When the event of 2 Kings 13:14-19 took place, Elisha would be approximately about 80 plus years old, an octogenarian. Godly as he was, he was like any other man and had to pay his debt to nature. So we are told that he was inflicted with an illness that would eventually take his life. As useful as he was, his time had come, and he had to return to his eternal home. Like him, our moment of departure from the earth will also come one day, would we depart to our eternal abode triumphantly or with regrets? Hence it behooves us that we should seize every opportunity in life and make the best out of every moment while we still have the breath.
Second
Kings 13:14-19 describe what happened when Joash, the king of Israel came to
visit Elisha. Ungodly as the king was, a sense of anguish overtook him in that
visit, and he wept over Elisha. With his tears falling on the prophet, he
cried, “My father, my father the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” This of
course was a reminiscence of the time when Elijah was taken to heaven in a
whirlwind. But then the older prophet left behind Elisha to continue in the
work. This time there was no one in view to succeed him. This could be the
king’s way of expressing his feeling of helplessness without the guidance of
the prophet. Left without divine guidance, what good would chariots and
horsemen do?
So
employing two symbolic acts, Elisha offered his last service to the king. He
dramatically prophesied through the two acts that Joash would only experience a
partial victory over the Syrians. The first symbolic act was described in
verses 15-17. Elisha instructed the king to bring a bow and some arrows. He was
to take the bow and poise to shoot an arrow. When the king was in
the shooting position, the prophet then placed his own hands over his, told him
to have the window opened, and shot the arrow toward the east. Symbolically,
this was a message to Joash that he would have victory over the Syrians in the
battle at Aphek. And he was to defeat the Syrians until he had destroyed them.
In
verses 18-19, we have the description of the second symbolic act. Elisha then
told Joash to take the arrows and strike the ground with them. The king took
the arrows and struck the ground only three times and stopped. Elisha then
chided him for stopping at the third time. He then told the king that had he
struck the ground with the arrows five or six times he would have total
victory. Since he did it only three times, he would only defeat the Syrians
three times instead of destroying them totally.
These
two symbols are lessons on prayer. The arrows are like prayers and supplications
that God wants us to make. For only in Him and through Him that we will
experience victory. We should not cease to pray for every endeavor in
life. We must learn to persist in prayer, to keep on asking, seeking, and
knocking. If we don’t, we may have victory but only partially. God invites us
to pray. When we pray, we are signaling to Him that we need Him and are
depending on Him to take us through. Total victory come by staying on our knees
for as long as we need till His light shines through. Hear anew the words of
Jesus in Luke 11:9-10. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to
you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to
you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him
who knocks, it will be opened.” Let us never stop praying and connecting with
God. This is what will ensure our victory over the enemy!
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