2nd Kings chapter 6
The prophets gather together to build a meeting place and the iron axe head flew off into the Jordan River. Elisha took a stick and threw it in the water and the axe head floated to the top and was retrieved.
Arameans go to Elisha's house to cut off his head because he keeps revealing their secrets. When they came and surrounded his place they don't realize in the spirit world there were many more of God's army than the Aramean army. God caused the Arameans to be blind and Elisha led them to the Israelites. The king of Israel wanted to kill them all but instead they fed them a feast. They returned to their king and they quit trying to raid Israel.
A famine came to the Israelites and the king of Israel blames Eliha and therefore wants to kill him.
Regarding the axe head account, I am reminded again how we must take everything to God in prayer first. I have been struggling with Acid Reflux for days and have been very sick from it…very sick. Yesterday I told God I will let Him work how He wants to. Afterwards I tried some medicine from the “over the counter” at Wal-mart. By the end of the day I was totally better. Something I had been struggling with for days was all healed…Praise the Lord!
Regarding the account of the Arameans being fed a feast vs. being killed, I am reminded of how we are to do good to those who hate us and pray for them.
Proverbs 25:21-23
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. 22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
God is big enough to handle whatever comes our way or situation that we may be in. He can also help us with the “smaller things” in life as well. He cares about us. I was thinking about what a big miracle it was that God did when He parted the Red Sea to rescue all the Israelites and now in this chapter we see how He helped someone to simply recover an axe head by making it float. There is no limit to what God is able to do! The only thing that He won’t do is ever sin because He is holy.
I know how bad I would feel if I borrowed something and ended up breaking it or losing it. I would want to replace it if it was something that could be replaced so I empathize with this one in this chapter who borrowed the axe. It’s good to know that we can cast all of our cares on the Lord, but I want to be careful to never treat Him like a “genie” in a bottle.
It was sad to read about the desperation and devastating effects of famine and to think about how this is a problem that still exists in our world today. It made me think of a song by Matthew West called Do Something.
This chapter also reminded me of what we read in 1 Peter 5:6-11.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Blair and Jim I took a lot away from both of your posts. One thing that stood out to me in this chapter is when the king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”
It reminded me of how in our lives when their is great suffering, we may turn away from the Lord instead of turning towards Him. Or maybe we aren’t doing this, but family or friends turn away and we find ourselves trying to guide them back to their faith, or praying that they come back to God.
It is easy in times of great despair and suffering to blame God like the king did and to not have patience to see the blessings on the other side of what has happened to us. But we cannot find true peace, healing, and hope for our future until we put our whole trust in the Lord and His timing, not our own.