CONTENTS The account of the ministry of Elisha is continued yet further through this chapter also, as in the former. He causeth iron to swim. He discloseth the king of Syria's counsel. He smiteth his army with blindness. 2 Kings 6:1 It is more than probable that the place spoken of here, was at Gi... [ Continue Reading ]
It will not be doing violence to this passage to look through the servant to his Lord in it. In all my goings forth shall I not say to thee, thou blessed Jesus, go I pray thee with thy servant? Yes! dearest Lord, like Moses would I always seek thy presence. For heaven itself would be darkness withou... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe how very poor the sons of the prophets were. In all ages it hath been so. Hence James calls upon the church to attend to this, as a mark of God's choice; poor of this world, but rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom. James 2:5. It is refreshing to behold the Lord's presence with his sent s... [ Continue Reading ]
Reader! while you pay a just tribute of praise to the Lord of Elisha, for making him thus instrumental in the deliverance of Israel; shall not our minds be led to reflect how graciously our Jesus, by the sweet, but secret influences of his Spirit, saves us again and again from the stratagems of our... [ Continue Reading ]
The mad and childish attempt of the king of Syria to take the prophet, serves to set forth the bitterness of the carnal mind against God and his servants in all ages, for it is always the same, only manifesting itself under different forms and ways. If the king of Syria really believed that Elisha c... [ Continue Reading ]
The dreadful alarm of Elisha's servant, and the perfect composure of Elisha himself, hold forth a precious lesson. In minds of little or no faith, the smallest events, which appears unpromising, excite fear. Alas! what shall we do? But firm, steady, fixed faith in Jesus, passes over all that we can... [ Continue Reading ]
How sweet a gospel lesson is folded up under these verses! When Jesus brings his enemies under his power; and when their eyes are opened to see how the Lord hath surrounded them, their knees bow before him, and the weapons of sin fall out of their hands: oh! how graciously doth he feed them, and wha... [ Continue Reading ]
It should seem that this must have been a long time after what is related in the foregoing verse; probably several years, because that a famine had taken place to lead to it, of which we have no immediate account. And to what an extent must have been this famine, when the head of an ass, which was a... [ Continue Reading ]
To what a dreadful state was Israel now reduced; but yet not a word of reform. We do not hear of a single soul sending up a cry to heaven. Alas! how sin hardens the mind! And to what a dreadful degree is our nature fallen, when, passing by all natural feelings, such shocking deeds, as are here recor... [ Continue Reading ]
Let the Reader mark the blessed properties of distinguishing grace. Oh! how hardened was the king of Israel's heart, to have so soon, forgotten the ministry of Elisha, in bringing the Syrians by blindness into his power. And, yet further: He confesses that he sees God's hand in it, and yet dares to... [ Continue Reading ]
REFLECTIONS IN the perusal of this chapter, methinks I would behold the prophet Elisha with the greater attention in the several interesting services here recorded of him, by way of having my soul directed, with more awakened earnestness, to contemplate the grace of his heavenly Master. Surely it is... [ Continue Reading ]