2 Kings 18

The story of Hezekiah begins with significant details that would define the rest of his life. He did what was right in the eyes of The Lord and he tore down the high places. Several of his predecessors started their reigns doing what was right in the eyes of The Lord. None of them were so brave or devout that they where willing to tear down the strong places. Hezekiah was the type of man who saw no gray when it came to obeying the commands of God. It should come as no surprise that he neither saw any gray when it came to obeying or tolerating the enemies of YHWY who invaded his land. The dreadful Assyrian power were not to be paid tribute. The pagan philistines were not to be allowed to inhabit their land. Hezekiah knew who the real king was in Israel. YHWY was not one for gray either.

The courage of Hezekiah to challenge the fearsome Assyrian super power comes directly from his devotion to YHWY. What other kings would have taken as a death wish, Hezekiah took as an unassailable commitment to obeying YHWY as king. Assyria was no match for the king of the universe. While others may have been willing to believe it and even let it leave their lips in safe company, Hezekiah was willing to live it. His life would be a testimony to the truth that there is no fear when ones knee is bent to the King if Kings.

There is no fear when we follow God completely. There is no danger nor need that is not swallowed up in His complete sovereignty. Though the storms of life may wage around us. Though the rest of the world may fear for their lives. In the service of the King there is no fear. Hezekiah’s life is one of many of the great cloud of witnesses that attest to this truth.

2 Kings 14

There’s a strange story at the end of Elisha’s life that begs interpretation. The king of Israel, joash, is sitting beside the deathbed of Elisha morning his imminent demise. The kings fear is for the armies of Israel without their spiritual advisor. Elisha asks the king to draw his bow and shoot out the window. Then he asks the king to take the arrows and beat them on the ground. The king does so three times and then stops. Elisha uses one of his last breathes to rebuke the king for not striking them more times.

The questions beg to be asked in is passage. The first one is if any poor chap was struck by that prophetic arrow shot from the window. The second is of a more serious nature, why was the king chided for not striking the arrows for more than three times? Elisha didn’t ask him to continually strike them. The number and severity of the striking was completely up to the king. Joash seems to get a bad rap for something he really wasn’t instructed to do. Why on earth was Elisha so angry?

I believe a possible answer to Elisha’s anger is in the fervency of the obedience of the king. Joash had a definite need for protection. Elisha was giving him a chance to experience Gods power even in his absence. The command was given for joash to perform the miracle and he simply did as he was told, nothing more. The error is in the passion between the lines. With the God of the universe offering his services, joash simply followed orders. Gods commands were given to receive His blessing. Joash was willing to obey but not with the expectant fervency that should have accompanied his obedience. In short, it was a heart issue.

There are many times I do not understand the commands of God. His requests seem foolish to me. Honestly there have been many times where I haven outright disobeyed the commands of God. There have also been many times where I obeyed with my hands while holding my heart in faithless apathy. God wants both my hands and my heart when it comes to obeying Him. He wants me to burn with expectation as I receive the very commands of the Creator. From this passage it would seem that the measure of Gods blessings toward us are directly proportionate to the passion in which we welcome them.

2 Kings 5

“I know there is no God in all the earth but in Israel”

This is the response of Naman to Elisha when he was cured of leoprosy. Naman had experienced the power of YHWY and he knew it was far different than anything he had previously known.

When you experience the power of God it cannot be explained by anything other than His supernatural work. There are times in one’s life when God stretches His hand in extraordinary ways. In those moments it is less the effect of His hand but rather the feeling of His presence when He moves. An example of this would be the miracle of salvation. When the miracle of salvation happens the individual involved experiences many changes. First is the forgiveness of sins that releases the burden of guilt and shame that individual had carried all of his life. Second is the new direction in the believer’s life as they are called to exhibit outwardly what God has done internally. The fellowship of the saints is introduced. A new passion for obeying God is present. These first two events create a great deal of change within the life of the new believer. These changes are so evident that Jesus Himself tells us in John 15 that anyone who does not have this fruit does not actually know Him.

There is something deeper yet that goes on in the life of a new believer. Sins are gone and a new course is set. However, it is why that new course is set because of the eradication of sin that works the greatest amount of power in the life of a believer. Salvation is not just the forgiveness of sins. Salvation is the presence of God in the absence of those sins. The greatest gift of salvation is not an entrance into heaven but the presence of heaven’s greatest attribute immediately on earth…the very presence of God through the Holy Spirit.

The Christian does not just celebrate the eradication of sin. The Christian celebrates the positive antithesis of sin which is the presence of God Himself. He takes root within us when the miracle of salvation happens. The power that flung the stars into space lives within the confines of our earthly flesh. We experience more than the flittering glimpses of God’s miracles around us. No, we have the heart pounding presence of the everlasting God within our bones that drives us to do things no man would ever try and in turn no man could ever accomplish without His presence. His word is living and active. His presence is living and active in our bones at all times.

What difference should this make in the life of the believer? I short, it should make every difference in every facet. Our song should be a song similar to the newly cured Naman, “there is no other god in all the earth except the One who lives within my bones.”

As I was studying for Bible study tonight in the Book of John chapter 7 the words leaped from the page to a soul that was barren enough to cry for them.  The book of John is high drama mixed with deep Theology.  In Chapter 7 Jesus shows us that there is always a plan in place.  “It was not his time” so He stayed behind and told His disciples to go to the feast of Booths without Him.  Jesus didn’t go immediately not because He was afraid or that the Heavenly Father was not able to protect Him.  Jesus stayed behind to create the drama that would come when He arrived openly in the middle of the feast.  He cried out “if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink…streams of living water will flow from within him.”  As Jesus faced imminent danger, His plea was not for mercy from the crowds.  He was not there to talk them into following Him.  He was not there to make friends of enemies.  Jesus was there crying out to the thirsty children of Israel.  He was there not to speak logic to murderous men but to speak life to those who knew they needed it.  He was willing to stare down death that day knowing that His time was not full to die.  Not long after this speech He would stare down death for the thirsty of the land and it would be His time.  He would taste death to bring the rivers of living water to the world, of which I am blessedly a partaker.

Father, thank you for an example of love and courage.  Thank you for allowing Your son to come not as a high King but as a lowly servant.  Thank you for loving me enough to pour out living water on my thirsty soul.  Thank you for setting an example through Your Son of how to walk faithfully on treacherous roads.  As I follow you as others follow me, Your words speak hope and promise power.

1 Kings 21

In the study of the kings of Israel one must expect a certain lusting after all one sees. In the immortal words of Bruce Springsteen, ” a rich mans not happy until he’s a king, a kings not happy until he rules everything.” Ahab finds himself staring longingly from his palace window into a vineyard owned by Naboth and his family. I do not pretend to understand why Ahab wanted this vineyard nor the slow working of jealousy as he peered at it daily. I suspect Naboth also looked longfully at the palace and wished to be in Ahabs position. However, in this story it is Ahab who has the resources to actually own Naboth’s vineyard. The story ends tragically with Naboth wrongfully executed through Jezebels sly hand. Ahab is left wandering his new vineyard in what one would expect a certain diminishing of returns.

The reflection this morning is on that seed within Ahab that caused him to want a small vineyard outside his palace. Ahab had the resources of the whole kingdom at his command. The best grapes were his. However, its not the best grapes he wants but rather the grapes he doesn’t have. His thirst to own everything left his mouth dry and his hands bloody in the end. Is this not how it goes every time?

There is a thirst for what we do not have. There is a longing for happiness in fields we have never trod. Certainly there is joy in the fields of labor and pleasure. Certainly I myself have found joy in a wife, child, and job that I once did not posses. The problem is not in enjoying what we have and working to receive more blessings. The problem is when one child, one wife, one job is not enough and another must be had to continue in happiness. Joy is certainly not found in the quantity of possessions. Joy is found when one understands as Paul did, that contentment truly is great gain. Joy is found in the blessings I already have. In fact there is so much joy in what I have at this very moment that my greatest challenge is to try and consume the joy already overflowing and at my immediate disposal. A reflection of these blessings causes my heart to swell and sing in unison with Paul in Philippians 4 “rejoice in the LORD always and again I say rejoice!”

Father let me find the joy available to me at this moment. Your blessings are new each day. Let my heart rejoice in Your ever faithful goodness. My soul knows no greater treasure.