Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses and all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again!
Just a nursery rhyme ... right?
Egg shell and yolk at the base of a stone wall, soldiers standing around looking puzzled?
But what if it really happened?
Turns out there was very large canon mounted high on a town wall in 17th century England. During the (then famous) Siege of Colchester, those seeking Parliamentary rule attacked the walled city because it was a haven for Royalist (those who believed rule should remain with the royals, only).
That canon’s name? Humpty Dumpty.
Apparently, Humpty Dumpty was quite effective as weaponry goes, keeping the Parliamentarians at bay for about a month. Effective, that is, until some clever Parliamentarian thought to fire on the wall just below the canon ... and when the wall caved in, Humpty Dumpty "had a great fall."
There was an attempt by the Royalists ("the King's men") to put HD back into commission, but the damage from the fall was too great. Still, the Royalists held out for another six weeks. But in the end, without that big boy high up on the wall to drive them away, the Parliamentarians prevailed. And I think you know how all that ended up.
Maybe knowing the true story of Humpty Dumpty will make it a bit easier to understand a strange phrase from this week's 2 Kings scripture selection.
Stop and read it, then come back.
You saw it, right? Elisha cries out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" right after Elijah is swept away by the chariot of fire? The "father" part I get: likely Elisha had come to regard Elijah as a father. Their separation by the emissaries of God was sudden, so shouting out "father!" certainly fits in the shock of the moment. Elisha suddenly realized just how valuable Elijah was to him, personally.
But what is this business about Israel's chariots and horsemen?
Most scholars believe Elisha's use of this phrase means he had suddenly realized just how vulnerable the nation of Israel was without Elijah. What Elijah had done to protect and save Israel from its enemies, both within and without —by being God's faithful prophet in such a tumultuous time— was greater than even the great armies of the King.
Nothing, not even "all the King's horses and all the King's men" were enough to equal Elijah’s value to Israel.
Look about you. Any Humpty Dumpty's nearby? Are there men and women you know who so faithfully serve the Lord that our fellowship will be significantly diminished by their passing?
Now is the time to be with them. Don't wait until they've gone home to be with the Lord to suddenly realize just how valuable they are, especially to you.
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A different version of this reflection appeared in 2015 as "All the King's Horses and all the King's Men.”
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Transfiguration Sunday (February 11, 2018)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//
2 Kings 2:1-12
Psalm 50:1-6
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Mark 9:2-9
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Can you join us Friday morning for Lectionary Breakfast? As usual, we meet at 8:00 at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant (Meeting room just off the main dining room). Our time together is both fun and precious.
If you can't be with us —maybe you're so far away that joining us is impractical— maybe it's time you started your own group like this.
Something to think about.
Enjoy the week!
Steve
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