Old Testament - 2 Kings 4-7 - July 8, 2022

 7/8/2022 – 2 Kings 4-7

These are wonderful chapters to read. Usually we read in the scriptures of a prophet and his main mission –that of teaching and testifying of the Savior. But these chapters record the miracles that Elisha performed as he served the people and learned of their problems that could not be solved without help from Heavenly Father, through His prophet. 

Elisha tells a widow who is being forced to give up her son in order to cover her debts, just what to do. She follows Elisha’s instructions to borrow every vessel she could find from her neighbors, and that made it possible to fill all these many vessels from her one pot of oil. She then sold all the oil and made enough money to pay her debt and keep her son.  It is as true now as it was then—that when we follow the Lord’s commandments we are blessed. Will we ever wish that we had followed His commandments more thoroughly, for we had not realized the rich blessing we received and now long for more of those blessings?

Another woman who had given Elisha a place to sleep, and when he left she told her husband that she could feel that he was “a holy man of God”. She worked with her husband to “make a little chamber” attached to their house. They put a bed, a table and a stool and a candlestick in there, hoping that at some time,  he would return and they could provide him with a more comfortable place to rest.  She felt that it was Elisha’s power that made it possible for her to have a son.  Then, as a young adult, the son died. The woman went to Elisha and he breathed life back into her son.

Elisha also heals a deadly pottage at Gilgal, and Elisha helped a community by multiplying the grain, and thus the bread they had been able to grow and to bake.

Elisha was the prophet who merely sent his servant to the important Naaman who was stricken with leprosy. At first Naaman refused to follow the instructions Elisha’s servant had given to him as he felt it beneath his dignity to dip himself in the dirty Jordan River seven times. It was Naaman’s young slave girl who saw Elisha as a true prophet, and convinced her master to follow Elisha’s directions. Naaman humbled himself, and he was healed.  

We need to remind ourselves often that it is true that out of small things, great things can come.

Then, in chapter 6, when Elisha’s servant sees that they are surrounded by horses, and chariots, and a great host of enemies—allowing no way to escape. But Elisha takes the time to teach his servant by praying at that very moment. First Elisha tells him to fear not “for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (v 16) And then Elisha prayed: “Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord open the eyes of the young man and he saw: and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (v 17)

The Lord’s help is powerful and plentiful, but not always evident to all to see. Just as the enemy army did not have eyes to see the help of the spiritual armies, I want to be able to see  and/or sense the Lord’s help that He offers to me. My prayer is for His help for me to be able to open my eyes, or to be able to sense His presence, and then to immediately give my thanks to Him---and then to write it down. For the memory of those spiritual gifts can fade. But my written words will always remind me of that power and protection and love that I had most certainly received.

In chapter 7 we can read of the powerful Syrian army who came to wipe out Israel, but terrified, and fled, because of the noise of what sounded like a terrible battle.

The king of Israel leaned on Elisha as he was recognized as the man of God. The king was worried, but Elisha admonished the king and promised that the king would “see it with thine eyes”….which the entire army also saw!

They had relied on the Lord, and the Lord answered their prayers in a way they had never imagined.