2Ki 8:12 | KingComments | STEP | Elisha stayed in the background, his service being almost over. Yet he still had something to do, namely, to anoint Hazael. He had to do so instead of Elijah to whom the commission was given ( ). That this had not yet happened is a proof of God’s grace which gives people a longer time to come to conversion. But then came the time of the anointing of Hazael, as the LORD had said to Elijah. Here the rod of God’s discipline was prepared by Him, for His grace was not accepted by His people. For that, Elisha went to Damascus. At that moment, the king of Aram, or Syria, was sick. God used Ben-hadad’s sickness to bring Elisha into contact with Hazael. Ben-hadad wanted to know if he would recover. He saw Elisha as a medium, willing to do a favorable conjuration for money. Maybe he had heard of the healing of Naaman. He sent Hazael, his servant, with a gift to Elisha to ask him about the outcome of his sickness. It was a huge gift. We see that when we compare this gift with the gift Naaman brought ( ). In his question Ben-hadad addressed Elisha as a father, by addressing him as “your son”. Elisha had a double answer. On the one hand, he would recover from his sickness, because his sickness was not lethal. On the other hand he would die, but then by the hand of Hazael, his murderer. Healing is a word to Ben-hadad, his death is a word about him. When Elisha sees it before by his spiritual eyes, he cannot hold back and bursts into tears. He sees the consequences of what Hazael will do. He wept because his service had been in vain, and the people will come to judgment. That is ultimately the experience of every servant of the Lord. The situation has deteriorated despite his service. So it was with the apostles and the reformers and the men of the revival. It is still the case. This does not make service attractive. At the end of service, the judgment remains. Do we know what will happen to the world, what will cause evil people to suffer, what evil false teachers will cause in Christianity, i.e. the professing church, what spiritual suffering and spiritual death antichrists will cause? What does that do us, does it bring us to weep like Elisha? Hazael pretended not to know what it was all about. He presented himself as someone unable to do anything like that. But inwardly his plan was brewing. Then Elisha said Hazael would become king. The fact that God had determined that he would become king did not change his responsibility. Just like Jeroboam, who had also been told that he would become king, he took the law into his own hands when that moment came. When Hazael reported to Ben-hadad, he only told half the story Elisha had told him. He told Ben-hadad that his sickness would not end up in death. Hazael did not tell the other half of the story, but fulfilled this part. He killed his king and became king in his stead.

‏ 2 Kings 8:12

Hazael King of Aram

Elisha stayed in the background, his service being almost over. Yet he still had something to do, namely, to anoint Hazael. He had to do so instead of Elijah to whom the commission was given (1Kgs 19:15). That this had not yet happened is a proof of God’s grace which gives people a longer time to come to conversion. But then came the time of the anointing of Hazael, as the LORD had said to Elijah. Here the rod of God’s discipline was prepared by Him, for His grace was not accepted by His people. For that, Elisha went to Damascus. At that moment, the king of Aram, or Syria, was sick.

God used Ben-hadad’s sickness to bring Elisha into contact with Hazael. Ben-hadad wanted to know if he would recover. He saw Elisha as a medium, willing to do a favorable conjuration for money. Maybe he had heard of the healing of Naaman. He sent Hazael, his servant, with a gift to Elisha to ask him about the outcome of his sickness. It was a huge gift. We see that when we compare this gift with the gift Naaman brought (2Kgs 5:5).

In his question Ben-hadad addressed Elisha as a father, by addressing him as “your son”. Elisha had a double answer. On the one hand, he would recover from his sickness, because his sickness was not lethal. On the other hand he would die, but then by the hand of Hazael, his murderer. Healing is a word to Ben-hadad, his death is a word about him.

When Elisha sees it before by his spiritual eyes, he cannot hold back and bursts into tears. He sees the consequences of what Hazael will do. He wept because his service had been in vain, and the people will come to judgment. That is ultimately the experience of every servant of the Lord. The situation has deteriorated despite his service. So it was with the apostles and the reformers and the men of the revival. It is still the case. This does not make service attractive. At the end of service, the judgment remains.

Do we know what will happen to the world, what will cause evil people to suffer, what evil false teachers will cause in Christianity, i.e. the professing church, what spiritual suffering and spiritual death antichrists will cause? What does that do us, does it bring us to weep like Elisha?

Hazael pretended not to know what it was all about. He presented himself as someone unable to do anything like that. But inwardly his plan was brewing. Then Elisha said Hazael would become king. The fact that God had determined that he would become king did not change his responsibility. Just like Jeroboam, who had also been told that he would become king, he took the law into his own hands when that moment came.

When Hazael reported to Ben-hadad, he only told half the story Elisha had told him. He told Ben-hadad that his sickness would not end up in death. Hazael did not tell the other half of the story, but fulfilled this part. He killed his king and became king in his stead.