Read: 2 Kings 4:18-5:27; Acts 15:1-35; Psalm 141:1-40; Proverbs 17:23
Elijah had prophesied a son to the woman who had so graciously given Elisha and Gehazi a place to stay. One day the son cried out in pain of his head and a few hours later, he died in his mother’s arms. She knew this was not what was promised her so she went tp get Elisha to fix it.
Elisha was on Mt. Carmel and it was the festival of the new moon marking the first day of the month and it was also a Sabbath. Elisha saw her coming and sent Gehazi to ask her if all was well with her, her husband and her son. She said that all was well and kept coming. She ran and fell at Elisha’s feet. Gehazi stepped forward to get her away but Elisha stopped her because he knew she was very distraught and God hadn’t showed him what it was about. When he asked, she told him about her son. Elisha gave Gehazi his staff and told him to lay it on her son’s body, but she would not be satisfied till Elisha came too.
The staff brought no change so Elisha, himself laid on top of his body and poured his life into this boy. The boy sneezed 7 times and was healed. What a mystery and what a recovery!
Elisha returned to his school of prophets in Gilgal. There was a famine in the land because of the wickedness of the nation so Elisha had his students gathering vegetables for a big pot of stew. They accidentally picked fruit from a poisonous plant and cooked it in the stew making it deadly. When they ate it, they instantly tasted the death in the stew. Elisha told them not to worry and threw some flour into the pot making it edible and healthy. The death that Elisha had cast out of the boy had tried to return and do more damage.
Next we have the story of Naaman. Naaman was an Armenian officer who was plagued with leprosy. He had a young servant girl he had taken with the spoil from one of his battles with Israel. She took pity on Naaman and told his wife that in Israel, he would be healed of leprosy. So Naaman took the equivalent to 9 million dollars worth of gold and clothes to Israel and tried to give them in exchange for his healing. The king thought he was just trying to stir up a reason to attack them, but Elisha got wind and sent a message to the king: “Is there not a prophet in Israel that can heal leprosy? Send him to me.” So off went Naaman to Elisha’s house.
Elisha sent Gehazi out to tell him to dip in the Jordan 7 times. He was humiliated and mad that the prophet didn’t appear himself and that the Jordan was so muddy. His servant humbly presented that the assignment was not a very hard thing to do, so maybe he should give it a try. He agreed and when he came up the seventh time his skin was soft as a babies and clear of leprosy. He went back and this time Elisha met him. He offered Elisha his gold and clothing and Elisha continued to refuse it till finally Naaman left. Gehazi couldn’t stand it. He ran after him and told him a story about how two prophets had arrived and needed money so could he have some for them. Naaman gladly gave him more than he had asked and left. Elisha was waiting for Gehazi and asked him where he had been. Gehazi lied, Elisha exposed him and the leprosy that had been on Naaman came on Gehazi.
Jesus taught that evil spirits, when they leave someone have to find a place to land and in both of our stories we see that principle.
In Acts, the church was struggling over the law. Some thought the new Gentile converts needed to be circumcised but Paul set them straight. The law of circumcision was a picture of what was happening in the heart and no longer needed since it had been fulfilled in Christ. There was a constant war with the law and grace and continues to this day. Satan wants us to fall back under the yoke of slavery to the law and the Spirit wants to set us free to follow the Lord in his power.
Lord, may we not fall back into the law but fight to live according to grace.
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