Burunche’s Blog

2 Kings 9:30 – 37 “Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window. And as Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?”

He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?”

And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.

“Throw her down!” yelled Jehu.

So they threw her down, and her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses as they trampled her underfoot.

Then Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of this cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was the daughter of a king.”

But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands.

So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel. And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”

WICKEDNESS NEVER PAYS!!! For years, Jezebel has been parading around the palace, being as mean as possible to everyone. Nobody has dared to cross Jezebel; after all, not only is she the queen but she is also a very powerful witch. Nobody wants to die from one of Jezebel’s curses. But today things are going to change! Having disposed of Joram and Ahaziah, Jehu is now entering Jezreel. Feeling quite secure, Jezebel paints her face, puts on her hair ornaments, and then comes to an upstairs window to reproach Jehu. But today things are different. As Jezebel approaches the window, she fails to notice that several eunuchs who work in the palace have come up behind her. If Jezebel notices these men at all, she probably assumes that they are simply coming to gawk at Jehu. Surely, Jezebel has nothing to fear from these insignificant weaklings!

But Jezebel has made a bad assumption. After years of threats and abuse and untold beatings, these eunuchs are spoiling for revenge. When Jehu calls out, “Who is on my side? Who?” these men come to the window. As soon as Jehu orders them to throw Jezebel down, they do so with the greatest of pleasure. Jezebel’s body hits the walls on the way down and then splatters onto the courtyard, spooking the chariot horses. The horses rear and then trample back and forth over Jezebel’s body, reducing it to a bloody pulp.

Jehu goes on in to eat and then decides to send servants to bury whatever is left of Jezebel. But the scavenger dogs that roam the city have already accounted for most of Jezebel’s body. All that is left of this proud Sidonian sorceress is her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. The dogs have devoured everything else. When the servants return to Jehu to inform him of the condition of Jezebel’s body, Jehu recognizes that these results are the fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecy over Jezebel.

APPLICATION: There are some gory passages in the Bible, but this is one of the goriest. Why has God allowed such a description to stand for thousands of years? Yesterday, we quoted Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Jezebel spent her entire life serving demons, never repenting even though she had so many opportunities. Jezebel viewed repentance as a sign of weakness, something those feeble Israelites needed but that she obviously did not need. The demons were leading Jezebel down into an ever – deepening abyss, and she was enthusiastically following them.

In the end, Jezebel suffered one of the most appalling fates possible. To be eaten by dogs or scavenging birds was shameful. For there to be nothing left of a body to bury was equally shameful. In the end, it was Jezebel who chose her own fate, dying by the same kind of violence she had meted out to others.

We face choices at every turn daily. And daily, we have the opportunity to choose to serve God or to turn away from Him to please only ourselves. Will we choose to serve God and choose the path of life, or will we choose to turn away, choosing spiritual death?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to continue to choose to follow You all the days of our lives. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.       

2 Kings 9:1 – 14 “1 Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room. Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run. Do not delay!”

 So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead, and when he arrived, the army commanders were sitting there. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said. “For which of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander,” he replied.

So Jehu got up and went into the house, where the young prophet poured the oil on his head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel. And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel. The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, (one version says “all who urinate against a wall”) both slave and free, in Israel. I will make the house of Ahab like the houses of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah. And on the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour Jezebel, and there will be no one to bury her.’ ”

Then the young prophet opened the door and ran. When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?”

“You know his kind and their babble,” he replied.

 “That is a lie!” they said. “Tell us now!”

So Jehu answered, “He talked to me about this and that, and he said, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ ”

Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram’s horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!”

Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram.

(Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.)

So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.”

Then Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was laid up there and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him.

Now the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!”

“Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Have you come in peace?’ ”

So a horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’ ”

“What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”

And the watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.”

So the king sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’ ”

“What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”

Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the charioteer is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi —he is driving like a madman!”

“Harness!” Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot. Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.

When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?”

“How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”

Joram turned around and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”

Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.

And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him: ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.”

When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan.

And Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!”

So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot on the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam, and he fled to Megiddo and died there. Then his servants carried him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David. (In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.)

If you remember God’s instructions to Elijah on Mount Horeb, you will recall that God told Elijah to anoint Elisha as prophet in his place and to anoint Hazael as king over Syria and Jehu son of Nimshi as king of Israel. God promised that each of these three men would carry out God’s intents to punish the Israelites. Hazael is now king over Syria and now Elisha is delegating a young prophet to anoint Jehu, the third avenger.

Unlike some earlier prophets, this young man does his work well, singling out Jehu and requesting a private audience with him. The young prophet goes on to anoint Jehu as king of Israel, ordering him to strike down Jezebel and every male in the house of Ahab, including all of the male slaves. Once this young man has delivered his message, he escapes and runs back to Elisha, following Elisha’s instructions completely.

When the army commanders question Jehu, at first Jehu tries to make them believe that the young prophet is mad. But when the army commanders press Jehu for the truth, he admits that the prophet has anointed him as king over Israel and that he has received a commission to wipe out Ahab’s family, including the male slaves.

Remember that Joram King of Israel has been wounded and has retreated to Jezreel and that Ahaziah King of Judah is visiting Joram. Now Jehu and his men drive as fast as possible to Jezreel. When King Joram and King Ahaziah go out to meet Jehu, Jehu orders his archers to shoot them. Joram dies on the spot, and Jehu has his body dumped on the land belonging to Naboth to fulfill the word of the Lord. Presumably, dogs eat Joram’s body. Ahaziah is severely wounded and flees to Megiddo, where he dies. Ahaziah’s servants carry his body back to Jerusalem. The only reason God allows Ahaziah’s body to be buried is because of His promises to David; otherwise, dogs would eat Ahaziah’s body.   

APPLICATION: Newton’s Third Law states “for every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Ahab worshiped demons and stole and murdered. Now Ahab’s descendants are reaping the results just as God has prophesied. (https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/newtons-laws-of-motion)

Galatians 6:7 -8 tells us, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

While there are many people today who want to throw out moral absolutes, it is fascinating to note that these people only want to throw out principles when it suits them. But the same people are horrified if someone else demands the same right to ignore those principles. God does not change. God is not mocked, although many people have tried. God remains sovereign, and those who violate His Law will wind up paying the price for their poor choices.

Ahab and Jezebel cut a wide swath through Israel, stealing, murdering, and doing all kinds of evil. Jezebel tried to kill Elijah on several occasions. But their reign did not last and now their descendants are about to be wiped out, all because they refused to listen to God’s prophets and repent. God continues to speak today; however, there are many who have shoved their fingers in their ears, hoping to block out the sound of God’s voice. At some point, God will simply say, “Your will be done,” and let them die in their sins without repenting.

All of us have choices. Today, will you choose to turn away from your sins and to serve God, or will you make the same bad choices that Joram and Ahaziah made?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and that nothing we have done is enough for us to earn our way into heaven. Lord, forgive us our sins. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.     

2 Kings 8:16 – 29 “In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab over Israel, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat succeeded his father as king of Judah. Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.

And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD.

Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.

In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king. So Jehoram  crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. When the Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, he rose up and attacked by night. His troops, however, fled to their homes.

So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled at the same time.  As for the rest of the acts of Jehoram, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

And Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.

In the twelfth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab over Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah.  Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. And Ahaziah walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

Then Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram. So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.

THE BAD INFLUENCE OF JEZEBEL AND AHAB IS LIKE A PERSISTENT LP GAS LEAK! THE ODOR NEVER GOES AWAY!

Jehoshaphat was a righteous man; however, his son Jehoram is not. Lacking a firm spiritual foundation, Jehoram compounds his problems by marrying Athaliah, one of Ahab and Jezebel’s daughters. Jezebel is a priestess of Baal, so her daughter would copy her. At this point, the nations of Edom and Libnah both have rebelled against Judah, and when Jehoram tries to bring Edom back under his control, his own troops desert him! God is punishing Jehoram and Judah; however, they are too spiritually dense to realize that God has removed His hand of protection from them.

Jehoram only reigns 8 years, after which his son Ahaziah reigns for one short year. Ahaziah’s mother is Ahab’s daughter and Omri’s granddaughter and is a vile woman. To compound problems, Ahaziah also marries one of his cousins from Ahab’s family and follows her horrible example, doing evil in the sight of the Lord. Ahaziah teams up with King Joram of Israel to fight Hazael, the king of Syria; however, Joram gets wounded and returns to Jezreel to recover. Ahaziah, king of Judah, goes to visit Joram, putting two descendants of Ahab in the same place.

Even though Jehoram, king of Judah, was evil, God has allowed him to die a natural death and to be buried with his fathers for the sake of the promises God had made to David. But Ahaziah king of Judah and Joram king of Israel are both Ahab’s grandsons. Remember that God has cursed Ahab’s descendants. 1 Kings 21: 24 “Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.” As we will see in the next chapter, those curses are about to come true for both kings.

APPLICATION: Demons transfer through sex and your choice of a mate can bless or blight your family for generations to come! When Ahab chose to marry Jezebel, a Sidonian princess and a priestess of Baal, he brought in bloodlines that had no place in an Israelite kingdom. The Law of Moses specifically forbade marrying outside the faith; however, King Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, many of whom were from pagan idol – worshiping tribes. It was these women who lured Solomon away from truly worshiping God. Not only did Solomon set a horrible example, but he also introduced foreign blood into the royal bloodlines. Any king who married outside Israel after that could use Solomon as their excuse. Once Ahab and Jezebel established their evil household, their descendants would bring spiritual confusion to anyone who married them.    

Here in Ghana, on several occasions we have seen the results of Christian young men marrying young women from fetish families. (Fetish families are families that serve traditional gods, making blood sacrifices to them.) In every case of which we are aware, the results have been confusion and despair for the young men. Even when they have continued to attend church, they have been badly affected by the demonic influence from their wives.

In America, one Christian speaker who got caught up in witchcraft as a teen described how his coven employed sex to lure in the unwary and get them to commit to witchcraft. There is an old saying, “You lie down with dogs; you get up with fleas.” The same thing could be said for demons.

Spiritual compromise is deadly! We might feel superior because we have never engaged in any idolatrous practices….we think. But what is playing on the video screen of your mind? Once internet cafes caught on in Ghana, the owners soon realized that they had to put controls on their machines and monitor things in addition; otherwise, young men were accessing pornographic videos online. These days with cell phones rampant, cell phone users themselves must monitor their own viewing.

Proverbs 5:1 – 14 describes the plight of a man who follows a forbidden woman. Here is the conclusion:

“7 So now, my sons, listen to me, and do not turn aside from the words of my mouth.

8 Keep your path far from her; do not go near the door of her house,

9 lest you concede your vigor to others, and your years to one who is cruel;

10 lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich the house of a foreigner.

11 At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body are spent,

12 and you will say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!

13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my mentors.

14 I am on the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.”

Proverbs 4:23 tells us “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.” Ahab never guarded his heart, and the results remain obvious. The next few chapters will tell us of the horrible outcome of that deplorable decision.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to truly love You and worthily magnify You. Help us to follow hard after You and to follow Your leading when we are choosing a mate. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and the king was told, “The man of God has come here.”

So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ ”

So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ ”

Elisha answered, “Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover.’ But the LORD has shown me that in fact he will die.”

Elisha fixed his gaze steadily on him until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the man of God began to weep.

“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”

“But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael.

And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”

So Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?”

And he replied, “He told me that you would surely recover.” But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king’s face. So Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned in his place.”

Remember God’s words to Elijah when Elijah was in the cave on Mount Horeb in 1 Kings 19:15 – 17? “Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet. Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.”

Israel has fallen into idolatry and those who have done so will be punished. There is no record of Elijah visiting Damascus after God gave him this word; however, Elijah anointed Elisha to succeed him as prophet. Now Elisha is carrying out the command of the Lord by coming to Damascus. Elisha’s reputation as a prophet has preceded him, and Ben – hadad, the king of Syria, sends Hazael, his aid, to ask counsel from Elisha. Ben – hadad is so worried that he sends forty camel loads of “every good thing from Damascus.” It is highly unlikely that Elisha accepts this gift; after all, he has no fixed abode and travels very lightly. But God is actually sending Hazael to Elisha because Elisha has a commission to anoint Hazael as the next king over Syria.

When Elisha sees Hazael, Elisha is obedient but not happy. As soon as Hazael enters the room, Elisha has an immediate vision of Hazael leading an army that will set fire to Israelite fortresses, kill their young men, dash the Israelite children to pieces, and rip open the wombs of pregnant Israelite women. This vision is so sickening that Elisha begins to weep bitter tears. Hazael is amazed at this behavior and asks Elisha what it means. Elisha tells Hazael that in the future Hazael will lead an army that will destroy the Israelites and their cities. Elisha is weeping over the horrors he foresees. When Hazael asks how this will happen, Elisha tells Hazael that he will be the next king of Syria. Elisha counsels Hazael to tell Ben – hadad that Ben – hadad will recover; however, Elisha goes on to anoint Hazael as king of Syria. Hazael returns to the palace and gives Ben – hadad the message; however, the very next day, Hazael smothers Ben – hadad and ascends the throne of Syria.

APPLICATION: Is Elisha sending a lying message to Ben – hadad? Here, Elisha orders Hazael to tell Ben – hadad, that he will recover; meanwhile, Elisha knows that Ben – hadad will die very soon. Elisha is carrying out God’s commission. Obviously, if Elisha were to message Ben – hadad that Ben – hadad was going to die, Ben – hadad might start a purge, beginning with those most likely to take over after his death. God has already selected Hazael to become the next king of Syria, so endangering Hazael would not help anything. On the other hand, Ben – hadad wants to know if he will recover from this illness. Elisha knows that Ben – hadad will die very soon; however, Elisha may also know that Ben – hadad’s current illness will not be the cause of his death. Strictly speaking, Elisha is not lying. We must realize that originally there might have been far more to the message than the words recorded here. It’s amazing that even though Hazael sneaks in and smothers Ben – hadad, it’s an open secret that has survived thousands of years. There are no secrets in a palace!      

Perhaps God actually has intended some other means of death for Ben – hadad; however, Hazael decides to hasten the process. Notice that Elisha does not order Hazael to kill his master, but merely says that his master will die.

Here Elisha is obediently carrying out a highly distasteful task. Although King Ahab spared Ben – hadad’s life at one point, Damascus isn’t exactly a friendly place. When God gives Elisha a vision of Hazael spreading mass destruction in Israel, Elisha would probably like to leave immediately. But God has sent Elisha to anoint Hazael as king and Elisha does so.

The lesson for us here is Elisha’s obedience. Even as Elisha is about to anoint Hazael as king over Syria, Elisha clearly sees the wanton destruction that Hazael and his troops will bring in the future. Left to himself, Elisha would rather do anything else; however, God has given Elisha orders and Elisha is faithfully carrying them out.

Sometimes God calls us to bless people who have criticized us or even betrayed us. At that point, we must choose whether to obey or to draw back in rebellion. Obedience is critically important. When we obey God, we open ourselves up for His blessings. But if we try to act as our own amateur providences, following our own intuitions, we put ourselves in harm’s way spiritually and we also mess up God’s plans for those people. Only God knows the end from the beginning.

Many times, God has called us to help those whom we know to be undermining us. At such times, obedience becomes very difficult. Obedience in such circumstances can be compared to running along a knife edge path in the mountains. There is only one narrow way that leads to safety; any misstep will be disastrous. Let us be careful to listen to God, so that God can guide us safely through.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to obey even when it is difficult or distasteful and even when our obedience will bless those who have been attacking us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Kings 8:1 – 6 “Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed a seven-year famine, and it has already come to the land.”

So the woman had proceeded to do as the man of God had instructed. And she and her household lived as foreigners for seven years in the land of the Philistines.

At the end of seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to the king to appeal for her house and her land.  Now the king had been speaking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things Elisha has done.”

And Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought the dead back to life. Just then the woman whose son Elisha had revived came to appeal to the king for her house and her land. So Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is the son Elisha restored to life.”

When the king asked the woman, she confirmed it. So the king appointed for her an officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers, along with all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the country until now.”

THE NEED WAS IMMEDIATE! Elisha knew that there was going to be a terrible famine that would last for seven years. Naturally, Elisha warned the Shunammite woman who had sheltered him and whose son he had raised from the dead. This lady took Elisha’s advice and left for the coastal lands of the Philistines, where the famine did not reach. But in the woman’s absence, others moved into her home and tried to take over her fields. Now the woman was returning to Israel, but she needed the king’s help to re – claim her house and lands.

Meanwhile, Gehazi was chatting with the king of Israel. Perhaps this story took place before Gehazi became a leper; at any rate, Gehazi was thrilled to have the opportunity to brag about Elisha. Gehazi was telling the king about the Shunammite woman and how God had given her a son despite her husband’s old age and how God had used Elisha to raise that boy from the dead. Just then, the lady herself entered the king’s court, accompanied by her son. Little wonder then, that when the lady confirmed the story that Gehazi had just told, the king immediately issued the order to restore her house and lands.

This is such a simple story that we might well overlook it. “Ho hum,” we think. “What’s the big deal about a lady getting her house and lands back?” But in thinking like this, we are overlooking the customs of the day. Once that lady left for Philistia, it was quite likely that one of her husband’s near relatives moved in swiftly to take over everything. After seven years, it was going to take a major effort to evict this man, and by now the Shunammite woman’s husband might have died, leaving her even more vulnerable. If the individual who took over the Shunammite woman’s property had proven reasonable, she wouldn’t have needed to appeal to the king. Obviously, this guy was banking on the idea that possession was nine tenths of the law.

The timing was crucial. Had the lady arrived prior to Gehazi informing the king of her matter, the king might have ignored her. It’s likely that as the lady was going to the king, the man who had taken over her house and lands was also sending a representative, possibly bearing a bribe. But God arranged events so that just as Gehazi was recounting this lady’s story, the lady and her son approached the king. Realizing that this woman was a special friend of Elisha’s, the king swiftly granted the lady’s request and restored everything to her. After all, who would want to mess with a prophet who can raise the dead?

APPLICATION: During our missionary careers, there have been times when we have trusted others with large sums of money, only to learn later that they diverted the money, keeping much of it for themselves. Obviously, such events are very distressing; however, we have also learned from this. The funds that flow through us belong to God and not to us. This means that if someone mishandles funds once we have paid them out in good faith, those individuals will have to answer to God. (This, however, does not mean that we need to make the same mistake twice!) As long as we continue to handle God’s resources faithfully, God will continue to supply our needs. God can multiply or restore resources, and the final result will remain the same.

The Shunammite woman in this story needed God’s assistance. Returning to Israel after a seven years’ absence, this lady found herself in an extremely difficult position. But God knew the day and moment when the Shunammite woman would reach the court, and God moved the king of Israel to quiz Gehazi for miracle stories.

Being defrauded is always painful and frightening. We wonder what will happen if we lose our hard – earned savings. Those who have trusted in Social Security are perpetually struggling with its limitations, wondering how they will pay for food, medicine, rent, etc. In telling this story, I am not trying to sugar – coat circumstances. But my husband and I can testify that God has continued to multiply our resources. Many times, we have encountered situations and have feared that we would be caught short; yet, somehow, God has always come through for us.

Are you stuck like the Shunammite woman? Is your back to the wall with no help in sight? Beg God for His assistance. God does not change, nor does He play favorites. The same God who restored the Shunammite woman’s house and lands to her stands willing to help you as well.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, there are those reading these words who are in dire straits. Social Security has proven inadequate. Perhaps there are no family members who can or will help in any fashion. But You are the God of Israel, the same God who restored everything to the Shunammite woman. Today, help those in need to appeal to You and hear the cries of their hearts. You are a God of infinite variety and Your provision can come in ways we cannot possibly anticipate. Hear us, Oh Lord! In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Kings 7:1 – 20 “Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel.’” (A seah is approximately 6.6 dry quarts or 7.3 liters (probably about 8.2 pounds or 3.7 kilograms of flour. A shekel is approximately 0.4 ounces or 11.4 grams, probably of silver. 2 seahs is approximately 13.2 dry quarts or 14.6 liters (probably about 19.3 pounds or 8.8 kilograms of barley)

But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”

Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die? If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”

So they arose at twilight and went to the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the outskirts of the camp, there was not a man to be found. For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.”

Thus the Arameans had arisen and fled at twilight, abandoning their tents and horses and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had run for their lives.

When the lepers reached the edge of the camp, they went into a tent to eat and drink. Then they carried off the silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. On returning, they entered another tent, carried off some items from there, and hid them. Finally, they said to one another, “We are not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will overtake us. Now, therefore, let us go and tell the king’s household.”

So they went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city, saying, “We went to the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a trace—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents were intact.”

The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported to the king’s household.

So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “Let me tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving, so they have left the camp to hide in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and enter the city.’ ”

But one of his servants replied, “Please, have scouts take five of the horses that remain in the city. Their plight will be no worse than all the Israelites who are left here. You can see that all the Israelites here are doomed. So let us send them and find out.”

Then the scouts took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and see.” And they tracked them as far as the Jordan, and indeed, the whole way was littered with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown off in haste. So the scouts returned and told the king.

Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. It was then that a seah of fine flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

Now the king had appointed the officer on whose arm he leaned to be in charge of the gate, but the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king had come to him. It happened just as the man of God had told the king: “About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel.”

And the officer had answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?”

So Elisha had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” And that is just what happened to him. The people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

LEPROSY!!! Few sicknesses were more feared than this condition. Spread by the bacteria mycobacterium leprae, leprosy dulls nerves so that sufferers have no idea when they are incurring infection or injury. In Elisha’s day, there were probably also patients with other skin diseases such as eczema who were labeled as lepers. At any rate, lepers were social outcasts, forced to exist on the fringes of towns. The Syrians were besieging Samaria, and the famine was so severe that people were eating donkey heads, dove feces, and even in one case, killing and eating a child. Sitting outside the city gates, four lepers decided that it was far better to go to the Syrian camp than to remain at Samaria and die. But when these men reached the Syrian camp, the Syrian army was nowhere to be found! At dusk, the Lord had caused the Syrians to panic and flee, leaving their supplies at the camp and a trail of belongings that stretched all the way to the Jordan River.

Meanwhile, back in Samaria, Elisha had told the king of Israel that by the next day, 7.3 liters of fine flour and 14.6 liters of barley would sell for a mere shekel. The king’s macho body guard scoffed, insisting, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?”  For this show of disdain, Elisha advised the officer that he would witness this phenomenon but he would not eat any of the food.

The four lepers initially looted one or two tents but then began to feel guilty and returned to Samaria and informed the king. When the king sent scouts to investigate, they verified the report. Desperate for food, the people of Samaria rushed to the Syrian camp. When the king’s body guard attempted to control the crowds, he was trampled to death in the rush. Truly, this man witnessed the flow of food without eating any of it.

APPLICATION: It’s interesting that it was the king’s body guard but not the king himself who doubted Elisha’s prediction. Perhaps the king was slowly realizing that Elisha would only speak truth. Whatever the case, this man mocked God and paid for his arrogance with his life. No matter how strong a man might be, a starving desperate crowd can take him out! DON’T MOCK GOD!

David Guzik in his Enduring Word commentary has this to say about the king’s body guard. “All in all, the officer well illustrates the conduct of unbelief:

· Unbelief dares to question the truthfulness of God’s promise itself.

· Unbelief says, “This is a new thing and cannot be true.”

· Unbelief says, “This is a sudden thing and cannot be true.”

· Unbelief says, “There is no way to accomplish this thing.”

· Unbelief says, “There is only one way God can work.”

· Unbelief says, “Even if God does something, it won’t be enough.”

(https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-kings-7/)

Elisha believed, and several miracles took place. The besieging army represented all the fighting men of Syria, probably more than 100,000 soldiers. This army had surrounded Samaria for so long that all the food supplies were running out and people were tempted to engage in cannibalism. The unbelieving king was in despair. Just when it seemed that things could not get any worse, God caused the entire Syrian army to panic and take to their heels back to Damascus (Miracle #1) leaving all their goods, their animals, and even their food supplies behind them. (Miracle #2) The siege was lifted, the famine was relieved, and there was so much food available that prices plummeted. (Miracle #3) God’s Word through Elisha proved true. Even though this deliverance was a new thing, a sudden thing, a miraculous thing, and something God had never done before, God accomplished it. And God’s deliverance was enough to save the people of Samaria.

The lessons for us are clear. Even if we feel a situation is hopeless, we must remember that God is still sovereign and that He is a God of infinite variety. God is constantly doing new things, if only we can see them with the eyes of faith. And God’s provision will always be enough and even more than enough. Not only did the Syrians leave foodstuffs behind, but they also left valuable horses and donkeys as well as silver and gold and quality garments and even tents. It’s likely that those soldiers may have even discarded their weapons in their haste to make it eastward across the Jordan. The king of Israel and his subjects gained untold riches as well as much – needed food.

Today, do you feel that your back is to the wall and you have nowhere to turn and no resources? Go to God in prayer, trusting that He already knows your situation. God can provide abundantly if only we will ask.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You, even when our situations become desperate. Thank You in advance for providing for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Kings 6:24 – 33 “Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria.

So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, (80 shekels is approximately 2 pounds or 907.2 grams of silver) and a quarter cab of dove’s dung (or a quarter cab of seed pods; that is, approximately 0.28 dry quarts or 0.31 liters) sold for five shekels of silver. (5 shekels is approximately 2 ounces or 57 grams of silver.)

As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”

He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?” Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?”

And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’ So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had hidden her son.”

When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin. He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!” Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?”

While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”

Things have become horrific in Samaria! Ben – hadad, king of Syria, has surrounded Samaria with his army and is systematically starving the city. With practically no food left, people are paying enormous sums of money for donkey’s heads and even eating dove manure. One woman has even killed her son and has shared his flesh with her neighbor, anticipating that the neighbor will reciprocate; however, the neighbor has hidden her son.

The king of Israel is distraught, but his responses are totally wrong. The king of Israel recognizes that this problem is from the Lord and is wearing sackcloth under his clothes; however, there is no evidence that he is actually repenting. Rather than humble himself and seek the Lord’s face, the king of Israel chooses to blame the Lord and tries to behead Elisha, the Lord’s representative. The king sends a messenger ahead to Elisha; however, Elisha already anticipates the king’s schemes and orders the door to be shut and barred to keep the messenger out.

The king’s response is fascinating. “Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” Why indeed? What will the king accomplish by murdering Elisha? If the king believes that this catastrophe is from the Lord, he should be doing everything he can to propitiate the Lord, rather than killing the Lord’s prophet. The king is too short – sighted to realize that Elisha is really the best hope in this situation. God has used Elisha to raise the dead and to multiply resources. Without Elisha, Israel truly will be lost.

APPLICATION: We read this story and wonder how the king of Israel can be so short – sighted. But how many times have we been ready to give up on God? For many of us, our faith is a fair – weather affair. As long as everything is going well, we believe God is loving and blessing us. But as soon as something goes wrong, we begin doing just what the king of Israel did; we begin to blame God.

What was wrong in Israel? The Syrians were able to attack Israel because the country’s spiritual covering was largely gone. Israelites were no longer worshiping the One True Living God who had delivered them from Egypt and who had brought them into the Promised Land. When Jeroboam led the split of the Northern Kingdom from the Southern Kingdom, he immediately established idolatry, erecting enormous altars with golden calves at Bethel and Dan. Given this lead, the Israelites plunged themselves into full – bore paganism, including Baal worship, erecting Asherah poles, and all the other practices God had already forbidden. The king of Israel was correct when he said that this calamity was from the Lord; however, he refused to realize that God was trying to get his attention.

Today there are climate disasters in many parts of the world. Vicious insects such as murder hornets are appearing in places where they have never been seen before. Dengue fever and other hemorrhagic fevers are popping up in new places. While many people are trying to make political capital of these disasters, they are actually making the same mistake made by the king of Israel. God is trying to get our attention. It is time for us to repent individually and collectively for the sins of our societies and our nations.

“But I am only one person,” you may protest. “What can I do?”  We need to adopt the prophet Daniel as our role model. Daniel was a prisoner of war in Babylon. Despite the generally degenerate society in which Daniel found himself, Daniel continued to pray five times a day, interceding for himself and for his people. In Daniel 9 we read the prayer that Daniel prayed for his people. Daniel began by acknowledging God and His greatness and then continued by describing in detail the failings of the Israelites.

Finally, Daniel concludes this way: “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” (Daniel 9:17 – 19)

It is time for us to stop blaming God and to confess our sins, individually and collectively. May we draw near to God so that He will hear us and answer our prayers!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we have sinned individually and collectively. We have not honored You. We have not worshiped You. We have stood by as our various societies have deteriorated and we have done little or nothing to stop it. Lord, we do not deserve anything, but we pray that for Your Name’s sake, You will turn our societies around. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Kings 6:8 – 23 “Now the king of Aram (Syria) was at war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”

Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.” So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had pointed out. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. For this reason the king of Aram became enraged and called his servants to demand of them, “Tell me, which one of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.” So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.”

On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,” the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?” “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.”

And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria. When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.”

Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria.

And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”

“Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”

So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again.”

The king of Aram (Syria) is frustrated beyond belief! A crack team of Syrian warriors has been cleverly setting up ambushes to catch the king of Israel and yet every time the Syrians go into hiding in a new location, the king of Israel finds out about it and avoids them. The king of Syria can’t understand this and is certain there must be an Israelite informer among his troops. But there’s no spy among the Syrian forces; instead, God is showing Elisha where the Syrians are lying in wait so that Elisha can warn the king of Israel.

The king of Syria decides to eliminate Elisha and sends an enormous army to surround the city of Dothan in the northern Samarian hills, where Elisha and his servant are staying. When Elisha’s servant wakes up and sees the Syrians, he panics! Nobody ever told this young man that working for a prophet could be so dangerous. But Elisha sees the situation with the eyes of faith. “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

The same God who has been telling Elisha where the Syrian troops are hiding has also sent His forces to counter any attack from the Syrians. Now Elisha asks God to strike the Syrians blind and then tells them that they are in the wrong city. Elisha leads the Syrians to Samaria, 15 kilometers from Dothan. Imagine how the Syrians feel when their blindness lifts and they find themselves in Samaria!

The king of Israel stands amazed and almost sounds like a Labrador retriever. “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”  Wisely, Elisha advises the king to make a feast for the Syrians and then send them back to their master. Elisha knows that once the Syrians have eaten food from the king of Israel, traditionally, they can no longer attack him. The plan works and the Syrians return to their master in Damascus. The account ends by stating that Aramean raiders do not attack Israel again; however, we will soon see that the Syrian king will mount another attack.

APPLICATION: Psalm 37:4 tells us, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.” Here God protects and delivers Elisha and his servant as well as the Israelites. “But,” you ask, “what about all those Christians who are being martyred for their faith? What about those in northern Nigeria who have been murdered in their churches? What about Christians in Southern Sudan?” Those are valid questions.

In 1978, Edith Schaeffer wrote a book entitled Affliction. The main thesis of that book was that at the end of time, we would find that the grace of God has been proven sufficient for all circumstances. There are people who are miraculously healed and miraculously delivered, demonstrating that God can indeed heal and deliver. On the other hand, there are also those faithful who die with cancer or other diseases or who are martyred for their faith. The lives of these people demonstrate that God’s grace has proved sufficient even for these extreme circumstances.

Even at the time Edith Schaeffer was writing that book, her husband, the famous theologian and Bible expositor Pastor Francis Schaeffer, was suffering from the cancer that eventually killed him a few years later. When Edith Schaeffer was writing, she was speaking out of her own experience; this was no mere theory.

There are those Christians who have narrowly escaped dying for their faith, demonstrating that God still can deliver. But there are others who have died refusing to renounce Christ.

“The Christian bishops, chiefs, commanders, clergy and people of Sudan declared, on May 16, 1983, that they would not abandon God as God had revealed himself to them under threat of Shariah Law imposed by the fundamentalist Islamic government in Khartoum. Until a peace treaty was signed on January 9, 2005, the Episcopal Church of the Province of the Sudan suffered from persecution and devastation through twenty-two years of civil war. Two and a half million people were killed, half of whom were members of this church. Many clergy and lay leaders were singled out because of their religious leadership in their communities. No buildings, including churches and schools, are left standing in an area the size of Alaska. Four million people are internally displaced, and a million are scattered around Africa and beyond in the Sudanese Diaspora. Twenty-two of the twenty-four dioceses exist in exile in Uganda or Kenya, and the majority of the clergy are unpaid. Only 5% of the population of Southern Sudan was Christian in 1983. Today over 85% of that region of six million is now mostly Episcopalian or Roman Catholic. A faith rooted deeply in the mercy of God has renewed their spirits throughout the years of strife and sorrow.” (http://satucket.com/lectionary/Sudan.htm)

Corrie ten Boom and her family sheltered a Jewish family in their home in Haarlem during World War II. Corrie’s father assured her that if they were captured by the Nazis, God would give them the grace necessary to bear up in the concentration camps. Eventually, Corrie’s family was taken, and Corrie’s father and her sister Betsie died in the concentration camps. But Corrie and her sister were able to share their faith with their fellow prisoners and give them hope. After the war, Corrie embarked on thirty – three years of ministry, during which time she went around the world speaking in sixty – four countries.

We do not know what lies ahead of us, but this one thing we do know: no matter the circumstances that we will have to face, God is already there and His grace will be sufficient. Let us praise Him and trust Him!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust that Your provision will always be there for us and that Your grace will be sufficient for any trouble that we encounter. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Kings 6:1 – 7 “Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.”

“Go,” said Elisha.

Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.”

“I will come,” he replied.

So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”

“Where did it fall?” asked the man of God.

And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float. “Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.”

This is such a simple story that we might miss its importance. The number of apprentice prophets was increasing and they needed more living space. Fortunately, Gilgal was close to the Jordan River, where they could get lumber. In a land full of rocks, trees would only grow where there was water, so there were plenty of trees close to the Jordan. But a terrible thing happened. As one of the young men was cutting down a tree close to the river, the head of the axe flew off into the water. Perhaps the water was deep right there; at any rate, there seemed to be no means of recovering this axe head.

In those days, tools were expensive and very valuable due to the cost of the metal to create them. The loss of any tool was a major one; in addition, this poor young man was in despair because he had borrowed this axe from someone else. These young Torah students had no money and little means of support. How could this young man possibly replace this axe? Perhaps this young man was the only support of a widowed mother; if he wound up in debt to the owner of the axe, what would happen then?  If the owner of the axe was a cruel man, he might even enslave this young man to regain the cost of the axe. This young man’s life might be totally ruined, all because of the loss of the axe head.

What did this young man do at that point? The Bible doesn’t tell us, but I suspect that he immediately got a long pole and began probing the river bottom to see if he could find the axe head. Perhaps the axe head fell among rocks and was lodged, making it impossible to recover.

When the young man explained what had happened to Elisha, Elisha immediately threw a stick into the water. Suddenly, the axe head began to float, and the young man was able to pick it out of the water. This was a true miracle with no possible alternative explanation. We can well imagine that the young man immediately took steps to re – attach the axe head to the handle far more securely than it was before!

APPLICATION: So many times, we read these miracle stories and ask ourselves if God really does this stuff, and if He does, will He do something similar for us? During our second missionary term in Ghana, we were working at a clinic with a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV. In those days, we had to go all the way to Accra to buy many of our drugs and medical consumables. During one trip, we pulled into a parking space in Accra only to hear hissing from all four tires!!! Yes, that’s right! All four tires on the Land Cruiser spoiled at once. This incident took place in the early 1990’s when communication was difficult and e – transfers of money were unknown. Cell phones didn’t exist, and phone calls to the U.S. were expensive and difficult. Transfers of funds could take up to 8 weeks or longer, and our support level was low and spotty. At that point, we knew exactly how that young prophet felt as he watched that axe head fly off into a deep pool in the Jordan River.

Land Cruiser tires were expensive, and four of them at once represented an enormous cost. The clinic didn’t have the money to buy new tires. We managed to get four used tires in good condition; however, we were facing a return trip of several hundred miles over wretched roads. We succeeded in calling our mission headquarters. (Miracle #1) Our missions secretary informed us that two months earlier, someone had donated sufficient money for us to buy four new tires. Somehow, we succeeded in cashing a check for sufficient funds to buy those tires. (Miracle #2 – finding a place to cash that check was difficult.) For us, that financial miracle was just as impressive as that floating axe head must have been for those young prophets.

GOD IS STILL IN THE MIRACLE BUSINESS!!! But there are a few conditions.

1. Do everything you can to rectify the situation: Before informing Elisha of this loss, it’s likely that this young prophet had already done everything he could to try to recover the axe head. Perhaps he attempted to fish out that axe head with a long pole. Perhaps his friends waded into the river to help him search. In our story, we did everything we could by purchasing four good used tires so that we would have something to run on and repairing one of the others so that we had a spare. We were prepared to limp all the way back to northeastern Ghana when we called our mission secretary. We did not merely sit down, fold our hands, and demand that God perform a miracle.
2. Make sure that you have exhausted all possible sources of help: This young prophet didn’t give up, but went to Elisha for assistance. Remember that Elisha was a farmer. When Elijah called Elisha into ministry, Elisha was plowing with oxen. As a farmer, Elisha would recognize the value of the axe head and would also be resourceful.
3. Trust God: even though there is no mention of the young prophet praying, he was trusting Elisha as a man dedicated to God. Elisha was God’s local representative, so effectively, the young prophet was trusting that God would act through Elisha.
4. Trust that if God does not work an immediate miracle, He can still deliver you. Reviewing previous stories of Elisha’s ministry, we realize that God never does things the same way twice. Each deliverance is unique. God is not merely interested in delivering us but in building relationship with us. In our particular situation, we needed to learn that God could be trusted to move in the hearts of donors so that funds would be available when necessary.

Have you lost your axe head? Ask God to help you, but don’t limit Him. God has only made one axe head float, but He can provide in ways you can’t anticipate.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You, even when we seem to be facing impossible odds. Thank You, that You are a God of infinite variety and infinite resourcefulness. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Kings 5:19 – 27 “But after Naaman had traveled a short distance, Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, while not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?”

“Everything is all right,” Gehazi replied. “My master has sent me to say, ‘I have just now discovered that two young men from the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’ ” (A talent is approximately 75.4 pounds or 34.2 kilograms of silver.)

But Naaman insisted, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged Gehazi to accept them. Then he tied up two talents of silver in two bags along with two sets of clothing and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them ahead of Gehazi.

When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the gifts from the servants and stored them in the house. Then he dismissed the men, and they departed.

When Gehazi went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Gehazi, where have you been?”

“Your servant did not go anywhere,” he replied.

But Elisha questioned him, “Did not my spirit go with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to accept money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants? Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever!”

And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous—as white as snow.”

In the beginning, it was a great thing to be allowed to serve Elisha, the foremost prophet in Israel. Gehazi reveled in the attention and the acclaim; however, over the course of time, his enthusiasm began to fade. Perhaps Gehazi anticipated that they would be received into the best homes and that Elisha would be paid handsomely for his efforts. Surely Elisha would share any wealth he gained with his faithful servant Gehazi! But the only home into which Elisha and Gehazi were welcomed was that of the Shunammite woman. The rest of the time, Elisha and Gehazi might have to sleep in caves, stables, or airless store rooms. No! This lifestyle was not what Gehazi had anticipated when he began working with Elisha.

When Naaman was healed of his leprosy, he immediately tried to offer Elisha all kinds of riches, only for Elisha to refuse to take anything. Elisha was concerned about Naaman’s immortal soul. It was after Elisha had refused to accept any payment for the miracle that Naaman pledged to worship only the One True Living God of Israel. Had Elisha accepted money or clothing, Naaman would have returned to Syria as a pagan rather than a worshiper of the God of Israel. But Gehazi had no such scruples.

From Gehazi’s standpoint, Elisha was a fool and it was high time that Gehazi provided for himself. Perhaps Gehazi had a wife and children somewhere. Perhaps Gehazi was concerned because he was getting older and he feared that he would starve in his old age. Perhaps Gehazi was secretly planning to leave Elisha and settle somewhere comfortable. All we know is that Gehazi decided that if Elisha wasn’t going to get anything from Naaman, he certainly would.

Naaman was more than happy to give Gehazi whatever he asked, and Gehazi probably felt smug that he had not demanded all the riches that Naaman had brought with him; after all, Gehazi only asked for one talent of silver and two garments. But when Gehazi ran after Naaman to collect money and clothing, he was actually bartering his health and that of his descendants. Poor foolish Gehazi! Gehazi’s greed not only cost him his relationship with Elisha, but in addition, Gehazi and all his descendants received an everlasting generational curse of leprosy.

This story is the last time we hear any mention of Gehazi as Elisha’s servant. We must assume that Gehazi left Elisha permanently. But what a horrible thing Gehazi had brought on himself! In Israel, lepers were social outcasts and were barred from worshiping in the temple. Now Gehazi and all of his descendants were cursed with leprosy.

APPLICATION: Many of us might share Gehazi’s fears for our lives. Society pushes us to be practical – minded and to provide for ourselves. While there is nothing wrong with planning for the future, we must be careful to ask God for His plans rather than simply planning ourselves and then asking God to rubber stamp it. The fear of starving in a penniless old age is very real; it takes all the faith we can muster to trust God rather than struggling.

Prior to 2008, thousands of people trusted Bernie Madoff and his financial institutions with their hard – earned retirement savings. Few people realized that Madoff was running a 64.8-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme, in effect, robbing Peter to pay Paul. When Madoff finally confessed and things fell apart, many charities and hospitals were severely damaged. Those whose retirement savings had been lodged with Madoff suddenly found themselves forced to return to the work force merely to survive. Many who had anticipated a comfortable retirement had to drastically simplify their plans.

If we have learned nothing else from the Madoff scandal, we have learned that savings can evaporate. In Matthew 6:19 – 21 Jesus told his disciples “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Later in the same chapter, Jesus also said, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:31 – 34)

Gehazi’s biggest mistake was his failure to trust God. Even though Gehazi lived with Elisha and traveled with Elisha, he never understood who God was or how well God could provide for him. Gehazi watched God do untold miracles of provision and healing, but yet when the temptation came to grab riches, Gehazi faltered.

Should we plan as carefully as possible for our old age? Certainly. But we must ask God for His advice rather than going off on our own and then asking God to bless our plans later. May we look to God as our ultimate Source and remember that He can do far abundantly above all that we ask or think!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You, even when we are worried about aging and survival. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.