Sometimes when we read of all that God has done and plans to fulfill, it seems as though we are part of a mystifying story that is absolutely marvelous as well. Each part of the story is filled with such wonder. There are moments of great joy, and sometimes sorrows which leads to the next joy being even more exuberant. Then there are the moments of fear, which press us ever forward reaching for that which will steady through the storm. Each step, the way of God leading us to a greater faith and hope. Finally, there are glimpses of greater joy that we have ever seen before lying just before us. We know it deep within our hearts. Hearts born to live in perfect harmony with Him, always searching and moving forward.
Perhaps it was that vision of blazing horses pulling a blazing chariot to sweep up Elijah from this earth into heaven that gave Elisha special courage and faith. He could see the spiritual beyond the mundane tasks of this earth. Yet, that too caused him great sorrow. He could see the impending doom. The futility of all those around him that sought after earthly treasures and idols who promised them. He had seen glory and how absolutely marvelous that was. The warmth and beauty of God’s grace and love kept Elisha strong. He saw the spiritual battle around him and was overwhelmed with sorrow because of all those who did not believe. Knowing their fate, made him very sad.
Absolutely Marvelous
In 2 Kings 4 (NET) we read:
Now a wife of one of the prophets[a] appealed[b] to Elisha for help, saying, “Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the Lord.[c] Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants.” 2 Elisha said to her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a small jar of olive oil.”
3 He said, “Go and ask all your neighbors for empty containers.[d] Get as many as you can.[e] 4 Go and close the door behind you and your sons. Pour the olive oil into all the containers;[f] set aside each one when you have filled it.” 5 So she left him and closed the door behind her and her sons. As they were bringing the containers to her, she was pouring the olive oil. 6 When the containers were full, she said to one of her sons,[g] “Bring me another container.” But he answered her, “There are no more.” Then the olive oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the prophet.[h] He said, “Go, sell the olive oil. Repay your creditor, and then you and your sons can live off the rest of the profit.”
Marvelous, Yet Mystifying the Miracles of God
Then, he met a very gracious Shulamite woman who made certain he had a private room to sleep in with food provisions each time he passed through the providence. She had been baron. Elisha prophesied that she and her husband would have a son. She could hardly believe; yet God gave her a son. That son died; however, by faith she placed him in the room where Elisha stayed. Then with her husband’s permission she left with the carriage and drivers to find Elisha. Through Elisha, God restored her son’s life.
This was the life of Elisha. Absolutely marvelous miracles all around him. He directed the leprous Syrian general to wash in the Jordan 7 times and he was healed. But nothing was more miraculously absolutely marvelous more than in Chapter 6.
A Vision Beyond Man’s sight.
The King of Syria wanted to kill the King of Israel; but each time his attempts were foiled. He determined someone was spying and betraying him. But his men told him that it was a prophet who could hear everything he whispered though many miles away. So, the King of Syria sent troops to surround Elisha’s little school of theology. (For he had a great school teaching others of God’s wonderful absolutely marvelous glory). Well, his servant was frightened when he saw the army surrounding them.
15 The prophet’s[r] attendant got up early in the morning. When he went outside there was an army surrounding the city, along with horses and chariots. He said to Elisha,[s] “Oh no, my master! What will we do?” 16 He replied, “Don’t be afraid, for our side outnumbers them.”[t] 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he can see.”
The Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw that[u] the hill was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 As the army approached him,[v] Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike these people[w] with blindness.”[x] The Lord[y] struck them with blindness as Elisha requested.[z] 19 Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the right road or city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you’re looking for.” He led them to Samaria.
20 When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open their eyes, so they can see.” (2 Kings 6 NET).
The army found themselves in the center of Samaria, surrounded by the Samaritan army. Elisha commanded that grace be given them as prisoners of war. He advised the King to feed them then send them home. Elisha was the one whom they came to kill, and he spared their lives.
How Mystifying Is the Way of God
For a time, there was peace for Samaria, but that did not last long for they failed to turn to God. As they and their King continued to sin against God, the Syrian army once more came and encircled them cutting them off from all food and supplies. A horrid famine had presented and now with no roads to find food they were in a dire state of affairs. Instead of pleading to God, the King determined this was God’s fault and the fault of Elisha as God’s man. He sent a lynch man to kill Elisha. But of course, Elisha saw him coming long before he arrived. Then, God spoke through Elisha to the people. He told them that by tomorrow morning, food would be plentiful and the prices reasonable. The horrid inflation they were enduring would end suddenly.
2 So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” 2 Kings 7 (NKJV)
Not a good idea to mock God, but such are the foolish of the world who hold fast to their ideas as being greater than Gods.
What happens next is Absolutely Marvelous; yet Mystifying
3 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.” 5 And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there.
6 For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!”
7 Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives. 8 And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from itsilver and gold and clothing and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it. (2Kings 7: NKJV)
Think of this.
4 Lepers who believed there was no hope went to surrender to the Syrians. At least then they would die quickly rather than slowly of starvation. For if there was no food for the other people. These who lived off the scraps thrown them out of charity had no hope. But when all hope is gone, but God. Well, He is all you need.
The Most Unlikely News Bearers
At first, they reveled in their fortune only to then to realize they must share in this news with all the others. Perhaps these 4 lepers were more noble that many of the people in the city. It is funny how God does absolutely marvelous things in such mystifying ways. They ran to town to tell everyone. At first the King refused to believe it so. It must be a trap.
However, in the end, he sent out a scouting troop who confirmed the absolutely marvelous miracle. There was an abundance of food which could be sold at a very reasonable price for all to eat. And the naysayer we read of before? Well, he went out to see and got trampled by the crowd, just as foretold. He would see it, but not live to enjoy it.
So what do all these stories have to do with us?
God Is the Same Yesterday, today and tomorrow
“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19 NKJV
Furthermore,
God is Absolutely Marvelous Yet Mystifying, there is none like HIM
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance [b]incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been [c]grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not [d]seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. I Peter 1
- Therefore, though famine, pestilence or trials come, we have nothing to fear because we can trust Him. Even though his ways are mystifying to us, we can rest in His promises. He has always completed all that He has foretold and He isn’t about to stop being the absolutely marvelous, sovereign God who can calm our hearts and give us peace, joy and love today.
Isaiah 55: (NKJV)
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the [b]wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me [c]void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the Lord for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New English Translation (NET)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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