Open My Eyes, Pt 2
6 min read
1 Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” 2 The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?”
“You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!”
— 2 Kings 7:1-2
Because of Elisha’s counsel, the king of Israel (Joram) had allowed the army of Aram return home instead of slaughtering them when they had the chance. For a time, there was peace with Aram, but as it is with human hearts, that peace didn’t last forever.
And now, that very army was laying siege to Samaria, causing great havoc and great tragedy. Joram seemed to understand that the siege was under the sovereign hand of God (6:33), and yet he was prepared to go against the will of God and kill Elisha.
What Joram did not understand was that the siege would have happened whether they had released the army of Aram or not. What Joram did not understand was the the siege happened because of Israel’s idolatry. They had turned away from God and His kingdom.
God did not cause the siege, per se, any more than Elisha had caused the siege, per se. Israel’s idolatry caused the siege. Their abandoning of God and His kingdom caused the siege. And yet, Joram did not have any anger reserved for the root cause.
When we look at the mess of this world, where will our anger be directed?
On the one hand, maybe there are some who don’t see the mess of the world or just don’t care that it’s there. As long as we ourselves have whatever we want and are not suffering and struggling physically or materially, who really cares about what’s going on in this world? Who really cares about what’s left for the next generation or the next?
On the other hand, maybe there are some who see the mess and get angry, but then become immobilized and complacent because of hopelessness. And so they do whatever they need to in order to just survive.
On the other hand, maybe there are some who see the mess and then direct their anger toward corrupt politicians or corrupt pastors or mainstream media or China or Russia or even the devil.
The word of God tells us that the root cause of the mess is always idolatry. And the worst things we can do are to overlook the root cause, to lose faith, and deny the power of God.
The root cause of the Great Mess in which we find ourselves is our abandoning of Jesus Christ and His church. It was a trickle that is becoming a flood.
There are many things to be enjoyed in this life, and I am convinced that it blesses God when we enjoy them. But are we going to enjoy them more than the purpose for which God has called us into His grace through faith in Jesus Christ?
To fill the earth with the glory of God in Jesus’s name through God-fearing, God-honoring, God-worshiping, God-loving communities and families, His church.
In this purpose, there is great hope and blessing to be found in Christ who is with us. Apart from that purpose, who knows?
Father, You are good and kind and patient. And we need your forbearance so much. Be merciful to us and change our hearts from the inside out. Holy Spirit, change our attitude and change our hearts to understand what is true and real and worthy of our passion before it is too late. In Jesus’s name. Amen.