The Goal of Our Instruction

Day 68:  2 Kings 1–5; Ezekiel 25–30; 1 Timothy 1–3

As I read the stories of Elijah and his succeeding prophet Elisha, I wonder why these stories were considered sacred.  At first pass they seem to portray a God who is vengeful and monstrously wielding His power against some of the most meager offenses.  What is the purpose of these kinds of stories?

For instance Elijah is sitting on a hill, apparently meditating when King Ahaziah sends men to bring him to the palace.  Ahaziah had fallen through lattice work at his palace and was badly injured.  He send men to inquired of Baal-zebub at Ekron, a Philistine city, to learn if he will recuperate.  That is the offense: to consult Baal-zebub and not Yahweh.  Elijah stops the kings messengers and asks them, "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron (2 Kg 1:3)."  Elijah prophesies that Ahaziah will not recover but will die in his sick bed. 

The king enraged sends for Elijah.  The captain of 50 soldiers tell Elijah to come to Samaria at the king's command.  Fire from heaven burns them all to death.  Another 50 plus captain are sent with the same message ans they too are consumed by holy fire, just like the sons of Aaron who failed to treat God as holy when they did not follow the correct procedure for offerings.  They were careless showing that they did not regard Yahweh with the proper respect for the Holy One. 

The best I can tell is that this story illustrates that Elijah, the Holy One's messenger, is to be regarded as holy like the holy objects within the holy place of the tabernacle.  They are not to approach the man of God as if he is an common citizen they can order around.  The prophet serves Yahweh and only Yahweh.  It is Yahweh's command that Elijah obeys and not the orders of an unfaithful king in Samaria.  Ahaziah would wield his power and authority to benefit himself and force Elijah to come to his bedside and tell him his future.  The death of 100 soldiers and their captains illustrates who has true power and authority.  It is not Ahaziah, but Yahweh. 

Elisha asks Elijah for a double portion (like the inheritance of the first born son) of the spirit which is on Elijah on the day Elijah is to be taken up into heaven.  They cross the Jordan on dry land when Elijah smacks the water with his mantle or prayer shawl. This is the same kind of sign that occurred fro Joshua when the priests carried the ark of the covenant into the Jordan to cross into the Promised Land.  The waters of the Jordan piled up in a heap and all Israel cross on dry land.  This sign illustrates for us that the creator God of Israel is with Elijah, as He was with Moses and Joshua. 

Fiery angels on chariots of fire come and take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind.  Elijah does not taste mortal death.  He is assumed, taken up by God.  Elisha picks up Elijah's prayer shawl, smacks the Jordan and he crosses on dry land.  Elisha has the spirit that was on Elijah.  His story will illustrate that he has the double portion of the spirit as he asked.  Some of his miracles mimic those of Elijah.  Elisha is befriended by a non-Jew.  Her kindness is rewarded by bringing her a son through her once barren womb. But later the son dies in what looks like a brain aneurysm or stroke.  Elisha raises the boy from death just as Elijah did for the Sidonian widow in Zarephath.

But a disturbing little story is one of Elisha being taunted by street punks in Samaria, young men or teens likely.  They call him names and curse him saying, "Go up, Baldy."  It is their way of saying, "get away from us. Go on up to heaven along with your master Elijah. We don't want you around here in Bethel."  The reference to baldness may be that Elisha had shaved his head for ritual cleansing or to fulfil and vow.  Or the may have been prematurely bald.  We do not know.  The point is that the name is unkind and hostile.  In the same way the soldiers sent to Elijah by Ahaziah are hostile and demanding, not treating the prophet with the respect due a servant of the Holy One, these young men disrespect Elisha.  Elisha calls down a curse on them and two she-bears maul 42 young men.  It is a literal fulfilment of a covenantal curse, a covenant that Bethel had broken with the shrine to the golden calf built there.

"If you act with hostility toward Me... I will send wild animals against you that will deprive you of your children... (Lev 26:22–23). 

The point of the story is that God so identifies with His prophet that an affront to Elisha is an affront to Yahweh.  Why 42?  The number has been used to describe a period of judgement in other passages.  It is 6x7 or 6 weeks.  The number 6 represents humanity and 7 divinity.  Divine judgement has come to Bethel.  It is a sign that would speak to those who know the scriptures, who understand the covenant given through Moses.

But what is the goal of these stories?  The goal is what it has always been, to form a holy community who will live in righteousness and receive God's blessing and become a blessing to the world bringing glory to God's name.  Specifically these stories are intended to encourage the unfaithful to repent and the careless to be careful to treat God as holy and His servants as holy.

Ezekiel delivers messages of God's wrath against Ammon, Egypt, Moab, Edom and Tyre. They each celebrated the destruction of the temple.  So now God, in vindication of the contempt shown for His people and His holy place (even though Yahweh orchestrated the destruction of Jerusalem), will destroy these nations who showed such hostility and disrespect. 

Paul writes to his young protege, Timothy who is pastoring the church in Ephesus.  Paul writes to encourage and instruct the young man in his duties.  Apparently there are those in the church who are concerned with myths and "endless genealogies." Paul tells Timothy these are a waste of time, it is simply unfruitful speculation.

"Now the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith (1 Tim. 1:5)."

The fruit of Paul's instruction and that of Timothy's has three distinct results in mind.

1) love (Agape = self giving, self sacrificing, other seeking)
2) good conscience (to know one is right with God, without guilt)
3) sincere faith (to have a trust in the gospel that is undivided and not diluted by other allegiances)

The men and women who are focused on myth and genealogies are turning away from the goal and involved with fruitless discussions.  I can't tell you how many fruitless discussion I have had to bare in church meetings!  Bogged down in minutia, we often fail to bare fruit for God that will last. 

What is the goal for all our work and our endless meetings?  Is it not to become loving, hopeful and faith filled?  This goal is not reached through law or rule keeping or ritual.  Faith, hope and love are gained in a relationship with Christ.  It is not something we work for, but receive as a free gift through the mercy of God.

Paul writes of his own experience saying,

"...I received mercy, and the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" —and I am the worst of them (1 Tim. 1:15)."

A sincere faith accepts fully the message, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23)."  A sincere faith accepts fully that "the wages of sin are death (Rom 6:23)."  Sinners need a savior if they are to be rescued from Death's dominion.  A sincere faith accepts fully that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity (1 Tim. 2:5).  There is no other way to salvation, but through God's work of redemption at the cross and resurrection of Jesus.

The goal of Paul's good news is that every person would see the self-giving love of God in giving His only begotten son and trust that God does in fact love them even though they are sinners and that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world. 

Through a sincere faith, fully trusting that the death of Jesus Christ is a once for all sacrifice for sin, one can be freed of guilt and receive a good conscience before God. 

Through a sincere faith, fully receiving Jesus to dwell in their hearts through the Holy Spirit, His love fills them and they now love others as He loves.

The goal of our instruction is that every man, women and child would come to know there is a God in the world through Israel who is able to do more than we can ask or imagine...when we have sincere faith, hope in His mercy and love others as Christ first loved us.