BE A BLESSING WHEREVER YOU GO (2 KINGS 2:19-25)

Dear Members in Christ,                                            

Be a blessing wherever you go (2 Kings 2:19-25)

Sometimes we hear it said of a pretentious individual, “this person is so heavenly, that he or she is of no earthly good.” The saying does not convey a favorable description of the person, it describes one that is full of knowledge, but does not exhibit or dispense any blessing or goodness to those around them. The Bible tells us that when we come to faith in the Lord Jesus, we become spiritual persons, living a spirit-led life. But at the same time, we are to be the salt and light of the earth. We should be a blessing to those around us, both in the spiritual and physical sense. The account of prophet Elisha’s initiation into the prophetic service began with the account in 2 Kings 2:1-12 where he saw Elijah taken up in a whirlwind. Thereafter, he performed his inaugural miracle before the “sons of the prophets” by parting the waters of the River Jordan. In this article, we shall meditate on the narrative of Elisha’s healing of the spring waters. Elisha entered the city of Jericho, and the inhabitants had a complaint brought before him.    

"And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.” 2 Kings 2:19

In the middle eastern setting, water is an important commodity. For a city to say the “water is naught” (the word is translated from a word that means bad or evil), it means that water is not potable, not of drinking quality, neither is it good for agriculture. What a distressing problem for the inhabitants! God is about to work a mighty miracle through his servant Elisha.

A. Elisha heals the brackish spring water

One of the most common sources of water in the Middle East is from the ground. These may be water from artesian wells, or water from springs flowing underground and emerging from the sides of foothills. If the groundwater is contaminated by an underground salt deposit, that will render the spring water brackish, unpotable, and unsuitable for agriculture. It seems probable that the spring of Jericho was plagued with a problem of this similar nature. What a pity, for the people acknowledges that “the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.”

Elisha then asked for something very commonplace, some salt in an unused cruse (a jar or a pot). If there was a hint of mockery, one would say, what good can some common table salt do to heal the springs? But what he did to the springs was so simple that its result defies imagination.

“And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.” 2 Kings 2:21

If you look at some of God’s most spectacular miracles recorded in the Bible, it is often accomplished with the meanest and most common of things. God commanded Moses to smite the river of Egypt and the waters turned to blood (Exo 7:19-20). In the midst of a famine, Elijah was fed by ravens (1 Kings 17:6). The Lord Jesus healed the blind with a paste of spittle and clay (John 9:6). The Apostle Paul was able to heal with handkerchiefs and aprons (Acts 19:11,12). Naaman the Syrian general had just to wash in Jordan to be cleansed of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:10).

B. The real issue is faith in God and faith in His servant

The real key to understanding the use of commonplace articles in this (and other) miracles is Elisha’s declaration “Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters.” The display of signs and wonders in the Bible has a purpose in the ministry of God’s servants. This purpose is to authenticate God’s word and to establish the authority of God’s servant. The faith of the witnesses of the miracle is bolstered by the desired outcome of the miracle. In the case of Elisha’s healing of the foul spring waters in Jericho, the outcome was spectacular. God has willed thus, and His servant has declared it.   

“So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.” 2 Kings 2:22

The Lord spoke to Elisha and the prophet declared God’s desire to heal the waters. The result is long-lasting. Rev Timothy Tow in his book “Prophets of fire and water” mentions that to this day, the spring water of Jericho is still yielding good water. We can learn an important lesson about faith from this narrative. God desires that His people put their faith in Him, and His servant. Our salvation is by faith, our daily provision is graciously provided by faith, and our very existence every moment is by faith in the all gracious and merciful God. Even if we are beset by seemingly insurmountable problems, let us have faith in the Lord. We must exercise our responsibility in studying and knowing God’s revealed will in His written word. We may not have a “live” prophet like Elisha to speak to us, but we have teachers and preachers to expound the truth of God’s word.

Let us trust in the wisdom and guidance of God’s word to help us navigate our way through this earthly sojourn. May the Lord’s name be praised.

In Christ,
Dn. Lim Seh Beng