2 Kings 2:19-25
Today's Passage: 2 Kings 2:19-25
It was a tale of two showings of prophetic authority. One of blessing. One of judgement.
In the first, verses 19-22, the people of Israel are seeking to settle into Jericho, but the water supply is contaminated. What does God do? He uses Elisha to heal the water, showing that Elisha has God’s authority and blessing on his ministry.
In the second, verses 23-25, we see Elisha already being threatened by rebellious people toward the prophet of the Lord. What does God do? He sends two she-bears to protect Elisha and enact judgement on rebellion.
Here’s what the ESV Study Bible notes say about this exchange:
This is a picture of how God relates to people. He brings both blessing and cursing. He gives spiritual blessings to us through the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 1). He also brings about judgement and wrath toward sin.
Because of Jesus, instead of wrath and judgement because of sin, we receive spiritual blessing.
Written By: Graham Withers
It was a tale of two showings of prophetic authority. One of blessing. One of judgement.
In the first, verses 19-22, the people of Israel are seeking to settle into Jericho, but the water supply is contaminated. What does God do? He uses Elisha to heal the water, showing that Elisha has God’s authority and blessing on his ministry.
In the second, verses 23-25, we see Elisha already being threatened by rebellious people toward the prophet of the Lord. What does God do? He sends two she-bears to protect Elisha and enact judgement on rebellion.
Here’s what the ESV Study Bible notes say about this exchange:
It is no surprise to find young people from this city adopting a disrespectful attitude toward a prophet of the Lord, and to treat a prophet with disrespect is to treat God himself with disrespect. Though this judgment may at first seem harsh, the group must have included over 50 boys old enough to be out running in a pack, and so they constituted something of a physical threat to Elisha. The authors of Kings regularly show that contempt toward divinely called prophets is disastrous for God’s people.
This is a picture of how God relates to people. He brings both blessing and cursing. He gives spiritual blessings to us through the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 1). He also brings about judgement and wrath toward sin.
Because of Jesus, instead of wrath and judgement because of sin, we receive spiritual blessing.
Written By: Graham Withers
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