Healing of the Land
2 Kings 2:19-22
Sermon detail
Introduction: Before we look at the short passage that has been read for us, under the theme ‘healing the land’, I would like to share a situation in which I was once involved and briefly touch on verses 23-25. I used to help out at a Friday night church youth club, which catered for almost all non-church youngsters. At the time there was one group, of mainly boys, including a set of twins, who were quite disruptive and often tried to take over the group. On one occasion a leader ejected one of the twins, only to see the other twin launching himself feet first down a steep set of stairs. Once both twins were outside and the door locked their friends became even more disruptive and the twins were banging on the external door. The friends left on request and the original leader and I made a human barrier between the group and the door. Quite a few times during the evening I wondered whether to speak against the group in the name of the Lord, but didn’t. After about an hour of this stalemate we had to call the police and the group dispersed. The group had been hurling abuse, spitting and threatening physical violence. It was probably like this for Elisha. As the Hebrew word translated youths in the NIV and small children in the Authorised version is more usually used to refer to young men who are old enough to marry. Bethel was the centre of worship of the golden calf following the separation of Israel from Judah. Elisha would have been in the minority and it must have been a sizeable group, who were ridiculing him as 42 of them were mauled by two bears. Elisha probably cursed them in the name of the Lord, because they were making fun of his status as the leading representative of the Lord in Israel.
Against that background this incident together with the one on which we are concentrating this morning show the outworking of the Lord’s anointing on Elisha.
The Problem (v.19): The problem was one of contaminated water, or at least that was the presenting problem. But there is a spiritual problem behind this presenting physical problem. When ministering to individuals, nations and even churches this can often be the case.
V.18 suggests Elisha was in Jericho, the city which had been completely destroyed by the Israelites led by Joshua in obedience to the Lord’s instruction (Joshua 6:24). All the precious things – gold, silver, bronze and iron were to be devoted to the Lord (6:19). Joshua also spoke a curse over the person who rebuilt Jericho – At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates (6:26). In 1 Kings 16:34 you can read how this curse was fulfilled during the reign of Ahab, when Jericho was re-built.
In 6:27 we are told that the Lord was with Joshua because of his obedience and that his fame spread throughout the land. But by the time of Elisha the people of Israel had turned away from God and were worshipping other gods, e.g. Baal. They did not respect God’s representatives as can be seen in verses 23-25. It was the same in Jesus’ day and is the same today. In the recent days, even though Coptic Christians shared mass last Sunday with Muslims, Egyptian Christians are finding it harder to get food to eat. Christians are being persecuted in this country for trying to live by their beliefs and taken to court for abuse of other’s rights/civil liberty.
Listen to these words from Deuteronomy 28:15-19 ; ‘However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all His commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: you will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. You will be cursed when you come in and when you go out’…
Remember that by the time Elisha Jericho is part of Israel, which is part of the land given by God to his people. It is also worth noting that Hebrew scholars debate whether the phrase ‘the water is bad and the land unproductive’ (v.19) just refers to the produce of the land, or whether it includes a high incidence of miscarriages in the area.
The men, who brought their problem to Elisha seem to recognise that there might be a spiritual problem, since they point out the good physical position of their city as well as the facts that ‘the water is bad and the land unproductive’.
When we bring the needs of our nation, town, families, church to God we need to be open to the spiritual as well as the emotional and physical dimensions. God’s approach to healing is holistic and far beyond our understanding. The men acknowledged that Elisha was more in tune with God than they were and so they took the problem to him. This is an example to us of how we should share insights and situations with others for testing and bringing to God.
Having looked at the problem in some detail let’s look at…
The Instruction (v.20): Elisha tells the men to get a new bowl and put salt in it. The new bowl would suggest it should be something unused and thus uncontaminated. Jeremiah referred to this as the new covenant. The ultimate new vessel was and is Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. God, born of the Spirit to a virgin in Bethlehem, who did what no other human being has, or ever will do…live a sinless life and presented Himself to God as the spotless lamb of God for the sin of the whole of humanity including you and me. If we acknowledge our wrongdoing, need for a Saviour, ask God’s forgiveness and invite Jesus to rule in our lives then we too are being made new. The Hebrew word for new bowl points to purity and that for salt points to preservation and cleansing. Both of these things are to be found abundantly in Jesus Christ. Through the Holy Spirit living in those who choose to follow Jesus they too – you and I can become salt. Our purity and cleansing comes from Jesus, but to the extent to which we allow Jesus to work in and through us we become agents for healing in the families, communities and nation of which we are part. In bringing the bowl and the salt to Elisha in obedience to his instruction the men were obeying God, despite the strangeness of the request. Have there been occasions when we have been asked to do strange things? What was our response?
The Action (v.21): Elisha took the bowl to the spring (source of the water) through in the salt and said, ‘This is what the Lord says, “I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive”’. In other words the turning back to God of these men brought about the lifting of the curse and the outpouring of God’s grace. There are times when we have to claim the Lord’s healing. A couple of years ago to mark the 200th anniversary of the law abolishing slavery there was a move to ask God’s forgiveness for the part played by this nation and the church in the slave trade. Needless to say the response to the initiative was mixed, but there can be situations in which there does need to be repentance for past actions, even by previous generations. There certainly needs to be a re cognition that Christian, or not, we are part of this nation and therefore actions carried out by Government, or armed forces are done in our name and as a result we are jointly responsible before God.
There was an occasion in a previous church where I was part of a group praying with and for another member. At a certain point it seemed as if we should be thanking God for the healing, which we did. Partial healing took place at the time, but I have since heard that complete healing has occurred. When we take action, or claim healing we need to remember who it is who brings about the healing and who determines the method and time.
I wonder how many people have been praying for the overthrow of President Mubarak in Egypt and for the peace of that country. As I think back over the last 18 days in Egypt, I find it hard to believe what has and how it happened. It was the same in the late 80’s when the Berlin wall came down. These relatively peaceful events are beyond human comprehension.
Having looked at the problem, the instruction and the action we come finally to…
The Outcome (v.22): From the passage we see that the change was not a temporary one, but permanent. When God pours out His grace He does not withdraw it. This shows that change is dependent on God and not our actions, or prayers. However, this story does suggest that God often waits for people like us to take the initiative in coming to Him. We need to take seriously our responsibility to pray for the nation, our Government (both national and local), our town and church.
Conclusion:Earlier we heard the words of the song ‘Can a nation be changed?’ with God the answer is a resounding YES!!! Amen
For further considration:
What might the people of Wincanton, or the place you live, say is wrong with the place?
What might God ask us to say/do in response?
How might we, or the wider church, respond?
Why isn’t the church/God’s representative(s) the first place/group for people to come when they are in trouble?
Is there something we as God’s people need to do, so that we can be approachable and ready as Elisha was?
What do Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:13 have to say to us in the light of this passage?
Read verses 2 Kings 2:23-25.
What do these verses say to us in the light of the previous passage?
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