Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray, and Elisha said unto him, Go say
unto him, thou mayest certainly recover, howbeit the Lord hath
showed me that he shall surely die Second Kings eight ten.
As I meditate on Second Kings eight one through fifteen,
(00:20):
I will lean on you, Lord for comfort and provision
in moments of uncertainty. Give me inner guidance and information,
like Elisha on what is to come. Thank you, God
for protecting all that is mine when the enemy seeks
to steal and rob me of all that You've promised
to me through every stage of my life. Protect me
(00:44):
from evil minded people like Haziel who seek to harm
me and put an end to the business, territory, industry, ministry,
and mission you've entrusted me with. Lord, I declare that
I will not be moved nor harmed because the army
of the Lord is on my side. Move quickly, Lord,
(01:07):
that no plan formed against me shall prosper. I am covered,
protected and anointed by your power and grace in Jesus name. Amen,
Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time
with God by listening to today's Bible story brought to
(01:30):
you by Bible. In a Year dot.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Com Elisha and Hazael.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
In our last story, the land of Israel was perishing
at the hand of the Syrians. The land was stripped
of all its resources, food, water, and life slowly left
the city of Samaria. Women were forced to eat their
own children, and all hope seemed lost. Then, as Elisha predicted,
(02:04):
life was restored to the city after four lepers discovered
the empty Syrian camp filled with flour, gold, and silver.
Now we learn of a new famine scraping the land
of Israel. A familiar family is once again saved by God,
and an enemy of Israel parishes, all for an even
more evil enemy to take his place. As inspired by
(02:28):
the Book of Second Kings.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
This is Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
in a Year podcast. In our previous episode, we heard
about the severe famine in Samaria and how people turned
to desperate acts to survive. We also heard how the
king and many others blamed God for their troubles, but
Elisha spoke God's promise to restore them, bringing abundant food
(02:54):
into the city, and just as he promised, God rescued
his people. He scattered the enemy, ending their attacks upon
Samaria and brought food and riches from their camp into Israel.
Today we learn about another famine that swept through Israel
and how God once again rescued a family we've met before.
We'll also hear the death of one of Israel's enemy
(03:16):
and the new foe that rises up even worse than
the last. So now let's listen to the word of God.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
The people of Israel rejoiced in their new found wealth
after the deadly famine. Families were restored, livestock recovered, and
the armies of Israel were beginning to find their strength
once again. However, they still lived in a land that
could shift its abundance in a matter of days. There
was uncertainty about Israel's future. Rather than lean on the
(03:46):
Lord for comfort and provision, the people of Israel clung
to their own strength. They had no idea what heartache
lurked around the corner for them. A warm wind blew
in from deep in the east. Lush trees began to
lose their leaves prematurely, and the birds were flying away
in flocks. Elisha could see the signs. He knew what
(04:08):
was about to take place. With urgency, Elisha raced to
Shunnam to find the family he had once restored. Years ago.
Elishah had restored the rich woman's son from the dead.
He was close to the family and concerned for their
safety arise. He ordered them, sojourn wherever you can to escape.
A great famine is going to pierce the land like
(04:30):
a hot iron. The woman and her son trusted Elisha
with their lives. They did not hesitate. They gathered whatever
they could and departed to the land of the Philistines.
For seven years they remained there. Meanwhile, a blighted wind
blew continuously through Israel. Farms withered, grain turned to dust,
rivers ran dangerously dry. The Lord allowed for a refining
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broom to be swept across Israel. Their self reliance withered
with the grass. After seven years, they looked towards the heavens,
and the land began to be restored to its former glory.
One day, the king was lounging in his throne room
listening to Gehazi tell stories of Elisha. Gehesi was Elisha's
(05:15):
former servant who was made a leper after stealing from Nayman.
Although the king despised Elisha, he was fascinated by him.
He respected him and his devotion to the Lord. So
the king listened intently as Gehesi told story after story
of Elisha's life with God. He spoke of many miracles,
(05:35):
the greatest being when Elisha restored a Shennamite woman's son
back to life. As the king was listening, the throne
room doors opened. The king looked closely to see a
woman and her son walking the halls to meet him.
Gehes I gasped at the timing, My Lord, he shouted,
that is the woman I was speaking about. That is
her son that was raised from the dead. The king
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stood to his feet. Even though he was ruler over Israel,
he felt as though he was in the presence of
true royalty. The woman told the king of her travels
to the Philistines to escape the famine. When she returned,
her possessions and land had been lost. The king did
not hesitate restore all that was once hers. He ordered
his governors so the woman and her son were once
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again protected by the merciful hand of God. Meanwhile, Elisha
was traveling to Damascus. His staff was keeping him upright.
Years of famine had aged him quickly, but he maintained
the quiet strength of a man with a purpose. Not
so far away. Ben Hadad, the King of Syria, laid
sick in his bed. His body was failing him, and
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fear overwhelmed his soul. He had worked his whole life
to build his kingdom, and now fate was knocking at
his door to take it from him. When he heard
that Elishah was close, his hope returned to him. He
had heard of Elishah's connection to God, so he ordered
his most trusted servant, Hazieh, to go and find Elisha.
(07:05):
Please ask him if I shall recover from this sickness,
he asked. Haziel obeyed, but not with joy or enthusiasm.
Haziel had a deep longing in his heart for the throne,
and the king's sickness was an advantage to him. Nevertheless,
he found Elisha and Damascus. Father. He said to Elisha,
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the King of Syria wants to know if his health
will ever return to him. Ah, he will most certainly recover.
Elisha paused mid sentence. He looked into Haziel's eyes. They
revealed a deep well of anger and ambition. They were
not the eyes of a loyal servant. They were the
eyes of a conqueror. But the king will die anyways,
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won't he, Elishah said. Elishah fixed his gaze on Haziel
for minutes, so long that Haziel grew uncomfortable. Sweat began
to drip down the side of his temple. He watched
the man of God gaze into his soul. Then a
small tear slid down the side of Elisha's face. Why
do you weep, Haziel said, trying to break the silence.
(08:11):
Elisha placed his hands on Haziel's face. I weep because
I have seen the evil that dwells within you. Your
hand will be responsible for the deaths of many. You
will set fire to Israel's fortresses, You will kill their
young men, You will tear the wombs of pregnant women.
Alisha's tone was sorrowful. He wept over the lost soul
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of Hazael. Hazael feigned offense. He mustered up false outrage
and pushed the prophet back, saying, how could I do
such things? I am a simple dog to the king
with no power. Elishah shook his head. You know as
well as I do. You will be the next king
of Syria. Hazael departed. As Elisha spoke these words, he
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felt exposed. He felt vulnerable and angry. He went back
to the king and delivered the good news of his recovery.
The king rested easy, elated at the news. That night,
the king laid in his bed in peace. He was
no longer afraid of dying. He could even feel his
body making a speedy recovery. Thinking only of good things,
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he slowly drifted asleep. The cool air drifted through his window.
The moonlight shone brightly through the skylight. The king was
fast asleep and could not see the slight shadow approaching him.
There in the dead of night, Haziel loomed over him
With a wet cloth. He placed it over his king's
(09:36):
face and smothered him until he drifted into nothingness. The
king perished that night, and Hazael became king in his place.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
We began today's passage with a joyful Israel, enjoying the
wealth and provisions God had sent them to end the
famine and devastation of the land. They had done nothing
to earn or deserve this great favor. It was God
and his grace who had rescued and provided for them.
But as we are all prone to do. When the
sun is shining and all is going well, the Israelites
(10:14):
neglected to trust in God and rest in his provision.
Elishah knew this self reliance was going to cost Israel
dearly the Lord's judgment, for their forgetful hearts would once
again bring famine to the land. Knowing what was coming,
he went to the Shunamite woman, the same one who
had provided a place of rest for Elishah and whose
(10:35):
son Elisha had raised from the dead, and he told
her of the impending seven years of famine that were
about to sweep through the land. She took her son
and traveled into Philistine territory to wade out the seven years,
and sure enough, God removed his hand of blessing from Israel,
and they were faced with the harsh fact that they
(10:55):
could no more provide for their own needs than an
infant can survive without its mother. At the end of
the seven years, the woman returned with her son, only
to discover her land had been taken from her, so
she went to see the king. When she arrived, Elisha's
servant Gehiza, the man who had been stricken with leprosy.
After he deceived. Nayemon was regaling the king with tales
(11:19):
of what Elishah had done. This moment was divinely appointed,
for in Second Kings eighty five, here's what we read.
And while he was telling the king how Elisha had
restored the dead to life, behold the woman whose son
he had restored to life. Appealed to the king for
her house and her land. And Ghiza said, my lord,
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O King, here is the woman, and here is her son,
whom Elisha restored to life. This was not an accident
or a coincidence. Of course, it was God's timing, paving
the way for his provision and protection. So the king
sent her with an official promising to restore what she
had lost. Once more, this woman and her son witnessed
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God's enduring faithfulness, and once more we are reminded that
God takes care of his own. When we lose things,
God will restore them in his own time and in
his own way, even more than what we had lost.
Elisha then traveled to Damascus in Syria. Again we see
(12:23):
the Lord's timing at work, for as he arrived, the
Syrian king ben Hadad was very ill he heard Elisha
was in town. And he went to speak to him.
For even this foreign king knew that the lord was
with Elisha. So he sent his servant Ehazel with camels
loaded with gifts for Elisha and asked if he would recover.
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It seemed like an earnest question from a loyal servant,
but Elishah knew Haziel was harboring other thoughts, thoughts of betrayal, murder,
and seizing power. Elishah told Ahazel to tell Ben Hadad
he'd recover, but he said God had shown him in fact,
that the king would die. Elishah then fixed his gaze
(13:05):
on a Haaseiel until he was embarrassed. Elisha then began
to weep, and Ahziel asked why. He said it was
because a Haziel was going to do great evil to Israel,
horrows exceeding those of Ben Hadad. Haziel feigned innocence, denying
that he had any such intentions or even the power
to carry them out. He was just a servant. But
(13:28):
when he returned to the palace, he gave the king
the message just as Elisha had told him, saying the
king would recover. Then that same night he smothered the
king in his sleep fulfilling Elishah's words. Syria had a
new king, Ahaziel, and he would bring great sorrow to Israel.
(13:48):
Dear God, we thank you for your word, inerrant and infallible,
your eternal word. We thank you for these great stories
of the Bible that inspire us and motivate us and
challenge and move our hearts to trust and obey. You.
Help us always to trust in you and know that
every good and perfect gift comes from above, your provision,
(14:11):
your protection, and your peace. In Jesus's name, Amen, thank
you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Let me encourage
you to download Theprey dot com app and always make
Bible reading and Bible study a priority in your life
along with prayer. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it
(14:34):
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then go to Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham
dot org. God bless you