There is great purpose in the small things we are asked to do. (2 Kings 2-7)

2:24

I am losing my hair. I totally understand why Elisha did what he did. “And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.” People shouldn’t make fun of bald people...

It actually is likely about the people rejecting Elisha as a prophet. Elijah was considered ‘hairy.’ The youths were comparing and deriding Elisha for his lack of hair. It indicates that Elisha wasn’t being respected as Elijah’s successor and the Lord wanted to make a point. Many scholars believe that these weren’t small children but young adults.

3:3

Jehoram “cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam.” What does it mean to cleave to a sin? Do we get that attached to sin? Probably some sins. We all have our sins that are comfortable for us. Perhaps mine is my temper when I’m driving behind someone who doesn’t know the left lane is the passing lane. Or, it’s that I have a hard time skipping an amazing movie because it also has something inappropriate.

Whatever the sin might be, we can’t cleave to it. Our ability to give up sins should happen here in this life. I believe there are way more temptations and opportunities to sin here. This creates an amazing arena to hone our ability to cleave to righteousness and avoid/give up sin.

3:18

Elisha was giving some specific direction to the people. He was asking that they dig ditches and they would miraculously fill with water.

Two things:

1. We should be obedient even if it doesn’t make sense. How could digging ditches benefit them in any way? Turns out, ditches full of water was key in luring the Moabites to fight. “And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood: And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.” Who would have thought ditches would make the difference? God’s ways are not our ways and we aren’t in a position to question requests.

2. To create water out of nothing isn’t a big deal for the Lord. Elisha said, ”And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord.” Things that are impossible or make have no logical explanation are easy for the Lord.

It’s about faith. We must have faith that God is smart and is all-powerful.

3:27

Often, when under duress, our true nature appears. When I was doing a lot of interviewing, I would attempt to do something that would push the applicant out of their comfort zone so I could see their true personality. It was very effective. A little stress can get someone to forget that they are in an interview!

In this case, the king of Moab did something to save himself. “Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall.” Yikes. Clearly, this king’s priorities were focused solely on himself!

If you want to see someone’s true self, watch them in a stressful situation.

4:3-4

When God blesses us through a miracle, he often asks us to do what we can. In the case of the widow, Elisa says, “Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.” The woman couldn’t create oil from the air - but she could gather empty vessels. She had to do her part.

If God is working to help us receive eternal life, development is certainly part of that. For us to inherit what he has, we need to be ready. Much of that readiness comes from experience and making good choices. So, God does as little as possible - only those things that we can’t do ourselves. We grow faster in this way.

4:9

A ‘great woman’ recognized Elisha as holy. “And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.” Women are generally more spiritually sensitive - especially in seeing strength and potential in others. Husbands should listen to their wives in this.

4:16

Elisha prophesies that this woman will have a child even though her husband is old. She doesn’t believe him. “And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.”

We MUST get past this thought that God isn’t vastly superior to us. Because something seems impossible to us doesn’t make it impossible to the Lord. We don’t have to figure out how God does what he does. We simply need to believe that he can. It is that humble faith that allows us to keep taking steps into the dark.

4:26

Elisha recognized the woman from afar. He directs his servant: “Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.” Elisha is genuinely curious.

It’s good to be curious. Being curious goes hand-in-hand with caring. I always notice when someone is asking sincere questions about me. I think it’s part of charity.

By the way, her response wasn’t nearly accurate. She simply said, “it is well.” Her miracle son had just died. I think this is how many of us respond when asked how we are - regardless of how we are.

As humans, we need to be curious enough that we can ask additional, sincere questions to get to their reality. When someone says, ‘I’m fine,’ we should sometimes ask more specific questions to get a real picture of how they are. (When directed by the Spirit)

5:5, 10-13

Naaman seems high maintenance. “And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.” This is a good indicator of what he thought of himself.

So, when Elisha sent his messenger to give directions, he was offended. “And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.”

Naaman wanted to be healed - but in his way - in a way that made sense to him - in a way that matched his station. He wanted a convenient, exclusive healing.

Pride is such a destructive thing. It almost prevents Naaman from being healed!

In addition, he was trying to outthink Elisha. “Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.” Not good. He’s being critical of the prophet‘s choice in rivers.

Mark my words, there is going to be more of this type of thinking in the church in the next couple of decades. The church members are going to attempt to outthink the prophet. They will compare what they’re directed to do with what makes sense to them. If it doesn’t make sense, they’ll be offended and walk away.

We must decide RIGHT NOW that we’re not going to do this. If we wait until we’re in the situation where we don’t agree or see the logic, we’re more vulnerable to apostasy.

Thankfully for Naaman, he’s got some wise and brave servants. “And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?” This is also true for us. If we have faith to do the little things that the prophet directs us to do, how much more blessed will we be?

5:27

Gehazi attempts to shake down Naaman. He makes up a story to get some money from him and then attempts to cover it up.

Elisha knows the truth and curses him with leprosy. This is hard for Gehazi but, I think, likely saved his soul. If Gehazi would have gotten away with it and kept this secret - how much would that have cankered his soul? He might have attempted it with others that Elisha healed.

Instead, he became a leper. This likely made him humble and forced him to deal with what he had done. He couldn’t remain in his high station as the prophet’s servant.

When you can hide your sins and maintain your position, it’s one of the most damning things that can happen to you. The hypocrisy prevents you from progressing. Elisha did Gehazi a favor.

6:15-17

Elisha’s next servant is afraid that the Syrians were going to kill them. They had surrounded their city with horses and chariots. “And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”

What if we could see the angels that were protecting us? How much confidence would that give us? How would our faith increase?

I understand that the veil is necessary to help us develop. But, I wish we could get a glimpse of what is actually happening every now and then…

6:21-23

I think it’s interesting how Elisha wanted the Syrians treated. “And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.” Why did he do this?

I think that, usually, being kind to those who abuse us is more influential than if we exact revenge. The natural man always wants revenge. But, if we can have the spiritual strength to give our cloak when someone takes our coat, it may change the heart of the person we’re blessing. It puts us in a position to uplift rather than fanning the fire of contention.

How many feuds would end with this approach? How many relationships would be healed? How many offended hearts would be comforted? It’s an amazing thought.

7:1-2, 6

”Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.” This is another example of how we just have to have faith. Nothing is impossible with the Lord. We humans need to stop giving ourselves so much credit. What constraints we imagine don’t apply to God.

In this case, “…the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots.” These imagined noises changed the entire situation in Samaria. I’m sure this person never imagined that this simple thing would open the “windows in heaven.”

How many hidden, impossible solutions exist in our own lives? What do we consider impossible that is “easy” for the Lord.