My husband and I help teach the kids of our local congregation almost every week. We (rather he) teaches Sunday School Preschool every Sunday we are there. But for the last two weeks he hasn't been in town or has been ill, which left me to teach them. Following our pastors human development stages we focus on stories for the preschoolers. Phil choose to read through 1 and 2 Kings with the kids, having PlayMobil act out the verses then have the kids retell it - so we know they heard the story. He doesn't moralize, he rarely paraphrases - he just reads God's Word and let's the children hear and interpret as they will. If they get the retelling wrong, we will go over it again to ensure that they are not wrongly hearing. That is especially crucial in these books of wars, violence and prophets. It's been really fun, teaching the kids and hoping that some part of them remembers these stories. As adults we've been blown away by the stories, having our own faith shaken and strengthen sometimes at the same time.
Well the week I was supposed to lead I had 2 Kings 6. Beautiful stories! God's caring of the ax head of the servant of Elisha, and then miraculous action leading to the ultimate hospitality of one's enemy! Great stories, and so I read ahead to see if I could add a third story for the children, but as I read I decided to leave this difficult passage to my beloved.
28 And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” 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 on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.” 30 When the king heard the words of the woman, 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.
My stomach ached, and my body hurt - the image burned into my mind. Having seen the 2014 movie Noah, where we saw this implied on screen. I felt like Noah in the streams of blood and violence and grew angry with God for His inaction.
Yet in the text there is no reference of prayer, or asking to be delivered from their enemies until this point. There is no longing for God until the worse has come, we've resorted to killing our children so we may live. Then in pain the king tears his clothes - but rather than turning to God, he also resorts to violence and seeks out Elisha, "May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today.” Rather than seeking the Lord himself, or even asking Elisha to bring salvation - he will take out his own inner hatred and pain for his people through this prophet.
The Lord (like He has in many other passages with Elisha) warns the prophet ahead of time that they are set to murder him. But when the messenger arrives he says "This trouble is from the Lord! Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” If you read my previous post you will understand how much I relate to this. Why should I wait for the Lord? He is capable of acting, He has shown Himself time and time again but here in our most deepest of despair He is silent....
Then Elisha speaks of God's abundance, saying that this time tomorrow wheat and barley will be so abundant a whole bushel will sell for a few shekels. Then the captain, the right hand of the king speaks, "If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” He probably had firsthand experience of God's saving the king through Elisha's words but here he doubted. But it was not Elisha he doubted, it was God - His glory, His goodness, His capacity were in question and found wanting by the captain. So Elisha pronounced to him, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”
Then the scene switches, to four diseased men, the outcast thrown out of the city for their disease. They debated on action, to go in the city they'd be killed, but to sit they would starve so they risk going into the enemies camp and seek refuge.
5 So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there. 6 For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us.” 7 So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives.
Then the outcast ones, the rejects of the city began to eat and drink. They gathered linen, silver and gold from tent to tent, until they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king's household." They did not keep this good news to themselves, the salvation of the city was found and they went to share it though they had not been welcome into the city. When they came to the city the king doubted, but through persistence of his servants said risk five men and horses and the king did. When they found the camps empty the people came out and plundered and food was again in abundance. The captain was trampled by the people and died just as Elisha had said but the people were preserved.
Will I be the captain, unwilling to believe God's ability?
Will I be the king and not lower my face even in the midst of the people's utter loss, and instead respond in anger?
Or will I be like the messenger, throwing myself at the feet of the prophet confessing my doubt but willing to hear the truth?
Will we embrace the outcast, the diseased for through them our salvation may be found?
Will we be like the diseased and share the abundance of the Lord once we receive it, though we had been rejected?
“If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?"
Let me be like the messenger, the outcast, or like the prophet - let me doubt but doubt believing in hope, being honest with the Lord but trusting when He speaks through His people.
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