Gravediggers’ Greetings
(2 Kings 12:21; 13:12-13; 20-25 14:1-16, 23-24)
(2 Chronicles 24:27; 25:1-24)
The Miracle with Elisha’s Bones
Woodcut from The Nuremburg Bible
1483
Among the kings and campaigns addressed in today’s Old Testament Scripture readings is a tiny passage containing a significant supernatural miracle. Tucked in between violence and victories, this little story is both remarkable and prophetic.
“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.”
(2 Kings 13:20-21, NIV, emphasis added)
Can you just imagine the looks on the Israelite gravediggers’ faces?
Worried about Moabite raiders, they tossed a dead man’s body into the famous prophet Elisha’s grave. When the corpse touched Elisha’s bones, it sprang to life. Surely, that was a first for those gravediggers.
This miracle is intriguing, particularly because no one seems to have prayed for it. No one called a prayer meeting. No one anointed the dead man with anything. No one uttered any prescribed petitions. No offering was collected. No animals were sacrificed. No hymns or worship choruses were sung. There was no recipe for revival, no agenda for divine intervention. (Although these practices may be appropriate means of adoring and honoring God, He clearly does not rely upon our actions.)
God simply did it. Surely, He had His reasons. Maybe He had more plans for the dead man and needed him back on his feet. Possibly, the Lord just wanted to prove a point about His own power.
For whatever reason, God resurrected this unknown individual from the dead, offering a prophetic foreshadowing of an even greater resurrection that was yet to come.
And the gravediggers were astonished. Of course they were!
Are you ready for a miracle?
What miracles might God be doing all around us? Do we have open eyes to see?
How many times do we pray for divine intervention, pleading with the Lord for miracles? If He should answer our prayers with astonishing results, how will we respond? Will we be fearful? Will we be surprised to see His power? Will we give Him the glory? Or will we tag the occurrence an amazing coincidence?
There are no coincidences with God. There is no happenstance with our Heavenly Father.
When we pray, do we actually expect the Lord to answer? May He increase our faith, so we may welcome His power in our lives. For it is already there. Wherever God is, there is power.
And God is everywhere.
Do we believe in resurrection power? You can bet your life on it.
Will you pray with me?
Mighty Master,
Fill our hearts with faith
In Your power
For Your glory.
You are more than able.
Teach us to trust
And to pray with eager anticipation,
Knowing You are the Answer.
Amen.
I consider it a miracle that our daughter's boyfriend was able to give us a almost-new hot water heater to replace our old one that was on its very last legs. Buying a new one was not in the budget. The landlord of the house it was taken from had decided to tear down the house after a recent fire (no one hurt, praise God) and told Sam to take whatever he could use, or knew someone else could use. Miracles aren't always as dramatic as in this piece of Scripture. They are around us everyday if we take time to look for them.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely so!
ReplyDelete