2 Kings 5:9

2 Kings 5:9 says, So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.  Naaman came with his horses and chariots to Elisha and stood before his door.  I don't know if he thought his display of power would influence Elisha or if he just didn't feel safe coming alone.  I do know that when we come to God through putting our faith in Jesus Christ that our position in the world will not impress Him and we must always come alone.  Verse ten adds, And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.  Elisha did not even come to Nathan but sent a messenger to him telling him to go and wash in the Jordan seven times.  Elisha evidently was not impressed nor intimidated by Nathan, and neither should we be by anyone when sharing the gospel today.  Elisha's message was simple, but it required obedience and action on Nathan's part.  The gospel message is also simple, and it too requires obedience and action on the part of each individual if they are to be cleansed of the penalty of their sins.  Verse eleven continues, But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.  Nathan was mad, because Elisha had not done what he expected him to do.  He thought Elisha would come out to him, wave his hand over him, and call on God and he would be healed.  He actually wasn't expecting to have to do anything himself but be near Elisha.  For some people, the gospel is too simple, and they reject it because they expect to have to do more than just believe.  I know in this case Nathan was asked to do more, but I believe that was to show that he truly believed that Elisha spoke God's word and would humble himself to obey him.  We can only come to God by humble obedience to Jesus Christ and faith in Him as the only way to salvation.  Verse twelve continues, Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.  Nathan asked if there were not rivers near Damascus with better water than all the waters in Israel that he could wash in, and he went away in a rage.  He still thought Damascus was better than Israel and people still look for a better way to salvation today thinking that they have a better way than faith in Jesus Christ, and they either go away mad or disappointed in the simplicity of the gospel.  Verse thirteen states, And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?  Nathan's servants had a better understanding than Nathan did.  They asked him if Elisha had told him to do some great thing would he not have done it, so why would he not do something simple like washing seven times in the Jordan.  People today would still like for salvation to require more than just faith that Jesus Christ died for their sins and acceptance of this fact.  Verse fourteen adds, Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.  When Nathan did what Elisha told him to do, he was healed of his leprosy.  When we do what the gospel tells us to do, we will be healed of the penalty of our sins and will become babies in Christ spiritually.  Verse fifteen continues, And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. Nathan had left Elisha's place angry, but he returned grateful.  We may be angry when we first hear the gospel because it seems to simple, but if we believe and put our faith in it, we should return to God grateful for His salvation plan making us whole spiritually.  Nathan said he now knew that there was no god but the God of Israel, and we must come to the realization that there is but one real God in order to be saved.  Nathan also offered to reward Elisha for what he did.  Verse sixteen says, But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.  Elisha refused Nathan's reward, and so should we if someone attempts to pay us for sharing the gospel today.  Like Elisha, we are just the messenger, and all the glory should go to God and not to us.  Verse seventeen adds, And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord.  Nathan then said he would no longer worship any God but the God of Israel and then asked for two loads of dirt from Israel on which to build an altar to God, as Matthew Henry says not really understanding that God is the God of the whole earth, and the dirt of Israel was no more sacred than any dirt anywhere.  We should never believe that God is limited to a particular place, because He is the God of the whole universe.  Verse eighteen continues, In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing.  He also asked that God pardon him when he went into the house of Rimmon and bowed down.  He knew that he would be required to do this by the king, and he didn't want to oppose him.  We cannot go through the motions of worshipping other gods as Christians, but we must reject them outright and stand for God alone.  Verse nineteen concludes, And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.  Elisha told Nathen to go in peace, but I don't really believe that this meant he agreed to Nathan's proposal.   I don't believe that we can ever have real peace with God as followers of Christ if we are attempting to allow other gods in our life, even if it would save us some problems in the world.  We must worship God alone and should never even go through the motions of worshipping another god, no matter what it costs us materially to refuse to do so.   

2 Kings 5:1

2 Kings 5:1 says, Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.  Naaman was the captain of the army of Syria, a great man of valor and honorable, and because of him, God had given deliverance to Syria.  One good and honorable man who follows God may lead to God's blessing of others.  Still, Naaman was a leper in spite of his good nature.  We as followers of Christ are not exempt from problems in life.  Verse two adds, And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.  The Syrians had defeated and captured some of the Israelites, who were God's chosen people but who weren't acting like it.  We need to pray that people of the world are never doing more for God than Christians are.  There was a little girl among the captives, and she waited on Naaman's wife.  Verse three continues, And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.  The little girl told Naaman's wife that if he were with the prophet in Samaria that he would heal his leprosy, but it was really his God who would.  We need to always make sure that God, and not a preacher or teacher or anyone else, gets credit for the things that He does through us as Christians.  Verse four states, And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.  Someone went to Naaman and told him what the girl had said.  We likewise must go to the people of the world today with the gospel.  The sins of people are already forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, and if they believe in Him, they can be made spiritually whole.  Verse five adds, And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.  The king of Syria told Naaman to go to the prophet and he would send a letter to the king of Israel, and he also sent gold, silver and clothes with him.  I am not sure if these were to be used as gifts or to be used to attempt to buy God's blessing, but I do know that we should never attempt to profit materially from serving God or to buy His blessing.  Verse six continues, And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.  The king of Syria said he had sent Naaman to the king of Israel so that he might cure him of his leprosy, but the king of Israel did not have that power.  We need to realize that no person today has that power either.  Only God does.  Verse seven declares, And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.  The king of Israel was distraught because he said he didn't have that power, nor did he have faith in God to do it either.  If we are Christians in name only without any real faith in God, then we will often be distressed by things of the world.  The king of Israel thought the king of Syria was looking for a reason to go to war with him by asking him to do something he couldn't do, and he didn't look to God for the answer.  As followers of Christ, if someone asks something of us that seems impossible, we should first look to God for the answer.  Verse eight adds, And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.  When Elisha heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, he said let Naaman come to him and that he would know that there was a prophet of God in Israel.  We as Christians should always live in such a way in the world that people know there is only one true God and that we serve Him.

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.