Ressurection: A Living Personal Reality — T. Austin-Sparks

Elisha and the Floating Axe Head

In the second book of the Kings, the second book of the Kings, chapter 6,. And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too street for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, And let us make us a place there where we may dwell.

And he answered, and one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water.

And he cried and said, Alas, my master, for it was borrowed. The man of God said, Where fell it? And he cut down a stick and cast it in thither. The iron did. He said, Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand.

I confess that I used to wonder why that story was included in the number which we have of these acts of Elisha. Very interesting, and of course quite wonderful, but what is its lesson? What has it to say?

Thinking about it, things have become quite clear to me. I would like to pass on just one or two of them this morning. Of course, this with all these other that are recorded about the acts of Elisha, this with them is included of his life.

The Double Portion and the Anointing

I recall that as his master Elijah was about to be taken up to heaven, he asked Elisha what he might give him. Elisha said, A double portion of thy spirit. More literally, the portion of the firstborn.

Elijah said, You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken up, it shall be. And as they passed through the Jordan onto the other side, the chariots, the Lord appeared and caught up Elijah.

Elijah cried, My father, my father, chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof. The mantle fell from Elijah and Elisha took it up. The sons of the prophets who come into view at that point and are mentioned so many times in this book, cry the spirit of Elijah does rest upon Elisha and they bow themselves to the ground.

Now that is where it all begins. For these various, shall we call them stories, they are more than stories, works of power were the expression and outcome of that mighty anointing with the spirit. That portion of the firstborn.

So that is what we have here in every one and in this one of which we are thinking this morning is the work of the anointing. That is operating in the power of resurrection. It bears that stamp. One way or another, in some form or another, it is the mighty walking of resurrection power by the anointing, by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit Descending Upon the Church

We have done it before, we will not take the time to repeat this morning. Show how this is but a foreshadowing of the ascension or receiving up of the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended upon the church.

The mantle of the firstborn, the portion of the firstborn fell upon the church. We want to know what the portion of the firstborn is. It is just this, the power of his resurrection. Come to this story, the sons of the prophets again in view and note what they represent.

They represent generation succeeding, following on to carry forward the prophetic testament, the next generation. Part of this whole thing where they appear again and again in relation to these mighty acts of Elijah.

Part of the whole thing is this. Called sons of the prophets, who were in the schools of the prophets, being educated and trained to carry on the walk of the prophets. To fulfill their ministry in the next generation.

Were not just academic students, they were being by these various ways brought into the closest touch with reality. And you will at once see how true that was in the case of this man and his ex head. These sons of the prophets expressed quite a legitimate ambition or desire.

Enlargement Must Remain Close to Life

When they said the place where we dwell is too straight for us, said let us have enlargement. Perfectly legitimate ambition or desire. A right thing, nothing wrong with that at all. Desire to escape limitation and straightness and to enlarge and to expand for the work of the Lord.

That is quite a good thing and quite a right thing. Raised no objection, put no difficulty in the way. Some of them said to him, look here, we are not just going on with this without you. We are not discarding the old generation.

You come with us, we need you. He said I come. A towardness in this whole matter, quite rightly so. But even so, with a perfectly legitimate desire and ambition, a right quest, there is no objection at all.

The thing has got to be kept very close to life. That is what this story is about. Amongst the various lessons that it teaches, there are just two that I will point out this morning. That in our going on, or our desire to go on, quest for enlargement and increase and escape from anything that is small, narrow, limited.

The Danger of Second-Hand Testimony

All that is employed, the work of the Lord, cannot be done. In which the testimony can be second hand. Maybe children brought up in it in their home. Occasion in our own midst several years ago. Our brother Patterson was taken so suddenly to the Lord.

His son John, who was with us at the conference time recently, passed into a very difficult phase. He came to see me. He said I am having a very difficult time. I have discovered that I have been living on my father's testimony.

I have just taken what he said. Followed him. Thinking that I was on the same ground as he. I discovered that it was his and not mine. And I have got to find it all for myself right from the beginning.

It was a difficult passage. He came through of course. He is on his own ground. It was a borrowed axe. We may get it from our meeting. Teaching that we have received over years. We have got it in our hand we think.

And then we imagine that we are going to use it in some way. And it is going to be a serviceable thing. And then something happens. We find it doesn't work. The head comes off. Comes off. And lets us down.

This is not ours. Alas. It was a borrowed one. It wasn't ours. It was someone else's. It was the fellowships. The meetings. Or the teachers. It can be something borrowed. From the study and the library and the bookshelves.

The commentaries and the translations. And all the authorities. The godly men who have written it. And we have got it. And it doesn't work. The head comes off. Now the lord allows these incidents. If you like these accidents.

Passing Through Death to Resurrection Ground

There are no accidents at all. These things to happen where the whole thing seems to let us down. Doesn't seem as though it is working. He does that. A crisis arises such as arose with this man. And his acts.

In order. That the thing should pass through death. Onto resurrection ground. And become ours. In the power of resurrection. When the whole head has come off. And we are left just with a hell. With a shaft in our hands.

Which won't chew down any trees at all. Won't accomplish anything. Left like that standing. It's a painful hour. Painful time. Feel that perhaps we've been on the wrong. We've been in some kind of. Well maybe.

The lord is very faithful. The lord is very faithful. And such experiences. Which seem to be like disaster. And we cry alas. Alas. We are in the very faithfulness of god. To bring that thing onto new ground.

Where it's ours by a miracle of god. It's ours because the power of his resurrection. Has come in. And when that has come in. It's no longer a borrowed one. It's yours. I'm quite sure you see. More than is necessary for me to say.

No dear friends. The very faithfulness of god. Necessitates on the one side. The loss of the axe head sometimes. To leave us standing. Crying alas. Power on the other side. There's always the positive.

Purpose of god in such experiences. We shall know this. Portion of the first born. You get the first born portion you know. You like to go back to the book of Deuteronomy. You'll see what that is. And where that arose.

The Firstborn Portion and Personal Experience

The portion of the first born. Is something which secures. The inheritance to the individual conserved. It is not. Something bought. Paid for. A gift of grace. Portion of the first born. It is. Knowing.

The anointing in truth. We will all agree. Every one of us here this morning. Will agree at least. With the theory. With the statement. That we don't want. Borrowed. Experiences. Or teaching. Second hand.

Addresses. Studied up things. We want people who know. And can speak out of a deep experience. They have been through the depth. Of Jordan. They have been. Into death. They know it. By the bitterness on the one side.

Of loss. Failure. Disappointment. The wonderful strength. Of this miracle of resurrection life. We want. Sons of the prophets. Who are in the good of the anointing. Not just students of it. Well that's the first lesson.

Simple it is. But it explains. A lot I think. The Lord's ways with us. Everything has got to be established. Experience. Experience. And not be somebody else's. Goes with it of course. Quite clearly is.

Reversal of the Natural Order

It happened. This miracle of resurrection. It was a complete. And perfect. Reversal of the natural order. It is the nature of a piece of iron. To sink. That is nature. It will sink. For a piece of iron.

A lump of iron. Is contrary to nature. You'll see much more. Dear friends. By nature we are all bits of iron. Let me put that another way. By nature. We are of the sinking. It wants very little. To push us under.

To put us down. It's in us. And especially when there is some. Spiritual demand on hand. For here was. The whole matter of enlargement. Expansion and increase. In the work of the Lord. And I wonder if you have noticed.

That whenever. Something more of the Lord is in view. How quickly we get down. We get pressed under. I have noticed that it happens. It just happens. With something of the Lord just coming on. You'll find people.

Under things. They've gone down. They've been caught in some way. And they've sunk. We have to. Really gird ourselves for anything. That the Lord is going to do. It just doesn't happen. We are made like that.

Naturally we are of the sinking. And perhaps. You may think that you are a very buoyant person. I venture to suggest that the most buoyant person. In this place this morning. With the most buoyant and optimistic natural make up.

Coming right up against the forces that are set against the things of God. We'll find that they need more than natural buoyancy. We are not going to float. To stay on top. Without something more than our own constitution.

The Holy Spirit and the Power of Resurrection

Anointing. Let's say it quickly and close. The wonder of the anointing. The wonder of the Holy Spirit. The wonder of the portion. Of the firstborn is this. That although we are so sinkable stuff. Naturally.

It is decline. It is the drop down. You and I are afloat. It's a marvellous thing that we are afloat today. Many of you know that. Perhaps you think that you've sunk many times. But you're afloat today.

Your heart may be sinking today you think. But you're not drowned yet. You're not at the bottom yet. You're not lost for good yet. We've all been there many times. We can say with a psalmist. Though I fall yet shall I rise.

Though I fall yet shall I rise. There's some extra factor in the child of God and in the servant of God. Called according to his purpose. That causes us to survive a thousand drownings. The power of his resurrection.

It's a wonderful thing. And this simple just says to us. If the Holy Spirit is in us. There is a reversal of the way of nature. Nature declines. Nature goes down. Nature simply is reversing that. And causing us to go on again and again.

It's like that. There's something that is different from nature in us. It's the divine nature. The power of his resurrection. So the world's simple message is. We must be on true ground. Everything must be true and real.

Firsthand Reality in the Work of the Lord

Not borrowed and second hand. We can do nothing really effective. With tools that are not a part of our own being. Brought into our own experience. Of which we can say now. This truly is mine. I've been through death with this.

This has brought me into life. This is mine. This is mine. Not something that I've heard. Not something that I've got from someone else. I have this because I've gone through it with God on this matter.

It must be like that. To carry the testimony on. The prophetic testimony. And then this great assurance. This wonderful assurance. We have the Holy Spirit. If we are the Lord's. We have raised up Jesus from the dead.

Dwelling in us. And that is something not only more than nature. But country to nature. And although often times we may feel we are going to the bottom. We may feel we've touched bottom. We're going to come up again if that Spirit is in us.

The Holy Spirit is not going to die in the grave. If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead be in you. He that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall quicken your mortal body. By His Spirit dwelling in you.

Your body of death are of His rest the iron.