The Grace in our Face
I've been blogging through the Bible for a long time. I'm constantly amazed at ONE thing. God keeps being gracious in ways that astound me.
The king of Israel is in a heap of trouble in 2 Kings 6. His nation is in a dire famine, people are engaged in cannibalism, and dove's dung is now a popular food item. He's in this mess because he is one of a long line of immoral kings in the Northern kingdom who desperately seeks the approval of the nations around them instead of trusting the Lord implicitly. He's in this mess because instead of leading the world into the light, he's followed the pagan nations into the darkness. He's a lot of like us.
This is the transition from 2 Kings 6 to 7 is so amazing. What does the Lord do as the king's messenger comes to seek the life of the prophet whose been keeping the nation from certain destruction?
2 Kings 6:32–7:1 (ESV) Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” 33 And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” 1 But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.”
The king of Israel is in a heap of trouble in 2 Kings 6. His nation is in a dire famine, people are engaged in cannibalism, and dove's dung is now a popular food item. He's in this mess because he is one of a long line of immoral kings in the Northern kingdom who desperately seeks the approval of the nations around them instead of trusting the Lord implicitly. He's in this mess because instead of leading the world into the light, he's followed the pagan nations into the darkness. He's a lot of like us.
This is the transition from 2 Kings 6 to 7 is so amazing. What does the Lord do as the king's messenger comes to seek the life of the prophet whose been keeping the nation from certain destruction?
2 Kings 6:32–7:1 (ESV) Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence, but before the messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” 33 And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” 1 But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.”
Elisha is hated and hunted, the king blames God for his troubles and Israel's enemies are ready to pounce. But God intervenes. Elisha promises food TOMORROW. What can happen in a day? If you trust in the Lord, anything.
This promise leads to great doubt in the king's captain's heart.
2 Kings 7:2 (ESV) Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”
The captain had reason to doubt. He has to fight in any war against a far greater and healthier enemy. But his reaction betrays what is often our own when it seems like the world is going to the dogs. We cannot imagine anything changing. But in one day, God can do great things for us.
In the next passage, four lepers are going to rebuke the entire nation with an act of faith which proves the grace of God is always available to the least deserving and the most unlikely. The Syrians are already scattered by the Lord, Israel is already saved from her enemies and the famine is already over. This happens because God is good even when we are at our worst. But we will look at that passage next.
When I hear people say they can't come to church or could never be accepted by God because of their past or their character or their track record I'm always sure they never really read about Him. The grace of God to the least deserving is a repeated theme throughout the horrible history of Israel. Why? Because its the hardest lesson we can learn. Our human ambitions want to prove ourselves, to get our own act together and earn the goodies from God so that we can rejoice in our accomplishments. God's grace doesn't respond to human accomplishments, it responds to human failure. God's grace keeps showing us who HE is in spite of who WE are.
So maybe you're the worst version of yourself right now. God's grace is still greater than you think. Believe me.
When I hear people say they can't come to church or could never be accepted by God because of their past or their character or their track record I'm always sure they never really read about Him. The grace of God to the least deserving is a repeated theme throughout the horrible history of Israel. Why? Because its the hardest lesson we can learn. Our human ambitions want to prove ourselves, to get our own act together and earn the goodies from God so that we can rejoice in our accomplishments. God's grace doesn't respond to human accomplishments, it responds to human failure. God's grace keeps showing us who HE is in spite of who WE are.
So maybe you're the worst version of yourself right now. God's grace is still greater than you think. Believe me.
Comments
Post a Comment