The Shunammite’s Land Restored

2 King 8:1-29

The Shunammite’s Land Restored.

Elisha went to Damascus, and Ben-Hadad king of Aram was ill. When the king was told, “The man of God has come all the way up here,” he said to Hazael, “Take a gift with you and go to meet the man of God. Consult the Lord through him; ask him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”

Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him as a gift forty camel-loads of all the finest wares of Damascus. He went in and stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ 

Elisha answered, “Go and say to him, ‘You will certainly recover.’ Nevertheless, the Lord has revealed to me that he will in fact die.” He stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael was embarrassed. Then the man of God began to weep.

Because I know the harm you will do to the Israelites,” he answered. “You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women.”

Then Hazael left Elisha and returned to his master. When Ben-Hadad asked, “What did Elisha say to you?” Hazael replied, “He told me that you would certainly recover.” But the next day he took a thick cloth, soaked it in water and spread it over the king’s face, so that he died. Then Hazael succeeded him as king.

In the twelfth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. He followed the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab’s family.

The second part of the story is told. This belongs to the time before Gehazi's leprosy.

Elisha fulfills God's commission to Elijah. Hazael, like Macbeth, resorts to murder to turn prediction into fact and seize the throne. The writer returns to the history of the kings which has been interrupted by the stories of Elisha.

Jehoram was a 'bad king, influenced by his wife Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. He reigned for eight years plus a co-regency, during which time successful revolts by Edomand Libnah crippled Judah.

Why?

Elisha connected with the Lord so he can predict what will happen in the world.

No one can tell the future except the Lord.

The Lord loved David so Judah may stand longer than Israel.

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書念婦人聽神人的話，所以神保守他， 不虧待她，賜福她。甚至於近幾年的出產也歸她！

外邦的國也在神的手中。

猶大放棄信仰結合北國，希望抵擋亞蘭國的威脅，結果失去南方的領土及鄰國，以東、立拿等，顧此失彼。約沙法後面兩代都與亞哈家結親。我們容易只看到眼前利益，而把神擺在一邊！一點點破口，最後潰堤！為了主的主會幫助我們找回我們失去的，為了自己利益放下主，結果一切都失去！

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How?

Be humble and honor the holy name of the Lord. I can do nothing without the Lord!