WHEN IT WAS NOT ENOUGH -- Monday:
" And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice." (2 Kings 13:19)
Elisha was one of the great prophets of Scripture – the prophet with a double portion of Elijah's spirit – also a mighty prophet of God. These two prophets are mentioned over 120 times in Scripture. Both of them were aggressive prophets, noted for their exploits.
At the time of our text, Joash was king, and Elisha had not made a recorded public appearance for forty-five years. It is written, "Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died" (vs 14). Joash went down to see the aged prophet, knowing he had power with God. Beholding him, the king "wept over him." Joash knew that Elisha had seen Elijah taken up from the earth, and mourned his departure. The king said the same words to Elisha, that Elisha had said to Elijah: "O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof" (2 Kgs 2:12; 13:14). He knew the end was near for the mighty prophet, and that it would constitute a great loss to the nation of Israel. Elisha would, indeed, "die the death of the righteous" (Num 23:10).
The prophet told the king "Get a bow and get some arrows" (NIV). He then said, "Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands." Elisha then instructed the king to open the window toward the East and to "shoot." The king shot the arrow as the prophet said. Then Elisha gave the significance of the arrow. "The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them." He was announcing the Lord's determination to use Joash in a great deliverance from seemingly superior foes. But the king must enter into the triumph with zeal.
As a sort of pledge of his commitment to the cause, the prophet told the king, "Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground." The aged prophet had been fired with zeal over the prospect of victory, and sought to fuel the zeal of the king also. Instead of releasing his zeal with a shout, he was to do so by shooting arrows. But, alas, the king was too casual about the whole thing. It is written, "and he struck it three times and stopped."
Elisha was incensed over the easygoing manner of the king. It is written, "So the man of God was angry with him and said, ‘You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times'" (2 Kgs 13:19). The victory of the king was limited by his own lack of zeal. He should have shot off all of his arrows, indicating his commitment to the cause. Instead, he shot only three and stopped, imagining that victory would be his by such a meager effort. Think of it, the degree of victory over the enemy was determined by how many arrows the king shot when NOT facing the enemy. I suggest that many professed believers have never seen victory from this revealed perspective.
Joash was not the last person who failed to use all that he had for the Lord. He was not the last one to give but a portion of himself and his arsenal to gain promised victory. He heard the prophecy, but his heart did not take hold of it. He was given a promise, but did not take hold of it with both hands.
Alas, the life of many a soul is characterized by doing less than could be done – like shooting only three arrows, when five or six could have been shot. Many times our triumph over significant attacks are determined by our conduct in times of relative ease and comfort. To gain the full victory as God had promised, all Joash had to do was open the window toward the East and shoot at least five or six arrows. Easy enough!
When we are sailing on calm waters, and our enemies are not flaunting themselves before us, we can open our hearts toward the Lord and give ourselves heartily to Him. We can seek Him with our whole heart, be strong in the Lord, and zealously give ourselves to what we can do. But when we settle for doing just enough, like hitting the ground with three arrows, we need not expect a great triumph in the "evil day." When men approach the Scriptures casually, getting a minimum of benefit from them, or when they regard the assembly of the saints as a not-so-vital thing, they are limiting their own victory.
When you are given opportunity to give yourself to the work of the Lord, do it with zeal. Whether it is singing, praying, ministering, giving, or some other activity, shoot all of your arrows! Give yourself fully to such things. Give God your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You will find it has a direct bearing on how your greater battles conclude. Do not limit your victory by a lack of zeal.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, grant a revival of spiritual energy, zeal, and confidence to Your people.