Short Reflection from 2 Kings 1-12

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (BRW) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[2:34 pm, 07/05/2022] S.R: 𝟚 𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾𝕊 𝟙:𝟙𝟞

"Then he said to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron--is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?--therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'’"

God wants His people to trust Him and no one else, or else, it's consequential. Let the sinners do whatever they want, but let the people of God fear and tremble before Him!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟚:𝟙𝟜

"He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, ‘Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?’ And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over."

Elisha didn't trust in his religiosity, but he didn't doubt Elijah's religiosity. And it happened that he could perform miracles.

There are many Elishas who are afraid, doubtful, or confused, we need an Elijah figure to assure them by our doctrine and conduct!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟛:𝟙𝟜

"Elisha said, ‘As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you.’"

Not all leaders are worthy of our attention. May we be like Jehoshaphat among Jehorams!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟜:𝟛𝟘

"The mother of the lad said, ‘As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ And he arose and followed her."

An importunate woman! May my prayer be like that!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟝:𝟙𝟛

"Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, ‘My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?’"

A clear voice of reason in the midst of emotional rage! But from a lowly servant, but a loving servant. Notice how he addressed "My father."

We need people like this in our lives!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟞:𝟙𝟡

"Then Elisha said to them, 'This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.' And he brought them to Samaria."

Would you accuse Elisha of telling a lie? When I play a game of chess, I pretend to plan an attack on one particular pawn, when actually my goal is to checkmate the king surprisingly! And that's me being smart not deceitful!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟟:𝟞

"For the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, even the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, ‘Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.’"

Interesting, how God used the sin pattern of the Israelites to deliver them. Israel is not supposed to take help from Egypt. They often did, and this time God used the rumor of sin.

Sin is not that bad at all in the wisdom of God.

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟠:𝟙-𝟚

"Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, ‘Arise and go with your household, and sojourn wherever you can sojourn; for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will even come on the land for seven years.’ So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God, and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years."

Hmmm! It's not right to leave the promised land and dwell in the lands of the heathens. Yet, there are exceptions. Even Jesus had to go to Egypt and came back to die in Jerusalem. God is amazing!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟡:𝟙𝟝-𝟙𝟞

"but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said, ‘If this is your mind, then let no one escape or leave the city to go tell it in Jezreel.’ Then Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram was lying there. Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram."

Jehu was unlike Gideon, Joshua, or Saul. He was brave, energetic, and wise. He killed 2 Kings of two countries in a day and the queen Jezebel too.

Wrong or right, if you have got to do it, do it quickly. Jesus said the same to Judas Iscariot.

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟘

"Know then that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the LORD has done what He spoke through His servant Elijah."

Jehu killed two kings of two countries and the queen in a day. He also killed all 70 princes in a day. He also killed 42 Royal relatives in a day.

This guy was so effective because he believed he was chosen by God. Even Genghis Khan believed he was chosen by God to punish other nations.

Don't believe in yourself but if you believe God has chosen you to do something, there's nothing much you cannot accomplish.

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟙:𝟙

"When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring."

I fear a cruel woman more than a cruel man!

 

𝟚 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝟙𝟚:𝟟-𝟠

"Then King Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and for the other priests and said to them, ‘Why do you not repair the damages of the house? Now therefore take no more money from your acquaintances, but pay it for the damages of the house.’ So the priests agreed that they would take no more money from the people, nor repair the damages of the house."

Interesting account between the king and the priests regarding money.

The king did try to help repair the temple but not from his pocket or his government, but to be raised by the temple.

There's no evidence that the priests were corrupt, unwise, or lazy. Maybe the money wasn't sufficient. Maybe the repair of the temple wasn't urgent.

But the king being ambitious or zealous found another way to solve the issue.