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Dear Roger and Friends, I came across your website while searching for information on who wrote Esther. Some of what you wrote led me to believe you may be open to a particular theory. Given that the book of Esther is a firsthand account, and since it includes a significant amount of detail regarding the events, why haven’t theologians and Bible scholars postulated that Esther may be the author? Why wouldn’t a woman be considered as a potential contributor to some of the books of the Bible? Thank you! Jenna Dear Jenna, Thank you for giving so much thought to a biblical question that isn’t often addressed but does have great significance. Before we dig into the nitty gritty of the text, history, and culture surrounding Esther, please note that we do NOT know with certainty who wrote the book of Esther. It is anonymous. Because of that, we must hold our conclusions with humility. INTRODUCTION The book of Esther is a wild ride with profound application to our lives today. In Mike Cosper’s book Faith Among the Faithless, Cosper argues that in this tale of sex, ego, and revenge set in a pluralistic, pagan society is relevant for anyone living in the modern West. Like other authors, Cosper also challenges some of our Sunday School readings that ignore the challenges of Mordecai and Esther’s own complicity in moral compromises. Like us, Esther is a complicated woman who, while being a hero of the faith, is not sinless. Your suggestion that Esther herself may have written all or part of the book is certainly possible. Unlike some biblical books, the book of Esther never identifies its author. The most prominent authorship possibilities that scholars have proposed are: Mordecai (based partly on Esther 9:20, where Mordecai records events connected to Purim). A Jewish court official living in Persia. A later Jewish historian or compiler who had access to Persian records and eyewitness traditions. Or, (less commonly) Esther herself. Most conservative scholars today tend to favor an author who lived relatively close to the events and who had access to Persian court customs and records. Could Esther have been the author? It's possible, though there is no direct evidence. Arguments in favor: The events which involve her specifically are written with much more detail than those that don’t (contrasted with the events involving Mordecai). The book contains intimate details about Esther's experiences and the workings of the royal court. At places, the narrative even shares Esther’s emotions. Some scenes reflect the perspective of someone close to Esther. It would be a mistake to assume Esther could not read or write simply because she was a woman. The events of Esther take place in the Persian Empire, and Esther became a powerful queen. While literacy was not widespread in the ancient world, women in royal households often had access to education, scribes, and administrative resources that ordinary people did not possess. Therefore, Esther's literacy is entirely plausible, even if it cannot be proven. Ancient works were often based on eyewitness testimony, even when another person served as the final writer. Arguments against: The book frequently speaks about Esther in the third person. The narrative style feels more like a historical account than a personal memoir. References to official records (Esth. 2:23; 6:1; 10:2) suggest the author may have been compiling multiple sources. Esther contains information that Esther herself likely would not have known firsthand (for example, conversations, decisions, and events occurring outside her presence, as well as details extending beyond her personal experience). The evidence so far leaves us uncertain about the probability of Esther’s authorship. What about tone and the lack of God’s name? Some have said that the portions of the story that include her are written with a noticeable humility compared to those typically written by men, which often seem more authoritarian, or which may possess a greater amount of certainty in their tone. However, literary style is one of the more difficult forms of evidence to evaluate. Readers can perceive the same text quite differently. Some may detect a feminine voice, while others may simply see the humility and restraint characteristic of biblical narrative generally (consider Matthew and John’s frequent admission of the lack of the apostles’ faith in the gospels, for instance). For that reason, most scholars are hesitant to draw conclusions about authorship from tone alone. I am not persuaded that the absence of God's name points to female authorship. The omission of God's name is one of the most discussed features of Esther, and scholars have proposed many explanations. Some believe it highlights God's hidden providence working behind the scenes. Others suggest the author was writing for Jews living in exile within a Persian context. Whatever the explanation, the book consistently points to God's providential care even though His name never appears. Most scholars view this omission as a literary and theological choice rather than evidence regarding the author's gender. For those reasons, many scholars conclude that Esther's testimony likely stands behind portions of the book even if she was not the final author. What about the historicity of Esther? This is where the debate becomes more significant. Critical scholars have sometimes questioned Esther's historicity because: Esther is not mentioned in surviving Persian records. The book contains dramatic reversals and literary features that resemble a novella. Some details cannot be independently verified. Conservative scholars generally respond that: Our surviving Persian records are fragmentary and omit countless historical figures. The book demonstrates remarkable familiarity with Persian customs, court procedures, and geography. Many details once questioned have proven consistent with what we know about the Persian Empire. The author repeatedly appeals to official records and archives, suggesting an intention to write history rather than fiction. Most evangelical scholars, therefore, view Esther as a fundamentally historical account, even while recognizing its sophisticated literary artistry. In other words, a book can be carefully structured, beautifully written, and theologically purposeful while still describing real events. Could women have contributed to biblical authorship? There are four notable possibilities of books with female authorship in the Bible: Esther, Ruth, Song of Songs, and Hebrews. Half of the verses of Song of Songs are spoken by a female, and some scholars have argued that the imagery centers on a woman’s perspective of romance and desire. While Samuel is traditionally ascribed authorship of Ruth, the book is anonymous, and some literary scholars argue that the intimate focus on female survival, mother-in-law dynamics, and domestic life indicates it may have been written or originally passed down by a woman. Hebrews is also anonymous. Scholars have suggested that the author could be Apollos, Barnabas, Paul, Luke, or Priscilla and Aquilla (although the masculine singular verb in Hebrews 11:32 makes it less likely). As for women contributing to Scripture more broadly, it is important to remember that women played a significant role in the transmission of biblical revelation even when they were not the final writers of biblical books. Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Mary, and others composed songs, prayers, and prophetic declarations that are preserved in Scripture. Luke's infancy and childhood narratives may well reflect traditions that originated with Mary herself. Mary Magdalene was the first person to see and proclaim the risen Savior. Christians should not assume that women were absent from the process by which God gave his Word to his people. Concluding thoughts The book of Esther never tells us who wrote it, so we cannot be certain. My own view is that the final book likely incorporates eyewitness testimony from people such as Esther and Mordecai, while neither of them probably served as the final author. The detailed knowledge of court life certainly suggests access to people who were close to the events. It does not seem probable to me that Esther was the book’s final author, but neither should the possibility be dismissed out of hand. As Christians, we do not need to choose between inspiration and the use of sources. Throughout Scripture, God often worked through human authors who used records, traditions, eyewitness accounts, and earlier writings. The doctrine of inspiration applies to the final text God gave his people. Regarding historicity, I believe Esther records real events. While some scholars view it as historical fiction or a novella, the book displays extensive knowledge of Persian culture and repeatedly refers to official records. For these reasons, I find the traditional view that Esther is a historical account written from reliable sources to be the most convincing perspective. Ultimately, the most important point is not identifying the precise human author but recognizing God's providence in preserving this account. The book's message remains the same: even when God seems absent, He is actively at work to preserve his people and accomplish his purposes. Well Jenna, we hope that this gives you some helpful truth and opinions to chew on as you continue to consider the role of Ester—and many other women—in the authorship of the Bible. Be encouraged! God accomplishes His will through His people, every time. John Beeson Brie Barrier Wetherbee

Dear Roger, I recently attended the funeral of one of my best friends. As I listened to the comments, I was surprised by how many people weren’t really helping the family deal with their grief—me included. I heard explanations about why God let the deceased person die so young; encouragement that they would eventually get over the pain; advice on how to handle life without their loved one being around; promises that this must be God’s will … and some even said things like, “All things work together for good to those who love God.” Then, they’d ask the family, “You love God, don’t you?” The family would respond, “Of course, we do.” Then, the friend would say something like, “Well then, God promises that everything will work out good.” But as the family gazes into the casket, things don’t seem so good after all. Could you please share some things to say and some things not to say when comforting those who are hurting? Sincerely, Amelia Dear Amelia, Alexander Maclaren, the well-known Scottish pastor from the last generation, said: “Please be kind to everyone you meet, because everyone is fighting a battle.” EVERYONE IS HURTING ABOUT SOMETHING. It’s hard to miss seeing a broken arm when it’s covered by a cast. On the other hand, it’s hard to see a broken heart. Sometimes all I need do is say a certain name, and tears will come to a friend’s eyes. We all hurt. That’s why Julie and I begin every marriage conference with each of us holding a can of Coca-Cola. We move near the front room and begin to shake the can. Maybe you just lost your job. Shake the can. Maybe the refrigerator broke down. Shake the can again. One of the kids got expelled from school? Give it a big shake. The doctor just said you have cancer? Give it a big shake, and don’t stop for at least a minute. Then, we pretend that we’re going to open the cans and spray Coke all over the room. People dive for cover! Everyone understands the symbolism. No one is sitting there perfectly at peace. We all have stuff shaking around on the inside. THE BIBLICAL MODEL FOR HEALING HURTS IS SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE. We deal with hurting and mourning people all the time. Unfortunately, too often we have no idea how to comfort them. In Matthew 5:4, Jesus said, “Blessed are the ones who mourn for they shall be comforted.” He lived his life and ministry with hurting, mourning people. Think about the lepers, tax collectors, and prostitutes who found healing in Jesus’s love and acceptance. They mourned. He listened … and He comforted. The apostle Paul wrote, “Praise be to the father of compassion . . . And the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Take heart in Paul’s words for a moment. God comforts us, so we can comfort others. We don’t comfort alone! The Master Comforter works in and through us. HERE’S WHAT NOT TO SAY TO THOSE WHO ARE HURTING. My friend David Ferguson poignantly illustrated the very worst way to handle someone who’s struggling: Imagine your ten-year-old struck out with the bases loaded and his team lost. Or, maybe he came home to tell you that he didn’t even make the team. What do you say? “That’s life.” “Better luck next time.” “You didn’t really expect to make it, did you?” STOP. Imagine your 14-year-old daughter was mercilessly teased on the school bus and comes home weeping. She is trying to describe to you the pain and the embarrassment and the ridicule. What do you say to your child? “What did you do to cause them to treat you like that?” STOP. Those children needed comfort. They got condemnation. Look at what Jesus said again; “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall receive comfort” (Matthew 5:4). Let me turn that verse around a little bit in order to illustrate some of the things we say that don’t help. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be told how to fix it… For they shall be told, all things work together for good to those who love God … For they shall be told, “Don’t cry. It really doesn’t hurt as much as you think!” For they shall receive a pep talk … For they shall be given logic and reasons … For they shall be told how to do it better next time … For they shall be told why it really was their fault … For they shall be told, “What happened to you isn’t nearly as bad as what happened to me” … For they shall be told, “Stop worrying, it will all be OK.” STOP. Jesus said, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall receive comfort” (Matthew 5:4). HERE’S WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY TO THOSE WHO ARE HURTING Comfort is emotional, feeling words. Let’s return to our imaginary scenarios from earlier. Try these answers for your kids instead: “I am so sad that your friends treated you harshly . . . that had to hurt so badly.” “You were so embarrassed when they teased you on the bus. That just breaks my heart.” “That is not the way life is supposed to be. I’m so sorry.” “Your heart is aching that you didn’t make the team. My heart aches with you.” “I hurt for you because I love you.” This is what comfort sounds like. It has emotion. It enters into the person’s pain with love. Only mourning and comforting heals hurts—and we cannot do this alone. Julie was teaching a seminar for church orchestra conductors on trends in contemporary worship. The conference leaders told me that I could have the next two hours with the wives and teach on any subject that I wanted. I know something about minister’s wives. Their hurts are so deep that if you give me five sentences, I can have the room in tears. So I started teaching on mourning and comforting. As I was teaching, I noticed great big tears cascading down the cheeks of one minister’s wife. As she raised her hand, she blurted out, “It is no wonder my children are so hard. I haven’t cried in 16 years.” “Excuse me,” I said to the group. So I began to comfort her, “I’m so sorry you’re hurting so badly. I can’t imagine how much you must hurt inside if you can’t even cry.” She wasn’t used to this at all. Suddenly, she said, “Stop it! Stop it! You’re doing it to me.” “Doing what?” “You’re trying to comfort me.” “Well what do you expect? You just spread hurt all over the room, and I know what to do when I see hurt. I comfort it.” As I paused to gather my thoughts she said, “Well, don’t stop now, this feels really good.” At that moment I realized that I still had an hour of teaching time left. But I’d said enough. “Do you think you could circle your chairs in groups of three or four, and share some hurts and comfort each other?” Did they ever! In most of our life journeys, we’ve not done a good job of healing these hurts. HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE COMFORTER Chuck Swindoll shares several simple thoughts regarding comforting. Let’s use several of them as a guideline. First, Comforters Care Enough to Come Uninvited. If a friend has a heart attack, it’s not long before you’re down at the hospital. You don’t wait for an invitation. No one needed to send a telegram to Job’s comforters. They were already there. Second, Comforters Listen Carefully so They Can Minister to the Emotions and Not React to the Words. We have to learn to listen to what hurting people are really saying. This reminds me of a story: A man asked his wife, “If you could have anything in the world for one day, what would you want?” She said with a smile, “Well, I’d love to be six again.” Early the next morning, the morning of her birthday he got her up, and off they went to a local theme park. What a day. He put her on every ride in the park—the death slide, the screaming loop, the wall of fear—five hours later she staggered out of the theme park. Her head was reeling, her stomach was upside-down. Off next to McDonald’s. He ordered her two Big Macs along with extra fries and a thick chocolate shake. Later he bought her popcorn, M&Ms and Pepsi. It was a fabulous six-year-old’s adventure. Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed. He leaned over and lovingly asked, “Well dear, how did you like being six again?” One eye opened, she said, “Well, actually, I meant my dress size.” Listen carefully so that you can enter into their emotional world. Be sad when they are sad. Feel the same emotion that they are feeling. Julie’s best friend, Ellen, lost her husband to a massive heart attack at age forty-five. One thing Julie discovered that deeply blessed Ellen was when Julie would talk about how much she missed Larry, too. They reminisced and wept with each other about their lives together. Comfort means that we listen and respond to their emotions and not react to their words. Most women have this figured out. Men tend to stumble here. Third, Comforters Openly Express the Depth of Their Feelings. It’s not uncommon to see a comforter in the room—fighting back tears—when he or she sees pain. John tells us that “Jesus wept” (John 11:35), not because Lazarus died, but because He felt compassion for the pain of Mary, Martha and the many friends of Lazarus gathering around the tomb. Job’s friends were aghast when they saw him. They didn’t recognize him. They went to his homestead, and the place didn’t even look the same. Everything was destroyed. Not even a baby goat was around. Somebody asked, “Where is Job?” The answer, “I don’t know. He left some time ago. I think he’s at the city dump.” They went to the dump. Job had no hair, his robe was torn, and he was sitting there with dung burning near him and dogs nearby and the garbage around, and they wept. They got down in the dust with him. Fourth, Comforters Are Not Turned Off by Distasteful Sights. Comforters aren’t turned off because the room doesn’t smell good. They don’t leave because their friend weighs half of what he used to weigh. They don’t even notice when he’s lying in a hospital gown. They see beyond all of that. One of Julie’s dearest friends died a horrible cancer death. Julie watched her dwindle to 85 pounds. Julie and Donna had chaperoned 46 youth trips, choir tours, and orchestra ministry trips together. They had hauled stage equipment and cooked for hungry teenagers. Donna would do all the jobs that no one else would do. She was Julie’s prayer partner and confidant. When Donna was so sick, Julie was afraid to see her in such agony. Donna’s throat literally oozed infection. But, God said, “Julie, you need to help her die.” So they sang together, prayed together, read Scripture together, and suffered together. The last time Julie saw Donna alive, she felt God tell her to read to Donna Jesus’ promise in John 14:1-3: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my father’s house are many rooms . . . I am going there to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come back again and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” Julie concluded, “It’s not going to be some bright light or some angelic being. Jesus himself is coming to get you and bring you home.” And not long afterward, He came. Fifth, Comforters Understand, so They Say Very Little. When our daughter Jessie was dying, we had many visitors. Some came and ministered great comfort. Some ministered condemnation (“If you just had enough faith, this never would have happened.”) I was sitting in the hospital one afternoon, torn by grief. Someone came and talked to me of God, of God’s dealings, of God’s will, of why it happened, of hope beyond the grave. He talked constantly. He said things I knew were true. I wished he’d go away. Another came and sat beside me. He didn’t talk. He didn’t ask leading questions. He just sat beside me an hour or more. He listened when I said something. He answered briefly, prayed simply, and left. I was moved, and I was comforted. I hated to see him go. You’ve done it right when they hate to see you go. Finally, We Don’t Have to Wait to Comfort Someone Who’s Hurting. Today Is a Great Day to Begin. As the Saturday morning conference commenced, one pastor could hardly wait to tell us about his experience the last evening. He was pumping gas, when his daughter called to tell him that she had a car wreck. “My old model was, criticism, judgment, and getting information,” he said. “Was it your fault? What happened? What did the police say? Was the insurance card in the glove department where it was supposed to be? Can you still drive the car? Where are you? Are you sure it was not your fault?” Instead I decided to try what I learned yesterday. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. You must be terrified. You don’t need to be upset. Everything will work out fine. I’ll come right over.” My daughter paused for quite a long time and then she said, “Daddy, is that you?” Well Andy, I hope this helps. For certain, now you know what to do when you see pain. You comfort it. Love, Roger

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 In the current political climate, many people are stressed out and may even be dreading time with relatives or friends who do not agree with their political views. Even a simple comment can go awry! It is like we are all stepping on eggshells and no conversation is safe. I want to give you several useful tips I use to navigate tricky subjects, and manage political stress and anxiety on a day-to-day basis: 1. Imagine a shield around your mind: Every time you find yourself having a stressful conversation, visualize a shield around your thoughts. Imagine the words bouncing off your mind: you are not going to absorb the weighted emotions that are threatening you. You are protected and safe. Tell yourself that you are calm and at peace. How does this process help? The way you use your conscious and nonconscious mind (that is your imagination) shifts the way the brain processes information. So, as you visualize this shield, your thinking changes, which, in turn, changes your brain waves and engages different neural pathways. This is called neuroplasticity, and mind-management is directed neuroplasticity. If you don’t manage you mind and how you react to others, you can wire damaged, toxic thoughts into your mind that not only affect how you treat people, but how you feel, mentally and physically. 2. Be curious: Ask questions! Think about what the other person is trying to say. Listen. As I often used to say to my patients, a curious mindset is crucial to navigating life and different relationships, as it encourages you to listen to different views, get as much information as possible by engaging with multiple news outlets and so on, and questioning your own assumptions. If you catch yourself saying that “so-and-so” doesn’t know what he is talking about, stop, remind yourself that everyone sees the world differently because no two minds are alike, and listen to what that person has to say before responding impulsively. You can step outside of yourself using your frontal lobe and truly hear what someone says as an observer rather than as someone who thinks “so-and-so” is an idiot. So, train yourself train yourself to really tune into what that person is saying and not just hear “trigger” words and react. For example, every time you listen to someone who has a different opinion, try see the argument from their perspective, as your teacher made you do in school when you encountered different ideas. The ability to think critically and understand different viewpoints is, after all, a sign of intelligence, not compromise. 3. Don’t let your feelings influence you: Acknowledge your feelings, but do not let them control you. In many cases, you will react because of the flight or fight response. Work through these reactions and question them. Think about your emotional triggers, so that you can avoid reacting impulsively in the future by controlling these triggers. Remember, just because we feel something doesn’t mean it’s correct, especially if it gets in the way of us focusing on the person speaking and trying to understand where they are coming from and their worldview! 4. Focus on solutions, not problems: Rather than just ruminating on the issues that are causing you distress and becoming bitter about what is being said, develop a solutions mindset. Think of ways to you can improve the situation you are in and reduce tension. Find ways you can learn from what is being discussed, even if you end up agreeing to disagree with the person in question. 5. Don’t let politics control your schedule: Limit the amount of time you spend discussing political issues, so you don’t end up ruminating on things that upset you. Choose a time and space where you focus on politics, so it doesn’t pervade the day. 6. Listen to what is being said, not who is saying it: Focus your attention on what exactly is being said—focus on the details of the speech, so you don’t demonize the person who is speaking and make it personal. Listening to a politician’s voice, or seeing a politician’s face, can have a strong emotional component because it can get stuck in your head, overriding your ability to examine what is being said in a rational and objective way. As they speak, imagine the politicians as tiny people, smaller than ants, like in the movie Honey I Shrunk the Kids. This will bring humor into the situation, which dramatically reduces anxiety and can help you listen to what they are saying in a more detached way. 7. Read and listen with a compassionate mindset: Compassion defuses the inflammatory reactions in the body that occur when we get worked up and anxious about what someone is saying, which will protect your own brain and body while helping you understand and navigate different political perspectives. Indeed, compassion can really help you recognize that most politicians are in high states of anger, anxiety and stress themselves, and often don’t say things in the best way or make the best decisions. They are human, after all! 8. Examine your own worldview: In many cases, people get upset when they feel that their worldview threatened, which happens so often in politics! It is easy to feel that your way of life is being challenged and that people disapprove of your belief system, and that this is a direct attack on you as a person, but you need to remember that everyone sees the world differently. So, take the time to objectively examine what you believe, and compare it to how other people see the world. Think deeply about what it means to have a “worldview” or “point of view”, and recognize that it normal for people to have different perspectives. You may not agree with these perspectives, but just understanding that they exist can make you more compassionate and considerate. Of course, today it is far too easy to put someone in a certain group or label them as an enemy just because you disagree with them. Rather than falling in this trap, always remind yourself that no two minds are alike. No two brains are wired in the same way, just as no two people are exactly the same! We cannot escape our differences, so we need to learn to live with them—especially when it comes to politics. www.drleaf.com. Used by permission.

Dancing with the Baptists A Time to Dance Ecclesiastes 3 and selected scriptures S-1722 In marriage and in life, timing is everything. To the best of our ability, we’d like to demonstrate this concept for you this morning. We would have liked to call this sermon dancing with the stars, but when you see our skill level, we resorted to calling this “Dancing with the Baptists.” Many of us are living our relationships out of sync. Many couples live their married lives fighting for control. It might look something like this” Tango-“My way, we’ll do it my way….””No, my way we’ll do it my way.” Some of us live our relationships like a sleepy two-step. We never work on our marriage, we never spice it up, or try to grow. I call this the “Middle School Sway.” Two-step-(snoring) “Only You” Often, we just spend our time stepping on each other’s toes. Nagging, griping, snipping and arguing. It might look something like this:’ (Stepping on each other’s toes “These boots are made for walking.” After a while, we just give up trying to get along, and basically live under the same roof, doing our own thing. We ignore each other. Dancing apart-60’s style to “Twist and Shout.” When we live in sync-we feel the rhythm of our partner. We agree to move as one according to a plan, and we enjoy the feeling of holding each other closely. (Dance a typical ballroom dance.) Learning to dance together is hard work. But it can bring such joy and fulfillment to our lives. Let’s take just a moment this morning and talk about how we can learn to live in sync. When We Think About Marriage, Solomon Did Not Dance Well. His Timing Was Off. He wrote Song of Solomon in his early years as a love letter to his first wife. By mid life Solomon was enjoying a great relationship with his wife. Proverbs 5:15-18: Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. This is the way God planned it: “One woman for one man for a lifetime.” Proverbs 18:22: “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” But, sometime thereafter he stopped dancing with his wife. He began dancing with every woman at the party He never had a satisfying relationship with women again! ECCLESIASTES 2:8-9: I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well — the delights of the heart of man. Harem was the key: No longer dancing with God’s plan for their marriage—too many women! Listen to this sad statement: ECCLESIASTES 7:28: while I was still searching but not finding — I found one [upright] man among a thousand, but not one [upright] woman among them all. He danced with one too many. He lost the wife of his youth—and his love for any. In his dealings with women, Solomon changed from a lover to a loser—no woman in her right mind would want him as a husband as he got older. Solomon reminds me of the husband who came home drunk every night and fell into bed fully clothed, passed out, and snored loudly all night long. His wife was losing much sleep because of his snoring. She went to her doctor and said, “Doc, I can’t take it any longer. How can I make him stop snoring? The doctor said that the answer was so simple that he wouldn’t even charge her. The next time her husband passed out and started to snore, she was to take a ribbon and tie it around his nose, and the snoring would stop. That night her husband came in fell on the bed, fully dressed, passed out and snored. The wife got up, pulled a blue ribbon from her dresser, and tied it around his nose. Sure enough, the snoring stopped and she got a restful night’s sleep. Next morning, the wife, fully refreshed, was preparing breakfast. She asked her husband, as he was awakening, “Honey, where were you last night? The husband, still fully clothed, looked in the mirror, saw the blue ribbon around his nose, and replied, “I don’t know but wherever I was, I won first prize.” In truth, Solomon lost his most precious prize: he lost the wife of his youth. After all his escapades, here is Solomon’s conclusion. ECCLESIASTES 9:9: “Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love ….” Ecclesiastes 3:1 is an overview of the poem and calls attention to the stages of life. ECCLESIASTES 3: 1: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: A time to be born, a time to die. In the stages of a relationship, there are beauties and blessings no matter what your stage of life. In marriage, God intended for every day of our lives to be sweeter. In the honeymoon stage, my stomach got butterflies when he looked at me. Every time the phone rang, I wished it were his voice. I thought he was the sexiest man alive. Now I know better! Then came the kiddie years. What joy holding those babies together was for us. We remember all the birthday parties. Bronwyn was born in November, so we’d buy the leftover Halloween costumes (the non-scary ones) and have a dress-up party complete with chubby bunnies and sack races. Roger called those years the golden years. I called them the lead years. My favorite stage was the teenage years with our girls. Here's our favorite river-fatting trip with our teenagers. In the middle years we've had some great fun while the kids are grown. We loved backpacking through Europe, hopping trains and climbing Alps. Now we finish each other's sentences, and order the same thing at restaurants. Here's a photo of teaching in Turkey last month. We do more things together now than we ever have. Graph of Marial Happiness. Important to know where we are on the graph. "A time to be born--and a time to die." And that moment of separation is hard. STORY: Paul's wife in hospital. I just want to die.....and see Paul.....: Julie and I plan to meet each other at the Eastern Gate in heaven. This Passage Is Hebrew Poetry. Approach Its Shades Or Meanings—Nuances and hues: Antithetical Hebrew Poetry: contrasts opposites Let’s look at it today from a relationship and marriage perspective. A MARRIAGE IS A RELATIONSHIP WHICH IS CULTIVATED OVER TIME. A time to plant and a time to uproot A time to tear down and a time to build, A time to keep and a time to throw away A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them Marriage is not like building a house. It is more like nurturing a tree. It needs water, fertilizer and sun. HOW HAVE WE CULTIVATED OUR RELATIONSHIP? Spiritual preparation. Some of the things that deepened our love were studying Proverbs and Romans together - even when we were apart, we would keep our Bible study going by letters. Roger and I started pastoring our first church before we married when he was 20 and I was 18. There is not a time in our lives that we were not in ministry together- and we are so grateful. We have carefully based our marriage on Biblical principles. 80% of people who live together before marriage get a divorce. 60% of people who get married by a justice of the peace get a divorce. 40% of those who are married in the church get a divorce. For those who read their Bible together every day the divorce rate is 1 in 1051. God has a marriage plan carefully outlined in Scriptures: It begins in Genesis two where God says, “It is not good for man to be alone, I will make a partner for him…. All the way to Revelation 5 where Jesus Christ demonstrates what an ideal husband might look like! Ephesians 5: I want to love Julie as Christ loved His church. He gave His life for the church. He took a towel and washed their feet. Two weeks after marriage. Thursday afternoon off. Deciding what to do together when the phone rang: My Dad, “Let’s go play golf.” We played together every Thursday and Saturday. “OK, I’ll meet you in 20 minutes.” Turned around and tears were streaming down Julie’s cheeks. Learned a powerful lesson of love that day. Called my dad, “Sorry, not today. Let’s plan for another day this week. My goal is to meet her needs first. I am not free to do my own thing until I know that her needs are met. If relationships are not carefully cultivated, they sour over time. The first year the husband says, “Honey, I worried about my little baby girl. You’ve got a bad sniffle. I want to put you in the hospital for a complete check-up. I know hospital food is lousy, so I’ll arrange for Macaroni Grill to send your meals up.” The second year: “listen, honey, I don’t like the sound of that cough. I’ve called Dr. Miller and he’s going to rush right over.” Third year: “Maybe you’d better lie down, honey. I’ll make some soup.” Fourth year: “Look, dear. Be sensible. After you’ve fed the kids and washed the dishes, you’d better hit the sack.” Fifth year: “Why don’t you just gargle, or something instead of just sitting around barking like a seal. And stop sneezing. What do you want to do, give me pneumonia?” MARRIAGE IS DEVELOPING SENSITIVITY TO OTHERS A time to weep and a time to laugh A time to mourn and a time to dance A time to embrace and a time to refrain A time to be silent and a time to speak Guys need to be sensitive. There is a time to b silent and a time to speak. I wanted to compliment my wife when she came home from the beauty shop, so I said, "Hey Babe, what's up with your hair." I met a pastor-husband last week who gave his wife a bathroom scale and a set of hand weights for her birthday. I think he had a death wish. Notice that men and women are different. Men and women go on an overnight retreat. They’re so very different. What is the first question men ask when they arrive? “What for dinner? Is it meat?” What is the first question women want answered? “Where is the bathroom.” Dr. Willard Harley has written a fascinating book entitled His Needs/Her Needs. Five Major Needs of Woman Five Major Needs of Men 1. Affection 1. Sexual Fulfillment 2. Conversation 2. Recreational Companionship 3. Honesty and Openness 3. An attractive spouse 4. Financial support 4. Domestic support 5. Family Commitment 5. Admiration Not one of the top five is the same. Let's just take the top two of the women's needs and the top one of the man's needs. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. Solomon is talking about the different wiring men and women have. Men and women approach sex in a very different way. Embracing and Refraining—This is the first woman in the Bible who said, “I have a headache.” Wives, we need to be sensitive to the sexual needs of our husbands, but hubbies, here’s a word for you. Solomon describes his lovemaking in the Song of Solomon: Several times he says, “Do not stir up love until it pleases.” Then he spends three chapters complimenting and praising her. He is not in a hurry. Unfortunately, too many husbands today practice drive-by sex—“bodda bing, bodda boom. Then he follows it up with: “Honey, is there any more Rocky Road in the fridge? Ladies, we’re not much better. Think about how we keep—or don’t keep romance alive by our choice of night wear. The first five years, you’re ordering those tiny fur and sequined little numbers from Victoria’s Secret. The second ten years you the after Christmas sales and buy P.J.’s with flannel and flowers, complete with the smell of baby poo and formula. The next ten years you wear the U of A jersey you found on the clearance rack at Walmart. And finally, you put on your husband’s holey undershirts just before they become dust rags. Not Solomon—after three chapters of describing to her his love and her beauty. He begins to undress her in chapter four and she’s wearing the right stuff. In the area of sex, this can help keep the romance alive. Sensitivity means that we have cultivated the art of reading the feelings and emotions of people around us. Behaviors—Feelings—Needs Ephesians 4:29-30: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs , that it may benefit those who listen.” Behaviors—Feelings—Needs Julie has carefully cultivated the skill of losing everything of importance at one time or other in her life—some things multiple times. This is behavior! I remember one time that her keys were at Burger King, her cell phone was at Albertsons and her purse was in Houston. I hated this useless behavior. I used to get so angry at her. Then I began to look a little deeper. Physically we discovered that she was bipolar and it was causing all sorts of difficulties in her life. He mind was going so fast that it was head to focus on any one thing. It is hard to keep up with a purse when your mind is thinking about 10 to 15 different things all at the same time. How is she feeling? miserable, incompetent, criticized, condemned, unloved, worthless? She needed Love, attention, understanding, acceptance. I stopped yelling at her behavior and began focusing on her feelings and needs. She needed my support—not my raised voice. When you think about the things that irritate you about your spouse-the things you’d like to change, the dirty socks, the morning breath, the shopping sprees, remember this word from Solomon: “Enjoy your wife while you have her, for life is a mist.” Jim McClure told me a story about Donna just after she died. He said, “early in our marriage, I heard God say very clearly, “Cherish her while you have her. She won’t be with you forever.” I am going to take a moment and do something I hope you’ll do this Valentine’s Day—tell your spouse how much you love her! I loved you at first sight. You burst through the church door thirty minutes late, went right to the piano and sang like an angel, then turned and sat down. I knew in my soul our hearts would grow old together---forever. I love your open heart and revelation of the Lord Jesus inside. I knew in that moment we were on the same page and could be one for all time. I love your spiritual soul… your servant’s heart … the care you give me, our girls and their husbands, for other all around and for the soul of our church. The truth is, I love the essence of who you are—your wisdom, faithfulness, support, sensitivity, strength, grace, mercy, encouragement and compassion. I love to sit in our blue chairs and share our hearts, and look into your eyes, and smell your perfume and hold your hand. I love your lips turned up in a smile and your voice as you sing with the skill and grace of an angel. I love that we share our hurts and fears and hopes and dreams as very best friends. I love you for sharing those moments of quiet peace when nothing more needs be said. I love you for holding me so close that I will never forget the feeling of embracing the one person with whom I have shared my very soul. I love you for the closeness of intimacy that we share with each other alone. I love you for choosing me to be the one you meet at the Eastern Gate. I really do love you.

There is a memory somewhere in you that you did not choose to keep. You kept it anyway. Neuroscientists who study memory consolidation have long observed that the brain does not archive experience the way a filing system stores documents — chronologically, comprehensively, neutrally. It stores what matters emotionally. The hippocampus, working in close partnership with the amygdala, encodes experience based on emotional intensity and relational significance. The stronger the emotional charge attached to an event, the more deeply it is etched into long-term memory. This is not a flaw in the system. It is the design. What this means, practically, is that your earliest retrievable memories are not random survivors of time. They are selected. Your brain, shaped by God's architecture, held onto specific moments because something about those moments felt important — because they carried emotional weight that the nervous system registered as meaningful to your survival, your identity, or your sense of how the world works. The clinical implication of this is significant: the memories that surface first tend to be consistent with the way a person currently views life. Not because memory creates personality, but because the same internal framework that organizes your experience today is the same one that was being formed in those earliest years. Your brain selected those memories because they fit — because they confirmed or crystallized something you were already learning to believe about yourself, about others, about whether the world is safe. Psychologist Kevin Leman calls this creative consistency — the way memory and personality organize themselves around the same core narrative. The memory is not the cause. It is the fingerprint. What the Fingerprint Reveals Psychologists Kevin Leman and Randy Carlson spent years asking people a simple question: What is your earliest childhood memory? Not your happiest. Not your most dramatic. Your earliest — the one that surfaced when you simply sat still and looked back. Their book, Unlocking the Secrets of Your Childhood Memories, is a worthwhile resource for anyone doing this kind of interior work — accessible, clinically grounded, and written from a framework that takes both human formation and faith seriously. What they found, consistently, was that the feeling attached to that memory — not just the event itself, but the emotion the person carried out of it — was a reliable window into how that person navigated adult life. The child who remembered being held in warmth grew into an adult whose life reflected security and connection. The child whose earliest memory was of humiliation, of being counted out, of doors that wouldn't open — carried those themes forward, often without knowing it, into their relationships, their vocational choices, their capacity for intimacy. This is not determinism. The brain is not a prison. Neuroplasticity — the brain's God-given capacity to form new neural pathways in response to new experience — means that no person is simply the sum of their earliest years. Paul understood this before the science did. In Romans 12:2 he calls it the renewing of the mind — a word, anakainosis, that carries the sense of ongoing renovation, not a one-time reset. But renovation requires knowing what you are working with. Your nervous system was never meant to carry this alone. “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13) — the same God who wired your brain for protection also wired it for healing, and He didn’t design you to walk that process by yourself. If you’re ready to move from understanding to actual change, I’d be honored to walk with you. Moses at the Bush -- and Later at the Rock Consider Moses. Here is a man whose earliest years were marked by profound displacement and fracture. Drawn from the Nile, raised in Pharaoh's house, then exiled into the wilderness after killing an Egyptian in a moment of rage — Moses arrived at the burning bush in Exodus 3 as a man who had spent forty years trying to outrun his own story. God speaks from the fire. The ground is holy. The call is unmistakable. And Moses' first response — his gut-level, nervous system response before theology can catch up — is Who am I that I should go? (Exodus 3:11). He follows that with What if they do not believe me? (Exodus 4:1), and then I have never been eloquent... I am slow of speech (Exodus 4:10). Five deflections. Not five questions born of pure humility, but five responses that sound exactly like a man whose early experience taught him that he did not belong, that he could not be trusted with something this significant, that the people around him would ultimately reject him. God answers every one of them. He provides the staff, the signs, Aaron's voice. He meets Moses at every point of fear. And Moses goes. Decades pass. The Red Sea parts. Manna falls. The law is given. Moses walks with God in a way few humans ever have. And yet — at Meribah, in Numbers 20, when the people are thirsty and complaining again — Moses strikes the rock in anger rather than speaking to it as God commanded. The old pattern surfaces under pressure. The nervous system remembered something that the renewed mind had not yet fully overwritten. This is not a critique of Moses. It is a portrait of what it means to be human — to carry early formation forward even through genuine transformation, to find that the grain of the wood runs deep even in a man who has seen the face of God. Sanctification is not the eradication of the wound. It is the slow, faithful renovation of what the wound produced. The Father Wound and the God Image There is a thread in this research that refuses to stay comfortably in the clinical line. It moves into something more personally significant. After years of clinical practice, Leman observed that people tend to relate to God the way they related to their fathers — not necessarily the way they were taught to think about God theologically, but the way they feel toward him. Whether he is safe. Whether he is pleased with them. Whether his love is conditional. Whether he is watching to catch them or watching to care for them. That emotional posture is often a direct echo of the early father relationship. This is not a small thing. It means that a person can hold orthodox theology in their head while carrying a distorted image of God in their nervous system. They can know that God is good and still flinch when they approach him. They can affirm his grace intellectually and still live as though they must earn what he has already given. The brain encodes relationship before it encodes doctrine. The felt experience of a father who was unpredictable, withholding, shaming, or absent does not disappear when a person converts or begins attending church. It goes underground. And it shapes the emotional texture of their spiritual life in ways they often cannot name. Jesus understood this. When he teaches his disciples to pray in Matthew 6, he does not begin with a theological proposition. He begins with a relational address: Our Father. That is not incidental. He is intentionally reorienting the nervous system toward a different father image — one that is present, not absent; generous, not withholding; approachable, not fearsome. The Lord's Prayer is not just liturgy. It is relational re-formation. This is also why the Psalmist could write in Psalm 27:10 — When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up — as a statement of lived refuge, not just theological doctrine. The attachment wound has a name. And it has a Healer. The Memory Is Not the Sentence Here is what the research and the Scripture agree on: where you began does not have to be where you remain. The woman who spent years unable to receive her husband's affection — not because she didn't love him, but because a nine-year-old memory stored in her nervous system had taught her body that closeness meant danger — that woman was not sentenced to that pattern. When the memory surfaced and was named, when she could understand what her nervous system had been trying to protect her from, when she could grieve what had been taken from her and receive the truth that the sin done to her was not her fault — something began to shift. This is the clinical and theological task at the heart of genuine transformation: not simply managing behavior, but healing the story the nervous system has been telling — and replacing the lies embedded in early experience with the truth of who God actually is and who he says you are. Forgiveness is not the erasure of what happened. It is the decision to stop letting what happened write the rest of the story. And that decision, made not once but repeatedly — one day at a time, against the pull of the old grain — is both a spiritual discipline and a neurological one. Every time a person chooses to believe the truth over the memory's distortion, they are doing something measurable in their brain. New pathways. New patterns. Slow renovation. This is what Philippians 4:8 is actually asking of you — to deliberately direct your attention toward what is true, honorable, right, and good. Not as a form of denial, but as an act of neurological and spiritual resistance to the lies that were encoded before you had words for them. And in 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul names the practice directly: taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. That is not a metaphor. It is a description of what the renewed mind does with the old material — not suppressing it, but refusing to let it have the final word. Your earliest memory is not your verdict. It is your starting point. And the God who wired your brain to remember what matters most is the same God who is working, even now, to make all things new — including the story your nervous system has been telling about him.

Recently, my Bible study group came face-to-face with the age-old problem: “Why do the righteous suffer?” After almost an hour of discussion, a member of our group said, “I’ve recently been reading the book of James. There is a whole section about the problem of pain.” Roger, would you please unpack that for us? Sincerely, Matt Dear Matt, Many passages in the Bible give us insight for handling pain. I’m thinking of books and passages like Job, many of the Psalms, Lamentations, Hebrews 12, and James. James was facing intense persecution in the early church. In his writings, he shared his suffering and God's work in his life. And in doing so, he addresses the problem of pain in our lives. Note that there are many types of pain: emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, grief, guilt, loss, sin, and on and on goes the list. Fortunately, James’ principles are effective in the midst of any type of pain or problem. So, I’d like to answer your question by using James’ insights on the matter. 1. We Solve the Problem of Pain By Approaching it with Humility, No Arrogance The early church called James “camel knees” because of the hours that he spent on his knees in prayer. His was a life of deep humility. I admire James because of how he begins his book: James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. (James 1:1) What you may not know is that James grew up in the same home with Jesus; but James doesn’t describe himself like that. He could have written: James, an apostle. (Galatians 1:19a) James, leader of church at Jerusalem. (Acts 21:18) James, pillar of church. (Galatians 2:9) James, brother of Jesus. (Galatians 1:19b) He could have exalted himself in so many ways. However, James chose not to! He was too busy being on his knees in humble prayer. So, we face our pain with humility as we understand that Jesus is Lord, and we are not. He knows us far better than we know ourselves. He knows what we need when we need it. 2. We Solve the Problem of Pain By Choosing Joy Instead of Misery Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds. (James 1:2) “Count it all joy!” What an unnatural reaction. It’s supernatural! One of the most important characteristics that separates mature Christians from immature Christians is right here. When difficulties come to immature Christians, they tend to say, “Oh, everything’s against me! I’m angry; I’m bitter; I’m disappointed. Joy isn’t anywhere in sight. I know that God never liked me in the first place! I’m bitter and disappointed, I quit.” However, the mature Christian says, “The last time I had difficulty, I faced it, trusted God, and grew. I’ll see what God intends to teach me this time around.” There seems to be little difference between joy and happiness according to the dictionary. But a sharp distinction is made in the Bible. Happiness has to do with circumstances. Joy has to do with a deep sense of well-being and contentment regardless of circumstances. Joy is something we deliberately choose. Notice James says, “Count it all joy when, not if, you fall into fiery trials.” I’ve met too many Christians who thought that when they received Christ as their Savior, all of their troubles were basically over. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, God says that if we’re not having troubles, then we’re not His children—because all of God’s children have troubles (Hebrews 12). Christians aren’t people living without problems. Christians are people who have the Problem-Solver living within. Christians choose joy. 3. We Solve the Problem of Pain When We Recognize That the Purpose of Pain Is to Mold Us to Look Like Jesus Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4) In other words, troubles produce godly patience. And godly patience matures us, molding us to be like Jesus. The author of the book of Hebrews, declared about Jesus: “Though he was a Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered“ (Hebrews 5:8). If the Son of God matured through troubles, so can we. If the Son of God matured through trials, so can we. But we have to “Let perseverance finish its work”—that means we must choose to submit to and endure trials in order to become like Jesus. A man with a briefcase was running through the airport, trying to get to his gate before the airplane door closed. He was thinking that he was just going to make it, when he accidentally ran into a small boy carrying a puzzle box full of pieces. The box hit the floor and pieces scattered everywhere. He started to run on. He had a flight to catch. But then he thought better of it. He got down on his knees and joined the boy in picking up pieces. When the box was full and the pieces were safe, the boy looked up at the businessman and asked, “Mister, are you Jesus?” It’s always a good time, Matt, to pause and reflect on just how much we look like Jesus! We solve the problem of pain by submitting to an ongoing process by which Jesus molds us to look increasingly more like Himself. 4. We Solve the Problem of Pain By Yielding to the Truth That the Process Will Hurt This is essential. “Trials and troubles” are not an elective course that we can take or leave. This course is required. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:8) A young man came to pastor and teacher Harry Ironside during Ironside’s later years when he was losing his hearing. The man asked, “Will you please pray for me that I will be more patient?” They bowed their heads in prayer, and Ironside prayed, “Jesus, please send this young man some problems.” The young man, knowing that Ironside was hard of hearing, shook him and said, “No, no, I didn’t say that I wanted problems. I said that I wanted patience.” Once again, they bowed their heads in prayer. Ironside prayed, “Dear Jesus, would you please send this young man some troubles and problems.” Figuring that once again Ironside had not heard him correctly, the student raised his voice and repeated his request. Ironside replied, “Do you not understand that troubles and problems are what produce the patience?” God knows that the best climate for making us just like Jesus is the crucible of fire and testing. Are you willing to face it? 5. We Solve the Problem of Pain By Asking God for Wisdom When We Experience It When you are in the midst of troubles, and you don’t know how to handle it, then ask God for wisdom. He promises to answer! If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5) Wisdom to do what? We all need wisdom to react properly to our problems by counting as joy and then handling them accordingly. 6. It’s Hard to Express Joy in the Midst of Pain When We Are Wavering in Faith and Unbelief But when you ask , you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” (James 1:6-8) In the midst of pain, trials, and testing, too many of us waver: Is God adequate? Is He sufficient to trust or not? Will He get me through this? Is it worth it? James never says that we must understand everything about God’s purpose in our lives. It is simply sufficient to know that God has a purpose. So we declare by faith, “I will trust Him. He’s my God, and I’m committed to Him, no matter what the trial or trouble. That decision has been made. It will never have to be made again.” We will never find that trials and troubles make any sense until we come to place where we can distinguish between the permanent and perishability of things. The house of one of our church members burned to the ground. I was on the sidewalk watching the house disintegrate, enveloped in flames. They lost it all. The kids and their father were standing beside me on the sidewalk cursing God, the fire department, their insurance company, the police, etc. I saw the holocaust and thought, “What would I lose if that happened to my house? If tomorrow I were to lose my personal possessions or my health, or both, would I have anything left?” Think about it. Would you? Well, Matt, I hope this helps answer your question. Feel free to ask another one. Love, Roger

II Kings 13:14-21 When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Lay your hand on the bow.” And he laid his hand on it, then Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. And he said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And he said, “The LORD’S arrow of victory, and the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have put an end to them.” Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. Then the man of God became angry at him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you put an end to it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.” And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the marauding bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. And as they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they threw the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet. BACKGROUND A lot of time has lapsed since our last study in the life of Elisha. Let’s review a quick summary of all that took place in Israel and Judah leading up to Elisha’s death. Summary of 2 Kings 7–13:13 Major Events in Elisha’s Ministry Before His Death These chapters record some of the most dramatic miracles, political upheavals, and prophetic acts in Elisha’s ministry. They show God’s power over famine, war, disease, kings, and nations, while demonstrating both His judgment and mercy toward Israel. The Siege of Samaria Ends Miraculously (2 Kings 7) The kingdom of Israel was suffering under a severe siege by Aram (Syria). Food became so scarce that famine reached horrific levels. Elisha prophesied that within twenty-four hours, food would become plentiful and inexpensive. An officer of the king doubted the prophecy. That night, God caused the Aramean army to hear the sound of chariots and horses. Believing they were being attacked, they fled in panic, leaving behind their camp, supplies, and wealth. Four lepers discovered the deserted camp and brought the good news to Samaria. The prophecy was fulfilled exactly, and the skeptical officer was trampled to death at the city gate, seeing the blessing but never enjoying it. Key lesson: God’s promises are certain even when circumstances seem impossible. The Shunammite Woman Restored (2 Kings 8:1–6) Elisha warned the Shunammite woman whose son had been raised from the dead to leave Israel because of an approaching seven-year famine. After returning years later, she appealed to the king for the restoration of her property. At the very moment she arrived, Gehazi was telling the king about Elisha’s miracles, including the raising of her son. The king restored all her land and income. Key lesson: God’s providence works behind the scenes to care for His faithful people. Elisha Predicts Hazael’s Rise to Power (2 Kings 8:7–15) Elisha traveled to Damascus, where King Ben-Hadad of Aram was ill. Hazael was sent to ask whether the king would recover. Elisha foretold that Hazael would become king and would bring terrible suffering upon Israel. He wept because he foresaw the destruction Hazael would cause. Hazael then murdered Ben-Hadad and seized the throne. Key lesson: God knows future events and remains sovereign even over wicked rulers. Wicked Kings in Judah (2 Kings 8:16–29) Jehoram and later Ahaziah ruled Judah. Through marriage alliances with Ahab’s family, they adopted many of the sinful practices of Israel. This set the stage for God’s coming judgment on the house of Ahab. Jehu Anointed King of Israel (2 Kings 9) Elisha sent a young prophet to anoint Jehu as king and to commission him to destroy the house of Ahab. Jehu immediately led a revolt. He killed King Joram of Israel, King Ahaziah of Judah, and Queen Jezebel. Jezebel’s death fulfilled Elijah’s earlier prophecy that dogs would devour her body. Key lesson: God’s judgment may be delayed, but it is never forgotten. The Destruction of Ahab’s Dynasty (2 Kings 10) Jehu continued his purge by executing Ahab’s seventy sons, many officials and supporters of Ahab, and the worshipers of Baal throughout Israel. He destroyed Baal’s temple and temporarily removed Baal worship from Israel. However, Jehu failed to abandon the golden calf worship established by Jeroboam. Because of his partial obedience, God promised four generations of descendants on Israel’s throne, but Israel continued to decline spiritually. Key lesson: Partial obedience is still disobedience. Athaliah Usurps Judah’s Throne (2 Kings 11) After her son Ahaziah died, Athaliah attempted to destroy the royal family and seize power. A young prince named Joash was hidden in the Temple for six years by the priest Jehoiada and his wife. When Joash was seven years old, Jehoiada organized a coup, crowned him king, and executed Athaliah. The people renewed their covenant with God and destroyed Baal worship in Judah. Key lesson: God faithfully preserves the Davidic line through which the Messiah would eventually come. Joash Repairs the Temple (2 Kings 12) Under the guidance of Jehoiada, King Joash initiated major repairs to the Temple in Jerusalem. After Jehoiada’s death, however, Joash drifted spiritually and later compromised with foreign powers. Key lesson: Spiritual leadership greatly influences national faithfulness. Now we come to the end of Elisha’s life and his final acts of prophecy. EXAMINATION (V.14) When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” Elisha was likely around 80 when he died. He led a full life of ministry, working with the various kings of Israel, as he did here with Joash. Elisha’s ministry was one of saving, blessing, and influence for the kingdom of God. This was unlike Elijah’s ministry, which was mainly judgment. There were two previous times that we heard this phrase, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen used about someone. The first time was when Elijah was being taken to heaven. Elisha looked up and cried out the chariots of Israel and its horsemen. The second time was when the army of Aram came to capture Elisha at his home in Dothan. Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened, and his servant saw the chariots of Israel and its horsemen all around the city to protect Elisha. Now, King Joash uses this phrase to identify Elisha. He is acknowledging that Elisha is a true prophet of God, even though he himself preferred the worship of Jeroboam’s calves. We should note here that King Joash, because of this incident with Elisha, seemed to have some type of rudimentary faith in God. This is because he honored Elisha with the special phrase, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen. In addition, kings did not normally visit and wait on prophets. It was usually the other way around. But here, King Joash comes to Elisha to wait and mourn over him. So, he had some tenderness in his heart for the old prophet. King Joash was really not a true worshiper of God, but he had something in him that acknowledged God because of this. As such, Elisha honored him by prophesying in his favor, even on his deathbed. It seems that God will be with us when we are with him, even a little. (V.15-17) Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Lay your hand on the bow.” And he laid his hand on it, then Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. And he said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And he said, “The LORD’S arrow of victory, and the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have put an end to them.” Elisha often used symbolic acts to drive home his prophesies. He used a common stick to cause the axe head to float. He used flour to heal the poisoned stew. He used salt to heal a city’s water source, and so on. Again, he uses symbolism to prophesy on the king’s behalf. The arrows, weapons of war, were used symbolically to proclaim victory by Israel over Aram. Because Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands, he was showing that the victory would be of God’s making. His hand would be with Israel. We see this reflected later in the chapter when it says, “The LORD was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned to them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and He was unwilling to eliminate them or cast them away from His presence until now” (II Kings 13:23). God would be with Israel because he loved them. (V.18-19) Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. Then the man of God became angry at him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you put an end to it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.” The prophet was angry with King Joash because he didn’t take the symbolism far enough. This meant their victory over Aram would not be complete. They would only defeat them three times. This was fulfilled in verse 25. (V.20-21) And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the marauding bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. And as they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they threw the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet. This account takes place one to two years after Elisha’s death, as only his bones were left. Elisha was probably buried in an open grave, like a cave or other such hole where his bones would have been exposed. There is an esoteric practice that is used by some of the prosperity gospel movement based upon this passage. It is called grave sucking. The idea is for a person who wants to be filled with the Holy Spirit to lie upon the grave of a person who was a godly man or woman, and therefore the spiritual blessings of that person and the filling of their spirit would be imparted to them as they lie upon their grave. This is nothing more than a cultic practice and has nothing to do with true Christianity. This passage was not meant to be prescriptive as to getting the blessings of a dead person. Simply, it was descriptive, showing that the power of Elisha’s ministry continued even after the grave. What does this short account represent? It represents Israel’s condition before the Lord. Like the dead man, Israel was dead in its sin and idol worship. But, if it heeded the ministry of Elisha, it could be spiritually revived. The same is true with us. Ephesians 2:1 says we are dead in our trespasses and sins. Only contact with the Lord Jesus can revive us from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive to God. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? Even on his deathbed, Elisha was serving in his ministry, prophesying to the king of Israel. King Joash honored Elisha, though he did not follow the Lord fully. Elijah prophesied favorably for King Joash and his defeat against Aram. The power of Elisha’s ministry continued even in death. INTERPRETATION What is the author’s big idea? God will be with you when you are with him. Because Joash was friendly toward Elisha, God was with him in good favor. This was not the normal way it was with most of the kings of Israel. Elisha showed the king that God would be with him in war against Aram. He showed him that he would defeat them three times on his behalf. And he was even with Elisha in the grave when he revived a dead man. The scripture says, “For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely his” (II Chronicles 16:9). When we devote ourselves fully to the Lord, then the Lord is with us. But if we mix our worship of God with worship of other things or other people, then our relationship with God is limited. God cannot look upon sin. If we consider sin in our hearts, the scripture says the Lord will not hear us (Psalm 66:18). APPLICATION As we come to the end of our study of the lives of Elijah and Elisha, this is the most appropriate thing to give consideration to. Are we fully devoted to the Lord in every way? Is Jesus Christ the supreme chief affection of our lives? This is our sole application point for this study, as it is the most important question that we can ask ourselves. Is Jesus Christ the supreme affection of my life? What is it that you value in your life? When you think of the things that are important to you, what stands out as the most important thing of all? Is it a job? Is it a relationship with someone? Is it your status in life? What is it? The most important thing in our life should be our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Everything else in life that we have or experience is temporary. Someday we will die, and it will all be left behind. We cannot take it with us. However, we take our relationship with God with us to the grave and beyond. If we will be with God now, we will be with God for eternity. Matthew 10:37-39 tells us the cost we must count if we want a true relationship with God. Jesus said, “The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.” What, or who, is the supreme affection of your life? Make Jesus Christ your complete and total priority in everything, and God will be with you as he was with Elisha and all the prophets and apostles of God. Consider praying this prayer as we close this study: “God, I thank you that you have made me, and all humanity, the supreme affection of your life. You gave up everything for us through Jesus Christ. Lord, how can I surrender every part of my life to you that I might make you my supreme affection also? Help me to live for you in everything that I do. Help me to evaluate every part of my life, as to whether or not it is submitted to you and under your leadership. I thank you for what you’re doing in my life. I thank you for calling me to you, for forgiving me, for giving me your salvation, and your Holy Spirit. I love you, Lord. Help me to love you more. Amen.”

Fear, guilt, and shame are silent killers And so, this article will examine doubt and see how slyly it sneaks in to spy out our joy and hope in Christ. Many of us understand doubt. If we’re honest with ourselves, we will even grant that doubt is part of living. Indeed, our doubts are actually pretty wide and diverse. Take, for example, the political landscape and sports. I’ll start with sports. As an Aggie, I have gotten used to letdowns each fall. I begin with high hopes, looking to another great year of recruiting, but, as it turns out, the Aggies can’t seem to pull out the National Championship. And so, while I have high hopes, I doubt they will “actually” win. What about politics? Is it possible to doubt that your political party might win? Even if they win, do you find yourself doubting that it will actually bring about the kind of real change needed to solve society’s ills? Let’s move this topic to a more personal level. What about the Easter bunny? Santa Claus? Tooth Fairy? All three of these figures don’t exist, but for many children, they do; well, until they don’t. Not making any judgment on those who brought them to life in their children’s lives but imagine that moment when the child realizes Dad was Santa, Mom was the tooth fairy, and well, the Easter Bunny just got in the way. I digress. What happens is, kids face disillusionment, and a seed of doubt is sown, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Doubt is part of life. We experience it every day. As we briefly examined above, doubt is personal, political, relational, and much more. And so, on the one hand, doubt is not inherently wrong. Doubting the success of a football game has no real consequences on my eternal destiny, and may actually help me enjoy the game more. However, doubt becomes a problem when applied to our spiritual life. Take, for instance, anxiety. If we were to trace the source of anxiety, we would pass the reality of facing an undesirable outcome and arrive at the object we are hoping meets our needs. It is here, by examining the object, that we understand if this thing was designed to make us happy or pleased. Thus, to put it the opposite way, the object of our faith ought to regulate and alleviate our doubt. So, what are we to make of doubt? Let’s look at it from a biblical, theological, and practical standpoint. Biblical. Doubt begins in the Garden of Eden, leading to the first sin and, subsequently, sinful humanity. Doubt continued as Abraham and Sarah, doubting God’s promise, used Hagar to conceive a child (Gen. 16:1-4). Moses doubted his usefulness and sought a way out from going to Pharaoh and liberating God’s people (Exodus 3:11). Gideon doubted God’s presence with His people (Judges 6:13), and Elijah doubted God’s power to save him after seeing it on magnificent display (1 Kings 19:4). Doubt continues into the New Testament as Peter, sinking into the water, hears Christ say, “...you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). Later, Thomas, aka Doubting Thomas, doubted Christ’s resurrection until he saw in “His hands the mark of the nails” (John 20:25). There is a tension, isn’t there, when it comes to doubting and having faith? We see this explicitly in the desperate cry of a father seeking his son’s healing: “...I believe help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). The agony of this experience was well captured by Arthur Pink, who wrote a little pamphlet on it titled The Believer’s Paradox. Pink essentially argues that, for the Christian, doubt is an indication of belief. He contends, “No unbeliever ever shed tears over his unbelief; no empty professor ever groaned because of his questioning of God; no hypocrite is burdened by his doubts and fears.”* In other words, to doubt is to have a measure of faith. And, for the Christian, we believe that faith is not from within a person, being generated, manufactured, divined, purchased, or conjured, but is instead a gift of God so that no one should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Thus, if faith is a gift, doubting while seeking to believe is part of the process for a fallen person in a broken world. Doubt rightly guided points us to deeper faith. Theological. To say that guided doubt leads us to deeper faith is to say that our faith or trust is anchored in an immovable, eternal, infinite, and personal God. Only the Trinity, taught in the Christian faith, can meet these qualities and infinitely more. Indeed, it is the Trinity that is the object of faith and the source of faith. It follows that when I doubt, I have taken my eyes off the Triune God and placed them squarely on something or someone not designed to sustain my trust—thus, doubt. Yet doubt exposes my lack of faith and, for the Christian, draws them deeper into God. The journey of the Christian, then, is a journey of seeking to know even as we are known and grow in faith. Therefore, faith is the means through which God transacts His will, not the source. The Triune God is the objective source, and faith is the conduit through which God’s grace flows to the Christian. Thus, it is not the “amount” of faith that I possess but whether or not it is real or genuine. The Trinity is the Source and Sustainer of genuine faith. Practical. We doubt, just as the father in Mark 9 does. We doubt, just like Peter, beginning to sink into the sea after taking his eyes off Christ. We all doubt. Yet, rightly directed doubt moves us deeper into God. Anxiety, thus, has an answer. We draw near to God with real faith as the conduit through which God executes His will. At the same time, there may be times or seasons when doubt seems to stay around and visit us far too long. In those seasons, it is important to know you are not alone, to remind yourself of the Object and character of your faith, and to surround yourself with other Christians and counsel that will encourage and fill your heart with truth and love. Doubt as an experiential reality causes us to face our days with an open hand. We leave outcomes in God’s hands. We prepare, plan, and work with excellence, yet remind ourselves daily that our trust is in God, not in circumstances or outcomes. Our faith is rooted in a Person who loved us and gave Himself up for us. Replace doubt with trust. God help us, Amen!

Grace and Caution – Matthew 18:10-14 Hook: I never had a sister and I was never given a daughter, but I have been blessed with a wonderful granddaughter. She is a bundle of energy and like her grandpa Gary she has a delightful sense of humor, but she lives in Kansas City and that is a long way from Tucson. When she was four years old, and it was time for her baby brother to be born, I went to Kansas City to babysit her while her mom was giving birth at the hospital. Normally, she is a very independent girl, but at the age of 4 my little granddaughter stubbornly refused to be potty-trained. So after, I changed a smelly diaper, and while her mother was still at the hospital, I decided I should take this diaper outside to the trash can because I didn’t want to stink up the house. And, while I was outside my sweet little granddaughter thought it would be very funny to lock me out of the house. Only it was in January, 32 degrees outside, dark, lightly snowing and I was not dressed for cold weather. Did I mention I am a native Tucsonan and I hate the cold? When I asked her to unlock the front door she just giggled at me through the side window. I didn’t have keys for the house nor did I even have my cell phone to call her daddy. So, I walked over to the next door neighbor’s house, rang the doorbell, and asked them if I could use their phone to call 911. The operator very graciously sent the fire department to the house and one of the younger fire men climbed the fence, and went through an unlocked back window. It was all fun and games for my granddaughter until she saw this stranger climbing in the back window and then she became very frightened. Bursting into tears, she ran out the front door straight into my arms for comfort and protection. Having grandchildren is one of greatest blessings God has ever given me, but children are often a challenge for us, especially when we desire to love them well. Why does God value children? In today’s passage we are learning about valuing children. Scholars believe these verses, also apply to the importance of cherishing new believers, or those who are spiritually disconnected. Most translations start this section of scripture with the subheading “the Parable of the Lost Sheep”. But, when we read these verses in context we will see Jesus is continuing his message on the high worth God places on children (Matthew 18:1-9). Matthew 18:10-14 10) “See to it that you don’t despise one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of my Father in heaven. 12) What do you think? If someone has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go search for the stray? 13) And if he finds it, truly I tell you he rejoices over that sheep more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14) In the same way it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” CSB Matthew 18:10 is a transitional verse that could be taught with the passage above or it could go with today’s verses. The Greek word we translate “despise” in English in verse 10, is the compound Greek word “kataphroneo”, which literally means to “think down”. Much is often lost in translation when you are trying to find the perfect English word to describe a thought from another language. In English the word “despise” is a stronger emotion than to simply dislike or hate someone. It implies we are making a moral judgement or expressing a profound aversion for a person. In Greek “kata” is a simple word which means down, but there are 16 different biblical Greek words in my Greek dictionary that can be translated “to think”. So, what is the distinction of “phroneo”? “Phroneo” means to be “minded in a certain way” for example: in speaking of a person we could say, “His thinking was progressive or her thinking was conservative”, this is what it means to be minded in a certain way. Jesus wasn’t cautioning us to not look down on little ones or to not act down, but he was warning us to not think down. Why is this important? The way we think is the biggest contributor to our future behavior. If we want to change our actions the most important thing we have control over is our thinking because behavior follows thinking. All of us were created in God’s image, so it is important we be mindful of this. God is calling us to value all people no matter their status in life. At the time of this teaching children were not highly valued in this society, but Jesus is showing us God looks at them differently. We won’t despise children, if we can remember that their guardian angels are continually viewing their Father in heaven. I am going to continue to use the English word despise in our lesson, but remember that we are not talking about a heart problem like we might think of “despise” in English. Here the Bible is cautioning us of a minded way of thinking where children simple aren’t valued. In the second half of verse 10 Jesus is referencing the unseen world. Sometimes Jesus pulls back the curtains on heaven with his teaching and this is an example of him doing just that. What does Jesus say about the angels who guard children? “Their angels continually view the face of my Father in heaven.” Why would this caution keep us from thinking down on children? These angels are attentive to God’s throne, to his face, to his instructions, and to his will. It would be unwise for us to find ourselves in opposition to the guardian angels who protect these little ones. How could this truth sober us when we are tempted to judge them? When people are tired or whiny we may be frustrated by their behavior, but we should never despise them. We should never think less of someone who is acting out and doesn’t know what to do. Despising children is a line God does not want us to cross. There is more insight we can explore from this phrase, “Their angels continually view my Father in heaven.” We know throughout the scriptures that angels have a different station or calling in God’s big plan. People cannot look on God. Moses was told if he looked on God’s face he would die (Exodus 33:20-23). The disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration bowed their heads to the ground when God the father spoke from a bright cloud (Matthew 17:1-13). Angels are vastly different than us, if they can continually look at the face of the father. If we could see what angels see, we would not need faith to trust God. We won’t despise children, if we can embrace God’s missionary heart. In the verses above specifically in Matthew 18:2 Jesus chose a child to illustrate the importance of humility in the kingdom of heaven. Now in Matthew 18:11 he uses a good shepherd to illustrate just how important the lost are to Jesus. Sheep as animals are notorious for wandering away from their flock in search of a sweet patch of grass. They will wander down onto a cliff without realizing they can’t climbed back out after they have eaten their fill. The good shepherd searches and listens for their cries so he can reach over the edge of the cliff, hook them with his staff and pull them up to safety. When I had the privilege of visiting Israel I was surprised by the lack of vegetation on the hills surrounding Jerusalem. In the month of April the hills and valleys were bare earth, stripped of grass, waiting on the rains. This land appeared to be over grazed by the Bedouin sheep herders who were still roaming the hills Abraham did in the book of Genesis. I learned in Israel that a desert shepherd must constantly chase the grass lands to find food for their sheep, and they often forced to spend the night out in the open to guard them (Luke 2:8). If in our mind we picture the green hills of Ireland when we think of a shepherd’s job, we have not understood what Jesus is describing here. The parable of the good shepherd is a picture of God’s sacrificial protection. Jesus chose this parable because he is not willing that any should perish. If we can embrace God’s heart of mercy we will be, so blessed. He wants all the spiritually disconnected to be rescued. This will lead us to sacrifices of our time, our money, and our preferences. What are some sacrifices we might make to advance God’s kingdom? I have never served on a finance committee writing a church’s budget, but my husband did many times. If he were still alive he would tell us that children and youth ministries are expensive for a church. Yet, what happens when a church refuses to fund ministries to reach children or youth? That church will eventually age out and close its doors. Children and youth ministries are a necessity if a church wants to survive. Embracing the missionary heart of God calls for an intentionality in our planning, if we want to pursue being a multigenerational church. We won’t despise children, if we can remember their guardian angels are continually viewing their Father in heaven and if we can embrace God’s missionary heart. What might change if we applied these two principles? Jesus wants us to be minded in a certain way because how we reason, will influence our behavior toward children. Jesus wants to revolutionize our thinking. Especially, our view of little ones.

II Kings 6:8-23 Now the king of Aram was making war against Israel, and he consulted with his servants, saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.” But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, saying, “Be careful that you do not pass this place, because the Arameans are coming down there.” And the king of Israel sent scouts to the place about which the man of God had told him; so he warned him, so that he was on his guard there, more than once or twice. Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this matter, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?” One of his servants said, “No, my lord, the king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” So he said, “Go and see where he is, so that I may send men and take him.” And it was told to him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” So he sent horses and chariots and a substantial army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. Now, when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “This is hopeless, my master! What are we to do?” And he said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are greater than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “LORD, please, open his eyes so that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness in accordance with the word of Elisha. Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he brought them to Samaria. When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these men, so that they may see.” So the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. Then the king of Israel, when he saw them, said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” But he answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set bread and water before them, so that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.” So he provided a large feast for them, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel. WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU AS MOST SIGNIFICANT IN THIS PASSAGE? BACKGROUND One of the most famous scenes in Scripture occurs when Elisha prays, “Lord, open his eyes,” and his servant sees the mountain filled with horses and chariots of fire. Key insights: Horses and chariots represented the most powerful military force of the ancient world. Even in the Old Testament, armies that had chariots and horses were considered superior to just fighting men. Therefore, this passage in II Kings is symbolic of the fact that angelic armies are more powerful than human armies. The heavenly army demonstrates God’s protection of His people. The passage provides a rare glimpse behind the veil into the unseen spiritual realm. Though we may not see the spiritual realm all the time, it does not mean that spiritual activities are not happening all around us. There is protection, there is battle, there is support. The spiritual realm is always at work around us. It connects with other biblical passages about angelic ministry, such as Psalm 34:7 and Hebrews 1:14. Related passages: Psalm 34:7 — “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him.” Hebrews 1:14 — Presents angels as ministering spirits. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to provide service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” Ephesians 6:12 — Presents the practical reality of spiritual warfare. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” What does this story teach about the difference between visible circumstances and spiritual reality? While the supernatural is a major player in this passage, it is not central to the theme of what we are studying. It's only part of it. In fact, there's something much more going on. EXAMINATION (V.8-10) Now the king of Aram was making war against Israel, and he consulted with his servants, saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.” But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, saying, “Be careful that you do not pass this place, because the Arameans are coming down there.” And the king of Israel sent scouts to the place about which the man of God had told him; so he warned him, so that he was on his guard there, more than once or twice. There are a series of insurmountable problems in this passage. The first one is that Israel was under attack by Aram. The solution was that God told Elisha what Aram was doing, and Elisha warned the king of Israel. Elisha’s ministry was not like that of Elijah. Whereas Elijah confronted kings, Elisha served them, as he did Jehoram, by warning him of Aram’s plans for war. Elisha sought to draw people to the Lord through service and kindness rather than judgment. This foreshadowed Jesus, who did the same. Jesus said he came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. (V.11-12) Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this matter, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?” One of his servants said, “No, my lord, the king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” King Ben-hadad naturally assumes he has a traitor in his court, informing King Jehoram of his military plans. But a person in his court replies that it is Elisha. Elisha’s fame had spread even to Aram, not doubt because of the miraculous curing of Naaman from leprosy as we saw in a recent study. One commentator suggests this person may have been Naaman himself. But that is debatable, as Naaman could have been leading the army into Israel, though we’re not sure of that. (V.13-14) So he said, “Go and see where he is, so that I may send men and take him.” And it was told to him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” So he sent horses and chariots and a substantial army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. The second insurmountable problem was that King Ben-Hadad sent an army to capture Elijah. But God had another plan. It’s interesting that Elisha knows about Ben-hadad’s secret military plans, but didn’t seem to know that he would send an army to capture him! Elisha had warned Jehoram not to go to certain places to avoid Ben-hadad’s army. Yet, Elisha did not leave Dothan before Abram’s army arrived. This implies that Elisha did not know they were coming. But that didn’t matter, as we will see. (V.15-17) Now, when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “This is hopeless, my master! What are we to do?” And he said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are greater than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “LORD, please, open his eyes so that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. What does Elisha’s confidence reveal about his understanding of God’s power and protection? The third insurmountable problem was the army that surrounded the city of Dothan. But unbeknownst to Elisha’s servant, there was a solution to the problem all around them. The last time we saw chariots of fire was when Elijah was taken to heaven. This time, a whole army shows up. This miracle also ties Elisha to Jesus. When Jesus was in the garden being arrested, he said he could call upon the Father, who would send 12 legions of angels to save him if necessary (Matthew 26:53). A legion was typically about 5,000 soldiers. So 12 legions would have been an angelic army of 60,000. The angelic army surrounding Elisha was probably something similar. Like Jesus, Elisha never used this army. Elisha’s servant saw the problem they had all around them. But he didn’t see the solution until the Lord opened his eyes. What kind of problems do you face, and do you not see the solution? Our solutions are found in the Lord, who opens our eyes to what is around us. (V.18) And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness in accordance with the word of Elisha. WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE GOD STRUCK THIS ARMY WITH BLINDNESS RATHER THAN USING THE ANGELIC ARMY TO DESTROY THEM? The word used for blindness in this passage is the same word used in Genesis when the angels struck the men of Sodom with blindness so that they were groping around trying to find the door. They literally became blind and could not see. What’s interesting is that even though they were struck blind, they continued looking for the door to break in and assault the angels and Lot. Their desire for sin overrode all other considerations. One scholar notes that this was not literal blindness, but confusion. Otherwise, how could Elisha lead them the 12 miles from Dothan south to Samaria? However, I think this was literal blindness. This miracle of blindness was preceded by the miracle of opening the servant’s eyes so he could see the heavenly army. One had his eyes opened, another had them shut. The theme is consistent. They were literally blinded. (V.19-20) Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he brought them to Samaria. When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these men, so that they may see.” So the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. The fourth insurmountable problem was for Aram‘s army. Their eyes were opened, and they suddenly knew they were dead men. But God had another plan. Literal blindness is meant because the army of Aram did not know where they were going, and were surprised when they wound up in Samaria and received their sight back. Just like the men of Sodom, the army still marches to find Elisha, for 12 miles, even though they are blind. As mentioned earlier, sin overrides all other considerations. Notice that Elisha uses deception with Aram’s army. He lied to them when he said, “This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” Deception was permitted in times of war for self-defense. The point of such deception is to save lives. So, it is the choosing of the lesser of two evils. We see an example of this in Exodus 1:19-20. After Pharaoh had ordered the killing of the Israelite boys, the midwives let them live and lied to Pharaoh about why. Their lie was to save lives. The result was that God gave the midwives families of their own. When choosing in an impossible situation, they chose the lesser of two evils in order to save lives. And God blessed them. (V.21-23) Then the king of Israel, when he saw them, said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” But he answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set bread and water before them, so that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.” So he provided a large feast for them, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. It was common practice when capturing an army to put them to death. Or when capturing a city, to put all the males to death. But this circumstance is different. The Aramean army was not captured by Israel, but by one man, Elisha. Thus, King Jehoram earnestly asks if he can kill them. He defers to Elisha, whose miraculous power he recognizes. Elisha’s response is a remarkable one: feed them. Which Jehoram does. In this situation, the solution to the marauding bands was kindness. Consider Roman’s 12:20-21, “‘But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Treating the enemy army to a banquet was the practice when entering into a treaty arrangement or covenant of peace. So, Elisha was hoping to establish peace. (V.23) And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel. Elisha's plan worked for a time, though Aram did launch another war with Israel at a later time. HOW MIGHT SHOWING MERCY CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION? WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? Israel was under constant threat from Aram, but God was providing a means of protection. Aram’s army meant to capture Elisha, but God saved him. Elisha led Aram’s army captive to Samaria. Elisha rescued Aram’s army from death, the very army that had come against him. INTERPRETATION What it the author's big idea? God's solutions to our problems are often not our solutions. King Ben-hadad of Aram pursued his agenda to attack Israel. But God had other plans. Aram’s army arrived in Dothan to take Elisha captive. But God had other plans. Elisha’s servant saw only death or captivity when he saw the enemy soldiers. But God had other plans. The men of Aram‘s army thought they were dead men. But God had other plans. King Jehoram only saw an opportunity to kill his enemies when Aram’s army arrived in Samaria. But God had other plans. In each case, men had plans or faced insurmountable problems, but God had a solution no one had thought of. What insurmountable problem do you face? God has a plan. When managing Eagle TV in Mongolia our TV station rented a building that was owned by the Kremlin in Russia. When Kremlin representatives came to inspect our facility, they realized that an American-owned TV station was operating in their building, and they did not like that. So they moved to evict us. They gave us three months to get out of the building. Moving a large TV station in just three months is nearly impossible. We began searching for other buildings to move to, but we could not find anything. We searched diligently, looking at all kinds of buildings, but nothing was suited to our needs. Finally, the day came when we were supposed to be evicted from the building. I went to our facilities manager and said, “Is there any other building that we haven’t looked at yet?” He said, “No, we’ve seen everything. There’s nowhere we can go.” We were stuck. We were going to be out on the street that very day, staff, equipment, everything. Effectively, our TV station was about to be shut down. Then, suddenly, that very morning, after a prayer by our Board of Directors, we received a fax from the Kremlin. They had changed their minds! They said we could stay in the building for as long as we wanted. And we had it in writing. We had an insurmountable problem. But God had other plans. APPLICATION Sometimes we have to go through trials before God presents us with his solution. In the case of Elisha and his servant, it took time for Aram‘s army to get to Dothan and surround the city. They had to go through that little bit of a trial before God would present his solution. So too, it is with us. We have to go through trials sometimes before God reveals the solution. The solution may come quickly, or it may take time; either way, God has a solution. We may be facing an insurmountable problem, but God has a plan. Don't rush to find a solution. Wait for God to reveal His plan. This does not mean that God will give us a way out of all of our problems. But it does mean he has a plan for how he’s going to use us to solve that problem or to endure that problem. Very often we have to endure the problem, and that’s part of God‘s plan. I think of the Christians in Nigeria, who are under intense persecution and are regularly being slaughtered. When I pray, I pray for their relief, but their relief is not coming. So I pray that they would stand firm in their faith, no matter what. They face an insurmountable problem. They have to face it. But God still has a plan. Sometimes that plan is to be a witness in the midst of persecution. God's plans are often not something that we are familiar with or prepared for. Embrace them anyway. Elisha’s servant never imagined that he would see angels surrounding their community. But that’s exactly what God had provided for Elisha. King Jehoram of Israel never anticipated that he would not slaughter his enemies. But that’s not the plan that God had provided. Very often, God’s solution is not something that we would normally think of, but he surprises us with it. We should praise and thank God for when he provides a solution to our problems. Elisha’s response to King Jehoram was to declare peace and to feed the enemy. When God provides solutions to our problems, he is declaring peace. He is not against us. We should praise and thank him for the solutions that he provides.