Kings 8:10-13 Depravity of Our Own Hearts!

 “And Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover.’ However the Lord has shown me that he will really die.” Then he set his countenance in a stare until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept. And Hazael said, “Why is my Lord weeping?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: Their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword; and you will dash their children, and rip open their women with child.” So Hazael said, “But what is your servant—a dog, that he should do this gross thing?” And Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you will become king over Syria.””

‭‭II Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Go, say to him, “You shall certainly recover.” However the LORD has shown me that he will really die: God gave Elisha insight into more than the health of the king of Syria. He also saw the inevitable and ultimately God-ordained political machinations that would unfold.

i. Elisha rightly said that the king would certainly recover from his illness, and he did. However, he also saw that the same servant he spoke with at that moment would engineer an assassination and take the throne.

ii. This is how Elisha’s statement was true. The king certainly did recover from his illness, and he really did die soon – but not from the illness.

b. He set his countenance in a stare… I know the evil that you will do: This was a dramatic, personal confrontation between this prophet and the high official of the king of Syria. Elisha stared at him so because he had prophetic knowledge of future events, and how this man would trouble Israel in the future.

i. “The prophet gazed long and fixedly into the eyes of Hazael. It would seem that he saw far more in the soul of the man than any other had seen, perhaps more than the man himself was conscious of.” (Morgan)

c. And the man of God wept: God told Elisha more about the coming situation than he wanted to know. He showed the prophet that the messenger of the king (Hazael), after he took the throne from the present king of Syria, would do evil to the children of Israel.

i. Elisha’s prophetic calling and gift was at times more of a burden than a blessing. He could clearly see what would befall Israel through Hazael, but he was powerless to prevent it.

ii. “The nearer we live to God, the more we deserve to be known as men and women of God, the more will our tears flow for the slain of the daughters of our people.” (Meyer)

iii. “His tears were in themselves signs of his understanding of the necessity for those severe judgments which must fall upon the guilty nation; but they were the outcome of his deep love for his people.” (Morgan)

d. But what is your servant – a dog, that he should do this gross thing: Perhaps Hazael had planned this assassination and simply acted ignorant at Elisha’s announcement. Perhaps he had not yet planned it, but did not know the evil capabilities in his own heart.

i. Either way, his offense was inappropriate. He should have taken this warning as an opportunity to confront himself and to do right, instead of turning an accusation back upon Elisha.

ii. “Our ignorance of the depravity of our own hearts is a startling fact. Hazael did not believe that he was bad enough to do any of the things here anticipated… I appeal to you, Christian men and women, if anyone had told you that you would have loved your Savior so little as you have done; if any prophet had told you, in the hour of your conversion, that you would have served him so feebly as you have done, would you have believed it!” (Spurgeon)

(Guzik)

Depravity of Our Own Hearts!

Spurgeon’s comment is so true! I admit the depravity of my own heart and without the grace of Jesus Christ I would be doomed!

My wife also keeps me in check by reminding me that Jesus loves them too! 

The last sentence should give us pause, “that you would have served him so feebly as you have done, would you have believed it!”

I am going to have to chew on that sentence and let it sink in!

How about you?

Blessings 

2 Kings 8:7-9 Illness!

 “Then Elisha went to Damascus, and Ben-Hadad king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, “The man of God has come here.” And the king said to Hazael, “Take a present in your hand, and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this disease?’ ” So Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, of every good thing of Damascus, forty camel-loads; and he came and stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this disease?’ ”” ‭‭II Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. The man of God has come here: The leaders of Syria once tried to capture or kill Elisha. Since God miraculously delivered the prophet so many times, he was now respected and welcomed in the courts of the Syrian king. He was especially welcome on account of the king’s illness.

b. Take a present in your hand: Wanting to know the outcome of his present illness, the king of Syria asked the prophet – and with his extravagant gift did whatever he could to prompt a favorable message.

i. “Whether the prophet received it or not, is not here mentioned; but it is most probable that he did not, from his former practice, chapter 5, and because the reasons which then swayed him were still of the same force.” (Poole)

(Guzik)

Illness!

Like king Ben-Hadad we’ve all experienced illness or disease because we live in a fallen world! 

I especially recall one time years ago when I had the flu, my wife was working and I was sick in bed. My parents lived three miles away and my mother came by to check up on me. I recall when she came into my bedroom and asked how I was doing I said, just shoot me and get it over with! 😳

Having an illness or disease isn’t fun and I am reminded of this verse, 

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

No matter what you are going through, remember the Lord is with you!

Blessings 

2 Kings 8:4-6 God-ordained timing!

 “Then the king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done.” Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son he had restored to life, appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, “My Lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now.”” ‭‭II Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Then the king talked with Gehazi: This was the same servant of Elisha who was cursed with leprosy in 2 Kings 5:20-27. It seems strange that a severely afflicted leper would be a counselor to a king, so it seems that either Gehazi was granted healing from his leprosy or that this actually took place before the events of 2 Kings 5.

i. Of course, it is still possible that the king had this conversation with Gehazi when the former prophet’s assistant was a leper and the king simply kept his distance. “Some think that this conversation might have taken place after Gehazi became leprous; the king having an insatiable curiosity to know the private history of a man who had done such astonishing things: and from whom could he get this information, except from the prophet’s own confidential servant?” (Clarke)

b. Tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done: Perhaps his motive was nothing more than curiosity, yet it was still a significant testimony to the king of Israel. He knew that God was with the actions of Elisha, giving evidence that He was also with the word of Elisha.

c. As he was telling the king: The woman came to make her request at the exact time Gehazi told the king about the miracles associated with her life. This was perfect, God-ordained timing.

d. Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left: The king understood that if God was obviously supportive of this woman, then it also made sense for him to support her and to answer her request. In the end, her obedience to God’s word was not penalized.

i. “This act was in striking contrast to the notorious land-grabbing of Jehoram’s father, Ahab.” (Dilday)

(Guzik)

God-ordained timing!

There has been certain events in my life that God ordained the timing just as He did with the unnamed woman. Becoming born again was one of them for sure! Another was the adoption of our son and another was moving, relocating to another state.

God works in mysterious ways! Have you experienced God-ordained timing?

Blessings 

2 Kings 8:1-3 Famine

 “Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.” So the woman arose and did according to the saying of the man of God, and she went with her household and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years. It came to pass, at the end of seven years, that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went to make an appeal to the king for her house and for her land.”

‭‭II Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life: 2 Kings 4describes Elisha’s previous dealings with this woman. She and her husband were godly, generous people who helped the prophet. Through Elisha’s prayer they were blessed with a son, who was also brought miraculously back to life.

b. She went with her household and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years: On the advice of the prophet, the woman and her family left Israel because of a coming famine. In the land of the Philistines, they were spared the worst of the famine.

c. She went to make an appeal to the king for her house and for her land: Upon leaving Israel and going to the land of the Philistines, the woman forfeited her claim to her ancestral lands. She made this appeal so she would not be a loser for listening to God’s prophet and for saving her family from famine. (Guzik)

Famine 

We read about famine in the Bible but in my lifetime I have never experienced it. There have been lean years though of eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while scrimping and saving trying to make ends meet.

There is coming a time in the future during the end times when the world will suffer judgment and famine will be worldwide as foretold in the book of Revelations. I’m glad I won’t be here for it! 

As the saying goes, meet you here, meet you there or meet you in the air!

Have you experienced famine?

Blessings 

“When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV

2 Kings 7:17-20 God’s Blessings!

 “Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be sold tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria.” Then that officer had answered the man of God, and said, “Now look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.” II Kings‬ ‭7‬:‭17‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. The king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate: Perhaps the king did this to rebuke his officer. The man would have to personally supervise the people responding to the provision he said could never come, because he could not understand how God could bring the supply despite the siege.

b. For the people trampled him in the gate, and he died: The prediction regarding the officer proved just as true as the prediction regarding the prices of food in the markets of Samaria. Because of his unbelief, he saw others enjoy God’s blessings but he did not. (Guzik)

God’s Blessings!

Just as the officer saw others enjoy God’s blessings but he didn’t, there are those that walk among us who don’t believe how God can bring supply let alone anything else. They reject Him and His mercy! 

I am in awe to the blessings of God in my life and at times ask, why me Lord? 

When we pray, we thank Him daily for the provision of food and His blessings with our home.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Thanksgiving and praise to the Lord should be celebrated daily, do you agree?

Blessings 

Kings 7:16 According to the Word of the Lord!

 “Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord.” ‭‭II Kings‬ ‭7‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians: When the good news that started with the report of the lepers was found to be true, there was no stopping the people. Because they knew their need, they were happy to receive God’s provision to meet that need.

i. The king’s officer “derided the possibility of the prophet’s prediction; and no doubt had plenty of adherents. But the leper’s report swept away all his words to the winds. They had known, tasted, and handled.” (Meyer)

b. According to the word of the LORD: Through Elisha, God announced the exact prices in the Samaritan markets, and the prophecy was proven to be precisely true. (Guzik)

According to the Word of the Lord!

That is a powerful statement and God is true to His word unlike man!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” ‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Do you believe the Word of the Lord?

Blessings 

2 Kings 7:10-15 See!

 “So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, saying, “We went to the Syrian camp, and surprisingly no one was there, not a human sound—only horses and donkeys tied, and the tents intact.” And the gatekeepers called out, and they told it to the king’s household inside. So the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “Let me now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.’ ” And one of his servants answered and said, “Please, let several men take five of the remaining horses which are left in the city. Look, they may either become like all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; or indeed, I say, they may become like all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed; so let us send them and see.” Therefore they took two chariots with horses; and the king sent them in the direction of the Syrian army, saying, “Go and see.” And they went after them to the Jordan; and indeed all the road was full of garments and weapons which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned and told the king.”

‭‭II Kings‬ ‭7‬:‭10‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. They went and called to the gatekeepers of the city: Since the lepers were not welcome in the city, they could only communicate with the gatekeepers. There were many people they could not speak to, but they were faithful to speak to the ones they could speak to.

b. And the gatekeepers called out, and they told it: The good news from the lepers was communicated in the simplest way possible. It went from one person to another, until the news reached the king himself.

c. So let us send them and see: This was the sensible reaction to the good news that started with the report of the lepers. The report might be true or it might not be; it only made sense to test it and see. (Guzik)

See!

I am reminded of another example in the Bible about Jesus’s resurrection and seeing!

“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Do you have faith without seeing that Jesus rose from the dead?

Blessings