Good afternoon, brothers and sisters. I am the second Chinese brother responsible for the afternoon session. Yesterday, you met the other brother; the one begins with C, now with C.
Let us bow our heads for a word of prayer.
Father, our hearts are just full because You reveal Yourself. We thank You for Your speaking to Your people in such power and such clarity. We bow low and worship You, undeserving as we are.
Lord, yet You keep showering upon us blessing upon blessing. We thank You for mercy. Lord, the fact that we are able to sit in this auditorium is by grace. Your grace brought us to this place, and, Lord, we take grace by faith for all we need this afternoon.
So, Lord, we look to You to present Yourself with us in a mighty way. Lord, make us conscious that You are with us. Thank You, Lord, for Your attention, that You are ruling over Your people.
We commend our time to You. Use it for Your purpose, and for Your glory, and for the edification of Your people, for the preparing of Your people to meet You in Your kingdom. We give thanks and praise in the precious name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
I always stand here with a great deal of hesitation, because the more I try to learn to serve, the more I discover how impossible it really is.
I am convinced more than ever that God’s work only God can do. God’s word must be spoken by Himself. We are simply the instruments in His hand.
So, for those who have some measure or some capacity in serving the Lord, we all sense that way. It is a tremendous responsibility—not just to our brothers and sisters, but to the Lord—because when we stand here, we are representing the Lord Himself. So it is a very serious matter.
But as I met before the Lord these last few weeks—indeed, these last few months—concerning this afternoon, nothing was really clarified before me by the Holy Spirit until a few weeks ago.
You know, the theme for this conference is Thy Kingdom Come. When I was approached by the brethren in Richmond about the afternoon session, they said, “Just share the burden of your heart. You do not have to be confined to the theme.”
Now, if you are given a theme, that is much easier because you have some direction. But they said, “Just share whatever the Lord has laid on your heart. Share that.” That is tough.
I tried, but I did not seem able to move away from that theme: Thy kingdom come. The more I sought to behold the Lord and read His word, this phrase, “Thy kingdom come,” seemed to come to me with such force. I just could not get away from it because of the urgency of the time—the days in which we are living.
So, if you are all willing, this afternoon we will look into the Old Testament, at 2 Samuel 19. We will read that account and, by the help of the Holy Spirit, hope that we can learn some lessons together.
Just to give you a little background: in chapter 19, David returned to Jerusalem to reclaim his kingdom and his rightful throne. But before that, we have the rebellion of Absalom. David and a few of his followers retreated across the Jordan. Then we have the account of how David was brought back to Jerusalem.
So, if the Lord is willing, we want to consider a few points concerning what it takes for the Lord to come back to Israel. Let us turn to 2 Samuel 19, beginning with verse 9.
And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land from Absalom.
And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle: now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?
And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house, seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house?
Ye are my brethren, ye are my bone and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?
And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.
And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent unto the king, saying, Return thou, and all thy servants.
Let us also turn to verse 31.
And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim; and he went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old; and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.
And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will sustain thee with me in Jerusalem.
And Barzillai said unto the king, How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
I am this day fourscore years old: can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
Thy servant would go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father and my mother. But, behold, thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him that which shall seem good unto thee.
And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.
And all the people went over Jordan, and the king went over: and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.
So the king went over to Gilgal, and Chimham went over with him.
That is the portion we will read. As we have read it, you notice that there was talk about the coming back of the king. There was talk. But talking about the return of the king and doing something about it are quite different.
Now, there is much talk nowadays about the coming of the Lord. There is much talk, and the Lord has heard about it.
But in this account, David sent two priests particularly to the elders in Judah. He said, “Why should you be the last to bring the king back?” And he told them, “You are my brethren. You are my bone and my flesh. Why should you be the last?”
Brothers and sisters, if we honestly look into our hearts, when we say that we want the Lord to come back, how true is that statement? Is it merely a statement that comes from our lips? We talk about His return, yet we are not preparing ourselves for His return.
In this account, you notice one thing: it is as though the Lord is waiting to be welcomed back. We find that to be true in the last chapter of Revelation. Three times the Lord says, “Behold, I come quickly,” but He has not yet come.
Why is there delay? There is talk about His coming, and He says, “Behold, I come quickly.” What is the delay? Brothers and sisters, it is our heart condition.
There is a big gap between our lips and our hearts. We may merely say, “Come, Lord Jesus,” without a real yearning from our heart.
Now, you notice in this passage that beautiful phrase, “my bone and my flesh.” It is mentioned twice here. It is very meaningful—very meaningful. We will consider it in a little while.
How much the Holy Spirit needs to work in us, to bring us to such a state that the Lord will find it fitting to come.
I think we should go to the New Testament and emphasize a few facts. I think this is very essential.
In the New Testament accounts—the Gospels, the Epistles, and the Book of Acts—there are three facts that are most outstanding.
First, the Lord Jesus, our Lord Jesus, the Son of God, came to this earth two thousand years ago. Historically, He did that. He came and accomplished the work of the Father, and now He has gone away.
That is a fact. His resurrection is a fact. His ascension is a fact. His glorification is a fact. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father. That is a fact that we find in the New Testament.
The second glorious fact is that, on account of His exaltation, the promised Holy Spirit has been poured out and is given to the church. The Holy Spirit is here with us.
The third thing is that in the Scriptures we are given this blessed hope: the promise of His return. These are three basic facts that we have in Scripture.
Every time we come around the Lord’s table to remember Him, these facts are visible before us. We remember what He has done for us. We remember that we are here to bear testimony to what He is like. At the same time, we remember Him until He comes.
In our remembering of the Lord at the Lord’s table, we have a backward look: what He has done for us. It is all for our good.
But as far as looking forward to the day of His return is concerned, brothers and sisters, we often overlook that fact. Because we overlook that fact, sometimes our longing for the Lord is not strong. It is weak.
The ultimate hope of everything is His return. So these three facts are very, very essential. Every time we come to the Lord’s table, we are reminded of what He has done, what we are here for, and what we are looking forward to.
Now, between the two comings, we have the Person of the Holy Spirit here. Some people call this the dispensation of the church, the dispensation of grace, or the dispensation of the Spirit.
What marks this present age from all the other ages is the activity of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the redeemed. He dwells in our hearts, and He dwells in the midst of us. What is He doing here?
As we look around among the Lord’s people, I am afraid there is some confusion. I think the issue of the Spirit is very confusing.
But if we look at the Scriptures—at the first coming down of the Holy Spirit and the last ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Revelation—we see that the Holy Spirit has one work in view.
Whether He gives gifts, or whatever the Holy Spirit does, He has one thing in view. The Holy Spirit has one purpose: that is, declaring Christ, revealing Christ, incorporating Christ, or, if you wish to put it this way, reproducing Christ in us.
In other words, He is preparing us. He is getting us ready for His return. The goal of the Holy Spirit is to bring the church to that point when the church, the Bride, and the Spirit can say together in unison, “Come.”
So you can see, the Lord is in fact waiting for us to welcome Him back. Like 2 Samuel 19, David’s word is, “Why are you the last to bring me back?” When Judah responded, their hearts were united as one, and they sent word to the king: “Return.”
Before we can arrive at such a point that we can all say together with the Spirit, “Come,” there is much work that needs to be done in our hearts.
Now, like in this gathering here, I know some have been saying to the Lord, “Come,” for a long time, and the Lord has not come yet. Some are learning to say, “Come,” now. And some say, “Well, just wait for a little while. I am not quite ready yet.”
But the Lord is very patient. He is waiting until there will be a corporate representation of the Body of Christ that can say together in unison with the Holy Spirit, “Come.” Then He will establish His kingdom.
For the Holy Spirit to work something into us, brothers and sisters, is not very easy. We heard this morning how impossible we are for the Lord. But thank God for the Holy Spirit. He is a patient Teacher. He patiently works day and night with us.
I just want to call attention to the ministry of the Holy Spirit: how He prepares us for His coming. In the light of the story we read in 2 Samuel 19, let me take you to Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, chapter 8.
You recall those beautiful words in Romans 8:29-30: those whom He foreknew, He predestined; those whom He predestined, He called; those whom He called, He justified; and those whom He justified, He glorified.
If you read Romans 8 with 2 Corinthians 3—which is the chapter of the ministry of the Holy Spirit—you will notice that justification is simply God’s way of preparing a clean and suitable ground in our hearts for the Holy Spirit to begin His work of transformation, changing us from glory to glory.
Justification is not the end. Justification is the beginning of God’s preparing in our hearts a suitable ground for the Holy Spirit to begin the work of transformation—to change us from glory to glory.
In 2 Corinthians 3:6, we have that phrase: “the Spirit giveth life.” The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. The life we have, brothers and sisters, is given by the Holy Spirit. We are born of the Spirit, and we live in the Spirit.
Then, when you come to verse 17, the Holy Spirit gives us liberty in the Spirit. Life is not enough. That life needs liberty in the Spirit in order to grow and be changed from glory to glory.
Liberty from sin, from the world, from the flesh, from everything that is contrary to God—He sets us free, so that we can behold the Lord of glory with unveiled face.
If we are not free from all that is contrary to God, when we try to behold Him, we will be condemned. But when we are set free, we are given liberty to behold and to be changed.
As we look into the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, we are being transformed into the same image. It is not just a reflection; it is Christ being incorporated into us. As we look, we are changed from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.
This changing from glory to glory is precisely the work of the Holy Spirit. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. So the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not ends in themselves. They are for changing us from glory to glory, preparing a people fit for the return of the Lord.
As we learn to behold the Lord, sit in His presence, and enjoy that life and liberty, I thank the Lord. As I look back into my own life, I believe one of the first gifts of grace the Lord gives to each of us is the gift of discernment.
To me, that is very basic. That is fundamental for a Christian who, every day, wants to know what is of the Lord and what is not of the Lord. Is that not essential? Otherwise, we would be so confused. We would not know how to follow the Lord or how to walk down here.
I believe the most precious gift the Holy Spirit gives to us, as we behold our Lord Jesus, is this gift of discernment: what is of the Lord, what is not of the Lord, what is pleasing to Him, and what is not pleasing to Him.
Is that not our experience, brothers and sisters? The moment you have that inward knowing, something you have been doing, now you cannot do. Something you did not want to do, now you know you ought to do. There are places you gladly went before, but now you cannot go; and there are places you did not want to go, but now you say, “Go.”
It is the Holy Spirit. There is an inward knowing of what is of the Lord and what is not of the Lord. To me, that is the most precious thing.
But that gift does not stop there. That gift has tremendous potential. As we behold the Lord and look to Him, that gift of discernment gets sharper and sharper, and more refined.
So we not only know what the Lord has done for us—how wonderful that is—but now we gain a deeper perception. We are given an insight into who this Person is: not merely His work, but His Person and His office.
For most of us, we know something of the work of Jesus, all that He has done for us. But few of us know the Person. Few of us know the office and authority of Jesus.
As we behold and learn to wait upon the Lord, we are given this insight. This insight comes by beholding Him and waiting upon Him.
Most Christians look to the Lord only once, on the day they are saved. They say, “That is it. He is my Savior.” But what is He to God?
He is God’s Heir. He is God’s anointed King. He is God’s Priest. He is God’s Prophet. He is ruler of everything. He is the center and heart of God the Father. He is the center of all God’s purpose.
He is the beginning and the end. He is the beginning and the end of all God’s activities and all God’s doings. The Lord Himself says in Revelation, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
So the question, brothers and sisters, that we must ask ourselves from time to time—at least I must ask myself—is this: when the Lord looks at me, looks at you, and looks at the church, how much of Himself can He find in us?
That is what He is looking for.
Once we see Him as King, as we heard last evening, our place is submission. A king demands total submission.
Now, in the account before us in 2 Samuel 19, if you know the previous chapters, you will notice that when David was retreating from Jerusalem, he was retreating temporarily because Absalom’s rebellion was temporary.
Why temporarily? Because, if you read the account, when David sent his troops back to fight Absalom’s soldiers, the outcome of the battle was never in question.
You remember that David charged the generals and all his troops, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.” The outcome of that battle, because of David’s mighty men, was already certain. So David said, in effect, “Be kind to him. Do not kill him. Preserve his life.”
But you notice one thing: when David was retreating from Jerusalem, it was a crisis. In a crisis, the true heart is revealed. When David retreated from Jerusalem temporarily, the thoughts in many hearts were revealed—whether they knew David as their king or not.
Many Israelites abandoned David. Many of them fought with Absalom. Why? Because outwardly David was an old man, perhaps weak, and few were his followers. Absalom was a young man, charming and attractive.
You read the account of Absalom and you know how good-looking he was—his hair and all that. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him.
In this country, when someone runs for president, people seem to be looking at whether his wife is the best-looking lady in the land. So all Israel was drawn to Absalom. He was young and charming, and he had popular support.
He knew how to influence people and make friends. You know how he did it, do you not? So David was, to many, just like any other earthly king.
But here we see the contrast. For those who really knew David in heart, those who had a close relationship with him, David was no ordinary king.
In 2 Samuel 19:21, we have that phrase: “the Lord’s anointed.” Others saw David as merely an ordinary king, but those who knew David and knew his history said, “He is different. He is God’s king, the Lord’s anointed.”
Absalom was man’s choice, but David was different. David was God’s choice. God brought him to the throne. God gave him the throne to rule over His people. God was behind David.
Those who knew David and followed him closely knew that any attempt to drive David out from the throne was impossible, because David was God’s chosen man.
So they resisted the rebellion and retreated lovingly and willingly with David. Barzillai and those who gathered around David came to him in a time of adversity. It was when David was retreating that they came to his support.
Brothers and sisters, when someone is retreating and apparently defeated, it would seem very foolish to come and support that person. But for those few who came to David, there was no doubt in their hearts that David was not just an ordinary king. David was God’s king, God’s anointed.
Because they knew that in their hearts, they came and gave themselves to David. Their devotion to him was wholehearted. In their hearts, David was the legitimate king. All the others were counterfeit usurpers.
He alone was worthy of their submission, and the kingdom was rightfully his. They took that ground with David.
This insight, brothers and sisters, came to those few who really loved David and recognised him as the Lord’s anointed because their lives were around David. They were his closest friends. They maintained an intimate relationship with him. They saw something in David.
Now, according to the application to our life down here, as we behold the Lord, draw near to Him, and learn to wait before Him with unveiled face, we are given the recognition that He is not merely a Savior. He is God’s anointed King. The kingdom is rightfully His, and the crown is His.
It is not easy, because this world system has rejected God’s King. When He was on earth, they insulted Him, rejected Him, and crucified Him.
But, brothers and sisters, we who are loved by Him, redeemed by Him, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, through the life and liberty given to us, can by faith enthrone Him now in our hearts.
Today, the kingdom is in mystery. Why? Because it is hidden in our hearts. We can enthrone Him even now. The work of the Holy Spirit is simply to make room in our hearts and lives for Him to reign—more room for Him.
The Holy Spirit has this one aim. Whatever He does, He has the Lord Jesus in view. It is a work of glory because He is the Lord of glory. If we allow Him to enthrone the Lord in our hearts, the throne brings glory. It is a work of glory.
If we long for the Lord to return, brothers and sisters, and set up His kingdom on this earth, we must be willing for Him to set up His throne in us now—in the church.
That is the way the Holy Spirit paves the way for His coming. It must begin with us. If the Lord cannot do that work in us—in me and in you—we are delaying His coming.
May we see Him as King—God’s King, our King—and learn to enthrone Him in our hearts.
When you talk about the Lord’s coming, we always think about signs. What are the signs of the Lord’s coming? Sometimes the Lord did tell us of signs.
But, brothers and sisters, we are looking for signs of His coming. What do you think the Lord is looking for? He is looking for the right condition here.
Signs are really secondary. The primary sign He is looking for is the heart condition. What condition is in our hearts for His return? That is what He is looking for.
The second thing is that, as we gaze on the Lord of glory with unveiled face and the Holy Spirit does the work of transformation, changing us from glory to glory, our love for Him increases.
Why? Because our appreciation for Him increases. Appreciation and love go together. The more you appreciate, the more you love.
If you read the account about Barzillai, you know that he gave everything to David because David was his king. He gave everything at David’s disposal. Imagine supporting David and all his men. I do not know for how long a period, but imagine the resources he had to possess. He put all those things at David’s disposal.
Brothers and sisters, that was out of love—love for David. Any true giving to the King must be out of love, not merely obligation, because He is the King of love.
Barzillai gave. He gave in faith. He sustained David all those days with the hope and anticipation that one day would come when he himself would have the privilege of escorting David across the Jordan to reclaim his rightful throne.
His loving and giving had something in view. He gave David everything with the view that one day he himself would personally have the honor of escorting David across the Jordan when David returned to his kingdom.
You know the Lord’s prayer: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done.” As I meditated on this story, I discovered in myself, and among the fellowship in South Jersey, that when we come and pray—or when I pray personally—we often ignore the first half of the Lord’s prayer. We concentrate on the second half.
When we come to say, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we pray with faith. We really mean it because we are afraid to go hungry.
But when it comes to “Thy kingdom come,” our hearts may not be there because we do not love the King. We love the things of the King, but we do not love the King.
In this country, we do not even pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” very much anymore, because when you go home, you have a refrigerator full of food. If you have a housewife, you may even have the menu for the week planned. You know exactly what you are going to have when you go home.
But only those who really love the King can pray, “Thy kingdom come.” The love of the King will pray that prayer. That prayer issues out from the depth of the heart, from relationship with the King Himself.
It comes out of a life of beholding the King, knowing in your heart that the kingdom is His. Brothers and sisters, we know the privilege of our Lord, but we do not know what He longs for. So we are still very self-centered Christians.
May the Lord change our priority from self-centeredness to kingdom-centeredness. The King requires our submission and our love.
Next, I believe this love has to translate into something very practical. It has to be tested. It is a loyalty out of the heart—a true commitment, a surrender of everything.
We read that Barzillai was a man of means. Some versions say that he was a great man, and some versions say that he was a rich man.
When he was giving his all to David and his men, what do you think the reaction was from his family and friends? Particularly at this time, when the rebellion of Absalom seemed so strong and promising, and David seemed so weak, what do you think they thought?
I want to share this with you. There is a brother in the Philippines who was involved with one of the candidates during an election. He thought this candidate was a sure winner, so he cast his lot with him. But unfortunately, he was a loser.
When that candidate did not gain office, the brother’s business was almost wiped out because he had sided with the wrong party. You always go for the winner, do you not?
Family and friends may have said to Barzillai, “This is the wrong time to be loyal to David. He is not in Jerusalem. Look at Absalom. Look at all his followers.” They questioned his wisdom.
But Barzillai was unmoved. He was unmoved. Why? Because deep within, he had an inward knowing that David was God’s king.
Honestly, when we take a stand for the Lord, we will be challenged. If we do not know the Lord deeply and intimately, we may be shaken by it.
But Barzillai stood his ground for the king. Honestly, that is what the Lord is looking for among His people. He is not with us visibly. We do not see Him. Yet by faith, we can take this ground for Him.
This world will always reject God’s King. It asked for Barabbas, the murderer. The religious world cried and shouted, “We have no king but Caesar.”
But what is our cry? Our cry is, “Hallelujah! He is rightfully King.” That is our song. So Psalm 2 becomes a very meaningful psalm. We do not see Him, but by faith we know God’s King is in Zion.
The next lesson we need to learn is that, as we grow in the Lord, the Lord has to allow refining work in us. Our love for Him, our loyalty to Him, and everything we do for Him are so mixed.
At first, it may be much for us and very little for Him. But He is looking for that first love—pure love.
He is looking to look at His people and to be able to say those beautiful words. I think they are among the most beautiful words in the Garden of Eden. When Adam looked at Eve, he said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.” It is me.
You remember in 2 Samuel 5, when the Israelites came to Hebron to crown David king over all Israel, the same phrase was repeated. They came to crown him king, and they said, “Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.”
There is an echo. Those same words are repeated. The Lord is saying, “I am your bone and your flesh.” Can we say to Him, “We are Your bone and Your flesh”? Can we?
In 2 Samuel 5, they came to David and said, “We are your bone and your flesh. We are here to crown you king.” And he became king over Israel.
Our love for Him needs to be refined. We find that in this story. Let us look at 2 Samuel 19:32-33.
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old; and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.
And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will sustain thee with me in Jerusalem.
Oh, what an offer! If we received such an offer, perhaps we would say, “All right, I accept. I deserve it. Look at what I have done for him. I have given all to him, and now I get something back. That is fair.”
That is how we are. But notice Barzillai’s attitude in verse 36:
Thy servant would go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
He refused. He declined an offer from David the king. You declined it?
So we can see here that Barzillai was attracted to David as a person—as a king, in his office—not merely by what David had done for him or what David could do for him.
If you read further, in verse 39, I think this is most beautiful:
And all the people went over Jordan, and the king went over: and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.
In all the commotion of that moment, everybody was there greeting the king. If you read the story, you know there were many people there—the tribe of Judah and others. There was much commotion.
Yet Barzillai was singled out by David. David kissed him and blessed him. What an honor!
With Barzillai, I am sure we all agree that his greatest reward was seeing David regain his kingdom. That is pure love. That is first love. That is what the Lord is looking for in His children.
May the Lord grant us that love. May the Lord purify us, so that each day our love for Him will be refined and become purer and purer. He is looking for that person. Only first love will permit Him to occupy that proper place.
Lastly, I want to share something perhaps a little more practical for most of us.
Barzillai refused to go to Jerusalem to enjoy the palace life, the court life. But he was preparing somebody to go with David. I think that is the most beautiful picture we can see here.
Some Bible commentaries say that Chimham, his son, went to Jerusalem on the merits of his father. It was because of his father’s relationship with David that he was able to go to Jerusalem. I do not think so. If I am wrong, correct me.
You can see that supplying David and his men with all the things they needed required considerable planning. For an aged man of eighty years old, he had to rely on much help to carry all these things out.
I have no doubt that his son played a very important part in supplying those needs. In that communication, I am sure this young man had personal contact with David.
I am sure the father would say, “Now, I have something very special. Do not give it to the captains. This is something special. Just give it to David.”
There were surely many occasions like that. You remember David’s own experience when his brothers were fighting Goliath. His father said, “Take these things to your brothers,” but he also had special things for the captains—especially for the captains.
The father would say, “Take care of the supply, but reserve something better. Make sure David gets it, because he is king.” That is an expression of love. I am sure they would do it.
So I do not think it was merely on the merits of his father. I think Chimham himself came to know David.
Barzillai’s business was kingly business. He loved the king. He wanted to see the king established in Jerusalem. And Barzillai was not merely doing it himself; he was influencing his offspring.
Brothers and sisters, there are many families in which father and mother love the Lord—but what about their children? There are various families in which husbands go to the church and wives are not there, or wives are there and husbands are not there. There are parents who are there, and the children are not there.
If loving the King is important to you, do you not want your children to do the same? If loving David is your life, do you not want to see everybody in your family love that King?
Many of our housewives bus their children to all kinds of activities—gymnastics, this lesson, and that lesson. There is nothing wrong with that. But make sure the King’s business is number one. Other things we can do, but the King’s business must come first.
When I read this account, it is so beautiful. Verse 40 says, “Now the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him.” What a beautiful phrase.
Brothers and sisters, if we do not live to see the Lord’s return, are we preparing the next generation to welcome Him? Do we have that responsibility? I believe we do. That is why the Lord has given us offspring: to prepare them for the return of the Lord. We have a part to play.
If you look in a Bible dictionary, you will notice that the meaning of Barzillai is “iron.” In other words, his devotion to his king was as iron: unmoved, totally committed—loyalty, love, submission, purity, an iron will. Nothing moved him.
Because of his wholehearted devotion, Chimham could say, “Yes, I will go.” The king said, “I will take him with me,” and he went on. He left his inheritance and went with the king.
We have great responsibilities as parents. If we ourselves are longing for the King to return, are we preparing our sons and daughters to do the same? Are we?
Just to give you a more encouraging word: Chimham is a very interesting name. It means “longing.” Because the father had such longing for the Lord, the son longed for Him too. It rubbed off.
In a sense, Chimham also longed for David to be king. That is why he went across with David—to see him established as king.
Recently, we had a Chinese family fellowshipping with us in South Jersey. The son was beginning to read the Old Testament books, and he said, “When I read the Old Testament books, a lot of names sound like Chinese.” Chimham sounded very much like a Chinese name to him.
But you will notice one thing: it is a beautiful story to see an aged father loving the Lord and yet his son also loving the Lord. What do you think of that picture? That is one of the most beautiful pictures we can behold nowadays. It is a tremendous testimony: father and son, one in heart.
In Harry Foster’s book on Bible characters, he says that God’s King is determined that the man who had been true to Him in His rejection shall have a permanent place with Him in His exaltation. That is what we see here.
In David’s rejection, Barzillai came alongside him. Now Barzillai’s son went with King David in his exaltation.
More than that, if you turn to Jeremiah 41, we will touch on this little bit as we conclude. Jeremiah 41:17 says:
And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Beth-lehem, to go to enter into Egypt.
We cannot go into all the background of this passage. One of the governors installed by King Nebuchadnezzar was murdered, and some of the Jews were fleeing to Egypt for their lives.
When they were departing from the land and escaping for their lives, they found refreshment in Chimham’s habitation. Hospitality and refreshment became the ministry of this family for ages, for many generations.
They departed and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which was near Bethlehem, as they went on their way to Egypt. It was a place of spiritual refreshment.
There is some speculation as to whether this is true, because Bethlehem is mentioned here. Some tradition tells us that when the Lord was born, there was no place that would receive Him. They could not find a place for His birth.
The only place in Bethlehem was a stable or manger. Some say that the estate of Chimham was the very place where the Lord was born.
Whether that is true or not, Barzillai received David the king, and a future generation of the same family received the greater David, the King of kings.
Brothers and sisters, we need that among us. It is a challenge to parents and to the older ones: whether we love the Lord with all our hearts, with all our mind, with all that we are, and whether we see to it that our offspring likewise love Him.
May the Lord help us. May the Lord make us a prepared people who will really welcome Him here and now—not merely talk about His return, but make ready for His return.
Do not look only at the outward signs. Look into ourselves and ask the Lord, “How much of You is in me? How much is in You? How much is in the church?”
When the Lord sees us, can He say, “That is Myself. That is Me”? The work of the Holy Spirit is to incorporate Christ into us.
The Lord is waiting to say those beautiful words first uttered in Genesis 2: “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.” Not quite now—He is waiting. But may we be a people eager to hear those words: “Now, you are bone of My bones.”
Together may we say, “Oh, we come from You, because we are Your bone and we are Your flesh.” And that will hasten His return.
Father, we want to confess again our total inadequacy. But we thank You for the adequate ministry of the Holy Spirit.
We pray that You will continue to teach us Christ, reveal Christ to us, and form Christ in us. Lord, we desire You to increase and us to decrease.
Lord, we long for that day when You look at us and can say, “Now, you are bone of My bones and flesh of My flesh.” Lord, do it for Your glory. We ask in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.