2nd Kings 8 FAITHFUL IN TROUBLED TIMES The Near and Middle East has always been a hotbed of confusion and bloodshed in the tribes and nations in that area. How wonderful it is of God to choose one of the most difficult areas of the world to unfold His truth and His grace to mankind. Against the backdrop of idolatry, departure from God on the part of His people, and on-going conflict among nations, we are given examples of faith and individual consistency in such a place. One of those was a "great" woman of Shunem who opened her home and provided a place for Elisha, the servant of God.
The prophet knew ahead of time that famine was coming on Israel from the hand of God as a covenant curse on them because of national sin. He was concerned for this family who had shown hospitality and kindness to him. Those who serve the Lord have both public and personal responsibilities to the Lord's people. it was known throughout the nations of the Middle East that Elisha was a prophet of God. How touching it is that such a famous person would make sure those who cared for him were cared for during times of national calamity. A famine of seven years is a long time to struggle to survive.
Perhaps someone had claimed her property while she and her family were away, or the king may have taken the land himself because no one had been there during the famine. Whoever was king at the time of this event, must have been a new king who was not aware of the miracles done by the Lord through the prophet Elisha, and it must have been before Gehazi was stricken with leprosy when Naaman came from Syria. As Gehazi was recounting the incident of Elisha raising a boy from the dead, the Shunemite woman came asking for her land back.
God's timing of things, whether it be arranging events or bringing blessings or judgments, is always a remarkable thing. When a need arises, He is there. When we are not sure what to do next, He opens just the right door. When there seems to be no solution to a problem, He is able to use that very thing to fulfill His will. When we come to the place where every door around us seems closed tight, if we "wait upon the Lord," our strength is renewed, and we find instead of an open door, He gives us wings of faith to "mount up with wings as eagles" in order to go above the obstacles. Then we can "run and not be weary, and walk and not faint."
We also learn that God does not limit Himself to working only with His people. All nations and kings of the world are under His sovereign control. The Syrian king was told he would recover from his illness, but that he would die. That was not a contradiction because even though his illness was not terminal, his own servant Hazael murdered him and usurped the throne of Syria. The weeping prophet could see ahead how the Lord would use this heartless man to judge His people for their sinfulness. As much as it saddens us to know there are serious consequences for sin, we realize that God is just and righteous in all He does. Sin left unjudged leads to an increasingly wicked people.
Whether Jehoshaphat knew the kind of woman he chose for his son to marry is unknown. But he should have known the kind of person a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel would be. Parents need to seek to help their children make the right choices in the important things of life. The person our offspring marries will bring the influences of their upbringing with them into the marriage. We can expect our son or daughter to be influenced for good or bad by their spouse. Athaliah was an evil influence on Joram the son of Jehoshaphat and the evil influence she brought to the marriage affected the nation of Judah. That marriage may have been politically advantageous but it was spiritually deadly.
It was during that time that the descendants of Esau, the Edomites, turned against the Jews of Judah. Jehoram of Judah began as a co-regent with Jehoshaphat his father. When he was on his own in leadership, and under the evil influence of his wife, he took the people of God farther away from the Lord. Yet the Lord spared them because of His respect for the sake of their forefather, David. We may not realize it at the time, but much of what preserves us from the consequences of evil, is the influence of our heritage. To despise one's heritage is to invite personal judgment to fall on us. God has respect unto our forbearers and allows us to survive and prosper at times because of their faithfulness to Him, and the on-going influence of a good name and trustworthy family reputation.
When Ahaziah led the people of Judah after Joram of Judah died, he joined Joram of Israel in a war against the Syrians under Hazael's leadership. Joram, the king of Israel, was wounded in that battle at Ramoth-
Gilead east of the Jordan River. He went back to Jezreel in Israel to recover from his wounds, and his nephew Azariah king of Judah went to visit him there. It was there that "pay day" came for both kings. We may have the opinion that we will have to live with and accommodate to the evil that is increasing around us, but this is not true. "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse," but we are to continue to practice what we have been taught, and learned, from those trustworthy servants of God who were before us.
It is not in our power to stop the evil that is going on, nor to control the outcome. But it is in our power to commit ourselves to live for our Lord in spite of what others may do. The view we have to keep before us, and that motivates us to righteous living and faithful service, is to look on our Lord Jesus Christ and see what He has done for us. He has commissioned us to carry forth His Gospel to the world and to teach His people. He has promised to be with us to the end of the age no matter what may happen around us. He has promised to come and receive us to Himself at the time of His Father's choosing. In view of this we must be faithful to Him in these troubled times.
2Kings 8:1. “Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, arise and go thou and thy household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the Lord hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.”
A FAMINE. It came for a reason, this great lasting hunger. Seven years is a long time but it won’t last any longer – For God called for the famine; the nation had turned from Him – It seems like famine in our nation is about to begin.
We have done the same things – turned away from the Lord. So many have changed even their thoughts about God. Often God is talked about as only some kind of force That can briefly be called upon if we want to change course.
Not every famine is the result of a need for food. There is a famine in the spirit caused by neglect of God’s Word. The recovery that is needed will only come when there is a return To deal with the original problem when God we did spurn.
To avoid times of famine there must be genuine trust; And to correct what is wrong is an absolute must. It means times of repentance and real turning from sin. God waits for evidence of reality before recovery begins.
Some things cannot be faked – there must be reality Before we can be trusted with full totality – Of things that God has planned for us to do for Him – There will be a change of attitude toward God and toward sin.
When famine comes it is wise to stop and seek out what is wrong. Consider why there are tears and doubt instead of faith and song. Make every effort to be sure to change what caused the famine – It will take time and humility as the past we do examine.
“We are in the first years of famine, O Righteous God. People are aware of something wrong, but have not, as yet, called a halt in repentance and turned in faith to Thee. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and make us again as a nation to seek the Lord. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”