Ridiculous Commitment - 2 Kings 13:10-21

Ridiculous Commitment

We close this set as Elisha’s life comes to an end in 2 Kings 13:10-21. Next week @CFW we will start a new summer series called "Ridiculous Commitment." It will based off my blog's 13 series set on Elisha. As we look at the end of Elisha life, he saved his most bizarre and ridiculous miracle for last. After Elisha is dead and buried, Moabite raiders attack Israel while some Israelites are burying a man. The attack must have surprised them so they quickly reacted and threw the man they were burying into Elisha’s tomb. When the dead man came into contact with Elisha’s bones, it brought him back to life. What's amazing is that even in death, God continued to use Elisha as a conduit to help those in need and do amazing things in the lives of others. Elisha was a prophet whose faith, obedience, compassion, and courage were ridiculous. Whether was it was making the ax head float, burning his plow in obedience to Elijah’s call, or bringing a dead man back to life after he had died himself, Elisha is without question one of the most memorable people in the Bible. I know what your thinking, I'm not in the bible and I can never be like Elisha? You are right, you are not Elisha, you are you. God can use you just like He used Elisha.

It’s time to get ridiculous like Elisha and stop holding back. It’s time to start taking risks and making decisions that the world might not understand. Elisha is a perfect example of what life can look like when you let go and decide to live with ridiculous faith. When you do let go and give it all to God, He can do amazing things in your life you never thought possible. It’s all up to you. What steps do you need to take to have the type of ridiculous faith that Elisha had?
You are Loved!

2 Kings 13:10-21 "In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them. As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. "My father! My father!" he cried. "The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" Elisha said, "Get a bow and some arrows," and he did so. "Take the bow in your hands," he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. "Open the east window," he said, and he opened it. "Shoot!" Elisha said, and he shot. "The LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!" Elisha declared. "You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek." Then he said, "Take the arrows," and the king took them. Elisha told him, "Strike the ground." He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times." Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence. Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad his son succeeded him as king. Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered the Israelite towns."