Dr Graham's Home, Kalimpong

New Song

Revelation 5.8-9 says that the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, and they sang a new song. It was a song of worship; they said, ‘Lord, You are worthy. You were slain. You purchased the redeemed with the price of Your blood shed on the Cross of Calvary.’ They were singing on their harps. They also had golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. The incense of prayer and the song of worship: they go together.

Again we find in Revelation 14.3, that the 144,000 who were on Mount Zion with the Lamb were singing a new song before the throne and the four living creatures and the elders. And, it is stated, no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who were purchased from the earth; purchased as firstfruits to God.

Then in Revelation 15.3, we find another group – those who obtained victory over the beast. They stood on the sea of glass, holding harps, and they sang the song of Moses. They sang of God’s marvellous works and His righteous ways.

They sang a new song. It was a song of deliverance. In Psalm 40.3, David sang a new song after he was brought out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and his feet were established upon a rock [Christ]. It is a song of faith that has persevered and come out triumphant through a terrible trial. We sing a ‘new song’ only after coming out of this kind of experience, a deep and powerful experience of the cross. An experience that involves a kind of passing through deep waters [Psalm 69.2], passing through the Red Sea. Remember, they sang the song of Moses, the song of worship, after they had come out through the Red Sea experience.

When we examine that song in Exodus 15, we find that is totally occupied with the Lord, His great deliverance, His mighty power, His righteous right hand, His awesome holiness, His wonders! And in the second part of the song, the people are given a revelation of the future; they are led to God’s holy habitation, the mountain of His inheritance, His sanctuary. They are delivered from Pharaoh and Egypt and they are brought into the Church. In the same song, we notice that the people ‘pass over’ [a phrase that is repeated for emphasis]; there is a great transition – a transition from the earthly to the heavenly; from the carnal to the spiritual; from the human to the divine. Yes, they have passed out of the ‘old world’ into a ‘new world’, just as Noah and his family did during the Flood. The old man is crucified and buried, and now together they are the new man. Old things have passed away; all things have become new. No wonder they sing a new song.

We need to experience this ‘passing over’, this passage through the Red Sea, this baptism - moving from ‘self’ to ‘Christ’. From being occupied with self and circumstances to being occupied with Christ, contemplating Him, meditating on His virtues. Not in an academic or theoretical way, but in real experience, when He answers our prayers, when we experience sudden deliverances through the ‘hand of God’. When we are walking in the Spirit and living in the Word. It is really a marvellous experience and we can sing, The Lord is my strength and my song and He has become my salvation! The Lord is my sufficiency, and He is my satisfaction. This is the new song, the fresh and fragrant song of worship. This is the song sung in heaven. [And it will never grow stale!]

25. Beetroots and Carrots

Elisha

What do we learn from the life of Elisha? His name means 'God is salvation'. From the life of Elisha we can learn much about God's salvation; it is truly a great salvation. We remember the healing ministry of Elisha, the ministry of grace, as opposed to the ministry of judgment of Elijah.

What is the significance of the journey that Elisha made with Elijah before the latter was taken up by a whirlwind into heaven? 2 Kings 2.1-11. Surely there is a significance, because at each stage Elijah wants Elisha to stay back, but the Elisha persists in accompanying Elijah across the river Jordan. This is not just a matter of discipleship. While it is true that there is no turning back for the disciple of God, and while we see clearly the persistence of faith [Elisha refusing to give up] - I believe that there are deeper truths in this passage than the truth of discipleship.

I believe there are three important spiritual realities that are seen in this passage. The first relates to our heavenly inheritance. Elisha asks for a double portion of the spirit of Elijah, and he receives it. Elisha performs twice as many recorded miracles as Elijah. The double portion is the portion of the firstborn, Deut 21.17, and we are the church of the firstborn, Heb 12.23, registered in heaven. We are a heavenly people, who have received a heavenly vision, and ours is a heavenly inheritance to be possessed here on earth.

The second reality is spiritual vision and spiritual intelligence. Elisha sees Elijah taken up to heaven. In fact the double portion is related to Elisha seeing the heavenly chariots and horsemen, 2 Kings 2.10. In 2 Kings 6 we find that Elisha knows all about the Aramean plots against Israel, 6.12. In the same chapter we find Elisha praying that the Lord open the eyes of his servant that he may see. And what does he see? Horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha, 2 Kings 6.17

The third reality is the power of resurrection. Elisha has crossed the river Jordan. He is on resurrection ground. What mighty resurrection power this man of God had! He raises up the Shunammite's son from the dead, 2 Kings 4.34,35; 8.5. They cast a dead man into Elisha's grave and when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet, 2 Kings 13.21

Are these mere stories? What is the Lord trying to tell us? Surely that for every child of God this is the heavenly inheritance available to him: the double portion of the Spirit; spiritual insight and vision; the power of resurrection; a heavenly inheritance of life and power; rivers of living water. If Elijah was a man just like us, so was Elisha. And what Elisha did, the child of God can do.