2 Samuel 19: 31-43

This account is a parable that contrasts the desires of Barzillai and Chimham: each made his choice which the King granted.

31 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.

32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.

A RESPECTED MAN WITH A HEART OF LOVE

Looking from our present day, Barzillai was a solid Christian . . . his name means ‘iron-hearted’ and he had an assurance in God and was very set in his ways. His mind was made up and he was not able to receive anything new . . . not even from the King. He was born in the fellowship called Gilead. His place of origin was a ‘heap of testimony’ (meaning of Gilead), and he thus had numerous testimonies that he always referred back to when sharing. He lived in Rogelim which, says the Rotherham bible, means ‘fullers’ which is the method of washing clothes by tramping on them. Always repenting and being washed again and again . . . like so many Christians in this hour who do not grasp the fact that Christ has removed their sin once and for all. Sad to say, Barzillai’s abode was on the east side of Jordan, the ‘wrong’ side of Jordan. He had not entered into the Promised

Land and claimed his inheritance. The Promised Land represents the Kingdom of God while the ‘journeying side’ (east) represents the realm of Mother-Church who has glorious testimonies of the saving grace of Christ-Jesus.

Barzillai was a ‘great man’ . . . rich in this world’s goods but generous with what he had been given. When the king needed supplies where he had camped in Mahanaim, Barzillai was there with others pouring out and pouring out (2 Samuel 17: 27-29). These ones knew that the people with David were “hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness”(v.29). Now the king had requested his help in getting all his entourage and troop across this river.

COME PASSED THE VEIL AND BE WITH ME

33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.

The king, knowing the heart of love that Barzillai had, invited him to enter the Promised-Land-Kingdom realm. Remembering that the river Jordan represents the veil in the Temple that leads into the Holy of Holies, Barzillai was being invited to walk on the other side of the veil from where he had been for a long time. With the invitation came the promise that the King would feed him and fully care for him. . . and . . . he would be in the same place as the king all the time. This translates to the ‘fullness of Christ’ which is our inheritance. To receive an inheritance, there is a necessity of one’s old life ‘dying’ which will remove the ‘old testament Christian’ scenario found in many fellowships.

HE COULDN’T HANDLE CHANGE!

34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?

‘Jerusalem’ in this parable represents ‘heaven on earth’ . . . where the King expresses Himself in and through us.

35 I am this day fourscore years old: and 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?

Barzillai could only look at his own circumstances. He did not really hear the desire of the king for him. He was 80 years old (16 x 5) . . . he knew the love of God (16) through grace (5) and, even though he had walked in discernment he was still living in yesterday with all his wonderful testimonies of what God had done and so he could not grasp the full impact of the king’s invitation to participate in the king’s provision. Barzillai just wanted to die and go to heaven; that was his the full extent of his vision. He had certainly seen his ‘three score years and ten’ and now he was losing what he had had. . . no longer able to discern, no longer able to taste, no longer able to hear and thus partake in the depths of worship and in his great humility could not bring himself to be a burden to the king for that is how he saw himself!

The king knew Barzillai well . . . he knew ‘where he was at’ and that was why this dear old saint was being given the opportunity to ‘come up higher’ and be with the king, feast with the king and enjoy being in his presence continually. The king declared that Barzillai was worthy of this place in his Kingdom, but Barzillai saw the situation differently and was not prepared to change! His faith in what the word of the King decreed, had faded away.

Jordan River also represents the cross which has provided a way into the Holiest of All for all of us. Barzillai did not want to dwell beyond the veil; he was quite satisfied to remain on the wrong side where he would remain in that ‘servant realm’ for the rest of his days.

36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?

Barzillai looked at himself and his circumstances instead of the word of the king. Perhaps he thought that what he had heard from the mouth of the king was ‘too good to be true and lasting’? It was like he had a sign up over his life, ‘Don’t disturb’ for I enjoy my place in the wilderness Church system and I have many friends there!

‘I JUST WANT TO DIE AND GO TO HEAVEN!’

37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother.

‘My own Church’ where I have been for a long time — I like it there and I want to die there surrounded by family! This man with no vision beyond himself had, however, a heart for others not to hinder any who wanted more of the Lord, wanted to walk on the other side of the veil, who wanted to be with the king, who wanted to feed with the king and so on. Knowing his servant Chimham’s heart cry, Barzillai proposed that he go in his place.

But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.

BY CONTRAST ‘LONGING FOR MORE’

‘Chimham’ — actually it is ‘Chimhan’ in the Hebrew, means ‘longing’. He had a deep longing to be with the king, to receive royal food and learn of His ways. This longing consumed all his thoughts and it showed too in his actions for Barzillai had noticed it.

38 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.

39 And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.

Barzillai was blessed of the king . . . loved by, probably, a disappointed king. Barzillai went back to his ‘comfort zone’ to be involved with the same old things . . . his own limits of understanding God and His Word with his brethren of like mind.

These last four verses are from Rotherham - The Emphasized Bible - 40 And the king passed over to Gilgal, and Chimham passed over with him: and all the people of Judah escorted the king, yea moreover half the people of Israel.

The people of Judah — those who expressed praise — conducted or moved with the king in transition from one realm to another. . . these people of Judah progressed with the King. Half the people of Israel went also. However the denominational people of Israel started to murmur and complain at what they did not understand. They accused their brethren of stealing their king and then, on top of that, they actually accused them of helping the king and the people with him to move into a new dimension of life.

41 Then lo!, all the men of Israel were coming to the king, and they said unto the king, Why did our brethren the men of Judah steal thee away, and escort the king, and his household over Jordan, and all David’s men with him?

Our Lord through His death, burial, resurrection and ascension has provided a way for each of His people to cross over Jordan . . . go through the veil in experience and enter in to the Kingdom of God in all His fullness. What a glorious provision or inheritance!

RELATIONSHIP

42 And all the men of Judah made answer unto the men of Israel — Because the king is near of kin unto us: wherefore then is it that ye are angry over this matter? Have we eaten at the king’s cost? or hath he bestowed any gifts on us?

The Judah people experienced relationship with their King . . . we are of the same family flow. Now contrast this with the ‘letter-word’ response of the Israel people! Because we are larger in number than you, our word and methods and timing should be considered first.

43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, ten parts have we in the king, therefore in David have we more right than ye: why then made ye of us, so that our word was not heard first as to bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

‘Majority’ is not always right! Ten tribes of Israel were numerically stronger than the two tribes of Judah. The men of Judah should have known better than to enter into an argument in which they raised their voices above those of their brethren! Jealousy will always show its ugly head by some bitter words because they are convinced that they are right! They were desiring the ‘new’ without giving up the ‘old’.

The testimony of the ‘Chimham’s’ is so different from the ‘Barzillai’s’. There are many people in the Church who feel that their word and their way of seeing things is more reliable and hence better than anything that appears new. They will not be moved by persuading words. Unless the Father draws, they cannot advance into the high calling of our God. Unless there is true longing in their being to be constantly with the King and be nourished by Him, they will be satisfied to remain where they are in the Church-system.

Those who truly hunger for more and are prepared to do something about it, when the occasion arises, the King, our Father, will always make a way for them to experience Him in an ever increasing way as He brings them through the Jordan-veil into expressing the fullness of Himself.§