Read 2 Kings 6:1-7

God Cares!

The prophets had outgrown Elisha’s dwelling place and proposed the need for new construction. Elisha agreed and they went to the Jordan where the lumber was abundant. “But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, ‘Alas, master! For it was borrowed’” (2 Kings 6:5). Not a big deal, right? Why was this man so upset? It was only an ax head!

Here’s the key: it was borrowed! The young man did not have enough money to purchase his own tool, so he borrowed one from someone else. Losing it meant he would have needed to replace it, but if he didn’t have the money to purchase one in the first place, how could he replace it? In that day and age, he could have been sold into slavery because he had lost someone else’s property and owed a debt, however minuscule.

The prophet Amos described the wretchedness of such actions. “Thus says the Lord: ‘For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes’” (Amos 2:6). Such mistreatment of the poor was condemned in Amos’ day, and God still cares about those who are in physical need today.

Jesus described the great scene of the coming of the Son of Man: “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one for another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:32). Those on the right hand are the ones who cared for the ones in need; the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned. Those on the left hand neglected those needs. God cares for the less fortunate, and He cares how people treat the less fortunate!

How did He show His care in the incident with the ax? Seeing the young man’s distress, Elisha threw a stick into the water where the ax head had fallen, “and he made the iron float” (2 Kings 6:6). The young man was able to recover what he lost and avoid slavery!

Whatever difficulty you are facing in life, no matter how minor, God cares. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Read 2 Kings 2:23-25

Consequences

There are consequences for everything we do, and there are consequences for everything we say. We may think our actions or words are meaningless and harmless, but the Scriptures demonstrate that we should take great care with our words and deeds.

After Elisha takes on the mantle of God’s leading prophet, he faces a group of young men who irreverently mock him. “Then he went from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came up from the city and mocked him, and said to him, ‘Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!’” (2 Kings 2:23).

These are not little boys, but a group of dangerous ruffians who could have done great harm to the prophet physically had he not be protected by the Almighty. “So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths” (2 Kings 2:24).

A seemingly harmless taunt, but there were consequences to be faced. There was likely more to the incident than a simple taunt, but even if not, such disrespect should not have been shown toward a man of God. In Deuteronomy 27, Moses declares a series of curses that were to be pronounced upon different types of disobedient individuals.

If it was simply a verbal taunt that caused Elisha to pronounce a curse upon these young men, it should be remembered that there is great power in our words. James wrote of the power of the tongue and how we should exercise great wisdom in our communication. “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell” (James 2:6).

Jesus Himself said, “But I say to you that for every idle word man may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).

We will face consequences not only for our evil deeds, but for our idle words, malicious taunts, dirty jokes, and filthy communications.

Read 2 Kings 2:1-15

Loyalty

The account of Elijah’s translation is well-known to many Bible students. He had called Elisha to be his successor (1 Kings 19:19-21) and after spending some time mentoring the son of Shaphat, it was time for Elijah’s departure.

Three times, Elijah asked Elisha to stay behind as he went where the Lord directed, first to Bethel, then to Jericho, and finally to the Jordan; Elisha refused to leave his master’s side each time (2 Kings 2:2, 4, 6). When they had crossed the Jordan, Elijah permitted Elisha a request before he left him. Elisha asked, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me” (2 Kings 2:9).

The “double portion” request was not a prideful appeal to be better than his master, but rather a reference to the inheritance guidelines contained within the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 21:17). Elisha, though he was personally called and mentored by Elijah, wanted to be validated or accredited in the eyes of the other prophets as their leader. After Elijah was taken up in the whirlwind and Elisha crossed back over the Jordan on dry ground, the prophets indeed recognized him as such. “Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, ‘The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.’ And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him” (2 Kings 2:15).

Before that, though, Elisha witnessed with his very eyes the translation of Elijah into heaven, leaving this mortal world without death. Only one other is known to have escaped death: the patriarch Enoch (Genesis 5:24). Upon seeing his master being taken away in a chariot of fire with horses of fire, Elisha cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” (2 Kings 2:12). Adam Clarke explained, “The Chaldee translates these words thus: ‘My master, my master! who, by thy intercession, wast of more use to Israel than horses and chariots.’ This is probably the sense.”

Do you have a mentor that has guided you to the truth and has interceded on your behalf? Have you mentored another in the Lord, providing help and direction in the way of the Scriptures? Who is the Elijah in your life? Who is your Elisha? Be loyal to both as they follow the Lord.

Read 2 Kings 1

Whose Advice Do You Seek?

King Ahaziah fell and injured himself, and apparently, the injury was serious enough that he was not sure he would recover. So he called for his messengers and said, “Go inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury” (2 Kings 1:2). God instructs Elijah to meet the king’s messengers to ask a question and declare His judgment against Ahaziah: “‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Now therefore, thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” (2 Kings 1:3-4).

Obviously, if you are reading a religious devotional, you know what is wrong with this. Yet, are we ever guilty of doing the same?

When seeking advice, we should approach someone who is both knowledgeable about our situation and well-versed in Scriptural morality. Too often, though, we turn to worldly wisdom. Whether it is a job situation, relationship struggles, or spiritual direction, we may go to our “best friends,” even if they are not Christians. They may be people that we have known for decades and the bond of friendship is nearly unbreakable, but if they do not share our morals, they may offer suggestions that contradict what the Scriptures teach.

Is it because there is no close brother or sister in the church of our Lord that you are going to inquire of your worldly friends? Paul speaks of the importance of the Christian family, treating one another as fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters (1 Timothy 5:1-2). He warns against becoming too close with worldly associations (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). When we allow the world to influence us more than the Word, we find ourselves in dangerous territory.

When Jesus prayed for His apostles, He said, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:15-17).

Develop relationships with godly people so that when you need advice, you can ask those who have the same goal as you: to get to heaven, and take as many people with them as possible (including you)!