April 12 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 102

Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion of his spirit.  In today's reading, we're seeing how some of that is played out in Elisha's role as prophet.

DAILY READINGS

2 Kings 4-7 & Psalm 102

DAILY NOTES

2 Kings 4:1-7

• It's been said this was Obadiah's wife.  It doesn't if the husband had just died or not, but how long would a creditor have waited to collect?
• Elisha doesn't tell the woman to pour oil, but it is understood.  We aren't told she is pouring oil; only that she is pouring.  It isn't until she's done that we're told "the oil stopped flowing."  The miracle is that the oil is multiplied; she will still have to do the work of selling.

2 Kings 4:8-37

• The next part of the chapter centers on Elisha raising a child from death.  The child was born to a woman who had helped Elisha--she made sure he had a parsonage (What a great Methodist!).  Since we're told her husband was old, does that mean she was younger?  Because of how the story plays out when the boy (after he's grown up some) gets ill (sunstroke?), we know the son is from the woman's husband.  Hey, it's the Bible--you have to make sure😃
• Why hadn't God told Elisha what happened to the boy?  By the way, this would make a great Mother's Day sermon.  This mother wasn't going anywhere until the prophet went to make her son well.  
• Whatever Elisha is doing to resuscitate the boy, apparently, it is exhausting.

2 Kings 4:38-44

• Two more stories that demonstrate Elisha's power.

2 Kings 5

• Naamon is presented as a "great man and in high favor with his master."  That plays out in the story in two ways.  First, that's the only reason the king would have responded to his request in such a lavish way.  Second, that's the reason he gets upset when Elisha won't even come out to greet him.
• Notice how Naaman was influenced by the servant girl.  That happens several times: more powerful people take the advice of those without such authority.  #Sermon
• After Naaman is healed, he wants to take back some dirt from that place.  The idea is that he would use it to make an altar back home since, apparently, this land is holier than his.
• And by the way, prophet of God, I'm not going to sacrifice to any god except God.  Just forgive me when I help my boss with his worship.

2 Kings 6

• One of the prophets, while the group of prophets are building a bigger place for themselves, loses an ax head in the water.  What makes that such an incident is that the ax was borrowed.  Elisha is able to recover it.  
• Elisha also keeps the Aramean army at bay.  Notice that he does so with a bit of mercy.  After making them blind (or praying that they would be), Elisha uses their blindness to lead them to another place where they will feast.  The blindness may also be a sense of confusion.
• The final incident of the chapter sets up what happens in the next chapter.  The King Ben-hadad looses his son and blames Elisha.  Why would he make such a deal with the woman?  Who was she to make such a request?  Is it because he asked her, "What is your complaint?"
• The king wants Elisha to die because he blames the famine and the death of his son on God.  

2 Kings 7

• The four leprous men were, in a way, used by God.  Was one of the men Gehazi?  He was the last person mentioned with leprosy (5:27).  

Psalm 102

• The psalmist is in desperate need.  Listen to what he says, "I wither away like grass."  Even so, he seeks help from God, knowing it is the Lord that has established the world.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

"Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture."

I don't know who said that, or if that's the exact quote.  But that's how I remember it.  That's what came to mind when I read about Gehazi going back to Naaman to collect some loot.  Gehazi thought Elisha (maybe even himself) deserved the money and clothes.  Why not?  He had done a good thing.

But Gehazi knows, and we can figure it out as well, that this is more about his greed.  That's partly why he hides it when he returns.  But Elisha is able to sense what Gehazi has done.

Here's his question to the servant, "Is this a time to accept money and to accept clothing, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves?"

Gehazi only got some silver and two changes of clothes.  Where did Elisha come up with those other items?  Had someone offered them to him before at other times?  My impression is that there would have been a time to accept such gifts, but now was not that time.  Elisha had a bigger picture of what was happening around him and throughout the nation.  Consequently, he could see things Gehazi could not.

That's a great lesson to take for life and for ministry.  There are times we have to change what we do because of the bigger picture God has given us.  It doesn't mean that what we've done is wrong or that we won't have some other chance to do it again.  But here's the question we can learn to ask: Is this a time to......  Because if it's not a time to and we're still doing it, what do we expect will happen?

Stay blessed...john