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TOPIC: Pink, Arthur - Gleanings From Elisha (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 28-Seventeenth Miracle - Death of a King
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SEVENTEENTH MIRACLE-DEATH OF A KING
Chapter 28
The opening verse of 2 Kings 8 informs us that the Lord had called for a
seven years' famine on Samaria, and we considered one of the things which
transpired during that "sore judgment" from heaven. That which is now to
claim our attention is not to be regarded as something which occurred
after the expiration of the famine, but rather as what took place at its
beginning. After tracing the experiences of the woman from Shunem, the
Holy Spirit picks up the thread of 2Ki_8:1 and informs us of the
movements of the prophet himself. "And Elisha came to Damascus" (2 Kings
8:7). He too left Samaria, for it was no place for him now that the
indignation of the Lord was upon it. When God deals in judgment with a
people, His temporal plagues are usually accompanied by spiritual
deprivations, often by removing His servants "into a corner" (Isa.
30:20), and then the people of God are left "as sheep without a
shepherd"- one of the acutest afflictions they can experience. It was
thus with Israel in the earlier famine days of Ahab. There is no
intimation that Elijah did any preaching during these three and a half
years, for the Lord sent him to Cherith and then to Zarephath.
Sad indeed is the plight of any people when they are not only scourged
temporally but have their spiritual blessings taken from them too. During
the times of the judges, when "every man did that which was right in his
own eyes" (Jdg_21:25), we are told, ". . . in those days; there was no
open vision" (1Sa_3:1). This signifies there was no accredited servant
of God to whom the people could go for a knowledge of the divine mind and
will. So again in the days of Ezekiel it was announced, "Mischief shall
come upon mischief, and rumor shall be upon rumor;" and as the climactic
calamity: "Then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law
shall perish from the priest" (Eze_7:26). Little as it is realized by
the present generation, the most solemn, fearful, and portentous of all
the marks of God's anger is the withholding of a Spirit-filled, faithful,
and edifying ministry. For then there is "a famine in the land, not a
famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the words of the
LORD" (Amo_8:11). There is much more than appears on the surface in that
short statement, "And Elisha came down to Damascus."
Solemn indeed is that brief and simple sentence, denoting as it does that
the prophet had left Samaria, left it because his ministry there was
unwelcome, wasted. How often we find a parallel to this in the gospels.
At the very beginning of His public ministry, we read that Christ "came
down to Capernaum" (Luk_4:31). Why? Because at Nazareth they were filled
with wrath at His teaching (Luk_4:28-29). "He entered into a ship, and
passed over." Why? Because at Capernaum the whole city "besought him that
he would depart out of their coasts" (Mat_8:34; 9:1). He "withdrew
himself from thence" because the Pharisees had "held a council against
him" (Mat_12:14-15). "He could there do no mighty work . . . because
of their unbelief". What follows? "And He went round about their villages
teaching" (Mar_6:5-6). "It was necessary that the word of God should
first have been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it from you... lo, we
turn to the Gentiles" (Act_13:46). When God calls a pastor to another
charge, the church he has left has reason to search itself before the
Lord as to the cause.
First, the Connection of the Miracle
"And Elisha came to Damascus" (2Ki_8:7). The opening "And" links the
incident which follows with the first verse of our chapter. But more, as
was the case in several previous instances, it points a series of
striking contrasts between this and the events recorded in the context.
There, the central character was a godly woman; here it is a wicked man.
In the former the prophet took the initiative, communicating with the
woman; now, a king sends to inquire of the man of God. There his
prophetic announcement was promptly credited; here it is scornfully
ridiculed (2Ki_8:13). In the first, the king's servant told him the
truth (2Ki_8:5); in this, another king's servant tells him a lie (2
Kings 8:13). There God put forth His power and graciously provided for
one of His own; here He removes His restraining hand and lets one of the
reprobate meet with a violent end. The previous miracle closed with the
restoration of the woman's property to her; this ends with a callous
murder and the usurper occupying the throne.
Though there is nothing in the narrative to intimate specifically when it
was that Elisha "came to Damascus," yet the introductory "And" seems to
make it clear that the prophet took this journey during "the seven years'
famine," and probably at an early stage. As the Lord was not pleased on
this occasion to work in a mysterious and extraordinary way for the
temporal preservation of the woman of Shunem (as He had for the widow at
Zarephath) but provided for her needs by the more regular yet not less
wonderful ordering of providence on her behalf, so it would seem that He
did for His servant. And as she sojourned in the land of the Philistines,
so he now sought refuge in the capital of Syria, even though that was the
very country which had for so long been hostile to Samaria. Nor did he go
into hiding there, but counted upon his Master's protecting him even in
the midst of a people who had so often preyed upon Israel. That Elisha's
presence in Damascus was no secret is clear from what follows.
Second, the Occasion of the Miracle
"And Elisha came to Damascus"-the most ancient city in the world, with
the possible exception of Jerusalem. Josephus says that "it was founded
by Uz, the son of Aram, and grandson of Shem." It is mentioned as early
as Gen_14:15, in the days of Abraham, 2000 B.C. It was captured and
occupied in turn by the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. Paul
commenced his ministry there (Act_9:19-22). It remains to this day. In
the time of Ahab, Ben-hadad, after his defeat by the Samaritans and the
sparing of his life, said to the king of Israel, "Thou shalt make streets
for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria." Upon which Ahab
said, "I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant
with him, and sent him away" (1Ki_20:34). Whether Ben-hadad ever made
good his promise Scripture does not inform us, but his "covenant" with
Ahab certainly gave Elisha the right of asylum in Damascus.
That Elisha had not fled to Damascus in the energy of the flesh in order
to escape the hardships and horrors of the famine, but had gone there in
the will of the Lord is evident from the sequel. In what follows we are
shown how that while he was here he received communications from God and
was used by Him. That is one of the ways in which the child of God may
ascertain whether or not he is in the place he should be, or whether in
self-will he has forsaken the path of duty. "He that hath my
commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me:... and I will
love him, and will manifest myself to him" (Joh_14:21), make Myself a
living reality to his soul, make discoveries of My glory to him through
the written Word. But when we take matters into our own hands and our
ways displease the Lord, communion is severed, and He hides His face from
us. When we choose our own way and the Spirit is grieved, He no longer
takes the things of Christ and shows them to us, but disquiets our hearts
because of our sins.
Yes, God made use of Elisha while he sojourned in Damascus. But how
varied, how solemnly varied, are the several ways in which He is pleased
to employ His servants. Not now was he commissioned to heal a leper, nor
to restore a dead child to life, but rather to announce the death of a
king. Herein we have shadowed forth the more painful and exacting side of
the minister's duty. He is required to set before men the way of life and
the way of death. He is under bond to faithfully make known the doom
awaiting the wicked, as well as the bliss reserved for the righteous. He
is to preach the law as well as the gospel; to describe the everlasting
torments of hell, as well as the unending glory of heaven. He is bidden
to preach the gospel to every creature, and announce in no uncertain
tones, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned" (Mar_16:16). Only by so doing will he be
warranted in saying, "I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not
shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God" (Act_20:26-27).
"And Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying,
The man of God is come hither" (2Ki_8:7). The wearing of a crown does
not exempt its possessor from the common troubles to which man is born;
rather does it afford additional opportunities for gratifying the lust of
the flesh, which will only increase his troubles. It is only by being
temperate in all things that many sicknesses can be avoided, for walking
according to the rules of Scripture promotes health of body as well as
health of soul. When sickness overtakes a saint his first concern should
not be its removal, but a definite seeking unto the Lord to ascertain why
He has afflicted him (Job_10:2). His next concern should be to have his
sickness sanctified to the good of his soul, that he may learn the
lessons that chastisement is designed to teach him, that he may be able
to say, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn
thy statutes" (Psa_119:71). But it is the privilege of faith to become
better acquainted with Jehovah-Rophi, "the Lord that healeth thee" (Ex.
15:26).
In the case before us it was not a child of God who had fallen sick, but
a heathen monarch. "And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in
thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him,
saying, Shall I recover of this disease?" (2Ki_7:8). What a startling
antithesis this presents from what was before us in 2Ki_6:31! Only a
short time previously, the king of Israel had sworn a horrible oath that
Elisha should be slain; here a foreign king owns him as "the man of God"
and makes inquiry concerning his own life or death. Striking too is the
contrast between Ben-hadad's action here and the last thing recorded of
him when he sent his forces to take Elisha captive (2Ki_6:14)! How
fickle is human nature: Man is one day ready to pluck out his eyes and
give them to a servant of God, and the next regards him as an enemy
because he told the truth (Gal_4:15-16). But now the Syrian king was
concerned about his condition and anxious to know the outcome of his
illness.
It appears to have been the practice in those days for a king who was
seriously ill to make a formal inquiry from one whom he regarded as
endowed with supernatural knowledge. Thus we read that when Jeroboam's
son fell sick, he sent his wife to ascertain of Ahijah the prophet "what
shall become of the child" (1Ki_14:1-3); and again we are told that
Ahaziah sent messengers "to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron
whether I shall recover of this disease." (2Ki_1:2). From what is
recorded in 1Ki_20:23 and the sequel, we may conclude that Ben-hadad
had lost confidence in his own "gods" and placed more reliance upon the
word of Elisha; yet it is to be noted that he neither asked for his
prayers nor expressed any desire for a visit from him; seriously sick as
he felt himself to be, he was not concerned about his soul but only his
body. Throughout the whole of his career there is nothing to indicate he
had the slightest regard for the Lord, but much to the contrary.
"So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every
good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before
him, and said, Thy son Ben-hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee,
saying, Shall I recover of this disease?" (2Ki_8:9). The "present"
was to intimate that he came on a peaceful and friendly mission and with
no design of doing the prophet an injury or carrying him away as a
prisoner. This too was in accord with the custom of those days and the
ways of Orientals. Thus when Saul wished to consult Samuel about the lost
asses of his father, he lamented the fact that he had "not a present to
bring to the man of God" (1Sa_9:7), and when the wife of Jeroboam went
to inquire of the prophet Ahijah she took a present for him (1 Kings
14:3). But looking higher, we may see in the lavish nature of Ben-hadad's
present the guiding hand of God and an "earnest" for His servant that He
would spread a table for him in the presence of his enemies! We are not
told that Elisha refused this present, nor was there any reason why he
should; perhaps he sent a goodly portion thereof to relieve the distress
of the schools of the prophets still in Samaria.
"And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly
recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die" (2
Kings 8:10). Observe first a significant omission. Elisha did not offer
to go and visit Ben-hadad! That was not because he was callous, for the
very next verse shows he was a man of compassion. Rather was he
restrained by the Lord, who had no design of mercy unto the Syrian king.
Very solemn was that. But what are we to make of the prophet's
enigmatical language? The disease from which your master is suffering
will not produce a fatal end; nevertheless, the Lord has showed me that
his death is imminent-by violence: another proof that the Lord God
"revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amo_3:7). It is
on this same principle we discover the harmony between there being "an
appointed time to man upon earth" (Job_7:1) and "why shouldest thou die
before thy time?" (Ecc_7:17)-before the normal course of nature;
and the fifteen years "added to" the course of Hezekiah's life-God
intervening to stay the ordinary working of his disease.
Third, the Accompaniment of the Miracle
"And he settled his countenance steadfastly, until he was ashamed: and
the man of God wept" (2Ki_8:11). The first clause must be interpreted
in the light of all that follows. Had it stood by itself, we should have
understood it to signify that Hazael was deeply grieved by the prophet's
announcement and sought to control his emotions-though that would not
account for the prophet bursting into tears. But the sequel obliges us to
conclude that, far from being horrified at the news he had just received,
Hazael was highly gratified, and the settling of his countenance was an
endeavor to conceal his elation. Accordingly, we regard the "until he was
ashamed" (the Hebrew word is often rendered, "confounded," and once, "put
to confusion") as denoting that, under the piercing gaze of Elisha he
realized he had not succeeded and was chagrined that his countenance
revealed the wicked pleasure he found in the prophet's reply. God has
wisely, justly, and mercifully ordered that to a considerable extent, the
countenance is made to betray the workings of our minds and the state of
our hearts.
The servant of God was not deceived by Hazael's playacting, for he not
only had the aid of his own eyes to perceive the attempted deception, but
also had a direct revelation from heaven concerning the sequel. The
weeping of the man of God was not occasioned by his knowledge of the
violent end awaiting Ben-hadad, but rather from what the Lord had also
shown him concerning the fearful horrors which should shortly be
inflicted upon Israel. In his tears we behold Elisha foreshadowing his
incarnate Lord, who wept over Jerusalem (Luk_19:41). Elisha was no
heartless stoic: even though he knew that his nation fully deserved the
still sorer judgments which God would shortly visit upon it through the
agency of the man who now stood before him, yet Elisha could not be
unmoved at his prophetic foreview of their terrible afflictions. The
prophets were men of deep feelings, as the history of Jeremiah abundantly
manifests. So too was Paul (Phi_3:18). So is every true servant of
Christ.
Fourth, the Nature of the Miracle
"And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know
the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong
holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the
sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child"
(2Ki_8:12). Like the two preceding ones, this miracle consists of a
supernatural disclosure, the announcing of a prophetic revelation which
he had received directly from God-in this case a double one: the death of
Ben-hadad and the judgments which should come upon Israel. Hazael was far
from being melted by Elisha's tears (he was probably nonplussed by them),
and in order to gain time for composure of mind, he asked the question
which he did. It is solemn to note that while Elisha announced what he
foresaw would happen, he made no effort to dissuade or deter Hazael-as
our Lord foretold the treachery of Judas, but sought not to turn him from
his evil purpose.
Fifth, the Challenge of the Miracle
"And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this
great thing?" (2Ki_8:13). Hotly did he resent such a charge, nor did
he at that moment deem himself capable of such atrocities, nor did he
wish the prophet to regard him as such a wretch. How little do the
unregenerate realize or suspect the desperate wickedness of their hearts!
How anxious are they that others should not think the worst of them! When
not immediately exposed to temptations, they do not believe they are
capable of such enormities, and are highly insulted when the contrary is
affirmed. "And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt
be king over Syria." Again we see the extraordinary powers with which the
prophets were invested, though Elisha gives God the glory for his. When
Hazael ascended the throne, all human restraint would be removed from
him, and enlarged powers and opportunities would be his for working evil.
Sixth, Fulfillment of the Miracle
"So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him,
What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest
surely recover" (2Ki_8:14). Thus did Hazael seek to put off his guard
the one he intended to murder by deliberately lying to him. "And it came
to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in
water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in
his stead" (2Ki_8:15). And this was the man who a few hours before
indignantly denied he had the character of a savage dog! In the fearful
doom of Ben-hadad we see the righteous retribution of God. Having been a
man of violence, he met with a violent end-as he had lived, so he died
(see 1Ki_20:1, 16, 21, 26, 29; 22:1; 2Ki_6:8, 24). And for Hazael
in the future: 2Ki_10:32.
Seventh, the Meaning of the Miracle
This is so obvious that very few words are needed: it is the glaring
contrast between the faithful and the unfaithful servant. Elisha had
unflinchingly declared the counsel which he had received from the Lord,
however unpalatable it was to his hearer. But Hazael gives us a picture
of the hireling, the false prophet, the deceiver of souls. Ostensibly he
went forth in obedience to his master's commission (2Ki_8:9); in
reality he was playing the part of a hypocrite (2Ki_8:11). When he
delivered his message he falsified it by withholding the most pointed and
solemn part of it (2Ki_8:14). How many there are like him, uttering
"smooth things" and remaining guiltily silent on the doom awaiting the
wicked. As surely as Hazael slew Ben-hadad, the unfaithful preachers of
our day are murdering souls. As Hazael became king, so the most faithless
now occupy seats of power in Christendom.
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