2 Kings 6:21-23 When the king of Israel saw them he said to Elisha, “Father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” He answered, “No! Did you capture with your sword and your bow those whom you want to kill? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink; and let them go to their master.” So he prepared for them a great feast; after they ate and drank, he sent them on their way, and they went to their master. And the Arameans no longer came raiding into the land of Israel.
This is one of those very bizarre and rarely read Bible stories. The Israelites and the Arameans are at war. Elisha, God's prophet, is giving the Israelites an advantage, so the King of Aram has a plan to get rid of Elisha. And the plan gets foiled and the Arameans are served up on a platter to the king of Israel. Who gets all giddy with excitement: "Can I kill them? Can I kill them?"
Any normal rule of war would say "Yes." But Elisha holds the king of Israel to a higher standard. He tells the king of Israel to feed these prisoners and to send them home. "And the Aramenas no longer came raiding into the land of Israel." Perhaps down the path of radical forgiveness is the only way to peace. Something to think about today.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Remember our special All Saints schedule: Education at 9:00, Worship at 10:00, Meal following.
For conversation, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment