In today's section we read about:
More miracles performed through/by Elisha, including the healing of Naaman
Ben-Hadad besieges Israel, but is thrown into panic by God
Jehu becomes king of Israel, kills Jezebel and all of Ahab's house
Good kings in Judah - Joash, Amaziah and Uzziah
Some things that struck me today:
Similarities between 4:43-44 and the feeding of the 5000 (Matt 14:15-21, Mk 6:30-43; Lk 9:12-17;Jn 6:5-13) and the feeding of the 4000 (Matt 15:32-38; Mk 8:1-9).
Naaman acknowledges the uniqueness of God (5:15), but he originally was contemptuous, because he wanted lightning and thunder, and was not willing to look for God is the mundane things of everyday life. We are not really at all that different. I like the comment of his servant in v 13, "the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” Naaman obeys his servant, another reversal of the established order to reveal the sovereignty and glory of God.
If only we could see the reality of the world as Elisha does in 6:16 - "there are more on our side than on theirs".
6:23 reminded me of Rom 12:20, which recalls Prov 25:21-22 to feed our enemies, for in doing so we are pouring burning coals on their head.
8:10 - Elisha weeps when God shows him what Hazael will do to Israel. He had God's heart in this.
In ch 9, Jehu is clearly anointed for God's purposes, and because he carries out the instruction to destroy Ahab's family, he receives the promise that his line will sit on the throne for 4 generations (10:30). Yet in spite of this promise, he does not serve God with all his heart.
Ch 11 is heartening - even if the darkest situation, God keeps someone to carry out his plan. Here it is the dead king's sister, who hides the young Joash, and the priest Jehoiada who keeps him in the temple. His inauguration in 11:12 is a really good start, not least because Jehoiada gives him a copy of the Law, in accordance with Deut 17:18.
11:17-18 - the covenant is renewed and the people go out and destroy the temple of Baal, even if they don't use it as a public toilet as Jehu did in Samaria (10:27)
In ch 12, Joash orders the temple to be repaired, yet there is an inordinate delay in doing this (v7). When work gets underway, v15 is amazing - "No accounting of this money was required from the construction supervisors, because they were honest and trustworthy men."
13:4, 14:26-27 - in spite of the persistent idolatry in Israel, God still hears their prayers and gives them respite
13:21 - !!!!??!!!?!?!??!?!!?!!!
15:16 seems to fulfil 8:12
4 comments:
What a bloodthirsty day we are having! What are all those kings playing at? And why are all the people so obsessed with the idols and the asherah poles - are their prayers being answered by them? Do they not have any qualms about sacrificing their own children? Even Jehu who did all the killing he was supposed to do and surely felt the benefits of doing what God told him then didn't follow through 10 v28
And my heart just sinks when you hear about Gehazi trying to take stuff from Naaman - don't do it man - you work for a prophet for goodness sake!!!
Big question: Chapt 14 v 6 Yet he did not put the sons of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the Lord commanded: Fathers shall not be put to death for their children nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sins. - what happened to the sins of the fathers???
And finally: which OT character that we have met so far would you most like to have dinner with? I'll give my favourite tomorrow...
Jane - there are so many:
Enouch and Melchizedek - to found out about him
Abraham - to ask how he just knew that God would come through for him, particualrly with Isaac
Joseph - to ask how he maintained his integrity and faith in such an adverse environment, and even more so when he was in a position of such great power
Caleb - what an example of perseverance
Samson - to ask how he could be so stupid
Jonathan
Elisha seems a bit too scary for me
Josiah and Hezekiah are pretty special too
But there are loads and loads. Which David do you want to talk to - David up to 2 Sam 10, or David from 2 Sam 11 onwards?
Should be Enoch, not Enouch
I want the middle-aged David - the one after God's own heart, who sings and dances and fights and is handsome and irresistable to women and who has a highly-developed feminine side, is sensitive and not afraid to cry in public.
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