Two Thousand Horses

This article was written by Grand B. Caldwell. It is reprinted from the October 22, 1972 edition of "The Gospel Teacher", volume 2, number 43. It was published by the Church of Christ in Hilliard, Ohio.

In II Kings 18:23, the king of Assyria had sent messengers to the servants of King Hezekiah. He said to him, "I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them." In this verse he chides Hezekiah for not having the ability to perform in the face of battle. His in in effect saying, "You cannot find two thousand good horsemen."

This to me is a dramatic incident in the life of this great king. There are two points that we want to notice about this passage.

The king of Assyria is here saying that Hezekiah could not fight if he were given the opportunity to have proper equipment. How many of us could fight for the Lord if given the opportunities we desire? Our service to Jesus is measured on the basis of two things; one, our ability and two, our opportunities. From this His is able to tell a third thing of importance and that is our willingness to perform.

In the account given by Christ in Matthew 25 of the parable of the talents, we see these points. Christ gave each man talents. But of what is the talent representative? Some think that it represents a man's ability and you hear people say, "I am just a one talent man." They mean they don't have much ability but this is not what Jesus meant. The talent here is an opportunity for it was given on the basis of each man's ability.

Jesus does not give ability on the basis of ability. But He does give opportunities on the basis of ability. Each man had so much opportunity depending on his ability to use it. Now the difference was not that two men had much opportunity and one had little, or that two men had much ability and one had little but that one was not willing to use his little ability; he was not willing to use his opportunity to the service of the great master. Do you see how Jesus takes our ability and puts it with our opportunities, and from this He is able to judge our willingness to perform?

Another striking passage is found in II Corinthians 8:11-12. Paul said, "Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not." Notice the inference. A man only has so much. But with what he has, he can do all the Lord expects of him. He may not do all he would like to, or all that needs doing. But he can do all that the Lord expects him to do. How? By his willingness to do. So again, if we take our ability and join it with our opportunities, the Lord can tell just how willing we are to perform.

So the question is not can we sit astraddle two thousand horses but ARE WE LEARNING TO RIDE AND TEACHING OTHERS TO RIDE WITH US? If we were given two thousand opportunities to preach the gospel, could we handle them? Not if we are not handling the one or two we now have. Paul said, "And the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit though to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also." (II Timothy 2:2) If we prepare now, when the big opportunities do come, we will be ready and others will be there with us to help.