July 2: 2 Kings 1-4

July 2, 2 Kings 1-4

2 Kings 1 Ahaziah, Ahab’s Baal worshipping son, fell through the lattice in his room and was injured. He sent one of his messengers to go inquire of Baal if he was going to get better or not. On they way, they run into Elijah who prophecies that because there is no God in Israel, Ahaziah will die in his bed. They returned without Elijah and told the story. So, King Ahaziah sends 50 soldiers to retrieve Elijah (should be more than enough soldiers to retrieve 1 guy…). The soldiers went to him and told Elijah to come down from the mountain and fire came down from heaven and consumed the 50 men. This same thing happened to another 50 men. Then, another 50 were sent and when they arrived they fell on their knees and asked Elijah would spare their lives. Fire came down from heaven and killed the 2 captains of the previous 100 men. God told Elijah to go to Ahaziah and to not be afraid. He gave the same message to Ahaziah that his servants did, because there is no God in Israel, you will die in your bed. He died according to the Word of the Lord. 

2 Kings 2 This is an historic chapter as well! The chapter starts out this way… “Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind…” What a great introduction:) Three times, Elijah tells Elisha to not follow him, and Elisha refused. There were some prophets around as well that knew that Elijah would be taken away, and Elisha wanted them to remain quiet (seems weird talking about somebody dying/leaving while they are still alive). Elijah and Elisha get to the river Jordan, and Elijah rolled up his cloak and struck the river, and it became dry ground (sound familiar? Moses, Joshua…). They crossed it and Elijah asked Elisha if he wanted anything from him. Elisha requested a double portion of the Spirit of God. Side note - Elisha had abandoned everything to follow the Lord, including his inheritance from his family - so this is what he is requesting for his inheritance. “And he (Elijah) said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.”  And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.” Pretty spectacular site it must have been! Now, the prophets that had been around saw this and they knew he was just taken, but did not fully understand what had just happened, so they went and looked for 3 days to see if God had sent him somewhere else. Again, didn't quite fully get it. This was the passing of the anointing and Elisha was now prepared to serve as the Prophet for this time period.
Then the men of the city came to Elisha because there was bad water and the people and crops were failing, so Elisha, through the power of God, throws some salt in the water and ‘healed’ it.

Ready for this one? Elisha is walking and “some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.” Ok. Israel had little use for God or reverence for Him, and it is revealed in these kids treating a Prophet with such disrespect. 

2 Kings 3 Jehoshaphat is King of Judah, and now Jehoram is King of Israel. Jehoram is from Ahab and did evil in the sight of the Lord like his parents - the only good thing he did was put away the pillar of Baal that Ahab made. 

Then we learn about Mesha, King of Moab. He was delivering a bunch of animals to the King of Israel, but when Ahab died, Mesha rebelled (not having to deliver the goods…).  The battle stage was getting set…

King Jehoram (Israel) went to King Jehoshaphat (Judah) to work together on fighting Mesha (Moab). Like Jehoshaphat did before, agreed to help, instead this time, he does not immediately seek God’s will. When they are debating on what to do, the light bulb goes on and Jehoshaphat asked if there were any prophets around. Elisha. There was also no water in the land for the people or animals.

Elisha said to the King of Israel and said, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother… As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you… Thus says the Lord, ‘I will make this dry streambed full of pools.’ 17 For thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals… He will also give the Moabites into your hand…” Because of Jehoshaphat, Elisha gave a Word from the Lord. There will be water and they will win the Moabites. And it was so. Just as God said. No surprise! 

Facing defeat from Israel, Mesha (Edom King) offered his son as a sacrifice. Disgusting, yes - but he believed that he was making an offering to his gods… Ugh. 

2 Kings 4 is full of more miracles of Elisha (through God of course).

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil.

One of the prophets died, and the wife was now a widow with two sons who were about to be taken away because they were in debt. What were here assets? A little bit of oil in a jar at home. Elisha told her to go to the neighbors and collect as many jars as possible and begin filling them. She filled every jar that she could find (miracle) and Elisha told her to sell the oil, pay off her debts and live on the rest - keeping her family and being able to provide for them!

Elisha and the Shunammite Woman.

Elisha was passing through a town and a wealthy woman lived there who urged him to eat some food with them. Every time he passed through there, he would stop and eat with them. She told her husband to build him a room, so that when he passes through, this man of God can stay with them. Next time Elisha passed through, he stayed with them. To thank them, he asked what he could do for them. Money was not an issue, as they were wealthy. She did not request anything. Elisha learned that she wanted a son, so he told her that this time next year she would have a boy. And it was so!

Elisha raises the Shunammite Woman’s Son

The boy had grown up and became ill and died. She went to go get Elisha and was deeply troubled. The Lord did not reveal to Elisha what happened yet. Elisha sent his servant to go and put his staff on the boy to heal him, but it failed. Elisha himself went and we get to watch God’s restorative power. In a slow progression, the Lord heals the boy and he is well again, raised from the dead!

Elisha purifies the Deadly Stew

Elisha came to Gilgal, where there was a famine. From Elisha’s request to make a stew, they began to boil some gourds and herbs and a wild vine. They were all getting ill when eating it, so Elisha threw some flour in there and the food was good for them to eat!

Elisha feeds the multitudes.

A man came to bring Elisha some bread, of his first fruits (an offering to the Lord to His servant). 20 loaves of bread. Elisha instructed him to give it to the men to eat. But there was 100 men there, not enough to feed all of them. “So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.” Another miracle!

To sum it all up:

• Don’t trust in medicine or anything else for direction and healing. Medicine is fine, but God is the one behind it all and your trust needs to rely on him. I heard a pastor one time that did not understand this. The text he used was out of James 5, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”  His advice, go to the Doctors. Sadly, this is what our culture does when they are sick, instead of first going to God to be healed or to get information. Not much different than what Ahaziah did. As believers, we are called to ask God for direction and healing FIRST and LAST. 
• Have respect for God and the men and women that He is using to proclaim his wonders. 
• Do you believe that God still does miracles? Do you have enough faith to believe that nothing is too hard or big for the Lord, the Creator? Believe in Him!