Portraits of How God Saves

Introduction

The healing of Naaman, the Leper is not just a story of the healing of a man from one of the most dreaded diseases of ancient times, but it is a story of salvation, one which illustrates the spiritual salvation man finds only in Jesus Christ and how men come to find that salvation in Christ. In Naaman’s healing there are a variety of people who play different parts; some good and vital to the salvation and healing of Naaman and others not so good. All illustrate the various good and evil persuasions of people that either aid or hinder bringing men to Christ.

As we step into this scene, we leave the land of Israel, a nation that was to be a light to the Gentiles and a nation of priests. We step into Syria to the north, a heathen (pagan) nation surrounded in darkness, a place of idolatry and heathen blindness. In these verses there is an anticipation of the gospel that would go out from Israel through Messiah and then out from the church carrying the light of Jesus Christ to the Gentile nations. Naaman’s healing was an illustration of what God would later do in the ministry of the Lord Jesus and His church. Here, then, is a classic illustration of God’s Love, of how He reaches out to a people in utter darkness and uses their afflictions to draw them to Himself if they will only respond to His pre-salvation work of grace wherein God seeks to bring men to repentance (Rom 2:4).

The Description of Naaman
(5:1)

Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper.

In this we have a picture of the sinner before he comes to God.

Naaman comes from the Hebrew verb naem, “be delightful, pleasant, beautiful.” It has the idea of “gracious” or “well formed.” Because of the significance of names in Scripture, this tells us something about the man. His name suggests he had undoubtedly been a handsome man, at least before the leprosy. Further, the implication is that he was also a gracious and delightful man. But his name became a reproach and a striking contrast to his appearance and probably also to his disposition because of the disease which had attacked his body. It provides a striking picture of mankind created physically and spiritually beautiful in God’s image before sin began to take it’s toll on both the disposition and physical body of man.

The way Naaman is first described gives us a picture of him as he was seen by people who tend to look mostly on the outward appearance.

(1) His position. He was “captain of the army of the King of Aram.” This means he was the General of the Syrian or the Aramean Army, second in command to the King. He was a man of great authority and position.

(2) His popularity and prestige. This is noted in the words, “a great man with his master, and highly respected . . .” Here was a popular man. He was a national hero as the general who had been victorious over the enemies of the nation of Aram. Upon his head were the laurels or wreaths of victory and upon his chest, medals of honor and valor. But would you also note the biblical perspective and truth regarding the source of victory and valor; it is the sovereign plan and power of God. He was a man whom God had used as He had Pharaoh and the Kings of Assyria and Babylon. Here again we see how the Lord uses the saved and unsaved alike to carry out His purposes and plans. But being so used does not save a person.

(3) His problem. He was a Leper. “But he was,” italicized in the NASB, is not in the Hebrew text. In the original Hebrew text we find only the word “leprous,” which highlights or emphasizes Naaman’s problem--the dreaded disease of leprosy.

In Scripture, leprosy is a portrait of sin and man’s true spiritual condition without the saving grace (spiritual healing) of God’s salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Regardless of how men may see us or we may see ourselves, in God’s Holy eyes, we are leprous without the righteousness of Christ imputed to us through faith in the person and work of the Savior. This one word gives us God’s perspective of the true condition of this man regardless of how he was seen and thought of by man. Here we see a holy God’s perspective of man without Jesus Christ and the ravages of sin.

The principle we need to see is that “many today are perishing from the loathsome leprosy of sin. One may be great, successful, wealthy, honorable and mighty, but spiritually lost. To realize one’s lost condition before God, and to desire to escape from it are the first steps toward salvation. Naaman discovered this.”⁴⁵

But what exactly does leprosy in the Bible teach us about our sin and its effect in our lives? What can we learn from this story about man’s condition in sin and what God does for man in Jesus Christ to heal him from the leprosy of sin? Before we continue, let’s look at the subject of leprosy itself.

An Explanation of Leprosy

The biblical instructions for leprosy, the separation, isolation, and cleansing of the leper and thus the biblical foundation as a picture of sin are described for us in Leviticus 13-14. The Hebrew word for leprosy, x`r^A^T, was actually used of a wider range of skin diseases as well as what is today called leprosy or Hansen’s disease caused by the bacillus mycobacterium leprae. The Greek word is lepra from lepw which means, “to peel off in scales.” It is equivalent to psoriasis, only it was far more serious than the psoriasis we think of today. Scholars are somewhat in disagreement regarding biblical leprosy, but it appears that there were two main types. “The first, and by far the more dangerous, is called lepromatous; and the other, a more benign type, is designated as tuberculoid . . . Both start with discoloration of a patch of skin. This patch may be white or pink. It is most likely to appear on the brow, nose, ear, cheek or chin.”⁴⁶

(1) The Lepromatous Type: As this form begins to spread, portions of the eyebrow may disappear, then spongy tumor like swellings appear on the face and body. The disease is systemic and involves the internal organs as well. It is deep seated in the bones, joints and marrow of the body resulting in the deterioration of the tissues between the bones. The results are deformity, loss of feeling in the appendages, and in the fingers and toes eventually falling off. This form is incurable and lasts until the victim finally dies often by the invasion of other diseases because of the weakened condition. They may live for twenty or thirty years in this miserable condition.⁴⁷

(2) The Tuberculoid Type: This form is less severe and begins much like the lepromatous form with a change in skin color in one area and then spreading to other areas. This form is limited in its effects and often only lasts from one to three years. The person with this form, unless miraculously healed, could return to the priest and be declared cleansed or healed after observation. Other types of skin diseases were observed and when found not be to true leprosy or they disappeared, the people with these forms were also declared clean. Other than by God’s direct intervention, it appears the Hebrews had no cure for leprosy. In modern times there are very effective medicines available, and leprosy patients are usually not isolated.⁴⁸

One thing is certain, the term leprosy referred to several types of skin diseases which were rooted in the blood stream. When they were the lepromatous type, they were incurable and led to horrible consequences. Because of this, specific directions were given for leprosy in Leviticus 13-14. This was done first as a protection against possible spread in case it was contagious, but there was also a ceremonial or spiritual reason. Leprosy stood as a picture of sin and all its features and effects upon man and upon his relationship with God.

The Significance of Leprosy in the Bible

(1) The leper was considered unclean and had to be isolated from society to a certain degree. Wherever he went he was to cry out, “unclean, unclean,” and he had to wear black with a hood covering his face and live outside the city walls.

(2) Whenever the Lord Jesus healed a leper he always pronounced the person, not healed, but cleansed.

(3) True leprosy was incurable by man in Bible times just as sin is incurable for man (Jer. 17:9, “desperately sick,” “beyond cure” or “incurably sick”; see also Isa. 1:5-6). There is nothing man himself can do to deal with his sin problem. Further, his sin separates him from God and even from intimate fellowship with people (cf. 1 Cor. 5:9-13; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). When the Lord healed a leper, therefore, the picture should have been obvious. His power to cleanse a leper demonstrated He was the solution to man’s sin and defilement; He alone was and is the means of reconciliation, peace with God and man.

(4) The rite of purification in the Old Testament did not cure, it only recognized the fact a leper was cured, he was clean of the disease, or that he never really had the incurable type of leprosy. He could then be reconciled to society.

(5) Leprosy, like sin, begins within (with what we are) and then erupts on the skin (on the surface). As such, it clearly reminds us of the principle that men are, by an inherited nature, sinners and that it’s not just what we do that is so bad, but what we are. The point is the mouth speaks and hands do as a result of what the heart is and thinks (Luke 6:43-45; Ps. 51:5; 58:3; Matt. 12:33-34; Eph. 2:1f). With this in mind, compare Leviticus 13:1-4. Even the slightest blemish in the skin, a swelling (a boil), a scab (a small tumor), or a bright spot (a red or scaly place) was to be carefully observed to see if it was the product of something deeper, i.e., some form of true leprosy.

(6) The priest was to examine the skin and pronounce the person clean or unclean depending upon his observation of the facts. So today, since Christ has provided cleansing from sin, every believer as a believer priest is to detect sin in their own life and pronounce it sin when it first appears (1 John 1:8-10).⁴⁹

(7) The pain of leprosy, at least in certain forms, was not acute because it also killed the nerves in the affected area, but it kept the victim restless, miserable, and frustrated as they felt the stigma of the disease. They saw portions of their bodies become numb, muscles atrophy (waste away), tendons contract making the hands like claws, and then the ulceration of the fingers and toes and hands and feet resulting in their loss bit by bit until the whole hand or foot was gone. We must not miss the picture God wants us to see from this emphasis in Scripture. Sin is like this. Because of man’s separation from God, because of his spiritually dead condition and the hardness of his soul, he becomes insensitive, callused, restless and never satisfied. He often does not experience severe pain from his sin and waywardness, only insensitivity, restless misery, and futility, ever seeking some means of fulfillment running from one thing to another (cf. Isa. 57:20-21; Eph. 4:16-19). Even in apparent prosperity and happiness, not only is there a certain amount of inner peace and true happiness missing, but their ultimate plight is death, loss, and the judgment of separation (Ps. 1:4-5; 73:1-28).

(8) Because of the nature of the disease, the leper was often considered as dead; it was a kind of living death though physically alive. So men without Christ are nothing more than the living dead; though walking about they are spiritual zombies (Eph. 2:1).

(9) Regardless of one’s position, honor, power, possessions, or wealth, leprosy, like sin, is no respecter of persons. Naaman was a man of position and prestige, but he was also leprous.

(10) As seen previously, in Israel, according to the Law, lepers were excluded from society as a picture of sin and its effects. God used this to remind Israel of His holiness. Cleansing a leper meant being restored back to a normal life. The term “cure” in 2 Kings 5:3 literally meant, “to receive back.” This provides us with a fitting picture of our reconciliation to God and to one another (cf. Isa. 59:2 with 2 Cor. 5:18-21).

(11) Finally, the leprosy of sin destroys the pleasantness and beauty God meant for mankind in His creation. Sin deforms us, but in Christ we are made new creations and can be transformed into His glorious likeness (2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 12:1-2; Gal. 4:19). See also 2 Kings 5:14.

Namaan held a high position, but had a very great problem. We need to understand that God often uses the personal failures, sicknesses, and problems of men as a means so bring them to the end of themselves and to a knowledge of the Lord and His salvation. (Ps. 119:67, 71, 73). God uses problems in life to force us to face our deeper problem, the problem of sin, and the need of God’s forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ. This chapter illustrates this. Naaman went from his problem to God’s solution which was more than simply the healing of his leprosy. As we will see, Naaman came to know the true God. So, with verses 2 and following we will see how God worked in various ways, through the disease and through people to bring Naaman to the Lord. In these verses we have portraits of how God saves.

The Little Maid in a Foreign Land
(5:2-3)

2 Now the Arameans had gone out in bands, and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 And she said to her mistress, “I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.”

Here we see how the Lord always has His messengers of the Word. When there is a person whose heart has been prepared, God always has his messengers. Here, God’s messengers begin with a little captive slave girl. In fact, by His matchless grace, God worked through the unrighteous deeds of Naaman’s own army to bring this little slave girl into his own home to be the instrument of God’s Love.

But what kind of messenger does God use? He uses those who are available--those who know and love the Lord. Here was a small girl, humble, obedient, insignificant to men, living under dire conditions, but with a Romans 8:28 mental attitude; she was a girl using the problems of life as opportunities or as open doors to witness for God.

Though small, weak, and insignificant, this little girl knew the omnipotent and sovereign Lord of the universe with whom there was healing. She was willing to point others to the most significant Being of the universe, YAHWEH OF ISRAEL, who alone could cure Naaman’s disease.

Why do you suppose Naaman listened to her? After all what could a slave know? May I suggest that he listened because perhaps her life spoke volumes! Her life had been such a testimony that it gave credibility to her words.

Naaman’s Journey to Israel
(5:4-7)

4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel.” 5 Then the king of Aram said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” And he departed and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold and ten changes of clothes. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 And it came about when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? But consider now, and see how he is seeking a quarrel against me.”

In verses 4-7, we have an excellent illustration of how salvation cannot be obtained. Oh, how these verses reveal the natural tendencies and perspective of the carnal mind. Here is a typical man who recognized his need to some extent, but he wanted to have a part in his healing. He was trusting first in power, position, and riches. Instead of thinking in terms of God’s grace, he naturally thought in terms of favoritism, the leverage of power, wealth, and what one can earn or buy.

First, in verse 4, Naaman went into the king with the news and to get permission from his king to go to Israel. The king was willing to help, and that’s good, but they immediately thought in terms of political and financial clout (vss. 5-6). They thought they could buy the favors of God from the prophet of Yahweh through the king of Israel. So Naaman was sent to the king of Israel rather than to the prophet of God. With him he took a large amount of silver, gold and clothes as payment. This was the typical cultural pattern of that day (and ours as well), but it is not God’s pattern.

So now with verse 7 we see the response of the king of Israel. First, this was the wrong response for the king. Though he had power, position and wealth, yet unlike the little slave girl, he had no witness. Instead of immediately pointing Naaman to Elisha, the prophet of God, he was paralyzed with fear; he was paranoid. He thought that the king of Aram was seeking some cause to create an incident and reason to attack. Instead of seeing this as an opportunity to demonstrate the power of the Lord, he thought only of himself. What a contrast to the little slave girl who thought of others rather than her own plight. Note that she could have thought, as many would, that he was getting just what he deserved. Or she could have tried to strike a bargain in exchange for her freedom.

Like the king of Israel, how quick we are to read things into situations and expect the worst rather than take life’s situations as opportunities to serve the Lord and to see Him work. Why? Because we are blinded and paralyzed by our self love.

But wait a minute, maybe there is a lesson for us here. It’s the lesson of the growth potential of accountability, service, and suffering. Through her accountability to her master, her service to his wife, and her own suffering being uprooted from her home and family, this little girl had learned to trust the Lord and then to think of others and their needs. The king, on the other hand, considered himself accountable to no one (a serious error). Further, he was always served by others and failed to see himself as a servant of the people. Thinking only of himself was simply a natural product of the kind of luxurious life he lived.

But from Naaman’s standpoint, what did this do for him? It shattered part of his trust in his human resources. That which he thought would buy his cure was worthless. He was literally left holding the bag, the bag of money in his leprous hand. He needed to learn, as all of us do, that we must never trust in the uncertainty of riches, or power, or position, but instead, to trust only in God’s grace and work in His Son. Compare Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; 1 Tim. 6:17f; 1 Peter 1:17-21; and Revelation 3:17-18.

Money, power and wealth cannot save us, make us spiritual, effective witnesses, or deserving of responsibility or leadership in the body of Jesus Christ. Only God’s grace and his gifts and blessings in Jesus Christ can do that.

The Invitation of Elisha
(5:8)

8 And it happened when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Now let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

Does this not illustrate God’s loving concern for the sinner. Again, God has his messengers. Though some will fail in their responsibility and ministry, the Lord watches over the seeking soul and at just the right moment, he sends one of his own with whatever is necessary to take the seeking person another step toward the Lord and salvation (cf. Rom 2:2-8).

Naaman represents the seeking soul, one in need of the Lord. Remember, God was using his leprosy as a means to bring him to a knowledge of the Lord. Elisha on the other hand represents the Lord. And Elisha, as God’s representative, said “let him come to me,” words which the Lord wants to speak to every unsaved person. For Naaman to come “to know that there was a prophet in Israel” was to come to know that the God of Israel was the only true God, and the only real hope in life (cf. John 7:17; Jer. 29:13; Acts 17:27; Rom. 2:2-8; 1 Pet. 3:9; Matt. 11:28; Rev. 3:20).

The Actions and Command of the Prophet
(5:9-12)

9 So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was furious 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 wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper.’ 12 “Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

In these verses we have a picture of the simplicity of salvation and of the necessity of humility in finding the Lord.

Naaman Goes to Elisha (vs. 9)

This must have been an imposing picture. Naaman in his chariot with his fine horses, with his gold and silver and fine clothes standing in front of the prophet’s house which was probably very unimposing by Naaman’s standards. Naaman was a proud man. He was proud of his accomplishments, talents, power, position, and wealth. He rode up arrogantly and thought, surely this lowly prophet of Israel will come out to me, Naaman the great warrior; and he will wave his hand over the area of my leprosy and I will be cured. We see his pride expressing itself in verses 9, 11 and 12, but especially in his anger at being told to go and wash seven times in the Jordan.

But who was Naaman? He was a sinner and a mere creature of God, who drew his breath from two small slits in his face (Isa. 2:22). Even the power, the victories he had enjoyed, and his accomplishments were given him by the Lord of the universe (so the importance of verse 1). What does the Scripture teach about the pride of man?

• God hates “haughty eyes, or the proud look” (Prov. 6:17).
• “When pride comes, then comes dishonor . . .” (Prov. 11:2).
• “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling” (Prov. 16:18).
• “A man’s pride will bring him low . . .” (Prov. 29:23).

Naaman had to be brought low; he had to be knocked off his high horse! (cf. Obadiah 3 and 4). God cannot and will not bless us as long as we are full of pride.

Why will a man’s pride bring him low? James gives us part of the answer. After telling us about the grace which God gives, he also reminds us that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Who can experience God’s grace? The humble! Then from whom does God withhold his grace? The proud! Who are the proud? Those who are indifferent to God’s plan, who refuse to commit themselves to God’s plan, who attempt to handle life by their own abilities or strategies.

The Actions and Commands of Elisha (vs. 10)

That which the prophet does in this passage may seem rude; in fact, he would be severely criticized by many church members today and our politically correct society. His actions would be viewed as unloving, rude, and arrogant. But what Elisha did was really an act of love. It was a means of showing Naaman his pride so he could receive God’s grace and begin to count for God himself.

Sure Naaman reacted and snorted off. But note that Elisha didn’t run after him; it appears he simply turned it over to the sovereignty of God who then worked through the life of another to bring Naaman to his senses. As long as Naaman was proud, he would never obey the Lord in humble belief or faith.

Self conceit and the various ego trips of men are typical of the unregenerate heart and even of the carnal mind of the regenerate. It is so hard to realize just who we are, mere creatures, and to submit to God’s plan. We must let God be God!

The Reactions of Naaman (vss. 11-12)

First, let’s note what Naaman said as he went away in his fury in verse 11, “Behold I thought.” What verse of Scripture comes to your mind here? “There is a way that seemeth right unto man, but the ways thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12). Irving Jensen says of this: “This leprous, dying man had actually the presumption to devise in his own mind exactly the plan by which he wanted his cure to be affected.”⁵⁰

But that’s not all. Naaman had contempt for God’s solution and plan. To him it was base and foolish. He was thinking, why should I go wash in the muddy Jordan River in Israel when I have clear streams of water in Damascus? Of all the absurd ideas! Note the human reasoning here. The implication is: If a cure comes through bathing in a stream, then I have better streams in which to bathe myself.

But read Paul’s comments about man’s wisdom and solutions versus God’s wisdom and plan of salvation in the cross of Christ in 1 Corinthians 1:20-31. The world’s standards and ideas of salvation seem so much more logical in comparison to God’s which seems foolish and so simplistic. “Go wash in the Jordan seven times . . . and you shall be clean.” A very simple thing to do, surely, but Naaman objected. And so the Bible teaches, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). But simple faith is not so simple; men object. Ironically, Naaman “was willing to pay any price, willing to do any great deed of prowess, to make any fatiguing pilgrimage, but he was unwilling to obey a simple command ‘wash and be clean.’”⁵¹

What was the issue here? The washing? No. Would that cure him? No. It was the obedience of faith. It was personal faith in the command of the prophet and not the evidence of his faith, washing, which cured him. It was his simple faith in the word of God, the root. Washing was simply the fruit, the result.

So today, men are saved simply and solely by the obedience of faith, by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as one’s personal Savior. The obedience God asks is the obedience of faith in Christ. So Acts 6:7; Romans 1:5 and 16:26;⁵² 1 John 3:23 (here “believe” is the root and “love” is the fruit).

Man is so self willed. By his ego, his reason, by his own experience and desires, he wants things his own way; he wants to be saved his way; he wants to be spiritual his own way; he wants the church to operate his way, and on the list goes. But man must submit humbly to the wise plans of God or there can be no salvation, no real joy and fruitfulness, no deliverance.

Jensen says:

Verse 12 shows that in Naaman’s heart a struggle was going on between faith on the one hand and unbelief on the other. It was the crucial moment for Naaman, and Satan was trying hard to get the victory, as he does with every person on the point of making the great decision. Satan first appealed to Naaman’s reason: “See how unreasonable this remedy is! If bathing is the cure for leprosy, there are far better streams than this Jordan in which to wash.” He argued, “Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?”

Satan also played on Naaman’s pride, and pointed to the way in which he had been treated. Naaman, a great personage, had come to make a request of a king and pay handsomely for services rendered. First he was sent to the lowly dwelling of a prophet, who did not even come out to meet him, and then he was sent off in this way, without any display or notice, to wash in the muddy Jordan River! So he turned away in a rage, and it seemed as though Satan had won.⁵³

Application

What are some of the key lessons we can glean from this story?

(1) God is constantly at work to lead people to Himself, no matter how dark their condition.

(2) God uses any committed believer, no matter how ordinary or insignificant he may be. How? Because of the mighty God who indwells us. This makes us significant as His instruments of light.

(3) The grace of God cannot be bought with silver and gold or power or position. We must come to God in faith and believe His revelation in the Scripture.

(4) In fact, power and position, silver and gold, can be a hindrance and an impediment to coming to Christ, as well as to effective service.

(5) Two of the greatest hindrances to experiencing God’s blessing for believers and unbelievers alike are: (a) our pride--Naaman almost lost out because of his pride, and (b) our opinions--Naaman almost lost out because his thinking was contrary to Scripture.

All appeared to be lost, it appeared Satan had won and that Naaman would go away without healing and without the saving knowledge of the Lord. But something happened. In the following, another part of the picture of how God saves comes into focus.

The Persuasion of Naaman’s Servants
(5:13)

Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”

This verse gives us an illustration of the value of loving care and of the importance of the right words at the right time to the unsaved (cf. Prov. 15:23, 28-29, 31; 16:21, 23). First, though we need to be praying for the Lord of the harvest to thrust out laborers into the fields, these verses illustrate how God somehow finds agents for His purposes. Perhaps these servants were themselves believers in the Lord of Israel and knew the power of the Lord, but probably not. Other than the fact they were attendants to Naaman, we know nothing about them. Still, they had wise counsel for the general.

Nevertheless, this may also illustrate the importance of wise and timely persuasion needed in personal evangelism. Notice the following points about the wisdom of their answer, an answer of the tongue as a timely word with sweetness of speech, yet honest and courageous evaluation.

(1) They were courteous. They called Naaman “my father,” showing respect and submission. They chose their words carefully that they might persuade Naaman and help him.

(2) They spoke from what they knew about Naaman. He was proud and courageous; they knew he was willing to do a great deed.

But, it was precisely this, Naaman’s pride and his personal opinion which was keeping Naaman from being healed. So, the four concerned servants tactfully sought a way to show Naaman that it was not his greatness, by which he would be healed, but by the greatness of the God of Israel. They were able to see from their more humble state and perspective that this was designed to demonstrate the power of the God of Israel. Should he not, then, heed the simple instruction of the prophet.

Finally, this simple command beautifully illustrates the simplicity of the gospel message of salvation in Jesus--that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone (Eph 2:8-10). The invitation of the gospel is “come, purchase without money and without price . . .” (Isa. 55:1). And how do you do that? By faith. The way of faith is the way of humiliation and repudiation of self worth, human ability, or religious works, which then casts us on the grace of God (Rev. 21:6; 22:1; Rom. 4:1-5; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:4-5). Faith is the one thing we can do without doing anything. Faith is the recognition of God’s ability and the repudiation of ours. Of course, there are those who read this passage and use it to promote baptismal regeneration, but the analogy of Scripture and the abundance of clear passages teach us that water baptism, as important as it is, does not save us. If that was true, then water baptism would be a part of the gospel message but the apostle Paul repudiates that idea in 1 Corinthians 1:14-17.

14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 that no man should say you were baptized in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void (emphasis mine).

The Cleansing of Naaman
(5:14)

So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

The immediate cleansing illustrates the complete and instantaneous nature of salvation. We note that he was cleansed “according to the Word.” Salvation is always and only according to the Word, and never according to our feelings or emotions or human reason (cf. Rom 16:25-26). He was cleansed instantly and completely so that his flesh became like that of a little child, but not only his flesh, but his heart also. He became a new creature by faith in the Lord of Elisha the prophet.

The Gratitude and Response of Naaman
(5:15-16)

When he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please take a present from your servant now.” 16 But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

These verses provide us with an illustration of the first fruits of salvation. First, he confessed and acknowledged his faith in the Lord (vs. 15). From a grateful heart he wanted to give a present to Elisha to express his appreciation for what God had done.

However, Elisha, carefully and wisely refuses. Why? Elisha had accepted help from the Shunammite woman and her husband, and Scripture teaches it is right for those who are taught the Word to share all good things with him who teaches (Gal. 6:6) So why did he refuse to accept a gift from Naaman? Because there were other implicating issues that would be compromised by receiving a gift at this time. He wanted Naaman and all those watching to know he was a servant of Yahweh and not like the greedy heathen priests in the service of Baal. He also wanted them to understand that salvation and all of God’s blessings are free, they cannot be bought nor can they be earned (Rev. 21:6; 22:1; Rom. 4:1-5; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:4-5). Elisha refused to take anything lest he compromise the name of God and His grace (cf. 1 Thess. 1:5; 2:5; 2 Thess. 3:7-8 with Phil. 4:15-17).

Naaman’s Concern Regarding His Master’s Worship
(5:17-19)

17 And Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no more offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD. 18 In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.” 19 And he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him some distance.

This certainly illustrates the kind of concern God’s people should have regarding their worship, their testimony and the appearance of evil. Naaman knew that he would have to return to his old environment and live in the midst of idolatry and evil. He was concerned that he might have a proper means of worship for he could no longer worship in the house of Rimmon. He would not compromise Yahweh. He needed a place and a means for worship, so he asked for permission (note the sudden change in attitude) to take two loads of soil back home. The exact reason is not specified, only implied. Some believe it was so he could erect an altar to Yahweh for a memorial or witness to the God of Israel in his own land. On this he could offer sacrifices as an evidence of his determination to forsake all other gods.

Another suggestion is, “Naaman asked Elisha whether two mule loads of Israelite soil might be taken with him back to Syria so that whenever circumstances forced him to bow ceremonially to the Aramean gods with his king, he might in reality be placing his knees in the soil of the true God of Israel.”⁵⁴ Regardless, Naaman was concerned about what God would think about his presence in the house of Rimmon.

Elisha’s only response was, “Go in peace.” This implies Elisha’s assurance that God understands. The issue was his attitude and heart. Perhaps this illustrates the principle of separation versus isolation. Believers are to infiltrate or penetrate the world for the Lord. As the Lord put it, we are to be in the world, but not of it (John 17:15-17).

So Naaman knew he would have to go back into the world and face the evil of that day. It was his responsibility, but he knew he needed fortification through the true worship of the true God if he was to be an effective witness.

---

45 Irving L. Jensen, II Kings With Chronicles, Moody Press, Chicago, 1968, p. 27.

46 The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 2, Merrill C. Tenney, general editor, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1975, p. 138.

47 Ibid, p. 138-139.

48 Ibid, p. 139.

49 1 John 1:8-10 deals with confession of three issues: (1) confession of the principle of sin, the fact of a sinful nature (vs. 8), (2) confession of the particular, personal sins (vs. 9), and (3) confession of the practice, we are sinners (vs. 10).

50 Jensen, p. 29.

51 Jensen, p. 28.

52 There are always those who claim that we are saved by human obedience, the obedience of water baptism and other good works. They seek to support this with passages like Acts 5:32, “. . . whom God has given to those who obey Him,” Romans 1:5 and 16:26, “the obedience of faith.” But the obedience mentioned in Acts 5:32 is obedience to the command to believe in Christ, to put one's faith in Him as an abundance of Scripture shows. Compare John 3:16-18, 36; 6:29; 1 John 3:23; and Acts 6:7, “were becoming obedient to the faith.” Further, Romans 1:5 and 16:26 can mean, “the obedience produced by faith,” or “the obedience which is faith.” The obedience required is faith, faith defines the obedience. In the light of Paul's theology of salvation and sanctification, probably both ideas were included in Paul's statements; his goal as an apostle was to bring men to faith in Christ, but then through their new life, to be full of good works. For the issue of water baptism, see the studies on “Assaults on the Gospel” in lesson 7, Part 3 of the ABCs Series,

53 Jensen, p. 29.

54 NIV Bible Commentary, electronic media.

1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us. 2 Please let us go to the Jordan, and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live.” So he said, “Go.” 3 Then one said, “Please be willing to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I shall go.” 4 So he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and made the iron float. 7 And he said, “Take it up for yourself.” So he put out his hand and took it.

Introduction

Chapters 6 through 8 continue the story of the ministry of Elisha in the midst of times of national decay and turmoil. Chapter 6 falls into two main sections. First, it continues the record of the wondrous works of Elisha: (a) he made iron swim (vss. 1-7), (b) he discloses the secret counsels of the king of Syria to the king of Israel (vss. 8-12), and (c) he delivers himself out of the hands of those who were sent to apprehend him (vss. 13-23). Second, it records the besiege of Samaria by the Syrians and the terrible distress the city was reduced to (vss. 24-33). Its relief forms another of the wonders accomplished through the word of Elisha, an accomplishment recorded in the next chapter. Elisha is seen as a great blessing from God to both God’s people and to the nation.

As we continue in our study, we must remember that these historical accounts of Elisha and Israel are not only true, but being a part of God’s God-breathed record, they are also profitable for doctrine or teaching, for reproof or exposure, for correction or restoration, and for training in righteousness that God’s people may be fitted out, equipped for every good work (ministry) in a hurting world (2 Tim. 3:16-17). This means these stories illustrate eternal truths that are relevant for today or any time in history.

While God has varied the way He works in human history from one economy to another, certain spiritual principles never vary, but are eternal as they speak of God’s character, care, providence, and man’s need to walk in righteousness by faith in the love and provision of God. With that in view, let’s begin to examine the condition and the character of the school of the prophets who were growing in numbers in these apostate days through the ministry of Elisha.

The Condition and
Character of the Sons of the Prophets

First, let’s not miss the fact that this account stands in contrast with the story of Gehazi. In contrast to the materialism, the unfaithfulness, and the hypocrisy of Gehazi, we are given a picture of a whole school of men who were faithful, sacrificial, and devoted to the spread of the Word of the God by working toward larger quarters to accommodate their growing numbers. Among God’s people, there are usually some Gehazi-like people, but we should never allow this to discourage us or cause us to become cynical, because if we will look around we can usually find those who are faithful. Our need, as the Lord exhorts us, is to pray to the Lord of the harvest to thrust these out into the fields (Luke 10:2). Or as in Elijah’s day--to get them out of the caves.

Second, we see that Elisha and the school of the prophets of God were growing. As in the ministry of our Lord and the disciples that followed him, the purpose of the ministry and miracles of both Elijah and Elisha was to authenticate the messenger as the one who was truly carrying the message of God. Though the miracles demonstrated God’s love for His people, the primary purpose was to demonstrate the futility of Baal and any way of life that departed from the Lord. God had warned them of this earlier in Deuteronomy with the promises of blessing for obedience and cursing for disobedience. Note what Samuel said in 1 Samuel 12:

20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And you must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile” (emphasis mine).

These were men who were hungry to know the Lord and be used of Him. I am reminded of what God did for Saul in the beginning of his ministry as king before he acted in self-willed rebellion. We read in 1 Samuel 10:26, “And Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him.” In 1 Chronicles 12:22, we are told of the men who “day by day came to David to help him until there was a great army like the army of God.” Later, in verse 32, we read, “And of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with the knowledge of what Israel should do, . . .” Undoubtedly, these prophets were men whose hearts God had touched, but they were also men who had an understanding of what Israel needed and what they should do--become effective heralds of the Word.

The college here spoken of seems to be that at Gilgal, for there Elisha was (ch. 4:38), and it was near Jordan; and, probably, wherever Elisha resided as many as could of the sons of the prophets flocked to him for the advantage of his instructions, counsels, and prayers. Every one would covet to dwell with him and be near him. Those that would be teachers should lay out themselves to get the best advantages for learning.⁶⁵

The school could just as well have been located at Jericho (see ch. 2:4f).

Third, we are told that the prophets told Elisha, “the place before you where we are living is too limited for us” (vs. 1). With growth we always experience growing pains, particularly the need for more space and resources to continue the growth of reaching, teaching, and building people in the Lord. Growth is always exciting and a desired commodity in ministry. It can be a sign of a spiritually-healthy church, but in our consumer-oriented society that so often depends on Madison Avenue tactics for growth, we must guard against evaluating success or the work of God by names, nickels, and noses.

The strength and value of any school or church is never its methods or it facilities or its nickels (financial resources) or names (who belongs to our church). What counts with the Lord is the message being proclaimed and the biblical change taking place in the character of the people as measured by the Word of God, our index for faith and practice. Bill Hull writes:

The all-too-common measure of greatness is the number of people gathered for worship. If 3,000 people gather, some may make the snap judgment “this is a great church.” Measuring greatness this way has two important flaws. First, numbers themselves do not indicate greatness. Large groups can gather for any number of events, such as lynchings, mob riots, or Tupperware parties. The more accurate observation concerning a large church gathering might be “the number of people gathered here indicates that those leading the church--pastor and the music leader--must be highly talented.” That would be a good and generally true judgment.

The second flaw of such a superficial measure is that you have asked the wrong question. “How many people are present?” The right question is “What are these people like?” What kind of families do they have, are they honest in business, are they trained to witness, do they know the Bible, are they penetrating their workplaces, their neighborhoods, reaching friends and associates for Christ? . . . ⁶⁶

Fourth, their approach to solving their problem of space shows us a lot about the character of these men, which also speaks highly of the quality and nature of their training. Though without much by way of financial resources (the lost axe head had to be borrowed), they were industrious and hard working. Their lack of resources did not stop them. Each man was willing to do his part to help meet the need. Yet they undoubtedly were ultimately resting in the resources God would supply. “It is not seeing the difficulties that prevents action, but failing to see the resources.”⁶⁷ They weren’t expecting someone else to do it for them. Further, their humility is seen in that what they were seeking to build was rather simple and rustic. They weren’t expecting or thinking they needed a marble palace. They simply wanted facilities that would meet their needs. “When they wanted room they did not speak of sending for cedars, and marble stones, and curious artificers, but only of getting every man a beam, to run up a plain hut or cottage with.”⁶⁸

Once upon a time there were four men named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. But Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it. But Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about it, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, and Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody and Nobody did the job that Anybody could have done in the first place. (anonymous)

Fifth, in their request for Elisha’s presence to accompany them, we see their wisdom and humility. Though they too were prophets, they realized their need of the wisdom and support of their mentor and teacher.

Finally, in the consternation of the man over the loss of his axe head, we see a refreshing picture of honesty, respect for the property of others, and trustworthiness. The lost axe head could have been ignored or blamed on chance or covered up in some way, but the words of the prophet, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed,” not only show his deep concern, but it demonstrates his integrity.

I have seen highly gifted young people, some who were in training preparing for the ministry, either lose or break equipment that had been borrowed (and without permission I might add) and never even mention it or offer to replace it. Giftedness can never replace integrity, for spiritual character is what is needed to authenticate our message. It shows that the message has impacted the messenger.

Note, we ought to be as careful of that which is borrowed as of that which is our own, that it receives no damage, because we must love our neighbour as ourselves and do as we would be done by. It is likely this prophet was poor, and had not wherewithal to pay for the axe, which made the loss of it so much the greater trouble. To those that have an honest mind the sorest grievance of poverty is not so much their own want or disgrace as their being by it rendered unable to pay their just debts.⁶⁹

The Concern
and Character of Elisha

Not only did Elisha give his permission for the project, but he was also willing to accompany them in order to lend his support and encouragement. It was an opportunity for on-the-job training and an opportunity to study these men in their work. It would aid his own ability to minister more effectively to his students. Pastors and teachers alike need opportunities to get to know their flock and to let their flock know them.

Not only did Elisha show interest and concern for the project as a whole, but he demonstrated his involvement even in the smallest of matters as in the loss of the axe head. Of course this incident was no small matter to the man who lost it, but in the final analysis it was a small thing. Rather than write it off as trivial, he reached out to this simple need. When Elisha stepped forward, inquired concerning the place where the axe head went into the water, and made the iron swim with the stick he cut, he was giving this entire school of prophets a wonderful illustration of the sovereign care and providence of God.

God is interested and cares about even the small and trivial incidents in our lives. He tells us to pray about everything and to cast all our cares on Him. Why? Because Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 5:7, “He cares for us.” This statement is given as part of the reason and motivation for submitting ourselves under God’s providential hand by casting all our cares, every single one on the Lord.

We might note two things about this statement as it is given in 1 Peter. First, the verb, “cares,” is in the present continuous tense, which here undoubtedly looks at a general truth about God. It reminds us that God always and constantly cares about us. It serves to remind us of God’s unchanging faithfulness and love. Life changes and seems terribly fickle, but God’s care is steadfast and unfailing. Indeed, it is new every morning (Lam. 3:21-23). Second, the Greek text is a little more emphatic than the English translation. Literally, the Greek text says, “for to Him, it is a care concerning you.” This not only says that He cares for us as His children, but that the whole of our care, which He wants us to cast on Him, is very much His personal concern.

The idea is simply this: “Anxiety is a self-contradiction to true humility. Unbelief is, in a sense, an exalting of self against God in that one is depending upon self and failing to trust God. Why worry therefore, if we are His concern? He is more concerned about our welfare than we could possibly be.”⁷⁰ Furthermore, He is infinitely more capable of caring for us than we are for ourselves.

Matthew 6:25-34 For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life’s span? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. 30 But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith? 31 Do not be anxious then, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “With what shall we clothe ourselves?” 32 For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In this passage the Lord Jesus used basically the same argument to counter anxiety and wrong priorities because of our proneness to anxiety and self-trust. There Jesus reminds us that if God so looks after the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, how much more will He not care for us as our Heavenly Father. The issue then is to put first things first, to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, to rest in His loving care, and not worry about tomorrow. That’s in God hands--even an axe head.

The miracle of the axe head illustrates how God uses our everyday circumstances to teach us about Himself and His providential purpose to work all things for our growth if we will only trust Him, and in that trust, have the vision to see Him at work.

Conclusion

Though the lessons are many, the primary lesson in the lost axe head that was made to float is its message concerning God’s relationship to us, especially as His people in the minutia or the small things of life. May I suggest three things for us to ponder about this primary lesson.

(1) God knows us intimately. No detail of our lives, no matter how small, escapes his loving and omniscient eyes. This is clear from Psalm 139. But this is not just a matter of information. It is a matter of an intimate knowing that stems from an intimate and personal love that has promised to never leave nor to forsake us.

(2) He cares about us. No matter what we may be facing, not only does He know it, but He cares and wants to use it to draw us to Himself, build our faith, and change our lives. The problem is, too often we only want God the Rewarder and not God the Reward; we want a solution, not a Savior or His solution. We must never divorce the responsibility of casting our cares on Him and the promise that He cares for us from the preceding verse, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God . . .”

“Humble yourselves” is not perhaps the best translation of the Greek text. Though this is a command and points to our responsibility to obey and respond, the verb in the Greek text is in the passive voice and would be better understood as “be humbled” or “allow yourselves to be humbled.” It is somewhat equivalent to “submit yourself to the humbling process of God.” But what exactly does it mean to allow yourself to be humbled?

Remember that God wants to bring us to the place of humility, which is the place of God dependence rather than arrogant independence where we seek to run our own lives. Dependence on the Lord honors God because it recognizes our need of Him and His authority, His sovereignty, and His right to direct our lives. Further, dependence is the place of blessing and fruitfulness; it is the branch depending on the Vine.

Suffering is one of the key subjects of 1 Peter. The word suffer or the concept of suffering occurs over 15 times in this book. Peter sees suffering or the trials and irritations of life as one of the necessary elements of life. Why is this?

Well, what does suffering do? As a loving Father, God uses suffering or the experience of the tests and trials as tools to get our attention and to cause us to grow. This is designed to turn us from depending on our human strategies to living by faith in Him. It forces our faith to the surface, puts it to work, and purifies us from a life of dependence on ourselves and our solutions by which we seek happiness as in possessing the details of life (cf. 1:6-9, 13-16, 17-21).

Trials, afflictions, and irritations are all designed by God to help us see our weakness and the insufficiency of our strategies that we might respond to God’s greatness!

On a visit to the Beethoven Museum in Bonn, a young American student became fascinated by the piano on which Beethoven had composed some of his greatest works. She asked the museum guard if she might play a few bars on it. To help persuade the guard, she also slipped him a lavish tip. The guard agreed and the girl went to the piano and tinkled out the opening of the Moonlight Sonata. As she was leaving she said to the guard, “I suppose all the great pianists who come here want to play on that piano.”

The guard shook his head and said, “Paderewski [the famed Polish pianist] was here a few years ago, and he said he wasn’t worthy to touch it.”

That young woman wanted the chance to play the piano that Beethoven had played, but what she got was a valuable lesson in humility. What is humility? Humility is a fitting response to greatness. That applies not only to how people respond to the likes of a unique person like Beethoven, but to how all of us should respond to God.

(3) He is gracious. In the miracle of the axe head, we are reminded again of how God is not only able to do super abundantly above all we are able to ask or think no matter how small or how large the problem, but He is available in His loving care to reach out to us in our need. This is not to suggest that He always will remove the problem or the pain, but it does stress that He is with us through the problem to comfort and give us strength to bear it.

There is a secondary, but still an important lesson to be learned in this story. It shows us the divine approval and value for God’s people to work hard and do things for themselves when they can. We always need to work in the strength which He supplies, but we must put our hands to axe and even reach into the water to pull out the floating axe head when God does work above the natural order of creation.

---

65 Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Bible, electronic version, Logos Research Systems.

66 Bill Hull, The Disciple Making Pastor, Fleming H. Revell, Old Tappan, NJ, 1988, pp. 12-13.

67 John White, Excellence in Leadership, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, 1986, p. 47,

68 Henry, electronic media.

69 Ibid.

70 Kenneth Wuest, 1 Peter in the Greek New Testament, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1942, p. 129.

Samaria Under Siege by Syria
(6:24--7:2)

24 Now it came about after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. 26 And as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27 And he said, “If the LORD does not help you, from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?” 28 And the king said to her, “What is the matter with you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 “So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.” 30 And it came about when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes--now he was passing by on the wall--and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath on his body. 31 Then he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today.”

32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man from his presence; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” 33 And while he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him, and he said, “Behold, this evil is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”

7:1 Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the LORD; thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine four shall be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’” 2 And the royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, “Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” Then he said, “Behold you shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”

The mention of the siege of Samaria in verse 24 stands in strong contrast to the peaceful conditions that had resulted from the ministry of Elisha. How much later, we are not told, but sometime later Ben-hadad besieged the city of Samaria. One of the messages of the prophets, and this was undoubtedly true of both Elijah and Elisha, was to remind Israel that God had promised blessing for obedience to His covenant with them, but cursing for disobedience. Certainly, the temporary lull brought about by the ministry of Elisha had been divinely designed to remind Israel of God’s steadfast love and ever present involvement with his people. God had sent and authenticated men like Elijah and Elisha by the miracles He performed through these men of God, but typically (especially in the northern kingdom) there was no evidence of repentance by Israel or her kings. So in keeping with His warning in Deuteronomy 28-30, God withdrew his protective hand. As a consequence Israel faced a full-scale Aramean (Syrian) invasion. The Arameans had been so successful they were able to penetrate the land of Israel and put the city of Samaria under siege.

The length and severity of the siege is seen in the extreme famine that led to such scarcity that a even a donkey’s head, on which there is very little meat, was sold for eighty shekels of silver (about two pounds of silver) and a fourth of a kab (an uncertain quantity) of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver (about two ounces). According to the Old Testament law, a donkey was an unclean animal and was not to be eaten under any conditions (see Lev. 11:2-7; Deut. 14:4-8), but the famine was so bad that they not only ignored the laws of uncleanness, but the least edible part of a donkey became very costly. The dove’s dung probably refers to small grain, hence, the NIV has, “a quarter of a kab of seed pods for five shekels,” though in the margin it reads, “dove’s dung.”

But matters grew even worse so that as the king was walking on the wall of the city, probably to inspect conditions, he came across a case of cannibalism. This obviously sickened his heart, but rather than repent of his own disobedience and failure to follow the Lord and accept the fact the famine was a judgment from God for Israel’s disobedience, he looked for scapegoat and not only blamed Elisha, but swore to see him put to death (vs. 31).

Instead of vowing to pull down the calves at Dan and Beth-el, or letting the law have its course against the prophets of Baal and of the groves, he swears the death of Elisha, v. 31.⁷³

Why he blamed Elisha is not stated. Perhaps he thought Elisha should have prayed for a miracle as he had done in the past. Or perhaps he looked back and thought Elisha should have ordered the death of the Syrians when they had them within the walls of their city. The NIV Bible Commentary has this to say of verses 31-33.

Enraged and blaming Elisha for the whole affair, he dispatched a messenger to seize and behead Elisha. When he had come to himself, however, he ran after his messenger, hoping to stay his hand. By divine insight Elisha knew the details of the whole episode and instructed certain elders who were with him to bar the door of the house until Jehoram could overtake his executioners. When the king arrived, he was admitted into the house. Convinced that the Lord had pronounced the doom of the city, Jehoram had all but given up any hope of the Lord’s deliverance. Yet perhaps his realization that all that had transpired was from the Lord carried with it the faintest hope that God would yet miraculously intervene. The restraint of the messenger and the king’s words hint at the faint hope of divine consolation. Such comfort Elisha would proceed to give.⁷⁴

That Elisha knew the king had changed his mind about his order for Elisha’s death is suggested by the fact Elisha had the elders hold the door against the messenger until the king arrived to revoke the order.

When the king arrived he not only admitted the famine was a judgment from the Lord, but he believed things were so helpless that there could be no solution other than to surrender to the Syrians. Elisha had undoubtedly told the king to repent and wait on the Lord for deliverance, but the king in his unbelief was ready to throw in the towel.

Regardless, the Lord reached out in His grace and mercy and revealed through Elisha that deliverance (the end of the famine and the inflation) would come miraculously on the very next day (7:1). But how could such a sudden deliverance take place? The king undoubtedly believed it for there was no comment from him and he certainly was no longer seeking to take Elisha’s life, but his first officer scoffed at Elisha’s promise just as men today scoff at the promises of the Word.

The aide’s words are filled with ridicule and heaped with sarcasm, as if to say, “Oh sure, The Lord is even now making windows in heaven! So what? Could this word of yours still come to pass?” Whether the aide thought of the biblical phrase (Ge 7:11) or of the heavenly windows of the Baal fertility cult is uncertain. In any case he was skeptical of the whole thing.

The prophet assured Jehoram’s aide that not only would the prophecy come true, but the officer would see it with his own eyes. However, he would not eat any of it! His faithless incredulity would cause him to miss God’s blessing on the people.⁷⁵

In this scenario, the king despaired and his first officer mocked. Things seem totally impossible. But our extremities are God’s opportunities to demonstrate His power for His own purposes that we might learn He is able to do super abundantly above all we can ask or even think (Eph. 3:20). But consistently, the Lord acts for his people when they come to the end of themselves and find their strength is gone. (Deut. 32:36; 2 Cor. 12:9-10).

Finally, Elisha’s words to the royal officer poses a warning to all of us. He told the officer that though he would witness the miraculous provision, he would not be able to eat of it (see 7:17-18). When we fail to believe the promises of God, we fail to experience the blessings of God whether for salvation or in sanctification.

Hebrews 3:16-19 For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

The Restitution of
the Shunammite’s Land
(8:1-6)

1 Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go with your household, and sojourn wherever you can sojourn; for the LORD has called for a famine, and it shall even come on the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God, and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 And it came about at the end of seven years, that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went out to appeal to the king for her house and for her field. 4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things that Elisha has done.” 5 And it came about, as he was relating to the king how he had restored to life the one who was dead, that behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life, appealed to the king for her house and for her field. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 When the king asked the woman, she related it to him. So the king appointed for her a certain officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land even until now.”

In the previous chapter, the northern kingdom experienced a wonderful deliverance and example of the love and power of God, but how quickly they forgot and returned to their idolatrous ways. Here Elisha predicts another famine, which for Israel was a matter of divine judgment for their refusal to return to the Lord and walk with Him according to His Word. And certainly, many believe this is also true with the seeming rise in the number of catastrophic events our nation has been experiencing over the past twenty or so year. Some 15 years ago J. Vernon McGee wrote:

Frankly I believe that the different tragedies that have struck our land in recent years have been a warning to our nation. The earthquakes, hurricanes, storms, and other tragedies that have swept across our land have, I think, been warnings from God to stop and think and change our ways.⁷⁶

Things haven’t gotten any better. The tragedies just seem to grow all across our land. But are we listening? No! We just want to blame these tragedies on things like global warming (which is probably a hoax promoted by special interest groups or people with certain political agendas) and on warm currents in the Pacific Ocean like El Nio.

With this prophetic revelation given to the Shunammite woman about the famine, we have another contrast in the narrative of the ministry of Elisha. The royal officer scoffed at the prophetic word of the prophet and failed to experience its blessing. But this godly woman of faith, representing the believing remnant in Israel, believed the prophetic word of the prophet and because she acted on her faith and obeyed and left the country, she was blessed and escaped the famine.

Just as Elisha had prophesied, at the end of seven years the famine came to an end and the woman returned to her home from the land of the Philistines. When she returned home, however, she found others were living on her land so she appealed to the king for her house and her field (vs. 3).

As a wonderful illustration of God’s providential care, the king had been talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, about the great things Elisha had done. And as God would have it in His sovereign care, just as “he was relating to the king how he had restored to life the one who was dead, that behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life, appealed to the king for her house and for her field. And Gehazi said, ‘My lord, O king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life’” (vs. 5). That we might clearly see the emphasis here on God’s sovereign care, the text has the word “behold,” a particle of interjection (the Hebrew, henneh) to arrest the attention, “behold, look, see.”

With the wonderful story of God’s resurrection power and loving care and the sudden appearance of this woman with her son, the king, on hearing of her need, immediately restored “all that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land even until now” (vs. 6).

This story clearly illustrates the steadfast love and providential care of God for His people, especially those who walk with Him by faith. We must not conclude from this, however, that the Lord always warns us of famine and restores what we have lost. It simply declares God’s love, concern, power, and ability to do beyond all we can ask or think. Sometimes that means in another time and other ways. No place better expresses the issues here than the author of Hebrews in chapter eleven. Before recounting a long list of those who walked by faith, many of whom were tortured or died for their faith (11:35-40), he wrote:

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. ¹⁴ People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them (NIV).

At the end of this long list, we read these words,

³⁹ These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. ⁴⁰ God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect (NIV).

Think what would have happened if the Father had delivered His Son from the cross when He cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Rather, He delivered His Son in a better time and in a better way through His glorious resurrection after He had successfully born our sin on the cross. Consequently,

Rom. 5:1-5 . . . having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Do you remember the story about how England was to receive news of the results of the Battle of Waterloo from a previous lesson? Men were stationed on the shores of Europe to flash a signal while men on the English side watched so they could pass the word. If Napoleon won there were to be two flashes; if Wellington won there would be three. Finally, during the night the signals came--first one, then a second, but before the third could be given, that famous fog settled across the channel. The English thought Wellington had been defeated, but at daybreak the truth of the matter was received--Napoleon had been defeated.

That’s the way life is. In this life we often seem defeated, our prayers seem unanswered and our work unrewarded, but God does care and is involved in all the details of our lives. For now, we may not be removed from the famine, have our property restored to us, or a spouse or child, but when the Morning Star arises, that is, when the Lord Jesus comes, He who ends the night and brings the light of day will show us He has answered in a better time and in a better way. It is then that the answer to our prayers will be seen and our work surely rewarded, but in a better time and in a better way.

Elisha Predicts the Treason of Hazael
(8:7-15)

7 Then Elisha came to Damascus. Now Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and it was told him, saying, “The man of God has come here.” 8 And the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 9 So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand, even every kind of good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ loads; and he came and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’” 10 Then Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall surely recover,’ but the LORD has shown me that he will certainly die.” 11 And he fixed his gaze steadily on him until he was ashamed, and the man of God wept. 12 And Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” Then he answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword, and their little ones you will dash in pieces, and their women with child you will rip up.” 13 Then Hazael said, “But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?” And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.” 14 So he departed from Elisha and returned to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me that you would surely recover.” 15 And it came about on the morrow, that he took the cover and dipped it in water and spread it on his face, so that he died. And Hazael became king in his place.

In this story, we see not only the remarkable way God used the prophet, but we get a glimpse at the heart of the prophet and his love for the people to whom God had sent him to minister, the northern kingdom of Israel. We also see in this story the impact Elisha had made even on his enemies. Ben-hadad, king of Syria, had attempted to capture and kill Elisha, but now the king is old and sick. He is informed that Elisha was in Damascus so he sends Hazael, his trusted servant, to take a gift to Elisha (whom he interestingly calls “the man of God”) and inquire regarding the king’s recovery.

Now think about this a moment. What does this tell us about the heart of man? This king had respect for Elisha. He knew the prophet was truly a man of God and knew things ordinary men could not know. He had heard of the miracles God performed through the prophet and evidently believed they were of God for he called him “the man of God.” Regardless, he refused to repent and turn to the God of Israel. He continued to pursue a path of unbelief and idolatry. Why? Was it because of the moral twist so prevalent in men that even when faced with the truth men reject it because they want to pursue their own lifestyle?

Fearing death and hoping the arrival of the prophet was fortuitous, the king thought he could buy the services of Elisha. He was not simply hoping Elisha could tell him of his recovery, but that perhaps Elisha might restore him to health. But what he could not know was that the prophet’s presence was somehow related to the Lord’s instructions to Elijah relative to dynastic change, both in Damascus and in Samaria. In Kings 19:15-17 God had sent Elijah to anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. Hazael had been anointed king many years earlier. As McGee says, speaking of Hazael,

. . . he is just waiting around for old Ben-hadad to die. You can well understand that it would be very difficult for the king’s successor--whether it be a son, a general, or someone else--to shed very many tears at his funeral because it was his funeral that would bring his successor to power. So Hazael went out to meet Elisha, but I don’t think he went with a great deal of enthusiasm.⁷⁷

When Elisha and Hazael met, Hazael gave Elisha the king’s request, “Will I recover from this sickness?” But Elisha’s answer sounds like a riddle or an enigma. He replied, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall surely recover,’ but the Lord has shown me that he will certainly die.” In other words, “you will surely recover, but you won’t live.” What was Elisha saying? Elisha knew Hazael’s character. He knew he had just been waiting in the wings for the king to die and that he would use this as an opportunity to play ‘Doctor Death’ even though he could recover. So Elisha predicts the treason of Hazael.

Though Israel, the northern kingdom had been persistently rebellious and idolatrous with no time of repentance in the face of one miracle after another, Elisha never stopped loving his people. We never see him displaying bitterness or impatience or giving up. He weeps over the prospects of what he knows Hazael will do to Israel (vs. 12). Like our Lord who wept over Jerusalem, Elisha wept over Israel.

Do we not need such a heart today in our ministry to individuals and to churches? How did Elisha manage to keep such a heart? Remember, Elijah wanted to throw in the towel and he became seriously despondent over the conditions in Israel, but not Elisha. I have no way to prove this, but I suspect that as his mentor Elijah shared this with Elisha who learned from Elijah’s experience to keep his focus on the Lord rather than on his hopes or the actions of the people. He managed to rest in the still small voice of God’s Word and God’s sovereign plan.

Verses 11-15 concludes this story of treason as prophetically seen by the prophet. Verse 11 tells us Elisha stared steadily into the eyes of Hazael until he was ashamed. Hazael could tell Elisha knew the selfish and devilish thoughts he was thinking as he anticipated stepping into the role of king. But Elisha’s gaze soon turned to weeping. This surprised Hazael, who then inquired as to the reason for his weeping.

In answer to Hazael’s question, Elisha indicated that he wept for the great barbarity that Hazael, as Aram’s next king, would inflict on Israel. Despite Hazael’s protests to the contrary, such would indeed be the case (cf. 10:32-33; 13:3).

Doubtless Elisha’s assurances to Hazael that he would be the next king of Damascus gave pretext to him that he had a mandate to be carried out. When he returned to the palace, he told his master the good news: the king would surely recover. However, the next day opportunity came to carry out the long-standing purpose. Having smothered the king, he assumed the throne.⁷⁸

The Death of Elisha
(13:14-21)

Even in his final days and in his death, God used the prophet to demonstrate that the God of Israel, Yahweh, was the true God and that the prophets of God who proclaim God’s truth are sources of strength and life to the nation. Again we must emphasize the miracles of Elisha (as with Elijah) were designed to demonstrate this fact and to call Israel to repentance and faith. They were messengers authenticating the message of God.

This fact is here stressed even in the death of the prophet by the context. In verses 10-13, we have reference to the reigns of Joash king of Judah and of the sixteen-year reign of Jehoash who became king over Israel in Samaria. But note what the record reveals regarding Jehoash: “And he did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin, but he walked in them.”

It is in this context that we read of two final miraculous acts of the prophet: the prophecy of the victories of Jehoash and the death of Elisha and the miracle at his tomb. Note that the “Joash” of the NASB and KJV is a variant form of Jehoash and should not be confused with the Joash of Judah mentioned in verse 1.

The Prophecies of the Victories of Jehoash (vss. 14-19)

14 When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” And he put his hand on it, then Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” And he shot. And he said, “The LORD’s arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram; for you shall defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them.” 18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. 19 So the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.”

In verse 14 we read of the visit that Jehoash made to see the prophet when he was ill.

Elisha the prophet now reenters the narrative. He was suffering from a terminal illness. Out of respect for this man of God, King Jehoash paid him a visit. The fact that the king wept over him reveals that though Jehoash followed in the ways of Jeroboam I (v. 11) he also revered Yahweh. He anticipated the great loss that the death of this servant of God would be to Israel. He regarded Elisha as superior to himself, calling him my father in true humility. By the phrase the chariots and horsemen of Israel, he showed that he recognized in Elisha, and behind him in the Lord, the real defense and power of Israel against all her adversaries. Elisha had used the same expressions himself when Elijah’s ministry was terminated by God (2:12).⁷⁹

Elisha had been a tower of strength to the nation and he was highly respected. The king knew he would be missed, but again, we see how men in high places are often so dominated by their love for power and position and possessions that they refuse to allow the testimony of men of God to impact their lives to the degree that they will wholly turn to the Lord and follow Him in faith. Many of our own leaders have been influenced by well-known men of God like Billy Graham, but not to the degree that it transformed them from capricious politicians into statesmen as was the case with so many of the founding fathers of this country.

But let’s not just point to our political arena. Where do these political leaders come from? They come from the homes of the populace--from people like you and me. In other words we have reaped what we have sown. So the question is, how responsive are we to the testimony and ministry of the godly men and women of this country who have ministered to us through their lives, their writings, and their teaching? This, of course, includes godly parents and teachers where we have had the privilege of that kind of influence at home and in the classroom.

With verse 15, Elisha gives his last prophecy. The NIV Bible Commentary says:

15-20a Elisha instructed Israel’s king to pick up his bow. When he had done so, the prophet placed his own hands on those of the king, thereby indicating that what he was about to do would be full of spiritual symbolism. That act was the shooting of an arrow out the east window--toward Aram. Elisha explained the deed: Jehoash would win a total victory at Aphek against Arameans. But the divine promise was to be augmented by personal participation. Accordingly, Jehoash was told next to shoot arrows into the ground; obviously victory at Aphek was to be followed by subsequent victories over the hated Arameans. Jehoash obediently complied, but with his own reasoning powers. He struck the ground three times with his arrows rather than using the five or six arrows that he had with him. Elisha was justifiably angry with the king. Had he used all his arrows, the Arameans would have been completely vanquished. Now Jehoash would gain but three victories. With this pronouncement the aged prophet had finished his earthly course.⁸⁰

In other words, even though he had seen the power of God in the life and ministry of Elisha and appreciated the prophet, Jehoash had failed to completely trust God even though he knew what God had promised.

The Death of Elisha and the Miracle at His Tomb (vss. 20-21)

20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.

Soon thereafter Elisha died. His ministry spanned at least 56 years, having begun as a servant of Elijah during Ahab’s reign (which ended in 853 B.C.) and dying during Jehoash’s reign (which began in 798 B.C.). After his body was wrapped in linen cloths, the prophet was probably buried in a cave or tomb hewn out of a rock as were most of the early Israelites (v. 21).⁸¹

Some time later some men were laying another man’s body to rest near Elisha’s tomb. They were surprised by a group of Moabite raiders who were apparently going to rob whomever they met. To flee quickly, the Israelite pallbearers removed the stone in front of Elisha’s tomb, threw the corpse of their friend in the tomb, and retreated. When the new corpse touched Elisha’s he came to life and stood up on his feet. Evidently the men who placed the body in Elisha’s tomb observed this. Doubtless they told their story far and wide, and it probably reached the ears of Jehoash for whom this miracle seems to have been intended primarily. Such a sign of the power of God working even through His prophet’s corpse may have both encouraged the king as he anticipated his battles with the Arameans and rebuked him for his lack of faith (cf. comments on vv. 18-19).⁸²

In Elisha’s death, we see not only the miracle of resurrection in anticipation of the life and ministry of Christ, but we see anther vital principle. The mention of the invading Moabite raiders immediately upon the death of Elisha is instructive. I believe it shows us that a nation can expect divine judgment in the form of spiritual and moral degeneration, as well as other forms of judgment, when there is the removal of God’s faithful teachers of the Word, or when there is a famine of sound theological teaching that instructs people about God and how to know and love him.

But why does God do this? For the same reason that parents who loves their children will discipline them--to correct their behavior. God disciplines us to draw us back to Himself, which is always the place of blessing and peace.

Conclusion

In bringing the study in the life of Elisha to a close, we perhaps would do well to look at the main emphasis seen throughout his life and work. The main emphasis all through his ministry is that of resurrection and hope of new life. J. Sidlow Baxter has an excellent summary of this. He wrote:

The nation has now sunk into such a state that it can scarcely be recovered except by something equal to resurrection. Therefore, through the ministry of Elisha, the people are given to see, in a succession of symbolic miracles, the power of resurrection at work, and the hope of new life which is theirs in Jehovah, if they but return to him.

Just let the mind run through some of Elisha’s miracles. See how characteristic is this suggestion of life out of death (i.). His very first miracle is the healing of the death-giving waters of Jericho, so that what had given death now gave life (ii.). Then comes the saving of the armies from death by miraculous water supply (iii.). And in the next chapter we find the raising of the Shunammite woman’s son from death to new life (iv.). This is followed by the healing of the poisoned pottage: “Death in the pot” is changed to life and wholesomeness (iv.). And in the same chapter we have the miraculous multiplication of the barley loaves. Then comes the healing of Naaman, by that symbolic baptism in Jordan, with its washing away of death, and the coming up in new life (v.). The miracle of the recovered axe-head, which next follows, speaks of the same thing in a different way. “The iron did swim”--a new life-power overcoming the downward pull of death. Finally, not to mention the intervening miracles, we have the strange miracle in which the man is brought to life at Elisha’s grave, by accidental contact with the deceased prophet’s bones. The emphasis on resurrection and new hope running through these miracles is surely clear to see.⁸³

We might also ask, as we reflect on the life and ministry of both Elijah and Elisha--why so many miracles? Again let me quote Baxter:

The very fact that the ministries of Elijah and Elisha were so full of supernatural wonders is itself intense with meaning. God is meeting a critical situation by super-normal measures. Apostate and degenerate as the nation has become, a final bid shall be made, by special messengers and startling miraculous signs, to recall the sinning people to Jehovah and to the true faith of Israel. Even to the last, God will seek to turn His idolatry-infatuated people from their corruptions, and thus avert the culminating catastrophe of the Dispersion which must otherwise overtake them.

Alas, the louder the warning and the clearer the sign, the deafer and blinder do the unwilling people become! “The heart of this people is waxed gross.”⁸⁴

Though miracles are recorded throughout the Bible, they are the exception, not the norm. The clusters of miracles as seen with Moses, with Elijah and Elisha, in the ministry of Christ, and with the Apostles and the early church were designed as God’s special means to authenticate the messenger and his message. But as Baxter points out, very often, “the louder the warning and the clearer the sign, the deafer and blinder do the unwilling people become.”

In Luke 16, our Lord made this point clear Himself in the story of the rich man and the poor man named Lazarus. When the rich man found himself suffering in Hades, he asked if someone could go to his brothers to warn them. Abraham’s answered,

“They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.” 30 But he said, “No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!” 31 But he said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.”

The man thought such a miracle would surely convince them. But the answer given to him was, not so. It is ultimately a matter of the heart’s willingness to listen and believe the message of the Bible. Miracles were designed to authenticate the message, but if people will not be persuaded by the message, then their lives will not change. Miracles aren’t the change agents; it is the Bible’s message of God’s love and grace in the person and work of Christ as revealed by the Holy Spirit that changes lives.

---

73 Ibid.

74 NIV Bible Commentary, electronic media.

75 Ibid.

76 J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. II, Joshua—Psalms, Thru the Bible Radio, 1982, p. 390.

77 Ibid.

78 NIV Bible Commentary, electronic media.

79 The Bible Knowledge Commentary, OT Edition, John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck, editors, Victor Books, electronic version, Logos Research Systems.

80 NIV Bible Commentary, electronic version.

81 The Bible Knowledge Commentary, electronic version.

82 Ibid.

83 J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore the Book: A Basic and Broadly Interpretative Course of Bible Study from Genesis to Revelation, Vol. 2, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1960, pp. 129-130.

84 Ibid., p. 127.

The Subject/Complement and Exegetical Outline

Before we can state the subject/complement we need to explain the division of 1:12-26. You will recall, in the exposition of 1:12-26, that we split it up into two separate lessons, i.e., 1:12-18a and 1:18b-26. The outline we gave you in each of these lessons, however, included both sections. It went as follows:

A. Paul’s Circumstances (1:12-18a)

1. The Advancement of the Gospel through Preaching (1:12-14)

a. General Statement about Paul’s Circumstances (1:12)

b. The Whole Imperial Guard Knows (1:13)

c. Other Brothers Speak the Word (1:14)

2. The Motivations for Preaching (1:15-18a)

a. General Statement about Preaching (1:15)

b. Preaching from Right Motives (1:16)

c. Preaching from Wrong Motives (1:17)

d. The Result: Christ is Preached! (1:18a)

B. Paul’s Attitude of Rejoicing (1:18b-26)

1. In Light of His Expectations (18b-21)

a. To Be Vindicated (1:18b-19)

b. To Exalt Christ (1:20-21)

2. In Light of His Future (1:22-26)

a. Regarding Productive Ministry (1:22-23)

b. Regarding Ministry to the Philippians (1:24-26)

We will need to prepare two separate lessons from this material. Therefore, we will take the first section (i.e., everything under section A.) and prepare an exegetical outline from it as follows (We will prepare an outline for the second section in the next lesson.):

A. The Advancement of the Gospel through Preaching (1:12-14)

1. General Statement about Paul’s Circumstances (1:12)

2. The Whole Imperial Guard Knows (1:13)

3. Other Brothers Speak the Word (1:14)

B. The Motivations for Preaching (1:15-18a)

1. General Statement about Preaching (1:15)

2. Preaching from Right Motives (1:16)

3. Preaching from Wrong Motives (1:17)

4. The Result: Christ is Preached! (1:18a)

Subject/Complement: The way Paul responded when he was imprisoned for the sake of the gospel was to rejoice that the gospel was being preached, both by those who did it sincerely and by those who did it for selfish reasons.

The Teaching/Preaching Outline

Underlying Question: How did Paul respond to the adverse conditions of his imprisonment and the preaching of the gospel?

Underlying Homiletical Question: How should we respond when things do not go well.

Homiletical Subject/Complement (Big Idea): When things do not go well, look for God’s hand in your circumstances and rejoice whenever Christ is exalted!

A. Look for God’s Hand in Your Circumstances (1:12-14)

1. God’s Hand and the Measuring Rod of the Gospel (1:12)

The point here is that by relating our lives to the advance of the gospel we can see God’s hand. The “gospel” here refers to the preaching of the message among the unsaved as well as the living of it among the saved. God works in both situations in light of the advance of the gospel—either the salvation of those who are not yet part of his family, or the sanctification of those who are.

2. See Your Circumstances as an Opportunity for the Advance of the Gospel Among the Unsaved (1:13)

3. See Your Circumstances as an Opportunity for the Advance of the Gospel Among the Saved (1:14)

B. Rejoice Whenever Christ Is Exalted (1:15-18a)

1. Recognize That There Are Two Kinds of People in Your Life (1:15-17)

a. Introduction (1:15)

a. Those Who Are For You and the Gospel (1:16)

b. Those Who Oppose You and the Gospel (1:17)

2. Rejoice Whenever Christ Is Exalted (1:18a)

We could also take this outline and develop it along three major divisions, each one beginning with an “R.” We might title the lesson something like: “When things go ‘south,’ remember the “Three R’s.”

A. Recognize God’s Hand in Your Circumstances (1:12-14)

1. God’s Hand and the Measuring Rod of the Gospel (1:12)

2. See Your Circumstances as Opportunity for the Gospel Among the Unsaved (1:13)

3. See Your Circumstances as Opportunity for the Gospel Among the Saved (1:14)

B. Realize That There Are Two Kinds of People in Your Life (1:15-17)

1. Introduction (1:15)

2. Those Who Are For You and the Gospel (1:16)

3. Those Who Oppose You and the Gospel (1:17)

C. Rejoice Whenever Christ Is Exalted (1:18a)