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We all have our special windows in the wall. Over one the word Dothan is written. It may look out upon Psalm 34:7: “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” That is Elisha’s Dothan—the Dothan of relief, protection, angelic interposition. Or it may be Joseph’s—“We saw the anguish of his soul,” that was the memory burnt upon his brothers’ minds, for that was what Dothan had meant to Joseph. And God knew it.
But He did not fill the mountain with shining companies for the succor of that anguished soul. He seemed to do nothing. And Joseph saw nothing, heard nothing. But perhaps he heard more than we are told. Is it not lawful for Me to do what I will with Mine own? And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me. Such words belong to the Dothan of Joseph. They have power to nerve to long endurance. Little human words of consolation patter like raindrops on a roof. They cannot do much to reinforce the inward man in times of real stress. They are like ineffectual fireflies. As the Tamils would say: “Will darkness retire before the light of fireflies?” But the word of Him who is Light enlightens the eyes. The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness—any darkness.
And so we will not fear to follow Him though He may lead through the Dothan of Joseph and not of Elisha:
I follow where Thou leadest; what are bruises?
There are cool leaves of healing on Thy tree;
Lead Thou me on. Thy heavenly wisdom chooses
In love for me.
Thy lover then, like happy homing swallow
That crosses hill and plain and lonely sea,
All unafraid, so I will fearless follow,
For love of Thee.
It is all very simple, but it goes deep. And it leads to our Lord and Redeemer. He knew what it was to be “inclosed” for our sake. In that dark hour His window looked out upon another view than this that we see through the window in the wall. He did not see a sunny garden and a shady wood climbing a hillside. His garden was Gethsemane; His hill was Calvary. But He saw beyond that garden and that hill—“Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The shadows of the underworld
Compassed about my guilty soul;
And thunderbolts were on me hurled,
And lightnings flashed. And on a scroll
Was written down, without, within,
The secret of my hidden sin.
Without, within, I saw it stand,
In clearest words accusing me,
Till, as it were, a wounded hand
Annulled its record, set me free.
With that the stormy wind did cease.
A voice commanded: there was peace.
O Saviour, stricken for my sin,
O God, who gayest Him to grief,
O Spirit, who didst woo and win
My troubled soul to seek relief,
O Love revealed at Calvary,
Thy glory lights eternity!