Hi all. I have been thinking on a passage a few months ago and I want to share what I have learned with you all.
If you are Joash the king, how many times would you strike the ground with the arrow?
My answer is: once, because Elisha never told him how many times he should strike, so once is enough, is it not? But the correct answer is five or six times, so I must be wrong! That draws my interest to this passage.
Joash has been obeying every command Elisha gives, and so by his obedience God promised him: "You will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them". But what happened to this promise? Why is the Aram not defeated at the end?
For God requires faith from Joash. This faith cannot come from obedience, nor other people's faith. If Elisha have made it clear on how many times he should struck the ground, it would be Elisha's faith, not Joash's faith, and it would merely require his obedience.
Does your faith also come from obedience? Does your faith come from your pastor's faith? Or, does your faith come from the promise of God, that "you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them"?
I think I never really understand what faith is. Faith is not merely about following instructions. It is initiative, and in some sense, aggressive. Other people can help me, but I must not merely follow their instructions. I must hold on to the promise of God, that I will achieve victory over my enemies - my lust and my weaknesses, and strike for it until I have defeat my enemies.
Do I want only three victories over my enemies? No. How many victories over Aram depends on Joash's faith. How far my victories will go also depends on my faith.
How much our faith has, how far our victories will be, because they are given to us according to our faith. Now I am bold enough to seek for more. I want to experience the power of God, that I can do all things through God, and not be bound by my own weakness.
But to achieve victory, I need to deny what I wish to hold on to. I need to step out of my comfort zone, to do things I never did (and things I could never do). I guess that is why the first word came to my mind when I registered in this forum is "Tharseo (take courage in Greek)". I really need it.
Thanks for reading.
P.S. I guess I am leaving cf soon, because I am returning to China. Nice to meet you all. May you all find victories through faith in God.
2 Kings 13:14-19 (NASB) said:When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" Elisha said to him, "Take a bow and arrows." So he took a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, "Put your hand on the bow." And he put his handon it, then Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. He said, "Open the window toward the east," and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot!" And he shot. And he said, "The LORD'S arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them." Then he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," and he struck it three times and stopped. So the man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aramonly three times."
If you are Joash the king, how many times would you strike the ground with the arrow?
My answer is: once, because Elisha never told him how many times he should strike, so once is enough, is it not? But the correct answer is five or six times, so I must be wrong! That draws my interest to this passage.
Joash has been obeying every command Elisha gives, and so by his obedience God promised him: "You will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them". But what happened to this promise? Why is the Aram not defeated at the end?
For God requires faith from Joash. This faith cannot come from obedience, nor other people's faith. If Elisha have made it clear on how many times he should struck the ground, it would be Elisha's faith, not Joash's faith, and it would merely require his obedience.
Does your faith also come from obedience? Does your faith come from your pastor's faith? Or, does your faith come from the promise of God, that "you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them"?
I think I never really understand what faith is. Faith is not merely about following instructions. It is initiative, and in some sense, aggressive. Other people can help me, but I must not merely follow their instructions. I must hold on to the promise of God, that I will achieve victory over my enemies - my lust and my weaknesses, and strike for it until I have defeat my enemies.
Do I want only three victories over my enemies? No. How many victories over Aram depends on Joash's faith. How far my victories will go also depends on my faith.
Matthew 9:29 (NASB) said:...It shall be done to you according to your faith.
How much our faith has, how far our victories will be, because they are given to us according to our faith. Now I am bold enough to seek for more. I want to experience the power of God, that I can do all things through God, and not be bound by my own weakness.
Mark 9:23 (NASB) said:...All things are possible to him who believes.
Philippians 4:13 (NASB) said:I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
But to achieve victory, I need to deny what I wish to hold on to. I need to step out of my comfort zone, to do things I never did (and things I could never do). I guess that is why the first word came to my mind when I registered in this forum is "Tharseo (take courage in Greek)". I really need it.
Thanks for reading.
P.S. I guess I am leaving cf soon, because I am returning to China. Nice to meet you all. May you all find victories through faith in God.
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