Meditate on it

Looking at the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5, several gems of truth emerge.   The first is that Naaman was a prideful man, but also he was, in some ways, more open to God than the leadership (Joram) of Israel.  He sought relief from his leprosy and was desperate enough to take a chance on a servant-girl from another nation.   He was willing to take direction from a prophet who treated him coolly, and although he at first refused the advice, he was open enough to take the advice of his servants, and follow out the simple directions Elisha gave him.   Naaman was disgusted and frustrated to think that any good could come out of bathing in a muddy local river, yet it did. Naaman Washes in the River Jordan circa 1521, Master of St. Severin, Germany For me, it's interesting to see God work around "the establishment" in this story.  He is not inactive in times when culture has gone bad and leadership has lost its way.  Instead, we see Him working through the faith of this

I've recently discovered a Constable's Notes, a commentary by Dr. Thomas Constable who is Department Chairman and Senior Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas. His notes are available through Bible.org's NET Bible among other places. His expository notes were written over a twenty-year period and are quite comprehensive--twice as voluminous as Matthew Henry's. I find them very readable in contrast to Henry's meandering prose. Don't get me wrong, I love Matthew Henry, but it's also nice to have clear, thorough 20th century prose as a counterpoint. As an example, here's an excerpt from his introduction on 2 Kings: "Second Kings is a sequel to 1 Kings. First Kings covers about one and a half centuries  and 2 Kings about three centuries. In both books the two thrones are in view: the earthly  and the heavenly.  First Kings emphasizes the facts of these thrones. The earthly throne co

 This commentary in 2 Kings 4 about Elisha and the Woman of Shunem.  I'm thankful for this account---that it affirms that God cares for and recognizes the heart of an everywoman.  It seems to me that this commentator is a bit overly romantic in his perspective on this particular woman's domesticity...but again...I fight my own demons within that resist over romanticizing the home life.  Is there a way that we can resist over idealizing it yet not degrade it either?  Where is the reasonable middle ground? Yes; this woman of my text was great in her domesticity. When this prophet wanted to reward her for her hospitality by asking some preferment from the king, what did she say? She declined it. She said, “I dwell among my own people”—as much as to say, “I am satisfied with my lot; all I want is my family and my friends around me—I dwell among my own people.” Oh, what a rebuke to the strife for precedence in all ages!"    T. De Witt Talmage, via The Biblical Illustrato

"How often I have excused myself from attempting something because I convinced myself that I  did not have the resources to do so! Does our text not teach us that God expects us to use what little we have, trusting Him to provide for all of our needs? A gem of a reflection by H. Macmillan via The Biblical Illustrator: Elisha’s first question to her evinced a wonderful knowledge of the human heart, and of the best mode of dealing with poverty and suffering. Instead of volunteering to give her aid at once, as most persons would have done, carried away by an overpowering impulse of compassion at the recital of the tale of sorrow; like a wise and judicious friend, he inquires how far she herself has the power to avert the threatened calamity—“What hast thou in the house?” His assistance must be based upon her own assistance. He will help her to help herself. Israelite Olive Oil Jar with Dipper Juglet Holder Iron Age II, 900 B.C.E. - 700 B.C.E. And this is the only

The last great wall of the hills lay stark above him.  As he left the dreary little station and stared into the greasy lamplight of a country store, Oliver felt that he was crawling, like a great beast, into the circle of those enormous hills to die."  -Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward Angel Sometimes there are thin lines between my categories of though and other times no lines at all.  This morning I woke up with a line from Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward Angel floating around in my mind---something about how his father crawled up into the circle of mountains to die.   Of course, that's a paraphrase, but I know that I will never drive up Black Mountain again without that image in the back of my mind. I seem to be meandering through an early 20th century through World War II season... Grace and I read a few chapters of Anne Frank the other day---I had forgotten the immediacy of her diary, the ice cold grip of it.   Adults are built to handle strain, but the injus

"Testimony against evil, and consequent suffering, mark the history of Elijah. Power, and grace in using it for others, mark that of Elisha. Both are seen in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose shadows, of course, they were. In one aspect of His history on earth, we see the suffering, driven, persecuted Witness; the world hating Him, because He testified that its works were evil; in another we see the powerful, gracious, ready friend of others, all that had sorrows or necessities getting healing and blessing from Him.” -JGB, Short Meditations on Elijah Marc Chagall's mosaic, "The Prophet Elijah"  Nice, France, 1970 “Though having the same objectives in view as Elijah, Elisha’s manner in reaching them was somewhat different. In keeping with this contrasting background [i.e., wealthy rather than poorer], he was more at home in cities and was often in the company of kings. Also whereas Elijah had been more a man of moods, either strongly courageous or despairing to the po

I8 Ahaziah Ahab's son, began reign in 17th year of Jehoshaphat, reigned 2 years.  After the death of his father Ahab in the war against Aram,  Ahaziah takes the throne.  He fell through the latticework in an upper room injuring himself.  In the beginning of 2nd Kings, Ahaziah is in the process of consulting the prophets of Baal about his future, when Elijah intervenes.  An angel of the Lord told Elijah to meet the messenger going to seek false answers, so he does.  When Ahaziah asks who is intercepting the messenger and learns it is Elijah, he sends three different groups  of 50 prophets to summon Elijah. The first two groups were consumed by fire from Heaven.  The captain of the third group humbles himself before Elijah, and at this point, an angel of the Lord appears to Elijah again and tells him to go to Ahaziah and to not be afraid. A few intial observations: Elijah Bringeth Fire from Heaven, James Tissot, 1896-1900 *Ahaziah's consultation of the false prophets was