2 Kings 6:31
He said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!”
In a bible study I attended years ago, the assigned leader posed this scenario: ‘You’re in a fine dining restaurant, on a special date. A waiter tripped beside you, spoiling your attire. What’s your thought balloon?’ My keen-eyed seatmate imagined a misplaced rug causing the fall. The manager-type questioned why was the rug there after all. ‘They should have double-checked everything before opening’. The HR-by-heart crazily thought waiters should have reflex training or something to avoid customer inconveniences. The fashionista felt for the dress and said it’s high time to invent stain-protect fabric or for every resto to purchase-provide easy-fix solutions. Picking up her line, another single blurted her date should make sure no glass would touch her skin, or that would be his last. (We had a good laugh with that). Finally, the leader asked, ‘Anyone thought of helping the waiter?’
Just one verse down Israel’s goodwill to free Aram's army, with no provocation whatsoever, King Ben-Hadad mobilized his men, marched up and laid siege to Samaria. Because no trade was happening to and fro the city, the people were left with only their provisions at hand. Soon, all was gone and the horror of famine came next. Walking along the city walls, probably exhausting all his options, the king heard a woman’s desperate cry. As their protector and provider, she was hoping to get justice (and food!) from another woman who kept her child although agreeing hers was next after sharing in the flesh of her own. Exactly how God warned Israel of the curse of disobedience and not keeping their share of the covenant. But instead of seeing his sin and the people’s idolatry as the source of their sufferings, although in part hating Aram for this evil, he turned to the prophet whom he felt caused it all, and blamed the God who seemingly never cared at all. If Elisha just allowed him to kill their enemies when they were behind their lines. If only Elisha prayed and pleaded in behalf of the land. Where were his miracles now? Where was the God whom he bragged as Helper and Salvation? And so he ordered Elisha’s beheading and concluded, “This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”
How come we always point to external reasons for all the problems of the world? How dare we imply a deficit on God’s care and control when we can’t find a rope? It’s always our leader’s poor governance, our colleague’s mediocre performance, our friend’s insensitivity, our neighbor’s selfishness, the weather, the traffic, the generation before us, even our family’s genes - - everyone’s to blame. Everyone but us. We are the good guys. We alone care for mankind. We know what’s best to be done. Supposing that premise is right, so do it! Be one! But will we take responsibility? Will we be willing to educate and help mold everyone to exactly how we envisioned as ideal? Will we pick up our trash, wake up early, make sure our kids are grow better than us? Too much for one right? King Jehoram exclaimed truth amidst the siege: ‘If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you?’ He knew Help is from God alone. We knew it too. Why pass the buck around when we can let God win our cards? It may mean acknowledging we’re part of the failed system, but what is that compared to the salvation He is offering? You know you can’t eat pride right?
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