also was rejected and forced to turn to the Gentiles to preach the word of grace.
In this message we will see more concerning the ministry of Elisha as we consider the reign of Jehoram over Israel.
Jehoram, the son of Ahab, began to reign from the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and reigned for twelve years in Samaria (2 Kings 1:17b; 3:1).
Jehoram did what was evil in the sight of Jehovah, but not like his father and his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal, which his father had made. Yet he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, by which he caused Israel to sin, and did not turn away from them (vv. 2-3). This means that Jehoram followed the one who was the founder of division and idol worship in Israel.
Jehoram fought against the king of Moab, who was rebelling against him (vv. 4-27). Jehoram made an alliance with Jehoshaphat king of Judah and the king of Edom (vv. 7-10). At the suggestion of Jehoshaphat, Jehoram sought out Elisha in order to inquire of Jehovah by him. Through Elisha Jehovah told Jehoram to go ahead into battle (vv. 11-19). Jehoram conquered Moab, forcing the king of Moab to offer his firstborn son, his successor, to his idol as a burnt offering upon the wall (vv. 20-27a). Then great wrath came upon Israel, and they departed and returned to their own land (v. 27b).
In 6:8-23 we are told that Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, waged war against Israel.
Elisha unveiled the strategy of Ben-hadad to Jehoram king of Israel and instructed him how to stay away from Ben-hadad's strategy (vv. 8-11).
After he was informed that it was Elisha who had unveiled his strategy to Jehoram, Ben-hadad sent an army to besiege the city of Dothan (vv. 12-14).
Elisha's young attendant saw the army in the morning and was afraid, not knowing what to do (vv. 15-16).
Elisha prayed that Jehovah would open his young attendant's eyes. Jehovah opened his eyes, and he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (v. 17). These were just for defense, not for offense. Elijah's miracles were offensive, but Elisha's were defensive. The horses and chariots of fire around Elisha were not for fighting but only for protecting.
Ben-hadad's army came down to Elisha, and Elisha prayed that God would strike them with blindness. After Jehovah had struck them with blindness according to Elisha's word, Elisha told them to follow him, and he brought them to Samaria. Then he asked God to open their eyes, and they saw that they were in the midst of Samaria (vv. 18-20).
Jehoram wanted to kill the army of Ben-hadad, but Elisha stopped him and instructed him to prepare a feast for them and then let them return to their master. After they had eaten and drunk, they went to their master, and the bands of Syria no longer came to invade the land of Israel (vv. 21-23). In this matter of preparing a feast for the enemies we see the New Testament ministry (Rom. 12:20-21). The Syrians were stopped by being invited to a feast.
Second Kings 6:24—7:20 tells us that Ben-hadad king of Syria besieged Samaria.
There was a great famine in Samaria (6:25-29). The famine was severe to such an extent that the people would eat their children.
Jehoram king of Israel was angry with Elisha and tried to kill him (vv. 30-33).
In 7:1-20 Elisha prophesied that on the next day there would be a rich provision of food by God's defeating of the Syrians.
The captain who upheld the king did not believe that there could be such a rich provision of food, saying, "Even if Jehovah made windows in heaven, could this thing happen?" (v. 2a). Elisha told him that his eyes would indeed see it but that he would not eat from it.
Four lepers discovered the rich provision of food and reported the good news to the king's household. The king's servants checked out the situation and confirmed the report of the lepers (vv. 3-15).
The people of Israel went forth to plunder the camp of the Syrians. They trampled the unbelieving captain in the gate, and he died as Elisha had said (vv. 16-20).
Elisha told the woman whose son he had restored to life to go with her household and dwell wherever she could, because a seven-year famine ordered by God was to come. She did according to Elisha's word. After she returned, she regained her inheritance through the king by the help of Elisha (8:1-6).
Verses 7 through 15 describe Elisha's friendly contact with Ben-hadad king of Syria.
Elisha came to Damascus when Ben-hadad was sick, and Ben-hadad was informed of this (v. 7).
Ben-hadad sent his servant Hazael to see Elisha with a great gift of forty camel loads of all the good things of Damascus, to ask Elisha whether Ben-hadad would recover from his sickness (vv. 8-9).
Elisha answered that Ben-hadad would recover from his sickness but would certainly die. Then Elisha prophesied to Hazael that he would be king over Syria. Elisha felt ashamed and wept because Hazael would do evil to the children of Israel, setting their strongholds on fire, slaying their choice young men, dashing their little ones to pieces, and ripping open their pregnant women (vv. 10-13).
Hazael came back to tell his master Ben-hadad what Elisha said to him. On the next day Hazael murdered Ben-hadad and usurped the throne (vv. 14-15).
In his ministry Elisha the prophet, as the man of God, behaved himself as God's representative, as the acting God, on the earth. As believers in Christ, we can be the same.
Elisha, as a disciple of Elijah, eventually gained Elijah's spirit, but he was absolutely different from Elijah. In typology Elijah typifies the Old Testament economy and Elisha typifies the New Testament economy.
When we read the historical books, we need to have a view that covers the entire Bible from the first page to the last. Paul was one who knew the Old Testament and was able to interpret it. The book of Romans is an explanation of the Old Testament verse that says, "The righteous shall have life and live by faith" (Rom. 1:17; Hab. 2:4). Paul wrote a book of sixteen chapters to define what it means to have life through faith. The first four chapters are judicial, telling us that God justifies us based on Christ's redemption through our faith (3:24, 28). This has nothing to do with life. However, God's justification by grace leads to life (5:18). Justification issues in regeneration, the receiving of the divine life, which is God Himself. This life is working within us to make us kings to reign (v. 17). After chapter four, every chapter of Romans is organic. By this organic life we, the justified sinners, are made living members of the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ in chapter twelve is expressed organically in different localities in chapter sixteen.
I received most of this light through Brother Nee. He was the most balanced person in knowing the Bible. Through him I picked up the principle of studying the Bible in the way of life.
The Bible has been studied, interpreted, and expounded by thousands throughout the last twenty centuries. Brother Nee studied all the interpretations and passed them on to me. This is why the preface of the Recovery Version of the New Testament says that the footnotes contain "the `crystallization' of the understanding of the divine revelation which the saints everywhere have attained to in the past two thousand years." If we pay attention to all the notes, we will understand the Bible through all the teachers in the past.
