KEY VERSE: “And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.” (2 Kings 13:21).
TEXT: 2 Kings 13:10-25 (KJV)
10 In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.
11 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein.
12 And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
13 And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.
16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands.
17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.
18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed.
19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
22 But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
23 And the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.
24 So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead.
25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.
MESSAGE:
When God chooses a man, He honours and dignifies him with His power and spiritual gifts. He equips him to accomplish great tasks for Him. This was the case with Elisha. Armed with a double portion of Elijah’s anointing, Elisha played a crucial role in the socio-political and spiritual history of Israel in his day. He was God’s spokesman to kings and the people. He was a source of joy to the barren and a terror to Israel’s enemies. The power of God upon Elisha made the king of Israel to humble himself before him. He was a holy vessel whom the Lord used and honoured greatly.
The anointing of the Lord defied bodily frailty in Elisha. Upon his deathbed, he was able to prophesy the victory of Israel over the Syrians. His prophetic precision that Israel would defeat Syria only three times because the king of Israel ignorantly smote the ground thrice, came to pass. Also, his bones made a dead man to come alive. This is the only case in which a person’s dead bones performed such a miracle of resurrection in the Scriptures; it is a classic instance of God honouring a man, even after his death.
Elisha’s amazing anointing points us to some blessings we can receive abundantly through salvation in Christ. We can accomplish greater things for the Lord if we remain yielded, humble and steadfast under the teaching and leading of the Spirit of God.
If we consecrate ourselves, we can become sanctified vessels unto God’s greatness, instead of frontrunners in the world’s fading fads. Like Elisha, we should become God’s ambassadors and speak His words fearlessly to all while we remain prayerful and faithful to Him until the end.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
No limit to what God can do with and through a holy vessel.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 9-10
Deeper Life Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
