Archives by: Gary Hoag

Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so.“Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”

Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. 2 Kings 13:15-21

“Two episodes appear respectively in which the dying Elisha performs a symbolic act to ensure Jehoash’s victory over the Arameans, and which relate the miraculous resurrection of a dead man who is cast into Elisha’s tomb.

Both episodes emphasize the power of the prophet, but they also related to the overarching theme of Aramean oppression in Israel in the Omride and Jehu periods… The first episode presents Joash’s visit to the dying Elisha…

By shooting an arrow out the eastern window of the house where Elisha resides, Joash dramatizes the arrows that he will shoot against Aram and effectively make his shot an “arrow of victory” over Aram…

The second episode provides another example of the prophet’s extraordinary power by portraying the resurrection of a man whose body came into contact with that of the prophet… The resurrection motif is characteristic of the Elijah and Elisha traditions.”

Marvin A. Sweeney in I & II Kings: A Commentary (Old Testament Library; Louisville: WJKP, 2007) 358-360.

This is an interesting set of stories at the end of the life of Elisha and after his death. What unites them in my mind is the touch of the prophet. In the one instance, Elisha touches the hands of the king and the “arrow of victory” flows from it. In the other case, a dead man touches his bones and experiences healing. But how does this relate to us?

The touch of God’s worker brings victory and gives life. This is the message we can’t miss and the end of the life of Elisha.

Sure there’s an odd human element in the two episodes. But there’s a lesson in that layer too. In the first part, Elisha gives the king some arrows and says “Shoot” and he stops after three. God’s worker got upset with him because He did not do as instructed.

But we do that, don’t we? We walk with God and then maybe we stop reading the Word or stop doing the things we know we need to do.

Then the raiders do as they should not do (raiding, that is) and yet the touch from even the bones of God’s worker brings life. What’s the point? Life is found in God for everyone. Again, the touch of God’s worker brings victory and gives life!

We will only experience victory to the measure of our faith (like the king), and the life we find in God is for everyone, not just the deserving people (such as raiders). So, the last message of Elisha should inspire us to serve others in a way that brings a holy touch that points people to grow in faith and have victory. And may our legacy after we are gone, still be life giving to those who are touched.

This concludes my exploration of the life of Elijah and Elisha. I am in a season of service where I feel I can relate to them so I studied them closely. I pray you too have been touched by the lessons they have taught me which I have tried to share generously. With you!

“At dusk [the four lepers] got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives. The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also. Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.” 2 Kings 7:5-9

“As he had done when Elisha was surrounded at Dothan, God defeated his enemies with an unseen army.

Imagine the look on the faces of this leprous quartet as they sneaked to the edge of the enemy camp! There, spread before them, was enough food and water to feed an army. And not just food, either. There was enough of everything an army needs to wage war: tents, horses, donkeys, weapons, armor, silver, and gold. But the whole camp was quiet and still. Not one single soldier was stirring.

So the lepers blinked, looked at one another with wide eyes, and realized taht they were rich beyond their wildest dreams!

The experienced – and this is the first point to draw from this passage – the surpassing joy of finding good news… The lepers ran from tent to tent, looting with abandon. It was like the world’s biggest shopping spree. They must have been deliriously happy – rummaging through the sacks, trying on clothes, munching on snacks, guzzling wine. “Hey look at this!” one might have said as he opened a purse of God. “these must be worth a fortune!” Or, “Check this out! I’ve been needing a new robe.”

The whole giddy experience can be summarized in a single phrase full of spiritual significance: “This is a day of good news”… Good news is meant to be shared. Consider: when was the last time you heard really good news and kept it to yourself? Probably never.

Good news always travels fast, which is why the lepers started to have second thoughts… If the king ever found out that they had kept the good news to themselves (not to mention the plunder), their lives would be forfeit… These men realized that keeping good news to oneself is a sin and thus they felt the urgent necessity of sharing good news.”

Philip Graham Ryken in 2 Kings (REC; Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2019) 138-140.

This is such a powerful scene. God defeats another enemy with an unseen army. Then, indescribable wealth and untold favor fall upon the least likely characters: four lepers.

Don’t miss what happens. They label it good news and resolve that the only right thing to do is to share the news (and the spoils) with others. This is a great lesson of generosity.

We need to be like those lepers. We are undeserving. So, as God supplies us with wealth, though our proclivity may be to keep it for ourselves, to honor the King the only right thing to do is enjoy and share it.

Assess your situation? Do you have more than enough? Pick a person or ministry with whom you might choose to share more generously today. Celebrate this situation as good news and share generously!

The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet.” And he said, “Go.” Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?” “I will,” Elisha replied. And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!” The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it. 2 Kings 6:1-7

“Miracles are done to be a sign, indicator, a witness to so great a salvation that comes only in Christ our Savior. The ensign in this episode with Elisha is that it was the wood of a tree that was cut off (a representation of the work of Christ) that was the key to resurrecting the iron from the depths of the river Jordan. The same portrait of wood that we can see when the children of Israel thirsted in the wilderness, and the Lord told Moses to cast a tree (same word) into the poisoned water to make it sweet and drinkable (Exodus 15:25). The wood stick of the tree represents the efficacious power of Christ in the water whereby Christ redeems it making it clean. Elisha, a type of Christ, uses this same stick cut off so that the axe head can be redeemed from being lost. In other words, it was because of the stick cast into Jordan (representing death) that the iron did float and thus could be retrieved by God’s servant.”

Tony Warren in “The Miracle of Elisha and the Floating Axe Head.”

This miracle illustrates the work of Jesus Christ for us on the cross. What does it have to do with generosity?

The tree serves as a sign, indicator, and witness to the payment of the debt we could not repay, that is, generous deliverance from death to life.

Notice how Elisha tossed the tree on the spot where the axehead fell. Likewise, may our generosity go toward lifting the lost as a sign, indicator, and witness to our faith.

For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah. 1 Kings 17:16

“See the faithfulness of divine love. You observe that this woman had daily necessities. She had herself and her son to feed in a time of famine; and now, in addition, the prophet Elijah was to be fed too. But though the need was threefold, yet the supply of meal wasted not, for she had a constant supply. Each day she made calls upon the barrel, but yet each day it remained the same. You, dear reader, have daily necessities, and because they come so frequently, you are apt to fear that the barrel of meal will one day be empty, and the cruse of oil will fail you.

Rest assured that, according to the Word of God, this shall not be the case. Each day, though it bring its trouble, shall bring its help; and though you should live to outnumber the years of Methuselah, and though your needs should be as many as the sands of the seashore, yet shall God’s grace and mercy last through all your necessities, and you shall never know a real lack. For three long years, in this widow’s days, the heavens never saw a cloud, and the stars never wept a holy tear of dew upon the wicked earth: famine, and desolation, and death, made the land a howling wilderness, but this woman never was hungry, but always joyful in abundance. So shall it be with you.

You shall see the sinner’s hope perish, for he trusts his native strength; you shall see the proud Pharisee’s confidence totter, for he builds his hope upon the sand; you shall see even your own schemes blasted and withered, but you yourself shall find that your place of defence shall be the munition of rocks: “Your bread shall be given you, and your water shall be sure.” Better have God for your guardian, than the Bank of England for your possession. You might spend the wealth of the Indies, but the infinite riches of God you can never exhaust.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon in Morning and Evening, Evening Reading for 28 February.

It’s been rewarding to mine the stories of Elijah and Elisha in the thinking of classic writers and biblical commentators. In a time of famine God constantly supplied.

Here Spurgeon reminds us that trusting God to provide our daily necessities for sharing and enjoyment is putting our confidence in a guardian better than the Bank of England.

We only figure it out when we live it out that the infinite riches of God can never be exhausted. Like the prophet we discover that we don’t end up empty but perpetually enriched.

Do most Christians rest assured or do they appear as restless? Does their stewardship reveal that they live in fear of scarcity rather than practicing and promoting the joy of abundance?

Next time you see the sand by a seashore remember this. Though your needs seem to outnumber the grains of sand, you shall never know real lack, because in Christ you have all you need.

My time with Rob and Bev Martin has been priceless, sharing stories, celebrating God’s faithfulness, and testifying to His goodness. I pray God gives me a double portion of Rob’s faith.

Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two. Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. 2 Kings 2:12-14

“It is not wrong to depend upon Elijah as long as God gives him to you, but remember the time will come when he will have to go; when he stands no more to you as your guide and leader, because God does not intend he should. You say – “I cannot go on without Elijah.” God says you must.

Alone at your Jordan – Jordan is the type of separation where there is no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one can take the responsibility for you. You have to put to the test now what you learned when you were with your Elijah. You have been to Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are up against it alone. It is no use saying you cannot go; this experience has come, and you must go. If you want to know whether God is the God you have faith to believe Him to be, then go through your Jordan alone.”

Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest reading for 11 August.

Sometimes God gives us people in our lives for a season to mentor and guide us, to coach and counsel us. And sometimes he removes them.

I’m on a short trip to the Midwest, meeting with a foundation and some GTP supporters in Michigan and Illinois this week. One person I will meet with today is Rob Martin. If I am Elisha, He’s been like an Elijah to me helping launch GTP. Of course his wife Bev, and my wife, Jenni, have been a huge help too. More recently Rob stepped down from the board as he is getting up in years, but I want to spend some quality time with him.

Perhaps you can relate? So, what do we do, if we want to follow in the footsteps of people in our lives who remind us of Elijah. The answer is to learn what we can from them and then boldly go through our Jordan alone with confidence that the God who was with them will be with us too.

Let us give thanks for such people as our generous God gives them to us, and when He removes them from our lives, we follow the example they set for us and serve generously.

“And [Elisha] said, “This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. 2 Kings 3:16-17

“The armies of the three kings were famishing for want of water: God was about to send it, and in these words the prophet announced the coming blessing. Here was a case of human helplessness: not a drop of water could all the valiant men procure from the skies or find in the wells of earth. Thus often the people of the Lord are at their wits’ end; they see the vanity of the creature, and learn experimentally where their help is to be found. Still the people were to make a believing preparation for the divine blessing; they were to dig the trenches in which the precious liquid would be held.

The church must by her varied agencies, efforts, and prayers, make herself ready to be blessed; she must make the pools, and the Lord will fill them. This must be done in faith, in the full assurance that the blessing is about to descend. By-and-by there was a singular bestowal of the needed boon. Not as in Elijah’s case did the shower pour from the clouds, but in a silent and mysterious manner the pools were filled. The Lord has His own sovereign modes of action: He is not tied to manner and time as we are, but doeth as He pleases among the sons of men. It is ours thankfully to receive from Him, and not to dictate to Him.

We must also notice the remarkable abundance of the supply — there was enough for the need of all. And so it is in the gospel blessing; all the wants of the congregation and of the entire church shall be met by the divine power in answer to prayer; and above all this, victory shall be speedily given to the armies of the Lord. What am I doing for Jesus? What trenches am I digging? O Lord, make me ready to receive the blessing which thou art so willing to bestow.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon in Morning and Evening, Evening Reading for 16 May.

Notice that Elisha relays a message of abundant supply coming in mysterious ways. In a place of “human helplessness” God will supply abundant blessing.

Spurgeon calls us to make the pools and dig the trenches. It’s a great picture. I am learning that the best givers take a posture of receiving the blessing from God.

For some it is spiritual blessing. They soak it up like a sponge to enjoy and share like refreshing water to a thirsty person. For others it is material blessing.

Perhaps the lesson for us today in dry times is this. Let us echo the words of Elisha. God can and will supply. We need to be prepared but realize it may come in unanticipated ways.

And it will be enough for everyone. With Elijah, God sent rain. With Elisha, God filled pools. Thank you God for supplying what we need for our enjoyment and sharing generously.

Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!” Elijah said, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.” 1 Kings 18:13-15

“Obadiah is ‘over the house’ and is responsible for the king’s household and estates, including livestock. Although he serves the apostate king, he is true to his name (‘servant of YHWH’) for he rescue’s YHWH’s prophets from Jezebel. Despite further personal risk he sustains, them with bread and water — as the ravens and the widow earlier provided for Elijah…

Obadiah’s obeisance and submissive ‘my lord’ cannot disguise his reluctance to obey Elijah. His reluctance is communicated by his twice repeated, incredulous, ‘Go; say… Elijah is here’ and his fear of death should he, like the surrounding nations, be unable to produce Elijah. His fear is emphasized as he says Ahab may kill him, and then repeats his concern.”

Lissa Wray Beal in 1 & 2 Kings (Apollos Old Testament Commentary Series; Downers Grove: IVP, 2014) 242.

Yesterday, we saw two groups of fifty soldiers consumed with fire. Today we see God use a Obadiah to deliver two groups of fifty prophets by hiding them in caves.

Let us ponder how we are like Obadiah. God blesses us with a role that positions us to serve many. In his case, he was steward over the king’s household. Not a small task. He not only demonstrated responsible behavior in sustaining the prophets. He did this at great risk. He and the others could have been killed.

We are like this. God may bless us with a role. There, we may have responsibilities which shape many lives, often at great risk. But our tendency is to celebrate victories of the past rather than embrace bigger challenges in our future. Even as Obadiah was reluctant, we too can hesitate to take risks that God might want us to take.

The message today linked to generosity is to be responsible and not reluctant. Don’t let fear slow you down or hinder you. 2 Corinthians 9:7 reminds us, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 

We get to live, give, serve, and love generously with no fear. It is easier said than done. Though God cared for Obadiah and Elijah, they still battled with fear. In this chapter, Obadiah was afraid. In the next chapter, Elijah will be afraid. God help us exhibit responsible stewardship with no fear or reluctance linked to our generosity.

Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’” Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men. At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’” “If I am a man of God,” Elijah replied, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men. So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!”’ The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. 2 Kings 1:9-15

“Now if you consider well, dearly beloved, you will realize that not only the Jewish people fell through pride but also those two captains perished from the same weakness. With great pride and arrogance but lacking in humility, the latter came to blessed Elijah and said, “Man of God, the king summons you.” Because they did not give him honor as an old man or reverence as a prophet, the Holy Spirit spoke through the mouth of the prophet, and they were struck down by a blow sent from heaven. The third captain, however, coming with great humility and contrition, as was proper, pleaded in a tearful voice and not only merited to escape punishment but even induced blessed Elijah to condescend to go to the king. All this, dearly beloved, happened for the salvation of all the people, since the good and merciful Lord struck a few people in order that He might heal them all.”

Caesarius of Arles in Sermon 125.2 in The First Book of Kings 18.26-38 in 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Ancient Christian Commentary on the Scriptures; Downers Grove, IVP, 2008) 140.

As I study the miracles of Elijah I see that in response to pride there is destruction and in response to humility there is generosity.  Think about it.

The rich fool in the parables of Jesus is prideful and reaps destruction. When I am prideful, bad outcomes follow. Perhaps you too can relate?

But when we humble ourselves, which I am learning is a daily exercise, the response from God is generosity. Humility is the doorway to blessing and deliverance.

Many have emailed me saying that these miracles of Elijah are new to them. I will admit that I did not recall the destruction of two captains and two cohorts of fifty.

So, let us be like the third captain, taking a posture of humility and contrition. And may our good and merciful Lord pour out rich generosity on us, and grant our requests in His goodness, mercy, and love.

Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” 1 Kings 18:37-39

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. You acted justly, Elijah, and quite wisely! Your fire will consume the stones and the worshippers of the stones will blush for shame. It will consume the wood, and those who make their gods out of carved wood will be upset and will turn away from their madness. It will consume the bull so that nobody may ever worship the bull.”

Ephrem the Syrian in The First Book of Kings 18.26-38 in 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Ancient Christian Commentary on the Scriptures; Downers Grove, IVP, 2008) 111.

I saw something fresh in reading through the Elijah stories linked to generosity. God “consumed” the burnt offering.

He did this in answer to a bold prayer from his servant, so that people would know God and turn back to Him.

God ate it up! God wants people to turn from their madness and acknowledge Him for who He is. He loves it when His servants call out to Him.

So what’s the parallel today? We need to pray boldly not for ourselves but for God’s glory and the salvation of the lost.

We also need to realize that God consumes offerings. God does not need our money. We need to give it to release it’s power over us.

If we hold on to it, we become its slave. When we release it, God consumes it, gets glory, and draws people to Himself.

Pray boldly. Give generously. God will eat it up and be glorified. And people will humble themselves and come to faith.

She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah. 1 Kings 17:15-16

“To sustain her own life or the life of her son, in despair, she accepts the disastrous disadvantage. The prophet, however, refuses the conventional arrangement of advantage and disadvantage. He enacts a world of guaranteed abundance for the widow, in defiance of more conventional arrangements of scarcity.

Thus, the encounter is not a “do-good” act of charity; is is rather a revolutionary act that rejects the myth of scarcity fostered by the privileged, a myth accepted by the widow who has no available alternative. The prophet is able to enact this “wonder” of meal and oil because there is more than enough.

This narrative then is affirmative testimony to the generosity of the Creator who has given enough gifts for all and critical testimony against the monarchy that has arranged the abundance of the Creator through a practice of scarcity.

There is no doubt that the contemporary world, like that ancient royal world, subscribes to a myth of scarcity. But such scarcity is not a given of creation. It is an imposed power arrangement whereby some have too much so that, consequently, some have too little (see Exodus 16:17-18 for counter affirmation).

Walter Brueggemann in 1 & 2 Kings (Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary series; Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2000) 216.

Don’t miss the fact that there was food every day for this widow. When we give God what we have, which is risking everything, He sees and makes sure we have enough.

Think of it this way. We must live in light of the abundant kingdom to experience the guaranteed abundance. Those who don’t, by default, get the imposed power arrangement.

The only way the widow (or us) can tap into abundance is by giving God what we have and trusting Him to sustain us. This positions us to give the “testimony” to the generosity of the Creator.

What’s your testimony?