Naaman Sought Elisha

Synopsis     2Kings 5:1-8     8/6/2019 

Naaman was a highly respected general in the arm of Aram. However, he had leprosy.  

His wife had a servant girl who was originally from Israel. And this servant was fond of her mistress. So, she mentioned that there was a prophet in Israel who could cure Naaman’s leprosy.  

So, Naaman went to the king of Aram for permission to seek out this healer from Israel. The king agreed and even sent a letter to the king of Israel encouraging his help.  

Of course, because Naaman was a foreign general, the king of Israel was wary. But eventually, he sent him to visit the prophet Elisha.  

Naaman Sought Elisha 

Naaman was a successful general. And he was second only to the king of Aram in power and fame. But he wanted to be cleansed. So, upon hearing about Elisha, he made a great effort to find him.  

Desperate People Seek the Truth 

When everything in my life seems to be working pretty well, I tend to feel content. And so, I don’t really feel the pressure to figure things out. I hear the arguments about the various and different approaches to nutrition or exercise. And I hear the debates concerning safe practices and how to avoid injury.  

Everyone seems to have an opinion. And as long as I don’t struggle with any of these problems, I’m OK with everyone having a different opinion.  

But if I experience some upset, then things change. For example, if someone I love dies in an untimely way, I wonder why that had to be. And I wonder if anything could have been done to prevent it. And suddenly, I take these precautions more seriously.  

Or, if one of my children is desperately sick, I look for a physician who has a track record of real healing.

Hence, desperate people tend to seek answers. They need answers.  

Now, I have this problem. It’s my soul. My soul still isn’t right. I can see that my soul still isn’t right. 

So like everyone else, when I’m feeling desperate – I seek answers from the person who has the power to solve my problem.  

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” Matt 11:28 

Moabite Misunderstanding

Synopsis      2 Kings 3:22-4:2     7/30/2019

The three kings had combined the forces of Israel, Judah and Edom. However, they had run out of water for their armies. And so they sought counsel from Elisha. And the prophet had encouraged them.

God miraculously provided a flow of water in the wadi near where the Israelites had camped. As the sun rose, the Moabites saw the water and thought it was blood, since there had been no rain. They wrongly concluded that the three armies had turned on each other.

So, the Moabite men ran headlong into the Israelite camp in a rush to get the booty. However, as they arrived, they found the three armies very much alive. The three armies overtook the disorganized Moabite forces and pursued them throughout the nation – destroying the infrastructure of the nation along the way.

Moabite Misunderstanding

As the sun rose, the water God had sent appeared as red as blood. Additionally, there had been no rain. So, a natural conclusion might be that the water was actually blood.

And no one seems to have challenged this conclusion. So, the Maobites ran headlong into a massacre.

Misunderstanding All We See

It’s in ignorance that I make my most egregious mistakes. And if I’m not diligent with God’s prescription for truth, then I remain ignorant.

The Word says, “establish every truth on the basis of two or three witnesses.” It doesn’t matter if I choose to remain ignorant because of my pride or if my ignorance is based on a lack much life experience.

I sometimes misunderstand. But, however it happens, when I misidentify the circumstances of my life, it produces a reaction. My sense of the value or the disvalue of my situation produces a reaction regardless of whether or not I’ve interpreted correctly.

As a result, the actions I take makes visible for me, and all the world, how I interpret and what I value. In other words, my heart is revealed in my responses.

This is the gift of feedback. And it’s built into the fabric of our moral life.

Embrace the feedback.

“At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.” Heb 12:11

Jehoshaphat Sought the Lord

Synopsis     2Kings 33:11     7/26/2019 

Moab had rebelled from Israelite authority. In those days, Mesha was the king of Moab. And, Mesha refused to pay the annual tribute payment of over one hundred thousand sheep to King Joram.  

So Joram convinced King Jehoshaphat from Judah to attack Moab with him. Somehow, Joram also convinced the king of Edom to join in this military adventure.  

However, the three kings mutually chose to attack Moab through the wilderness of Edom. And so, after traveling through the desert wasteland for seven days, they ran out of water. The kings counselled together on what to do next. But Jehoshaphat sought to inquire from a prophet of the Lord.  

Jehoshaphat Sought the Lord 

Of the three kings, only Jehoshaphat sought the Lord. As was the pattern of his life, he looked to understand God’s purpose for the situations he encountered in life. And so, he sought to know God’s will even when it didn’t occur to any of his peers to inquire.  

Seek the Lord While He May Be Found 

Of all the named virtues, faith is the one that is uniquely oriented to God. In a certain sense, to have faith means to treat God like a person. It means that we have an interpersonal relationship.  

God is not a “mother nature” collection of principles. He’s not merely the “life force” of the universe. Instead, He is a person. In fact, three persons. As Christians, we make this distinction.  

And almost nothing indicates relationship with another personal being than fellowship and conversation. This is the real potential to discover the deep satisfaction that we can have in this life. And every other meaningful satisfaction we may enjoy, can only flow out of this primary ground.  

“Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6 

 

The Humble Captain

Synopsis     2Kings 1:10-16     7/22/2019 

King Ahaziah was lying in his deathbed. Elijah had prophesied that Ahaziah would not rise again because he had sought a word and healing from the Philistine god, Baalzebub. So, Ahaziah sought to bring Elijah to his bedside. Accordingly, he sent a captain with his men to fetch the prophet.  

However, Elijah refused to come to Ahaziah. He feared that the king might commit some evil against him. So, he refused the first captain sent to fetch him. And, he called down fire from heaven to consume the officer and his men. And, this episode was repeated a second time with a second captain sent by Ahaziah. 

Finally, a third captain was sent out with his men. Instead of attempting to apprehend the prophet, this man approached Elijah with humility and in the fear of the Lord. Elijah agreed to go with him. So, he went to the king’s palace and verified his prophecy of doom to the young king.  

The Humble Captain 

The third captain valued his own life no less than the first two. But, unlike his predecessors, he recognized that he was up against a power much greater than the power of the king. And so, he approached God’s prophet with great humility.  

Humility and Value Exchange 

If “love” essentially means to create value for another, then how does humility fit? How does humility contribute to creating value for the beloved?  

Pride comes to every encounter from the perspective of condescension.  It’s me saying, “I’m better than you (or I’m stronger than you, or smarter than you, or I’m more beautiful than you). So here, I’m going to do you a favor. And this soulish attitude undeniably affects even the giving of necessary material goods. For even a jailer feeds the prisoners. 

But contrast this to Mother Teresa. She once said, ““If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” And if I belong to all the people I encounter, then I can acknowledge with Saint Paul that I owe love to every individual person (Rom 13:8). This is a debt owed, not a condescending favor.  

And when it comes to bringing value to others, this attitude makes all the difference.  

“The result of humility and fear of the LORD is riches, honor and life.” Prov 22:4 

Ahaziah Without God

Synopsis     2Kings 1:1-9     7/18/2019 

King Ahab died in battle. And after this, his son Ahaziah became king.  

Moab was a subjugated nation to the south of Israel. But the leaders of Moab sensed the transition of power was an opportunity to rebel from Israelite rule. So, they did.

Shortly afterward, Ahaziah accidentally fell through the roof of his palace. The fall left him injured. And it wasn’t clear whether or not he was likely to recover.  

So, he sent messengers to the temple of Baalzebub, which was located in the Philistine town of Ekron. However, an angel revealed Ahaziah’s request to the prophet Elijah. And so, Elijah was tasked by God to confront the messengers.  

Elijah intercepted the messengers before they got to Ekron. Accordingly, he told them to return to Ahaziah and inform him that he would not recover from his injuries because he had failed to honor the God of Israel.  

Ahaziah Without God 

Ahaziah was the king of Israel. So, he was the leader of God’s Chosen people. Yet, he did not see God as his principle resource. In fact, he does not appear to even have considered the God of Israel. He didn’t think about God.  

But the truth of Ahaziah’s circumstances is that he was totally dependent upon God for everything he really wanted.  

On Being Without God 

God offers purpose, meaning, love and life. This reality is both covenantal and cosmological. And, in addition, God extends forgiveness when I fail to enter into my part of the relationship.  

Still, my natural tendency is to want to do things in my own power. I like being in control. And even when I’m at the point of total dependency, I want to be able to choose from whom I receive my care. Too often this results in an attitude of practical indifference towards God. And my indifference towards God is an implicit denial of my need for God.  

However, my denial of reality doesn’t actually change reality. In the end, ignoring God only makes it harder to receive what He wants to offer.  

“In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.” Prov 3:6 

Remembering a Faithful King

Synopsis     1Kings 22:43-54     7/17/2019 

Jehoshaphat became the king of Judah after his father Asa died. And at Jehoshaphat’s death, the people remembered him as a faithful king – like his father had been.

Among his significant accomplishments was an end to the chronic wars between Judah and Israel. He reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem before he died.

Similarly, Ahaziah reigned as king over Israel after the death Ahab, his father. However, he reigned for only two years.  

Remembering a Faithful King 

The people remembered Jehoshaphat for his fidelity. Specifically, they remembered him because he brought peace to the divided Israelite kingdom. Also, because he had faithfully followed the teachings of King Asa, his father.  

Remembering Faithfulness 

It is said that you can’t drive a car by looking in the review mirror. So, I think it’s similar with faithfulness. I can’t be faithful to the righteous vision of my fathers, or my God, by constantly asking myself if I’ve been faithful.  

No, it’s going to take the fearless determination to do as they did – not what they did. It’s going to mean meeting the challenges of the present moment with the fullness of determination to love and to hope without regard to selfish ambition or personal cost.  

“A good name is more desirable than great riches, and high esteem, than gold and silver.” Prov 22:1 

Ahab’s Death Despite Precautions

Synopsis     1Kings 22:33-42     7/16/2019 

Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah. And Ahab was the king of Israel. The two kings were reconciled for the first time since Jeroboam led Israel to separate from Judah.  

Together they decided to attack the city of Ramoth-gilead, which had been taken by the Arameans. Jehoshaphat quickly recognized that he was overwhelmed and fled the battle. But despite disguising his true identity, Ahab was hit by an arrow and mortally wounded.  

Ahab sat propped up in his chariot long enough to see the Israelites defeated in battle. Then he died. And afterward, his body was returned to Samaria in his combat chariot. There, his men washed the blood from the chariot at the city well. There the dogs lapped up his blood in accordance with the prophecy of God.  

Ahab’s Death Despite Precautions 

King Ahab took the precaution of disguising his identity so he wouldn’t become the object of the battle. It wasn’t enough. A seemingly errant arrow found it way between the joints of his well-crafted armor.  

Death Despite Precautions 

It’s a frustration of life that I can’t control circumstances. No amount of statistical inference can prevent any particular outcome. No amount of body armor can guarantee that life will last another day. Or another hour. Or another minute.  

The outcome of all particular circumstances belongs to the Lord alone.   

“In his hand is the soul of every living thing, and the life breath of all mortal flesh.” Job 12:10 

Micaiah the Life Saver

Synopsis     1Kings 22:23-32     7/15/2019 

Micaiah the prophet told King Ahab that his prophets were lying to him. As a result, the head of Ahab’s prophets struck Micaiah. And afterward, Ahab arrested him and put him in a prison until the conclusion of the battle.  

Still, Micaiah remained faithful to the word he had been told. And he called upon the people to remember the words he had spoken.  

With that, the two kings marched on Ramoth-gilead. As they prepared for battle, King Ahab informed King Jehoshaphat that he intended to join the battle in disguise. Presumably Ahab made this decision because he was personally well-known to the Arameans and Jehoshaphat was not.  

However, the leader of the Aramite army had already instructed his charioteers not to engage with anyone except King Ahab. As a result, the Aramite charioteers immediately sought to engage with King Jehoshaphat.  

Micaiah the Life-Saver 

Ahab perceived Micaiah as an adversary. So, he convinced himself that Micaiah was personally against him. 

But God had given Micaiah a true prophecy concerning Ahab. And if Ahab had been open to Micaiah’s prophecy, he wouldn’t have entered into this military adventure. Accordingly, it is unlikely that he would have died – at least not in combat.  

Micaiah was God sent. He was Ahab’s life-saver. But Ahab treated him like an enemy. 

My Life Saver

Sometimes people I know say critical things to me.  It hurts. And when this happens, I sometimes feel offended. Of course, all of this is normal. 

Yet, it might be that the word which has offended is actually the God-sent word that is intended to save my life. As it is written in Paul’s letter to the Romans, “all things work together for good for those who love God”.  

And if this is true, then it means that nothing comes to the lover of God except good. So, while things inevitably come that don’t always feel good, good they remain.  

 

“Trustworthy are the blows of a friend, dangerous, the kisses of an enemy.” Prov 26:7 

Micaiah’s Lying Spirit

Synopsis     1Kings 22:13-22     7/12/2019 

Micaiah was a true prophet of God. At Jehoshaphat’s request, King Ahab sent a messenger to Micaiah. The two kings had agreed on a course of military action. And so, they were looking for validation that their plans were in accordance with God’s intents.  

Micaiah went to the kings. Initially, he offered a mockish prophecy that agreed with Ahab’s prophets. So, King Ahab ordered Micaiah to give him a true prophecy. Micaiah responded by describing Israel’s loss in battle. He compared it to the way sheep scatter when they have no shepherd.  

Micaiah went further. And he explained that God had allowed a lying spirit to come over Ahab’s prophets. As a result, eventually the king would be deceived into entering an imprudent battle.  

Micaiah’s Lying Spirit 

God is not a liar. What happened is that Ahab’s prophets arrogantly misinterpreted what God was actually saying. This was a limitation based on their hubris and perhaps their desire to please the king.  

For their part, they probably didn’t think they were encouraging Ahab into a losing battle. For, they would have had no reason to do this. When a prophet has a failed prediction, it’s not good for their resume. In the future, such people are perceived as false prophets and inadequate advisors.  

Instead, it seems clear that Ahab’s prophets simply did not realize what they were saying.  

The Lying Spirit Remains 

One of the strangest aspects of the liberty that God gives to me, is that I can misuse it. I accept the extraordinary freedom that God has given me. And I live in that liberty. But the temptation is to think that the moral liberty that God gives me implies that there are no moral consequences within this range of liberty.  

However, experience tells me this is not the case. I may act within the range of my moral freedom and be motivated by selfishness. And when I do, I find I do not profit. And not just money profit.  

When I do less than God’s best in any situation, then I find that grace does not increase. In other words, things don’t flow. I may even end up achieving some goal but the friction involved in forcing my will over God’s best usually creates broken relationships and regret.   

So, by God’s grace the truth is always available. But still, God will not prevent me from arrogantly misinterpreting my circumstances. This is the lesson of Adam and Eve. It is a true principle from the very beginning.  

Because He respects the liberty He has given me, He won’t stop me from acting on the deceptions of the evil one. True freedom is perhaps the one thing that I at least have to want to do for myself.  

For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.” Gal 5:13 

Jehoshaphat’s Search

Synopsis     1Kings 22:4-12     7/8/2019 

King Jehoshaphat and King Ahab met together. This was the first ever example of a king from Israel and a king from Judah coming together since the split between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. And King Ahab suggested that both kingdoms come together to attack Ramoth-gilead. This seemed reasonable and good to Jehoshaphat. So, the king agreed to join forces.  

But Jehoshaphat also wanted to know what God thought of the plan. So, he asked King Ahab to make an inquiry concerning God through the local prophets. Once assembled, the local prophets encouraged the kings to attack. And, they assured a victory.  

In fact, a prophet named Zedekiah made a pair of iron horns and prophesied that’s Israel’s victory would be like the two horns of iron. 

But for some reason, Jehoshaphat wasn’t satisfied. So, he pressed Ahab. Because of this, Ahab called for a prophet named Micaiah to come and give counsel.  

Jehoshaphat’s Search 

Jehoshaphat was searching for a true word. In particular, he sought for an authoritative witness concerning the prospect of battle. But for some reason, he discerned that Ahab’s prophets lacked authority. And so he rightly sought the testimony of another perspective.  

The Search for Truth 

We all have an intrinsic need to know the truth. And, according to both scripture and common personal experience, the truth is always established by multiple witnesses.  

But not all witnesses are created equal. Some are eye-witnesses whose testimony is based on a specific experience. Others are based less on direct experience of a specific event. But rather such witnesses testify on the basis of their wisdom. And these witnesses testify not about a particular experience, but rather about the principles behind the experience.  

We call these “expert” witnesses. And because experts are testifying about principles, their testimony is intrinsically valid – at least to the extent that they really have expertise.  

This is the case of the Magisterium. The interpretive confidence we have is based on the unimpeachable testimony of God’s ordained tradition. 

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matt 18:18