Author Archive for: meiling

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 3:13-27.  Christmas has come early this year, because in this passage we can see three great gifts that God gives to you and me.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 3:13-14 (NIV) 
13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” “No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the LORD who called us three kings together to hand us over to Moab.” 
14 Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you. 

On verses 13-14: Joram king of Israel, the God-fearing Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and the king of Edom together approach Elisha the prophet for guidance on what to do in their fight against the king of Moab.  Elisha, knowing Joram to be an idol worshipper, wonders, “Why are you coming to me when you can be consulting your idols?”  Joram’s response: “It’s because the Lord has called us here only to be defeated by Moabites” (v13)  There goes Joram blaming God again for something God never told Joram to do.  Elisha states that the only reason he would even consider being in contact with Joram is because of his respect for King Jehoshaphat who has come as well (v14).

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 3:1-12.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 3:1-3 (NIV) 
1 Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. 
2 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. 
3 Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. 

On verses 1-3:  Joram becomes king of Israel and gets rid of the sacred stone of Baal, which his father Ahab and mother Jezebel had used to worship the idol Baal.  But Joram “clung to the sins of Jeroboam” (v3), suggesting that Joram continues to worship the idols that Jeroboam had set up.  As such, “he did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (v2)

What can we learn from this?  Partial idolatry is still idolatry.  When you stand before God, God will not accept you or reject you based on how you compared to your parents or your peers, but on how you compared to God’s perfect and holy standards.  Even if you think you are much better than your parents or your peers, the fact is that we are not blameless in God’s sight until there is no sin or idolatry in our lives at all.  That’s why we need Jesus, whose blood alone is able to cleanse and pay for our sins.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 2:13-25.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 2:13-14 (NIV) 
13 He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
14 Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. 

On verses 13-14:  Elisha could not cross the Jordan River on his own power.  But when he picks up his mentor Elijah’s cloak and strikes the river with it, the waters part and he crosses over.  Likewise, on our own we sinners have no way of crossing over to heaven where God is.  But Jesus gave us His robe of righteousness, and it is because we are armed with Jesus’ robe of righteousness that we can cross over to where God is and have a relationship with Him.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 2:1-12. Let’s go!

2 Kings 2:1-2 (NIV) 
1 When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 
2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

On verses 1-2, 4, 6:  Elijah and Elisha both know that the Lord is going to take Elijah back to heaven that day.  Elijah gives Elisha three different opportunities to say goodbye and leave, but Elisha refuses to leave, each time replying, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will not leave you.” (v2, 4, 6)

What can we learn from this?    Over the years I have had the privilege of watching some very good leaders mentor and disciple younger leaders.  I myself have also had the opportunity to mentor and disciple younger leaders.  I find that the best disciples or “mentees” have some key characteristics in common.  In 2 Kings 2:1-12 we see six of these key characteristics in Elijah’s disciple Elisha.