Smite Me, I pray Thee...

I ended early this thought about 1 Kings 20:36-43 (see Lion and Lamb), and now return to the pinacle of Jesus ministry in this passage. The prophet who is not named finds another man, and by the word of the Lord commands 'strike', and is wounded. Now again, if this were simply for a disguise later, the reasonable thing to do, even the natural thing would be to dump some animal blood on your clothes and be done with it. And if that were not authentic enough, why not self inflict, preventing the aparent pain and guilt placed upon another. Even the natural man can figure that one out.

And this is precisely the point. This is a picture, from God, by God, of the character of the love He has. It is not graspable by the natural man, it does not make sense. And this is glorious in the Spirit! Praise God for revealing to us the nature of Christ. Now our prophet went to wait for the king by the way, with a disguise upon his head.

The king had been instructed by God to destroy the enemy, that God would deliver them into his hand. Yet he simply took them captive and let them go. Even in the regard that the enemy was human, a person just like the king, and he had 'compassion' for them and released them. This is not a matter of everybody loving one another, it is not about peace between the peoples. The Eternal declared what direction to go, even to destroy the enemies of God's people, and this king did not fulfill that. Yet the real enemy is the natural man himself, the corrupt flesh and soul that rejects the council of God.

The king was unable to submit his soul unto God's word. Unable to perform the destruction of the enemy. He jugded for himself peace, and had compassion. Yet it was not the peace that comes by God, or the compassion that the Lord has for all people. This king, beset by this enemy twice, and given a great victory by the Lord each time replied when told of opposing kings capture, "Is he yet alive? he is my brother."

Now the prophet stood by the way, and the king passed by. In the prophet's parable of keeping the captured enemy, there is a fantastic description of the daliance which leads to escape. In the ASV it reads, "... thy servant was busy here and there ..." A more terse litteral reading would be 'servant did nothing', which I find applicable in this situation. The doing is not about this or that, it is simply hearing the word of God. Responding to the word, and walking in that, is the doing. It matters not what the natural man thinks of the action, or what the circumstance is. Anything else is actually 'doing nothing' if veiwed from a heavenly perspective.

Of course the hapless king of Israel can not percieve the prophet, or the word of God, and decrees justice just as described in the parable. The prophet then reveals himself by removing the covering, the headband. In this the messenger of God is revealed. The king percieves that it is one of the prophets who has spoken. The judgement is come. "Your life for his life, your people for his people." At this the king was depressed. But what of the parable? Is there not something more here?

We know that all have sinned, no one has been able to acheive righteousness, no one can claim glory. And in that failure, judgement falls upon the natural man. Death is his reward for inequity. Yet in the prophet's parable, there is this interesting alternative. "Your life for his life, or a talent of silver ..." was the prophesy. Now equating monetary value between epochs and societal context is frought with errors, but we can place a rough value that one talent of silver was perhaps enough to pay 20 wariors for a year. Whatever the value, it was far more than a commoner could pay.

Silver is a prophetic metal in its own right, signifying redemption. Our Lord was sold for silver, as was Joseph. The Eternal leaves nothing hidden! Failure has a price, and that price is beyond what we can pay. That is where Jesus ministry excells any other. He paid a price uncountable. There is no equivalent to what He lay down for us. He is the lamb upon the throne. He is our redemption payment, the finest silver doesn't come close!

Even in the display of the prophet, the revealing of the judgement of God, there was more. Yet the king of Israel could not hear the word. He would not turn to God inside. Our Lord was treated to a similar response. His proclamations of destruction, the great prophecy of covenant change, were rejected, even mocked. The leaders of Israel in that day could not hear the word of redemption, would not turn to God. As He walked in the flesh, as a man, His head was 'covered', by that I mean His authority was not evident. His rule over all things, His mantle as God was held by the Father, invisible to the stif necked.

Jesus rose from the dead. He was struck down, even to death. Yet rose up, His head fully uncovered, His countenance beaming forth. And with the eyes of my heart opened, I can see Him even now, His body standing upon the earth. There is nothing covering Him now. He is King, fully revealed and glorified. Ever leading us to walk in the prepared works, increasing His glory imesurably within each one. Praise God for revelation, praise Him for eternal life. He loved us before we were known, and fills us with that love even now.

As Stephen proclaimed, "I see the Son of man standing at the right hand of God." Godhead revealed indeed! There was no escape from the Law then, even though they stoned Stephen. Just the amazing gospel of the Messiah, the way to eternal life.

How wonderous You are! "Smite me, I pray thee..." Oh my Lord, fill me with the love You have, even to the greatest works for Your glory.