Meditations

“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?

Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’” 1 Kings 17:13-14

“Elijah goes at the command of Yahweh to the very country of the baalists, Phoenicia, to beg for food from one of the Zarephath’s lowliest and poorest, a widow gathering sticks with which to prepare a last meal for herself and her family.

One who listens to this tale will say, no wonder she refused to give Elijah the food and water he requested. The marvel is that God gave her faith sufficient to believe his assurance and his prophecy — the God who can direct ravens to bring food in a desolate wadi surely can create faith in this widow’s heart.

To the miracle of faith Yahweh adds the miracle of a never-empty jar of meal and a never-failing cruse of oil. That the prophet with the widow and her sons are fed, while the heavens withhold rain and dew, foretells a great divine work to come — the giving of rain on the day that Yahweh has chosen.”

Simon DeVries in 1 Kings, Volume 12: Second Edition (Word Biblical Commentary; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004) 218.

Imagine God directing you to go into enemy territory and approach the least likely source to provide never-empty and never-failing resources. That’s what’s happening in this scene in the life of Elijah.

As I ponder this text today, I think of the faith of Elijah and ask God to give me this faith. The wadi or brook had dried up, and God wanted him to go from stretching situation to stretching situation.

Ever felt like the “Stretch Armstrong” toy? You feel can’t be stretched anymore. That’s the picture I get and how I feel sometimes. Maybe you can relate? Elijah never flinches. He depended on ravens by a brook, and now goes to Phoenicia.

We must not miss that the miracle happened after he went from a difficult place to an even more difficult place. The never-empty and never-failing results came in increasingly challenging circumstances.

God, give us the faith of Elijah by your Holy Spirit to believe that You can supply us with never-empty and never-failing resources to do whatever You call us to do. In your mercy hear my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. And it shall be that you will drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide food for you there.” So he went and did everything according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook. 1 Kings 17:2-6

“The living Lord is able to do the most surprising things.

Ravens were “unclean” in terms of God’s Law (Leviticus 11:15; Deuteronomy 14:14), but a raven played a role in the days of Noah (Genesis 8:6), and the Lord is the One who provides for the ravens (Psalm 147:9; Job 38:41). At the brook Cherith the Lord promised to provide sustenance for His prophet in the most unlikely way.

The proper response to the Lord’s command is obedience. That is what Elijah did… Elijah’s obedience was the obedience of faith. He obeyed the Lord’s command, believing the Lord’s promise. His faith and obedience were vindicated. The Lord did what He had promised.”

John Woodhouse in 1 Kings: Power, Politics, and the Hope of the World (Preaching the Word; Wheaton: Crossway, 2018) 469.

Since Elisha has inspired us recently, I have chosen to revert to the miracles in the ministry of Elijah for strengthening our generosity.

Today we discover that generous service of God’s servants sometimes relies on God’s provision from unclean and unlikely sources. Think about it.

The raven was unclean and the least likely friend from which the prophet would expect to find sustainance. Notice how following God requires trust and obedience.

I am spending time in my wife’s office these days in downtown Littleton. It’s pictured in the second floor of this historic corner building.

It could be viewed by many as obscure. But like the brook Cherith, God is using it as a place for me to study in solitude, to learn in silence, and to grow in obedience.

He has me here for blocks of time to hear His voice, to celebrate His supply, and while ravens are not feeding me daily, the Spirit nourishes me here.

Is it time for you to leave your comfort zone and go to an obscure place? How might God resource you from unclean and unlikely sources for higher purposes?

The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of olive oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead. When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, ‘This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run; don’t delay!” 2 Kings 9:3

“When Elijah departed the earth, he left a few things undone that Elisha had to finish. In 1 Kings 19:15-17 the Lord tells Elijah to anoint Elisha to take his place (which he does in 1 Kings 19:19-21), to anoint Hazael king of Syria (which Elisha does in 2 Kings 8:7-15), and to anoint Jehu king over Israel (which has not yet been done).

Further, Elijah predicts Ahab and Jezebel will die in certain ways because of their part in the Naboth incident, and Ahab’s lineage will be obliterated (1 Kings 21:17-24). Ahab has indeed perished in the prescribed manner, but Jezebel is still alive, and Ahab’s lineage remains. Thus Jehu must still become king, Jezebel must die, and Ahab’s descendants must perish.

This section places Jehu in power, while a later account will complete the Jezebel story. Jehu’s rise to power begins with no warning beyond the Lord’s command to Elijah. Elisha summons one of the prophets and sends him on the rather difficult mission of anointing Jehu king over Israel. This mission appears to be dangerous, for Elisha instructs the prophet messenger to run as soon as he anoints Jehu. Just why Elisha does not go himself is left unstated, but perhaps his presence would be too conspicuous.”

Paul R. House in 1 & 2 Kings (NAC; Broadman Holman, 1995) 286.

This was a powerful text for me. I hope it hits you in similar fashion. As a CEO, I often (wrongly!) think I need to do everything. It’s great to know that generous service is for the people of God and not just the prophet.

Some tasks Elijah completed. Others were sorted by Elisha. This challenging task, by an unnamed prophet. What’s the point today related to generosity?

Sometimes the most important and dangerous tasks will not be performed by a prominent person, but by a willing and available person.

Are you willing and available to lay down your life in generous service to God to engage tasks yet undone?

Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go with your household, and live wherever you can live; for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will indeed come on the land for seven years.” So the woman arose and acted in accordance with the word of the man of God: she went with her household and resided in the land of the Philistines for seven years.Then at the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went to appeal to the king for her house and for her field. Now the king was speaking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please report to me all the great things that Elisha has done.” And as he was reporting to the king how he had restored to life the one who was dead, 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 the king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.” When the king asked the woman, she told everything to him. So the king appointed an officer for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land even until now.” 2 Kings 8:1-6

“It is notable that in this case the action called for is an act of economic justice. The basic move of this story from problem to solution by means of an intervention is common to all these narratives. Here, however, the intervention is not by a miraculous deed or prophetic word. Here the intervention is really the oral tradition about the prophet. Here a problem of economic justice is solved by retelling the good news about one who raised the dead, an act referred to four times in six verses. This story moves into the situation of God’s people under the power of canonical traditions. Stories about past mighty deeds now produce the faith that those deeds themselves once created. For the church, the stories of Jesus, who raised the dead and was Himself raised, have power in themselves to solve life’s problems.”

Richard D. Nelson in First and Second Kings: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Louisville: WJKP, 1987) 192-193.

Imagine being told, “Arise and go with your household, and live wherever you can live.”

This arising and go, preserved her life through a time of difficulty. But when she returned, it’s as if she had lost everything.

But God did not forget about her, and in His grace, does not forget about us today.

Notice how the challenge of economic justice was solved by retelling the good news. There’s power in stories of restoration. When we tell and retell them, they bring hope, life, peace, and deliverance.

People find themselves in stories. Often, hearing them affects change in the hearts of listeners.

If you ask organizations that seek to spur generosity in the lives of others, they would talk about the power of stories and how they deliver information and inspire transformation.

How has God been generous to you? What stories can you tell to inspire others today?

I would tell of my gratitude to God for my wife, for my children, and for God’s provision for us, one day at a time supplying daily bread whilst inviting us to live, give, serve, and love generously. God is so generous.

Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the Lord; this is what the Lord says: ‘About this time tomorrow a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’” The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning responded to the man of God and said, “Even if the Lord were to make windows in heaven, could this thing happen?” Then he said, “Behold, you are going to see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it.” 2 Kings 7:1-2

“The imagery is that of God handing out through the windows unexpected material blessings from His heavenly storehouse. It will need a miracle of great proportions — similar to God’s provision of manna in the wilderness — if economic conditions are to stabilize in the way Elisha describes, and Jehoram’s officer simply does not believe that it is possible. Ironically, the miracle does not come via “windows” in the heavens, but via four rather mundane lepers.”

Iain W. Provan in 1 & 2 Kings (Understanding the Bible Commentary Series; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1995) 203.

I could likely rename this post: “What a difference a day makes!”

One day the finest flour or barley was costly. The prophet proclaimed that the next day it would be a fraction of the cost, and added that the officer who expressed disbelief would not experience any of the unexpected material blessings.

What’s the lesson for us related to generosity today?

Even as God provided the manna, He can supply our needs, great and small. If we walk in disbelief, we will miss the blessing. If, alternatively, we trust, then we will see what can come from the windows of heaven.

Take a moment. Read all of 2 Kings 7. Where do you see yourself in the story?