2 Kings 4:38

2 Kings 4:38 says, And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.  When Elisha got to Gilgal, there was not a lot of food, and the sons of the prophets were there, and he asked his servant to set a great pot to make pottage for them.  Matthew Henry said this dearth lasted for seven years, the same as the one in Elijah's day.  Of course, as sons of prophets, they should have been looking to God for help first, just as we should today especially.  We do not have to go through priests or prophets to get God's help.  Verse thirty-nine adds, And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.  One of the sons of the prophets found some wild gourds, brought them, and shredded them into the pottage without really knowing what they were.  We need to be careful that we do not allow things that we do not know what they are to feed us spiritually today.  Verse forty continues, So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.  As the men were eating, they cried out that there was death in the pot, and they could not eat it.  Whether this was because of the taste, or they were actually getting sick is not specified, but Matthew Henry says they were getting physically sick.  When we begin to ingest ideas that are not in accordance with God's word, it should make us spiritually sick.  Verse forty-one states, But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.  Elisha told them to bring him some meal, he put it in the pot, and told them they could eat with no harm.  To continue the analogy of the pottage and God's word, once the truth of God is added to counter the lies of the world, it is safe for us to feed on it.  It does not make lies the truth, but makes us not be susceptible to their influence.  Verse forty-two adds, And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.  After this, a man from Baalshalisha came with twenty loaves of barley and some full ears of corn, which were said to be the first-fruits, or an offering to God, and told Elisha to give it to the people.  God will always provide for His people's needs.  Verse forty-three continues, And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.  The server asked if he was supposed to give this little amount to feed a hundred men.  He was looking at the material things instead of looking to God by faith and sometimes we do the same thing.  As long as we have faith in God and are following His will, He will always provide for us spiritually if not physically, and that is all that really matters.  The man who brought the food told him to go ahead, because God had said it would be enough.  Verse forty-four concludes, So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord.  When the man obeyed the word of God, it was as he said it would be, and it always will be when we are speaking God's word.

2 Kings 4:29

2 Kings 4:29 says, Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.  Elisha told Gehazi to take Elisha's staff and run to the child and lay it on the boy.  He was to let nothing distract him along the way.  We as Christians today need a sense of urgency when witnessing to those who are spiritually lost.  We don't need to let things of the world distract us from witnessing to others.  Verse thirty adds, And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.  The woman told Elisha that she would not leave his side as surely as he lived, and the LORD lived.  As long as we live, as followers of Christ, we must ever leave His side.  Elisha arose and followed her.  Verse thirty-one continues, And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.  Gehazi passed them, got to the child, laid Elisha's staff on him, and nothing happened.  He then returned and told them this news.  Sometimes, we may not immediately see positive result of our witnessing to others, but we must never lose faith that it will bear fruit.  Verse thirty-two states, And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.  When Elisha got there, sill nothing had changed.  The child was still dead.  He could have given up in defeat.  When things appear hopeless in a situation today, we may give up in defeat before the victory has come, but we should never lose faith.  Verse thirty-three adds, He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord.  Elisha shut the others out and prayed to the LORD.  This is our best course of action in any situation, especially those that seem hopeless.  We need to get alone and pray to God.  Verse thirty-four continues, And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.  Elisha covered the body of the child with his own body, and the flesh of the child grew warm.  We cannot bring physical life back to dead people necessarily, but we can offer them spiritual life if they are covered with the blood of Christ.  He can bring them to life spiritually now and forever.  Verse thirty-five declares, Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.  Elisha walked back and forth in the house, then stretched himself out on the child again, the child sneezed seven times, and opened his eyes.  None of these actions had any magical powers, but God restored the life of the child.  We can never put too much faith in the actions or power of people to heal, but we must always look to God for healing.  Verse thirty-six adds, And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.  After the child was restored to life, Elisha had Gehazi go and tell the woman.  He was not looking for praise for himself, and we must never do so today.  We must always make sure that God gets the credit for anything that we do as Christians.  Verse thirty-seven continues, Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.  The woman still attempted to worship Elisha, falling at his feet before taking her son and leaving.  We need to make sure that we never allow people to worship us when God does something miraculous through us.  

2 Kings 4:18

2 Kings 4:18 says, And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.  After the child that Elisha had told the Shunammite woman she would have when he asked her what he could do for her because of her kindness to him was grown, or past the time of infancy where many children died, he was out with the reapers with his father.  He was evidently out where his father was working as any lad should be at times.  Even if someone has a child that is considered to be by a miracle, they should still be treated as any other child.  Verse nineteen adds, And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.  The boy started complaining of his head aching, and his father told a lad there with him to take him to his mother.  He may have believed that she would be better at caring for him, and sometimes that assumption is still made today.  Verse twenty continues, And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.  When the boy was brought to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.  The mother held her son for a long time, but he still died.  Sometimes, all the love and concern that a mother or father has for a child will not be enough to keep them alive.  Verse twenty-one states, And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.  She took her son to Elisha's room, laid him on the bed, and shut him in the room.  We don't need to bring our children to a man of God, but to Jesus Christ, and we must do so while they are still alive.  There is no better place to leave a child than at the feet of Jesus.  He is the only One Who can give them spiritual life.  Verse twenty-two adds, And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.  She told her husband to send her one of the young men and an ass so that she could go to Elisha.  Still, her real help would not come from Elisha, but from God Himself.  As followers of Christ, we need to always look to Him first for help in trying situations.  Of course, at this time, this was not really possible, so she looked to a prophet who represented God.  Verse twenty-three continues, And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.  Her husband asked her where she would look for him since it wasn't a day to worship, and she said it would be well.  She was acting by faith and not sight.  We cannot wait until we can physically find all the answers before turning to God but must always act in faith knowing that whatever happens, if we are a Christian, everything will be okay.  Verse twenty-four declares, Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.  She mounted the ass and told her servant to drive until she told him to stop.  If we are in need today, we should not stop until we come to Jesus for help.  Verse twenty-five adds, So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:  She found Elisha, as we will always find Jesus if we are looking for Him in fith.  Elisha saw her while she was still far off and asked Gehazi if she were not the Shunammite woman.  We don't need to worry that that Jesus Christ will not recognize us when we come to Him for whatever reason.  Verse twenty-six continues, Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well:  Elisha told Gehazi to run to her and ask her if everything was well with her, her husband and child.  She told him it was when he got to her, which would imply that she had faith that God through Elisha would raise her son from the dead.  We need that same faith that when we come to Jesus Christ today that everything will be well, no matter what happens in this life.  Verse twenty-eight concludes, And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.  When she got to Elisha, she caught him by the feet and Gehazi attempted to pull her away.  We never want to be guilty of attempting to stop others from coming to Jesus Christ today.  Elisha told Gehazi to leave her alone, that she was vexed in her soul, and that the Lord had hidden the reason from him.  Even as a prophet, Elisha did not know everything, and neither will we as Cristians today.  We just need to wait for Him to reveal to us what we need to know in any situation.

2 Kings 4:8

 2 Kings 4:8 says, And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.  As Elisha was going past Shumen, a great woman, or a woman of importance caused him to eat with her.  He began to eat there whenever he passed that way.  She was showing a great kindness to him.  We need to be willing to help those doing God's work today as often as we can.  Verse nine adds, And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.  She then talked to her husband about Elisha.  She didn't do these things without his knowledge.  Husbands and wives should always talk about things before decisions are made.  Verse ten continues, Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.   The woman proposed making a room for Elsha to stay in anytime he passed that way.  She had said that she perceived him to be a holy man, and she wanted to help him for whatever reason.  As already state, we should be ready to help those who are doing God's work today, especially preachers and missionaries, in any way God leads us to do.  Verse eleven states, And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.  Verse twelve adds, And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.  One day, as Elisha turned in to stay in the chamber, he had Gehazi, his servant to call the Shunamite woman.  Evidently, his servant travelled with him, but I am not sure if he stayed in the chamber as well, but I sure that God provided for him.  Verse thirteen continues, And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.  Elisha asked the woman what he could do for her because of all her kindness toward him.  He offered to speak about her to the king, likely to provide a material blessing for her, but he didn't say anything about speaking to God for her.  He may have wanted to see what was really important to her.  We may not be able to help people materially or physically today, but we can always go to God in prayer for them.  She also said she dwelt among her own people, and as followers of Christ we should live as a part of His family and not be looking to the world for satisfaction.  Verse fourteen declares, And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.  Gehazi told Elisha that the woman and her husband had no child, and the implication would be that this would be what she really wanted.  She was not helping Elisha to benefit herself and her husband, but out of true compassion, and this should be our attitude when we help others today.  Verse fifteen adds, And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.  She had evidently left without asking Elisha for anything, so he sent Gehazi to get her once more.  Gehazi called her and she came and stood at the door.  For her to enter his chamber might have caused a scandal, so she didn't go in.  We need to avoid even the look of impropriety in our interactions with others today.  Verse sixteen continues, And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.  Elisha told her, without her ever really asking, that the next year she would embrace a son, and she asked him not to lie to her.  She may have thought it physically impossible for her to have a child and have given up hope.  Some people today, when we share the gospel, will refuse to believe because they continue to look by sight and not by faith.  Verse seventeen concludes, And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.  The woman conceived and had a son just as Elisha said she would.  If we are sharing God's word with people, it is always going to be fulfilled in His time.

2 Kings 4:1

2 Kings 4:1 says, Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.  The widow of a prophet that Elijah knew to be a good man came to him and said her husband had died and his creditors had come to take her two sons as bondservants to pay off his debt.  This would have likely left her with no one to help support her.  Matthew Henry says that though prophets, or ministers today, should not be in debt that sometimes it happens but that it should never be because of living in luxury.  We should live content with what God provides for us.  Verse two adds, And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.  Elijah asked her what she wanted him to do, and then he asked her what she had in the house.  She said all she had was a pot of oil.  If people come to us for help today, I believe we should first pray about what to do, see what they have to work with, and then take the action that God leads us to take.  Verse three continues, Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.  Elisha told her to go borrow many pots from here neighbors.  This required obedience on her part even if she didn't see the purpose yet.  We need to obey God's guidance even if we don't see any physical proof for the need to do so.  Verse four concludes, And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.  Eisha told after she did so that she was to close her doors with her sons inside and pour out the oil into the empty vessels.  Again, this required faith on her part and was not being done for show to the world.  Sometimes, God does miraculous things in our lives that the world will never see happen, but that doesn't make them less real.  Verse five states, So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.  The widow did what Elisha told her to do, and we must do what God tells us to do today if we are going to be successful spiritually.  Verse six adds, And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.  When all the vessels were full, she asked her son to bring her another, and he said there wasn't another, and the oil stayed the same.  There was no need for it to flow if there was no place for it to be collected to be used. I don't believe that God is ever going to bless us with anything to waste.  Once He meets our needs, there will be nothing more provided just to be wasted.  Verse seven continues, Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.  She came and told Elisha what had happened.  He told her to go and sell the oil and pay off her debt and for her children and her to live off the rest of the sales money.  She acted in faith and God met her needs, just as He will for us today.  

2 Kings 3:20

2 Kings 3:20 says, And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.  After the meat offering the next morning, which were offered before the water came, the valley was filled with water.  We should not wait until after our prayers are answered and our needs are met to worship God, but we should worship Him even as we wait.  Verse twenty-two adds, And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border.  The Moabites armed all the men who were able to fight and waited for the people of Israel at the border.  Those who oppose Christianity today are always going to be armed and ready to fight against Christian beliefs.  Verse twenty-two continues, And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:  When the Moabites saw the sun reflecting off the water, it looked red as blood.  Verse twenty-three states, And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.  They thought the water was full of the blood of the people of Israel who had opposed them and that they had killed each other, so they said it was time to go and claim the spoil.  They were making a false assumption and basing their actions on it, and so do people today who think that God's word is wrong.  Verse twenty-four adds, And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.  When the Moabites got to the camp of the Israelites, the Moabites were slain, or they fled.  We may not immediately be victorious over the enemies of God today, but we can be certain that one day they will be sent from God's presence into everlasting destruction.  Verse twenty-five continues, And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.  Moab was completely destroyed, even having their wells stopped up.  The same complete destruction is one day coming to all those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty-six says, And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not.  The king of Moab took seven hundred men and attempted to break through to the king of Edom to save himself, but he couldn't.  He was more interested in self-preservation than he was about the rest of Moab it would seem, but he was unsuccessful.  Those who oppose God are always going to be interested in self-preservation more than they are about the safety of others I believe.  Verse twenty-seven adds, Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.  The king offered his son as a burnt sacrifice and the people were indignant to Israel then and they left the king and returned to their own land.  People are still sacrificing their children to false gods today, sometimes even killing the unborn in the name of the god of self-will or pleasure. 

2 Kings 3:9

 2 Kings 3:9 says, So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.  As the army was travelling, they almost died of thirst.  If we are engaged in a spiritual war today, we must rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength so that we are filled with the Living Water. and never thirst.  Verse ten adds, And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!  The king of Israel said that God had called them together simply to let them die or be defeated by the Moabites.  We should never lose faith in God when things start to look bad in life.  Verse ten continues, But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.  Jehoshaphat asked if there was not a prophet of God that they could inquire of God from.  Looking to God should always be our first step in finding solutions in life today.  One of the servants of the king of Israel told him there was Elisha.  If people are looking for guidance from God today, He will always have someone able to point the way to them.  Verse twelve states, And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.  Jehoshaphat said the word of God was with Elisha, so he and the other two kings went down to him.  They didn't demand that he come to them, just as we cannot demand that God send His messenger to us today because we feel more important than them.  Verse thirteen adds, And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.  Elisha asked the king of Israel why he didn't inquire of the prophets of his father and mother, but the king of Israel said that the LORD had called the three kings together.  Of course, if God has called us together to do His work, and we are encountering difficulties, we don't have to go to someone else to find out what He wants us to do.  We simply need to go to Him in faith.  Verse fourteen continues, And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.  Elisha said if it weren't for Jehoshaphat being with them that he would have nothing to do with them.  Even if people have stood in defiance to God in the past, I don't believe that we can ever afford to tell them that we will have nothing to do with them if they sincerely come to us seeking God's direction, but it is also possible that Jehosaphat was the only one of the three who really was.  Verse fifteen declares, But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.  Elisha asked for a minstrel and as he played, the hand of the LORD came upon him.  Music has always had an important part in the worship of God, and it should lead us to a closer attitude of worship today when we play and sing.  Verse sixteen adds, And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.  Elisha told them to make the valley full of ditches.  This might have seemed a strange request to people dying of thirst, but I believe it was made to show their willingness to do what God said without any sight that it was going to do any good.  We should never question God's reasons for having us do something today but should simply respond in faith and not by sight.  Verse seventeen continues, For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.  Elisha said that God had said that they would not see any rain nor feel any wind, but after they filled the valley with ditches, God would fill the valley with water for them and their animals.  I believe this was so that they would know that it was God Who had done this.  I also believe that when God is at work in the world today that we as followers of Christ will always know that He alone could have brought about the result.  Verse eighteen says, And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.  Elisha said that filling the valley with water was an easy thing for God, just as anything He does in the world today for His people is.  Elisha also said that God would deliver the Moabites into their hands.  We may come to God today because we are spiritually thirsty, but He has already given us the everlasting victory over sin and death if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse nineteen adds, And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.  Elisha told them that they were to totally destroy everything of the Moabites, just as we as Christians should destroy everything that stands between us and doing God's will today.  We cannot leave a few sins in our lives and be successful as followers of Christ.