#153: The Troubler of Israel Part II
But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent someone to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”
And while he was still talking with them, there was the messenger, coming down to him; and then the king said, “Surely this calamity is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”
II Kings 6:32-33 NKJV
When the famine was upon Israel in the days of Ahab and Jezebel, the prophets of the Lord were being hunted and killed. The Lord protected Elijah throughout this period and eventually led Elijah to meet with Ahab, who after nearly three years of famine on account of his own sin had the audacity to call Elijah the “troubler of Israel”. Like his father Ahab – the murderer of the prophets, Naboth (who owned the vineyard), and all who got in his way – so the son of that murderer sent his assassin to murder Elisha. Just as his father failed in his wicked plan because the Lord is stronger than man, so Elisha was spared the wrath of the king by the mighty sovereign hand of Almighty God.
We learn several things in these closing verses of chapter 6 that teach us much about our own faith:
1) Even at the darkest hour in Samaria’s wicked history the Lord was still speaking to His prophet Elisha and through him to the people. Elisha foretold of the servant of the king coming to kill him (vs. 32). God would have helped the people had they turned to Him in repentance and faith. In our present evil age God is still speaking through His Word the Bible and salvation continues to be freely offered through Jesus Christ. This is still the hour of salvation, the Word of God is still going out, and God calls us to listen to Him, believe, repent, be saved, and obey.
2) God provided food to his servants even in a time of famine. The situation in Samaria was desperate to say the least. Nevertheless, Elisha and the elders who were faithful to the Lord were gathered with Elisha in his house and they were very much alive. They had not succumbed to starvation nor the terror of child killing and cannibalism. “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). “Therefore do not worry, saying What shall we eat? Or ‘What shall we drink?’ Or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:31-33).
3) The wicked find no comfort in their wickedness. While the messenger was on his way to behead Elisha, the king was running behind to stop him. As when Darius commanded Daniel to be thrown into the den of lions he was troubled all the night long, so the king was troubled by his own murderous behavior. No sooner had the assassin arrived than the king arrived and acknowledged that the curse upon Samaria was not from Elisha or because of Elisha but was from the Lord.
4) Knowledge of the truth alone does not save – one must believe and have faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. The king, while softened in his murderous decree and acknowledging the truth of the source of their present curse, still at that terrible hour refused to embrace Jesus Christ by faith as He is freely offered to all the world.
Jesus said, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).
As we meditate on these closing verses of chapter six may we not harden our hearts to God and His Word as is the habit of some but let us listen to the Lord our God and believe in Him who is good, does good, and will always do good.
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