Year 1, Week 51, Day 4 Bible Reading Observations

Year 1, Week 51, Day 4

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of 2 Kings 3-4.

Today’s reading records the coalition of the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel, along with Edom, for the purpose of attacking Moab. Jehoram (aka Joram), a son of Ahab, invited Jehoshaphat to join him: “So King Jehoram marched out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. And he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to battle against Moab?” (2 Kings 3:6-7). 2 Kings 3 reports that Elisha declared a defeat for Moab: “And Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you…For thus says the LORD…He will also give the Moabites into your hand” (2 Kings 3:14,17a,18b). 2 Kings 4 describes Elisha’s care and attention for a couple of women. Elisha gave miraculous aid to a widow of one of the prophets, when he aided her in paying off her debts. Elisha also attended to a childless woman from Shunem: “At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant.” But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her” (2 Kings 4:16-17). And then later when the Shunammite’s son tragically died, Elisha brought him back to life: “When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD…The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes” (2 Kings 4:32-35).

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading is the attention that Elisha gave to a helpful and nameless woman: “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves” (2 Kings 4:1). This lady had lost her husband in death and was about to lose her children because of her large debt. The children would have to go into servitude to pay off the debts that their family owed. But this woman appealed to Elisha. While this woman was helpless and nameless, she was not faithless. We surmise that her and her husband were faithful, as she acknowledged that her husband feared the LORD. Her trust in the LORD was displayed in that fact that she appealed to Elisha, the prophet of the LORD. This lady turned to the LORD amid her loss and desperation. But not only did she display faith through her turning to the prophet, but she also displayed much faith through her obedience to Elisha’s instructions: "Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors…Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside” (2 Kings 4:3-4). The LORD kept providing oil for as long as she had vessels to be filled: “When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing” (2 Kings 4:6). And with the vessels of oil, she paid off her debts: “She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest” (2 Kings 4:7).

In the preceding episode from 1 Kings 3, three kings join forces and as they do they request Elisha. Elisha hesitates and explains his hesitation: “And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No; it is the LORD who has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” And Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you” (2 Kings 3:13-14). If it were not for Jehoshaphat, Elisha would not be inclined to help at all. And then as Elisha agrees to help, he adds a complicated twist: “But now bring me a musician.” And when the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him” (2 Kings 3:15). It is hard to say what the request for music was about, but perhaps Elisha wanted to see if they were inclined to follow his instructions.

While Elisha stalled briefly in his response for assistance to the kings, his response to the helpless, nameless, but not faithless woman was immediate: “And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil” (2 Kings 4:2). Elisha was eager to help. More importantly, the LORD is eager to help his desperate people. What moves the LORD to action is not earthly status, but faith: “I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him” (Psalm 142:2).

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe