II Kings 5:1-27; 6:1-33
Key Verse: (2 Kings 6:16) Don’t be afraid, the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Territorial disputes and conflicts between the kingdom of Aram and the two kingdoms of Israel could be dated at least as far as King Solomon’s time. God raised up the kingdom of Aram as one of the adversaries against Solomon and Israelites, for their hearts turning away from following Him (1 Kings 11:23-25). Through this unrest time and hostile public affairs and wars, we observed God’s mercy and faithfulness from the historical events and people’s actions/reactions recorded in 2 Kings chapter 5-6:
It was turbulent time and life was difficult – basic needs of shelters and food were not even met, let alone human right. How could faith persist?
A young Israelite unnamed servant girl in her captivity was able to exercise her faith on a foreign land. That started a positive chain reaction and ultimately made the adversarial commander of Aram’s army, Naaman, be humbled and be healed and become a believer of God.
Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the prophet, had every opportunity to witness the Lord’s provision first hand and even took part in many exciting events, failed to his own greed and was ‘revealed’ through a punishment of a lifelong skin disease.
Elisha, besides being the watcher for the nation, also nurtured the company of the prophets, continuing the ministry of ‘the seven thousands whose knees have not bowed down to Baal’.
The kings and leaders of Israel kept being double minded, their desperate toils ended up in vain.
What about us? How could our faith persist? Sin, like the pandemic, has no boundaries of any physical constraint or any protected class. Salvation is found in no one else but under the name of Jesus Christ. May we all recognize that and be reminded always.
Lord, please help us to be humbled by Jesus’ sacrificial love, revive us using your Words, give us the peace that the world cannot take away, make us loyal and true to follow you all our lives. In Christ’s Name we pray. Amen. —- Ivy Lin
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