Elisha went to Damascus, the capital of Syria.  From this we might realize that Elisha’ ministry of teaching God’s truth extended beyond the borders of the Jewish nation.  Remember the miracle of saving Naaman from his leprosy.  Years before Elijah was told to ordain Hazael to become king of Syria, Jehu to be king of Israel, and Elisha to replace him as prophet.  Why?  Yet, Hazael at that time did not take the throne.  Later, desiring power, Hazael became the terror and the despair of Israel?  Why would God have ordained this when we find later all that Hazael did against Israel?

God commanded Elijah to arise, go to Damascus and anoint Hazael to be come king of Syria at a time when Israel had turned their back on God to worship Baal.  Idolatry and sin reigned throughout the land.  Elijah came to believe that he alone worshipped God and wondered why God did not just destroy them all.  A very sad moment in his ministry when it seemed nothing appeared to be going right and it seemed no one worshipped or cared.  All this terror and despair began with Jeroboam desiring power. He established idolatrous worship to increase political power over the people by precluding them from going to Jerusalem to worship God.  So afraid was he they might defect, he drew them away from all that was Godly.

Desiring Power

Unfortunately, we see much of the same in our society today where some desiring power feign moral reasons while denouncing all that is true and right.  Ignoring the truth of God, they build idols of “self-worship” at all cost to gain power.  We particularly see this on the far left; but unfortunately we see it in our “modern churches”. Desiring power, they willingly cast aside the truth of the gospel. No wonder our nation faces terror and despair.

God knew the evil heart of Hazael.  While desiring power and self-exaltation, he would terrorize the nation of Israel.  Yet, God anointed him long before, knowing all that he would do.  Go back and look at I Kings 19.  God had already determined that all who did not repent and turn to Him would have to face judgement, even if that meant God allowed that judgement to come through an evil pagan foreign king.  Were God not to punish Israel for their sins, soon none would remain to worship Him and the plan for salvation could never be fulfilled.  At the time God told Elijah that Hazael would be king, only 7000 Israelites had not bowed down to worship Baal.  For the sake of their future and for the sake of salvation to come, the rest would be destroyed.

So, God anointed Hazael as king, not condoning his evil treachery; but, rather allowing it that God might save the remnant who believed in Him as Lord and Savior.  While others desiring power, destroy the truth of the gospel, are there 7000 Christians today who will stand firm for God’s truth?

Terror and Despair

King Benhadad of Syria became ill and sought the counsel of Elisha.  After all, he had seen God’s work through the prophet, even his own defeats.  He desired to know if he would survive the illness.  So, he sent 40 camels loaded with their best produce.   Hazael went to Elisha bearing the gifts and asking if the King would recover. Elisha said, “he will recover from the illness; but I also see that he will die.”  Then as Elisha stood there with his eyes fixed upon Hazael, he saw “the evil that thou (Hazael) wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child” (2 Kings 8:12). For this Elisha wept bitterly.

After all his teaching and ministry, the vast majority of Israel had not repented.  Judgement must come, even if at the hands of this man who stood before him.  Hazael said, “who do you think I am some dog?”  But Elisha knew exactly who he was, one-man desiring power who denounced the truth of God.  Although Hazael believed in his own self righteousness and “moral character”, he failed to see the darkness of his own heart.  He returned to King Benhadad to tell him that he would survive the illness.  Then the next morning he seized his opportunity to kill the King and take over his throne.

Concluding Thoughts:

Woe to us, if we do not weep over this our nation and cry out for its repentance?  Should we not weep over every lost soul who does not know God?  There should be an urgency of spirit drawing us to reach out to others with the gospel message.  This life is but a second in time compared to eternity.  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Matthew 16:26).

Must we not weep, knowing that men and women choose to reject the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ.  They desiring power and self-exaltation refuse to accept Him as Lord and Master of their life; although, He offers them life eternal?

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior: 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:

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.

Credits

Photo by Matt 📸 on Unsplash

Did you know all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose?  Remember the Shunammite woman?  She had been a lady of prominence once who sought after God.  Desiring to hear from God, she provided lodging for his servant Elisha.  God miraculously gave her a son. When he later died, she ran to Elisha to be near to and to hear from God.  He restored her son’s life.  Then in 2 Kings 8, we find that before the famine came upon the land, God warned the Shunammite woman to depart and go to Philistine to stay for 7 years so as not to suffer the famine.  We pick up her story again as she returns from Philistine to reclaim her land.

Nothing is mentioned of her husband in this second part of her story.  She and her son alone approach the king; perhaps, suggesting she was now a widow.  Many say that this story must be out of sequence since Gehazi could not speak to the king after his being stricken with leprosy.  Yet, the word of God is true and right, dictated with perfection by God, Himself.  He may not always expand the story with every detail; because then the Bible would be too large carry.  Yet, remember Chapter 7, four lepers came to give the good news to the king of Israel that the Syrians had fled leaving behind all their possessions.  Because of that the famine crisis ended.    Could one of those lepers have been Gehazi?  The king would certainly want to hear more of Elisha’s miracles after witnessing this one!

Furthermore, how perfect the timing. The Shunammite woman returned immediately as the famine ended and exactly when Gehazi was speaking to the king!

All Things

Continue reading Do You Know All Things Work Together for Good? →

So, the famine within Samaria was devastating.  However, Elisha told Jehoram, king of Israel that God would provide a miracle and by morning there would be life and joy in the streets because of an abundance of supplies.  Yet, the king and the people of Israel with hardened hearts laughed at Elisha and did not believe God’s promise.  Their idolatry, lack of faith, and even disdain toward God lead them to this place of desperation.  Yet, God had reached out His hand of grace and promised hope, life and joy to these rebellious sinners.  He does that still today.  His hand reaches out with grace to every sinner.  His desire is to fill each heart with His Joy and to give life eternal to each wandering soul.  If only they would come to Him.

Even to those who know Him as Savior, He calls to us to live a life of Abiding, Steadfast Joy in His presence. Ah, the depth of desperation our souls face when we march through this world in our own strength.  Yet, always He is there ready to provide all that our heart truly needs for life and joy, if only we seek Him and trust Him.  Every moment of desperation that He allows to enter our life as believers is merely to draw us closer to His side.  Because He knows apart from Him there is no hope in this world to experience life and joy, He allows even to tragedies that we might learn to let go of all the counterfeit joys we cling to and come to the cross where His life and Joy abound.

Desperation

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So, it was in our last post, the king of Syria realized he was unable to beat God’s people and left them alone.  However, it wasn’t long until he decided to try again.  This time he surrounded Samaria, preventing any commerce and forcing the people into financial distress.  A famine ensued and the people cried out to the king of Israel for help.  One woman cried that she and another had killed and eaten her son to survive.  Then, the second woman refused to kill her son as promised so they could eat.  The king was rightfully horrified by this. Immorality, paganistic ritual filled the land and his people.  Morally outraged, he rent his clothes, put on sackcloth and called for Elisha’s death.  Typical of most Moralizers, the king was perhaps rightfully outraged; however, he was blinded to God’s truth and his own guilt.

The king of Israel failed to accept his guilt.  He had continued in encouraging pagan worship throughout the land.  In 2 Kings 3:2-3, we read of him. (Jehoram) wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.  Nevertheless, he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. He felt himself somewhat righteous because he had destroyed the temples of Baal; yet, he failed to turn to or yield to God.  On occasion, he made the right choice; but his heart was not open to God nor His commands.  Indeed, he blamed God and Elisha for the famine in Israel.  Not once did he consider God’s truth or that he, as well as the people were guilty, deserving punishment.

Moralizers so Blinded to God’s Truth and Their Guilt

Continue reading Moralizers so Blinded to God’s Truth and Their Guilt →

The king of Syria plotted to take over Israel.  Each time his secret war plans were thwarted. The king of Israel knew ahead of time what the king of Syria planned.  “Certainly, there must be a spy within our own ranks”, thought the king of Syria.  So, he called together all his men; but they told him that it was God’s prophet Elisha who revealed each war plan to the king of Israel.  Indeed, when the king of Syria questioned his captains, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” (2Kings 6:11).  They replied, “None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet which is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom” (2 Kings 6:12).  How could that be?    Because God is Omnipotent, Omniscient Lord over all!  Do You Really Know God as such?

There is no detail of your life or mine that God is not aware of.  David said, O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.  For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether (Psalm 139:1-4).  He knows my heart.  Every hidden crevice He sees. Furthermore, He knows every blundering word that might proceed from my lips before they are spoken; yet, He loved me, chose me to be His child and determined that He would use every circumstance of my life to transform me into the image of His Son.  Continuously He is about the work of perfecting me in love.  Did you ever think about that?

Omnipotent, Omniscient Lord

Continue reading Do You Really Know God as Omnipotent, Omniscient Lord? →