Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
I bet you remember that nursery rhyme being about an egg falling off a wall, shell and yolk scattered about, some horses and folk standing around. Right?
But, we’re left with questions. Why is an egg sitting high up on a wall? What caused that great fall? And, seriously, why does the King care?
Turns out there may be some truth to this old nursery rhyme; and it has nothing to do with eggs.
In 17th century England, there was (so the story goes) a very large cannon mounted high on a town wall. During the Siege of Colchester, those seeking Parliamentary rule (i.e., government by elected representatives) attacked the walled city because it was a haven for Royalist (those who believed the power to rule should remain with the King and the royals, only).
That cannon’s name? Humpty Dumpty.
Apparently, Humpty Dumpty was quite effective, keeping the Parliamentarians at bay for about a month. All well and good until some clever Parliamentarian landed a cannonball on the wall just below Humpty. When that wall collapsed, Humpty Dumpty "had a great fall."
There was an attempt by the Royalists ("the King's men") to put Humpty back into commission, but the damage from the fall was too great. In the end, the Parliamentarians won and England became the constitutional monarchy it is, today.
Maybe knowing this story of Humpty Dumpty will make it a bit easier to understand a strange phrase from this week's 2 Kings scripture. Right after Elijah is swept away by the chariots of fire, Elisha cries out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!"
The "father" part I get: Elisha had come to regard Elijah as a father. Their separation by the emissaries of God was sudden; so, shouting out "father!" certainly fits 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?
Scholars believe Elisha meant 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 to suddenly realize just how valuable they are, especially to you.
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PHOTO: Steve Orr
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Friday morning is a great time to join with others to discuss God’s word. Join us at 8:00 on Zoom for an hour of Bible and fellowship. BYOBB.
Blessings,
Steve
Contact me for the Zoom link.
NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera if you don’t wish to be seen and to mute the microphone if you don’t wish to speak.
SCRIPTURES FOR THE COMING WEEK
Find them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=69
2 Kings 2:1-12
Psalm 50:1-6
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Mark 9:2-9
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