II Kings 8:1-15
“Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.
And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.” (II Kings 8:1-3)
Throughout the reigns of Ahab, Ahaziah, and Jehoram, God had sent periods of famine because of their refusal to keep Israel’s contract with God, just as he had promised to do. Repeatedly, he had demonstrated his power to take away the famine if they would, as exemplified in the destruction of the prophets of Baal in Ahab’s day, or the flight of the Syrians in the previous passage. Even when they recognized that God had saved them, Israel didn’t change, and there was only a temporary respite.
In much the same way over the last hundred years, the United States has faced crisis after crisis, and after a period, when God has demonstrated his power to resolve it, we have gone back to the same or even worse wickedness. We can only expect things to get worse until we make a concerted effort to change.
The Shunammite woman of II Kings 4 wanted to serve God. When God decided to really apply pressure to Israel, he had Elisha warn her to leave Israel so she could avoid most of the suffering the rest of the nation would suffer for the next seven years. She and her family moved southwest to the Philistine lands, although the drought didn’t greatly affect most of Judah either.
After seven years, she returned to Israel and went to the king to reclaim their family land, as under the Law, the land was always to belong to the family.
“And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land.
And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.
And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.” (II Kings 8:4-6)
Jehoram was a wicked king, but he was still interested in what God had done with Elisha. He was listening to Elisha’s servant Gehazi describe what he had seen when the Shunammite woman came in seeking help in reclaiming the land. Gehazi recognized her and introduced her to Jehoram. She confirmed Gehazi’s story and the king ordered that she be given back her land, and that she be repaid for what others had gotten from her land while she was gone.
“And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.
And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?” (II Kings 8:7-8)
Abraham was originally a Syrian, and although it was nearly nine hundred years later, their languages were still enough alike they could communicate fairly well, and Syria still had respect for God, although they didn’t worship him. The King of Syria was sick, and when he heard that Elisha was there, he sent one of his officials, Hazael, to find out whether God said he would recover or not. It is troubling when those who make no pretense of serving God value his opinion more than those who claim to believe.
“So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath showed me that he shall surely die. And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.” (II Kings 8:9-11)
When Hazael asked him whether Benhadad would recover, Elisha told him t
o say he would, but that he knew it wasn’t true, and that he would die. Elisha then broke down crying.
“And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord?
And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou 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.
And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?
And Elisha answered, The LORD hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.” (II Kings 8:12-13)
Hazael couldn’t figure out why Elisha was crying. When Elisha described what Hazael would do to Israel, He was offended that he suspected such behavior of him. Elisha declared that he knew Hazael was to be the next king of Syria. Elijah had been commanded to anoint him king when God spoke to him on Mount Carmel in I Kings 19:15, about twenty years before. While Hazael had kind of given up on it, God had not.
“So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee?
And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.” (II Kings 8:14-15)
Benhadad had asked if he would recover of the disease, and he would have. However, Hazael saw it as an opportunity to seize the throne, and used a thick cloth soaked in water to suffocate him so it would appear he died naturally. Hazael then assumed the throne.
While it seems harsh that God would allow Hazael to become king, knowing what he would do to Israel, we need to realize God also knew Israel would not turn from their sin, and was placing him in a position to punish them for it. Instead of blaming God for what happens, we need to find out why he allowed it. Most problems we face are a direct result of our own actions. We need to understand God is still in control whether to protect us like he did the Shunammite woman or to judge us like he did Israel..
“Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.
And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.” (II Kings 8:1-3)
Throughout the reigns of Ahab, Ahaziah, and Jehoram, God had sent periods of famine because of their refusal to keep Israel’s contract with God, just as he had promised to do. Repeatedly, he had demonstrated his power to take away the famine if they would, as exemplified in the destruction of the prophets of Baal in Ahab’s day, or the flight of the Syrians in the previous passage. Even when they recognized that God had saved them, Israel didn’t change, and there was only a temporary respite.
In much the same way over the last hundred years, the United States has faced crisis after crisis, and after a period, when God has demonstrated his power to resolve it, we have gone back to the same or even worse wickedness. We can only expect things to get worse until we make a concerted effort to change.
The Shunammite woman of II Kings 4 wanted to serve God. When God decided to really apply pressure to Israel, he had Elisha warn her to leave Israel so she could avoid most of the suffering the rest of the nation would suffer for the next seven years. She and her family moved southwest to the Philistine lands, although the drought didn’t greatly affect most of Judah either.
After seven years, she returned to Israel and went to the king to reclaim their family land, as under the Law, the land was always to belong to the family.
“And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land.
And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.
And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.” (II Kings 8:4-6)
Jehoram was a wicked king, but he was still interested in what God had done with Elisha. He was listening to Elisha’s servant Gehazi describe what he had seen when the Shunammite woman came in seeking help in reclaiming the land. Gehazi recognized her and introduced her to Jehoram. She confirmed Gehazi’s story and the king ordered that she be given back her land, and that she be repaid for what others had gotten from her land while she was gone.
“And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.
And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?” (II Kings 8:7-8)
Abraham was originally a Syrian, and although it was nearly nine hundred years later, their languages were still enough alike they could communicate fairly well, and Syria still had respect for God, although they didn’t worship him. The King of Syria was sick, and when he heard that Elisha was there, he sent one of his officials, Hazael, to find out whether God said he would recover or not. It is troubling when those who make no pretense of serving God value his opinion more than those who claim to believe.
“So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath showed me that he shall surely die. And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.” (II Kings 8:9-11)
When Hazael asked him whether Benhadad would recover, Elisha told him t
o say he would, but that he knew it wasn’t true, and that he would die. Elisha then broke down crying.
“And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord?
And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou 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.
And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?
And Elisha answered, The LORD hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.” (II Kings 8:12-13)
Hazael couldn’t figure out why Elisha was crying. When Elisha described what Hazael would do to Israel, He was offended that he suspected such behavior of him. Elisha declared that he knew Hazael was to be the next king of Syria. Elijah had been commanded to anoint him king when God spoke to him on Mount Carmel in I Kings 19:15, about twenty years before. While Hazael had kind of given up on it, God had not.
“So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee?
And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.” (II Kings 8:14-15)
Benhadad had asked if he would recover of the disease, and he would have. However, Hazael saw it as an opportunity to seize the throne, and used a thick cloth soaked in water to suffocate him so it would appear he died naturally. Hazael then assumed the throne.
While it seems harsh that God would allow Hazael to become king, knowing what he would do to Israel, we need to realize God also knew Israel would not turn from their sin, and was placing him in a position to punish them for it. Instead of blaming God for what happens, we need to find out why he allowed it. Most problems we face are a direct result of our own actions. We need to understand God is still in control whether to protect us like he did the Shunammite woman or to judge us like he did Israel..
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