Elisha now lay upon his deathbed. He was old and sick. Although, God allowed him to see Elijah transported on chariots to heaven, used him to raise a sick young boy to life, and used his voice to speak to a nation; Elisha would lie upon his sick bed and await death as is common for humans. Even in those moments, he was ready at any time to be God’s voice to the nation. It was there that he told King Joash of Israel how marvelous and great the Grace of God was toward His people. Israel had sinned gravely, repeatedly turning to worship idols rather than God. He provided for them, loved them, and wanted all that was good for them; however, they continuously rejected Him, preferring the lure of self-aggrandizing idolatrous worship. The king did “evil in the sight of the Lord”, allowing idolatrous worship to flourish.
God then would allow His people to be oppressed. He longed for them to seek Him and to repent from their evil ways. Oh, that men and women would seek Him, fully and completely with hearts longing for the truth of the gospel! Instead, as were the children of Israel so are, we. All too often, we seek God only to get us out of trouble or for His gifts of mercy; yet, we do not fully desire Him as Lord of our lives. That was the case with King Joash. He heard that Elisha was dying. The kingdom was surrounded by the Syrians and the Israelite army to small, so the king went to see Elisha. He wept over the dying prophet and pleaded for God’s help. How Marvelous and Great the Grace of God who promised the king victory. Certainly, the king did not deserve God’s help.
How Marvelous and Great the Grace of God
The weak and elderly prophet placed his hand upon the kings bow and instructed him to shoot the arrow. A symbol that God would be with the king to guide his arrows. Even then, the king only half-hearted in his trust, shot only three arrows instead of emptying his quiver as Elisha asked him to shoot his arrows into the ground. Symbolic of his very heart, the king only went part way—he held on to his own power, pride, and selfish desires. For that he could not know complete victory over the Syrians, only a momentary victory. His heart was revealed. Yet, despite all the sins and failures, God stepped forward with grace to save His people and to fulfill all that He had promised to Abraham.
the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast He them from His presence as yet. So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead. And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him and recovered the cities of Israel. (2 Kings 13:23-25)
Though Israel for their sin deserved God’s full wrath, He was gracious unto them. How Marvelous and Great the Grace of God. Also note, He gave King Joash the victory over Syria, three times according to the measure of the king’s faith-not complete victory.
Concluding Thoughts
What is the measure of your faith? Are you willing to surrender all to God, allowing Him to be Lord of every detail of your life? How Marvelous and Great the Grace of God that reached forth and even helped this king who “did evil in His sight”. For the sake of all of humanity, that a Savior might be born in Bethlehem. A Savior who being God Himself would willingly take upon His perfect righteous shoulders the sin of all, die upon the cross to be raised again victorious. How Marvelous and Great the Grace of God who calls forth today, “Come”. In Jesus Christ, we may have life eternal, although so undeserving of His Grace.
So, again I ask: Are you willing to die to self, lay aside all you think you are, to follow Him and make Him Lord of Your Life? If so, come and drink of the fountain of life, accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Lord.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to 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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Previous Posts in This Series on Elisha
What is the Good Pleasure of God’s Will?
God Will Complete the Good Pleasure of His Will
What is the Terror and Despair of Desiring Power?
Do You Know All Things Work Together for Good?
What if Desperation Leads to Life and Joy?
Moralizers so Blinded to God’s Truth and Their Guilt
Do You Really Know God as Omnipotent, Omniscient Lord?
Does God Really Care About the Little Stuff?
How Can Someone So Close Not Know God?
Can a Missed Opportunity Leave a Nation to Fall?
One Unlikely Believer and the Grace of God
Do You Trust God in the Famine?
Is Love Really Worth the Heartbreak?
Are you Really Seeking God in All You Do?
Do You Believe God is Your Provider?
What Can One God Fearing Man Do?
What Happens When We Fail to Teach Our Children?
How to Revive Barren Lands with Living Waters
Who will Carry the Torch for God Against Evil?
What if God’s Work Leaves You Alone and Depressed?
Can You See The Army of God Surrounding You?
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2018
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. 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.