ESOCS Devotional 30 May 2024 – Barrenness in a Pleasant Land
MEMORY VERSE: “And the men of the city said unto Elisha, behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my Lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.” 2 Kings 2:19 KJV
TEXT: 2 KINGS 2:16-25
Then they said to him, “Look now, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search for your master, lest perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.”
And he said, “You shall not send anyone.”
17 But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, “Send them!” Therefore they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him. 18 And when they came back to him, for he had stayed in Jericho, he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.”
20 And he said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.’ ” 22 So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
23 Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
24 So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.
25 Then he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
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Following the handover of the mantle of office by Elijah to Elisha, the bald-headed man of God went straight to roll out his first set of signs and wonders, as ordained. On this occasion, the elders of Jericho presented him with their problem of unproductive land. They were concerned that though the town was located in a pleasant environment, the water was bad, and the land barren. Amazingly, the man of God mysteriously healed and purified the water. He went ahead to declare that there would thenceforth be no more death or infertility in the land. The people jubilated and celebrated.
In Acts 3:2-7, a certain lame man sat daily at the Temple gate, which was called beautiful. When Peter raised the man up by his hand, his crippled ankles and feet were instantly healed and energized. This miracle was instantaneous and visible to all the people around. (See also Mark 1:41-42). Just like the people of Jericho in our text, the erstwhile lame man jubilated, jumped and leaped everywhere in unbelievable excitement. Sadness turned to joy, by the miraculous power of the Almighty God.
However, our point of emphasis here is the unacceptable case of a seemingly pleasant-looking situation, characterized by negative or unpleasant circumstances. A barren land situated in attractive surroundings. Worse still, a lame man daily sitting out at a gate tagged “beautiful” What an irony of fate?
Even today, there are so many believers in the household of faith, who are ignorantly bearing the heavy yoke of Satan (Luke 13:16). This can only be the fate of those who lack knowledge of the free grace available to us in Christ Jesus. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus bid all believers who are tired of carrying heavy burdens or yokes of the devil to come and get relief. Like the beautiful woman with the issue of blood for twelve years, it is time to break off in faith to receive divine healing available to all true believers (Luke 8:43). Come, therefore, all you who are tired of carrying the heavy yoke of the devil. Jesus is ever ready and prepared to set you free and give you permanent rest from your labours. It is time to shake off every unwanted predicament, by leaning on the free grace made available at the cross.
- He that is taking his bath in the river, need not cry of soap in the eyes. Do you agree?
- Lord Jesus, let your abounding free grace continually speak healing into my situations.
Further Reading: Ezekiel 10:1-22; Mark 7:24-37; Revelation 4:1-11
ESOCS Devotional 30 May 2024
