Elisha watched Elijah go up in a chariot of fire. He’s picked up Elijah’s mantle. Now, there were “fifty men of the sons of prophets” (II Kings 2:7,15) who watched from a distance. They saw the same thing Elisha did but, strangely, they wore Elisha down until he agreed to let them go out and look for Elijah’s body. Three days of searching turned up nothing.
Elisha waited for them to return to Jericho. When they did, he berated them. It doesn’t appear to have done much good. At least, there’s no mention of the outcome. Before he leaves, the men of Jericho ask a favor. They like living there but the water is bad and the ground doesn’t yield anything. Could he fix it? Elisha says to bring him a new cruse with salt in it. They did and Elisha casts it into the spring. He replies, “Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.” (II Kings 2:21)
Jericho, the city destroyed by the Israelites and cursed by Joshua in Joshua 6:26. It was destroyed but, 500 or so years later, it has been rebuilt. Man has a way of forgetting. Thus, Jericho exists again. Sons of the prophets are living there as well as others. Life goes on.
Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. God was merciful and they continued on. It’s an unfortunate history of mankind. The requests God makes are simple enough. “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humble with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)
Like Pastor Josh said, “It was a simple thing for God to get Israel out of Egypt but it took 40 years in the desert to get Egypt out of Israel.” Mankind seems to have an inclination to do the thing he is told not to do. Pastor Josh went on to use an example he thought was said by Einstein. It went something like this: If there were a switch in some far off rain forest that said, ‘Do Not Touch, it’s the end of the world switch,’ someone would switch it before the paint was dry.
It seems like mankind has an ability to always flub up. The pastor went on to point out that what we do in the past we cannot help today. We can only move forward and try to live for God the best we know how. Yes, God saw that Jericho was built back. People lived there, they studied God there. God’s mercy for mankind continues, the water was healed. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 15:58)
Elisha waited for them to return to Jericho. When they did, he berated them. It doesn’t appear to have done much good. At least, there’s no mention of the outcome. Before he leaves, the men of Jericho ask a favor. They like living there but the water is bad and the ground doesn’t yield anything. Could he fix it? Elisha says to bring him a new cruse with salt in it. They did and Elisha casts it into the spring. He replies, “Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.” (II Kings 2:21)
Jericho, the city destroyed by the Israelites and cursed by Joshua in Joshua 6:26. It was destroyed but, 500 or so years later, it has been rebuilt. Man has a way of forgetting. Thus, Jericho exists again. Sons of the prophets are living there as well as others. Life goes on.
Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. God was merciful and they continued on. It’s an unfortunate history of mankind. The requests God makes are simple enough. “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humble with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)
Like Pastor Josh said, “It was a simple thing for God to get Israel out of Egypt but it took 40 years in the desert to get Egypt out of Israel.” Mankind seems to have an inclination to do the thing he is told not to do. Pastor Josh went on to use an example he thought was said by Einstein. It went something like this: If there were a switch in some far off rain forest that said, ‘Do Not Touch, it’s the end of the world switch,’ someone would switch it before the paint was dry.
It seems like mankind has an ability to always flub up. The pastor went on to point out that what we do in the past we cannot help today. We can only move forward and try to live for God the best we know how. Yes, God saw that Jericho was built back. People lived there, they studied God there. God’s mercy for mankind continues, the water was healed. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 15:58)
