A GOD THAT HIDES HIMSELF -- Tomorrow:
"Truly, Thou art a God Who hidest Thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior" -- Isaiah 45:15
Elisha is one of the great men of Scripture. Beginning as an understudy of the mighty prophet Elijah, he was, by Divine appointment, designated to take Elijah's place after he ascended into heaven "by a whirlwind" (2 Kgs 2:1, 11).
Prior to that, and as one of his last assignments, the Lord told Elijah, "And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room" (1 Kgs 19:16). Immediately, Elijah set about to fulfill the word of the Lord. He found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him." Responding in faith, Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah. Requesting that he be allowed to kiss his father and mother farewell, Elijah gave Elisha leave to so do.
Elisha burned his bridges behind him, so to speak, giving himself fully to the office to which God called him. He took a yoke of oxen, slew them, and boiled their flesh with their yokes. He gave the meat to the people, and they ate. Then Elisha "arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him" (1 Kgs 19:21). From the very beginning, he was wholly devoted to his calling, not forsaking Elijah like Demas did Paul (2 Tim 4:10).
Before Elijah was wafted into heaven, he asked Elisha, "Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel." Sensing that the Lord was going to take Elijah, Elisha refused to leave him. Three times he affirmed, "As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee" (2 Kgs 2:2,4,6). As they drew close to the place of Elijah's departure, he asked Elisha,"Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee" (2 Kgs 2:9). Precious few people have ever been asked such a question, either by God or godly men. The question indicated the spiritual caliber of Elisha. The answer, however, revealed even more! "And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me" (2 Kgs 2:9b). Elijah responded that he has asked "a hard," or difficult "thing."
Nevertheless, his request was answered when "there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof." In an act of faith, Elisha "took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces," making the mantel of Elijah his primary piece of clothing (2 Kgs 2:10-15).
Elisha was then propelled into a mighty ministry for God. Some of his miracles include, (1) The dividing of the Jordan (2 Kgs 2:14). (2) Purifying the waters of Jericho (2 Kgs 2:19-22). (3) Increasing the widow's oil (2 Kgs 4:1-7). (4) Raising the dead son of the Shunammite woman (2 Kgs 4:18-27). (5) Healing the poison pottage (2 Kgs 4:38-41). (6) Increasing bread to feed one hundred men (2 Kgs 4:42-44). (6) Healing Naaman the leper (2 Kgs 5:1-19). (7) Sending leprosy upon Gehazi and his descendants (2 Kgs 5:26-27). (8) Causing an axe head to swim (2 Kgs 6:6). (9). Revealing the counsel of the king of Syria (2 Kgs 6:12). (10). Opening the eyes of his servant to behold angelic hosts (2 Kgs 6:17). (10) Blinding the army of Syria (2 Kgs 6:18).
This mighty prophet was so associated with Divine power, that even after his death, his bones became the means of raising a dead man. It is written, "And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet" (2 Kgs 13:21).
In Elisha, therefore, we are speaking of no ordinary man! He will serve as an excellent example of how the Lord can hide His workings from men, so that they cannot see or understand them – even though a person may be a prodigious prophet and miracle worker like Elisha. Even among the pretentious miracle workers of our day, none is so brash as claim to even be in the same class as Elisha the prophet. Furthermore, if such a claim should be made, I think I would be inclined to laugh, holding such in derision as men of great presumption.
On one occasion, when Elisha was traveling in his prophetic ministry, he passed through Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived. She not only urged him to eat some food in her home, but spoke with her husband later about his frequent travels through their vicinity. "Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither." As a result of her kindness, Elisha was used of God to declare she would have a son, even though she had remained childless all of her life. The child was born according to the word of the prophet, and grew to be a young man.
One day, when the miracle child was in the field with the reapers, he was gripped with sudden pains in his head. A servant lifted up the lad and carried him to his mother, where he remained until noon on his mother's lap. He then died. The mother took him to Elisha's chamber, laid him on the bed, closed the door, saddled a donkey, and headed for Elisha. Upon seeing her approach, Elisha sent his servant Gehazi to meet her. He told him to ask three questions: "Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?" In faith, the woman answered, "It is well."
When the woman approached to Elisha she took hold of the feet of the prophet. Because Gehazi thought such conduct to be unbecoming, he came near to push her away. At this point, Elisha responded, "Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and THE LORD HATH HID IT FROM ME, AND HATH NOT TOLD" (2 Kings 4:18-27). Rather than the Lord Himself revealing the circumstance to Elisha, He chose to make it know through the woman.
If God concealed key things from this mighty prophet, to whom He revealed the words spoken by the king of Israel in his bedchamber, you should not be surprised if He hides things from you. And, let it be clear, that God hiding Himself includes the obscurement of His purposes and plans, His will and His ways. There are times when the ONLY way to know key matters is for them to be made known through a vessel of mercy!
PRAYER POINT: Father, help me to be alert to your direction. In Jesus' name, help me to perceive when You are directing me through the words of others, even though you have personally hidden the matter from me, not making it known directly.