Podcast
A New Voice of Freedom
Hosted by Ronald · EN
The controlling theme of our Podcasts is that we are all children of God who is no respecter of persons. We are all created equal by God. The primary purpose of a democratic republic is to protect that equality, making all laws equal to all citizens all the time. We need to return to the vision of our forefathers that "certain truths are self evident, that among our inalienable rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If we are to survive as a republic, we must hold firm to the Constitution and Bill of rights, to the balance of power, and above all, we must, as a Christian nation, hold firm to our belief that it is God who protects our freedom, and it is truth that makes us free. We must protect freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. All citizens must have the right to realize their own desires and pursue their own destiny.
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Podcast 92 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 7, Ch 7”
5d ago00:14:20Tap to summarizePodcast 92 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 7, Ch 7”Prophets often turn things upside down. King Solomon is an empire builder. He governs twelve great nations. He has power, wealth, fame, prestige, and wisdom, but he is also given to the contemplative life. Notice the startling statement in verse 1.Ecclesiastes 7:1A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.“A good name is better than a precious ointment” reminds me of a line from Shakespeare’s Othello.Othello, Act 3, Scene 3“Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, Is the immediate jewel of their souls: Who steals my purse steals trash; ’tis something, nothing; ’Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not enriches him, And makes me poor indeed.”The line is spoken by Iago, a villain of the first order, yet that doesn’t make the concept less true. But why does Solomon say that “the day of death is more precious than the day of one’s birth?” Is it because with birth comes uncertainty and trials. In Job we read:Job 5:7“Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”Of course, we know the story of Job, the wealthiest and most powerful man in the region round about. In a short time, he lost his animals, his power, his position, his wealth, his health, and his children. Next to Christ, Job has become the symbol of endurance, of patient suffering, of inequity, of the power of Satan, and of faith. That makes his statement profoundly meaningful. As Mark Twain quipped, “sparks must fly upward,” suggesting that trouble is unavoidable. Is that why the day of death is more precious than the day of one’s birth, or is Solomon aiming at a higher purpose? Death symbolizes, not only the end of life, but the end of our probation. We were sent to earth by God, our creator, to prove ourselves. After earth comes the judgment, and the judgment determines how we spend eternity. Repeatedly Solomon speaks of the vanity of earthly things. His eye was always on eternity. Solomon finds virtue in the house of mourning Ecclesiastes 7: 2-3It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.We have the following senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, smell. But we also have feelings. We have a heart. We have a mind. We have a spirit. We have the Holy Ghost. We have faith, etc. Solomon subordinates the five senses to the higher senses.Ecclesiastes 7:4-9The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity. Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.“Better is the end of the thing than the beginning thereof” is another way of saying, “the day of death is more precious than the day of one’s birth.” What is his message? It is clear. We should dedicate our lives to making death the greatest day of our life. In other words, we must not have the ‘heart of a fool.’ Solomon naturally goes to the importance of wisdom.
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Podcast 91 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 6, Ch 6”
1w ago00:14:02Tap to summarizePodcast 91 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 6, Ch 6”It is very common in scriptures for the prophet to make a sweeping statement in the beginning upon which the rest of the chapter follows, giving specific detail explaining its meaning. It moves from general to specific. In English we call it a thesis statement, a purpose statement, or topic sentence. In other words, the prophet raises a question and then answers it thoroughly. Notice the first verse of Ecclesiastes 6:Ecclesiastes 6:1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:Now we may expect King Solomon to expound or answer his own question: What is that evil common to man? His object, of course, is to persuade us to avoid that evil; otherwise, our lives, regardless of how outwardly successful we may appear to be, will be in vain. Consistently Solomon has the eternal perspective in mind. The key words in Chapter 6 are good vs evil. The first two verses speak of evil. In verse one he said, “There is an evil…under the sun.” It is set apart by the fact that the evil is ‘common among men.’ Ecclesiastes 6:2A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.First of all, Solomon acknowledges that all good things come from God, but it is what we do with those good things that matter. When Solomon said, “God giveth him not power to eat thereof’ he is saying that God does not create a glutton, which, as all Christians know, is considered one of the seven deadly sins. Why then is it vanity? Why is it an evil disease? It is evil because he does not use the wealth God gave him to do good. He hoards it. Christ addressed the same issue. Luke 12:15-21And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.Part of the genius of the grammar of scripture is both its concreteness and its economy. Real life becomes a parable, a type, a model for us all to strive for or to guard against. Consider the following example given by Solomon.Ecclesiastes 6:3If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.Though Solomon may well have had a hundred children, it is not the common lot of man. But hyperbole serves his purpose. And he appears to be saying that it is better not to have been born than to not fill our lives with good. Again, Solomon has his eyes on eternity. The vanity and vexation he speaks of is of the temporal or mortal world only. Again, we rely upon the words of the Savior.Mark 8:36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
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Podcast 90 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 5, Ch 5”
1w ago00:14:03Tap to summarizePodcast 90 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 5, Ch 5”Consider verse 1 of Chapter 5 of Ecclesiastes.Ecclesiastes 5:1Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.The ‘house of God’ refers to the temple, the long awaited sanctuary which Solomon built from the materials collected by his father David. To understand the temple, it is helpful to look at the dedicatory prayer by Solomon upon its completion. It is rather lengthy, so I shall only use part of it.1 Kings 8:13I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.David said,Psalm 93:5Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever.The Holy Temple is a place of covenants.1 Kings 8:21And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.The Holy Temple is filled with the ‘glory of the Lord.’1 Kings 8:11So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord, who is ever watchful.It is truly the House of the Lord and contains his name. 1 Kings 8:29That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.It is a house of prayer.1 Kings 8:30And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.1 Kings 8:38-39What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)It is a house of learning, a house of miracles and a house of direct communication with the Lord.1 Kings 8:35-36When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them: Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.Solomon teaches us how to pray.Ecclesiastes 5:2-3Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.In the Sermon on the Mount Christ clarifies what Solomon said. It is not the length of prayer, which in private. A prayer may be as long or as short as one desires. It is the sincerity of the prayer that matters,Matthew 6:7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
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Podcast 89 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 4, Ch 4”
2w ago00:09:42Tap to summarizePodcast 89 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 4, Ch 4”When we consider the range of King Solomon’s meditations, we find a man of compassion. He is a king, the wisest in the world. He has wealth, power, position, fame, luxury, and all the things the world can provide, yet he considers the plight of the least.Ecclesiastes 4:1So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.Consider the following bleak statement from the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes in his work Leviathan.“Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of warre, where every man is enemy to every man; the same is consequent to the time, wherein men live without other security, than what their own strength, and their own invention shall furnish them withal. In such condition, there is no place for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving, and removing, such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continual feare, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short.”Are the following words of King Solomon less bleak?Ecclesiastes 4:2-3Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.What does a man born in a palace raised from his birth to be a king, highly favored of the Lord, surrounded by servants, know about the suffering of the poor? Yet Solomon considers the plight of all.Ecclesiastes 4:4-5Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.Envy is considered one of the seven deadly sins. Consider the words of Paul.Galatians 5:19-21Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like…Solomon prefers the meditative life.Ecclesiastes 4:6Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.One could easily answer the king of wealth— ‘That is all well and good but how am I going to feed my family?’ But that isn’t what Solomon is saying. He isn’t asking us to ignore our responsibilities. He is asking us never to lose perspective. In his position of responsibility, he would be pulled in a thousand directions daily and the distractions of his time manifold. Still he advices “Better is an handful of quietness, than both the hands full of travail and vexation of spirit.” He appears to be saying that the greater the responsibility the greater the necessity for moments of quietness. He is asking us to separate that which is temporary from that which is eternal. Bodily labor is temporary. The soul is eternal. Ecclesiastes 4:7-8Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
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Podcast 88 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 3, Ch 3”
2w ago00:14:44Tap to summarizePodcast 88 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 3, Ch 3”There is a philosophical edge to Ecclesiastes which suggests that King Solomon, with all of his power, glory, and empire building, took time out from his responsibilities as King and pondered the meaning of life. He was introspective. Verses 1-8 of Ecclesiastes 3 became a popular song, modified by Pete Deeger in the late 1950s but popularized by The Byrds in 1965. That merely reaffirms its relevance for all time. In all appearances Ecclesiastes was written in the latter part of King Solomon’s life for he is looking back, pondering what really matters and what doesn’t. Surely Solomon’s life was one of the richest of all men. It is made even more poignant by the historical fact that he is the last king of a united Israel. After Solomon’s death the tribes split into the northern ten tribes who choose their own King, Jeroboam I, and the two southern tribes who follow Rehoboam, Solomon’s Son. Rather than expand their territory, they fight each other. Sadly, their leaders become their worst enemies by leading them into idol worship; the temple is destroyed twice, and all tribes become scattered throughout the earth, not before giving us the Holy Bible and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Their history is our history. There is a spiritual kinship that has dominated the world stage for millennia. As with so many millions of Christians and Jews, I begin every day studying the words of the ancient prophets. They shape my life, my thinking, and my philosophy as if they were still alive.Let’s first examine perhaps the most oft quoted words of Solomon.Ecclesiastes 3:1-9To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?If you can read that without thinking ‘turn turn turn’ then you are not a child of the sixties as I am. There is something about the simple phrase, “To everything there is a season.” In my happy childhood, I knew the season of plums, peaches, pears, black walnuts, hickory nuts, strawberries, black berries, dewberries, maypops, watermelons, and muscadines. I spent hours sitting in ‘muscadine trees’ in early fall eating muscadines. In black walnut season, my hands were always stained black from tearing open the outer shell to crack the harder shell and harvest the delicious nut. Happy is the person who understands the meaning of season.
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Podcast 87 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 2”
2w ago00:13:58Tap to summarizePodcast 87 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 2”Every great writer finds his voice. If he does not find his voice, he shall never be a great writer. King Solomon found his voice. Who but Solomon could have written Ecclesiastes. The word Ecclesiastes comes from the Greek meaning “one who addresses an assembly” or “preacher,” hence the title of the Book. He is reflecting upon his life.Ecclesiastes 2:1-3I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. Notice the choices: mirth, pleasure, laughter, wine. Eventually they don’t satisfy. They all come to the same meaningless end. Solomon, however, also acquainted “his heart with wisdom.” As we know that was a special gift from God.He uses terms such as ‘vanity,’ ‘folly,’ and ‘vexation of spirit.’ It isn’t that laughter is bad. It is that seeking pleasure “all the days of their life” is empty, unfulfilling. The same with giving himself to wine. In time seeking things of the body rather than the mind or spirit turns to folly. Spending one’s life in seeking pleasure is vanity. It is fleeting. It has no staying power. But Solomon was given a gift above all other men. He was given wisdom. The following is recorded in 1 Kings.1 Kings 3:9-12Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.Ecclesiastes was clearly written in the latter part of his life for he is looking back over his life. He has accumulated great wealth.Ecclesiastes 2:4-10I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.But even that turned to vanity.Ecclesiastes 2:11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.It is an ironic use of the word’ profit’ since he is perhaps the wealthiest man in the world. Ecclesiastes is a cautionary tale. King Solomon is giving us a warning. He is asking us to decide what really matters in life. Are we chasing chimeras?
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Podcast 86 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 1”
3w ago00:15:10Tap to summarizePodcast 86 Ecclesiastes, “Pt 1”King Solomon, son of David, the last king of a united Israel, is known for his wisdom. Also famous for building King Soloman’s temple, he is the author of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Songs of Solomon. Thank you for joining Linda and me as we discuss Ecclesiastes, an incredibly rich book from the mind and heart of one of the Lord’s anointed Kings who helped shaped the world.Ecclesiastes 1:1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.Ecclesiastes is written as if King Solomon is an old man looking back on his life, perhaps with some regret for his life has been far from perfect. Solomon inherited an empire built largely by his father, the warrior king David, who also collected the materials for the temple. Tragedy followed the first king, Saul, then David, and then Solomon, fulfilling the prophesy of Samuel that a curse would be on Israel if they selected kings over judges. 1 Samuel 8:11-18And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.That is exactly what happened, particularly under King Solomon. In fact, the twelve tribes split after the Death of King Solomon because Rehoboam (about 931 BC), Solomon’s son who replaced his father, would not reduce the taxes. The ten northern tribes, consisting of Reuben, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Ephraim & Manasseh, followed Jeroboam 1, and the southern tribes followed Rehoboam. The southern tribes consisted of Judah and Benjamin and the greater part of the tribe of Levi who exercised the priesthood. Samaria became the capital of the northern tribes, also referred to as Ephraim or Israel. Jerusalem remained the capital of the southern tribes, also referred to as Judah. The tribes became enemies and often tried to destroy each other. That split led to their total downfall. First the Northern tribes became scattered and lost to the world after being conquered by the Assyrians; next the southern tribes became scattered throughout the world after being captured by the Romans. The nation of Israel was lost. Fortunately, we have many of the words of both David, the Psalmist, and Solomon, the Preacher. Some of King Solomon’s most famous lines are, Ecclesiastes 1:2Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.Think about King Solomon, perhaps the richest man on earth, summing up his life in such a simple word as ‘vanity.’ He captures the concept of vanity so beautifully.Ecclesiastes 1:3-4What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.Of all the doctrines of King Solomon, perhaps none is greater than his observation above, “The earth abideth forever.” He anticipates John the Revelator by a thousand years.
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Podcast 85 Story if Elisha, “Pt 11”
3w ago00:13:27Tap to summarizePodcast 85 Story if Elisha, “Pt 11” Miracles, by their nature, are strange things, for they often appear to deny nature or probability or common sense. Furthermore, often miracles, no matter how spectacular they appear, can often be explained away by ordinary things. For example, everyone witnessed that the Syrian army left in a great hurry, but not everyone attributed it to the Lord. They undoubtedly came up with their own comfortable explanation. 2 Kings 7:18-20And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria: And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.If you recall, previously Elisha told the messenger that the price of food would drop but that the messenger would not be able to eat. The prophecy was fulfilled because the messenger was trampled by starving people rushing to get the food.One of the last recorded acts of Elisha is rather peculiar. Here is the background.2 Kings 8:7-8And Elisha came to Damascus; and Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither. And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?Hazael, apparently a high ranking official, does as the King Ben-hadad commanded.2 Kings 8:9So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben-hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?Elisha’s answer is very peculiar.2 Kings 8:10And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die.What appears to be a lie, isn’t. The king does not die from his illness. He survives his illness but dies from assassination. Elisha merely predicted the future. He begins to weep, not for the king but for Israel.2 Kings 8:11-12And he settled his countenance steadfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept. And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.The next scene positively appears to be the inspiration for the Story of Shakespeare’s MacBeth. Elisha prophesies that Hazael shall become king 2 Kings 8:13And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.Hazael first delivers his message to the king and then smoothers Ben-hadad, king of Syria.2 Kings 8:14-15So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover. And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.Elijah is remembered more for his departure than for the miracles he performed which were spectacular. He was taken up into heaven in a chariot of fire.
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Podcast 84 Story if Elisha, “Pt 10”
3w ago00:12:54Tap to summarizePodcast 84 Story if Elisha, “Pt 10” Modern readers are often shocked when reading ancient texts. For one thing they are shocked at how little human life is regarded. For another they are shocked at the brutality. and for another they are shocked at the extremes people are willing to go to survive. Some Old Testament stories reveal that extremism. The following miracle of Elisha is peculiar from start to finish.2 Kings 6:34-35And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.The approximate year of the above is 852 BC -841 BC. Samaria is the capital of Israel or Ephraim. The siege of the Syrians is causing the famine. The costs quoted above are astronomical. Eighty pieces of silver is $600 or more, meaning most were starving. The food listed could hardly be more undesirable which adds to the seriousness of the famine.But nothing could be more heartbreaking than the following story. It is simply unimaginable. 2 Kings 6:26-29And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son tomorrow. So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.The king is not shocked by the infanticide and cannibalism of the heartless mothers, nor does his anger turn against the true enemy, Syria. Neither does he turn toward the Lord for the things that are happening to his own country are because his wickedness. Rather than repent, wearing sackcloth and ashes before God and seeking the Lord’s prophet for help, Jehoram, King of Israel, immediately wants to murder Elisha, the one Man of God who could save him. That shows his own depravity. 2 Kings 6:30-31And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.The prophet Elisha, like his mentor Elijah, is unmoved by the King’s threats.2 Kings 6:32-33But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him? And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?Notice that Elisha refers to Jehoram as the “son of a murder.” Jehoram’s father was Ahab, an idol worshiper and mass murderer for he murdered the prophets. His wife, and mother of Jehoram, was Jezebel, a Phoenician Princess and Idol worshiper. Both came to an early and violent death. Jezebel was thrown out of a window, her body eaten by dogs.Elisha’s answer to the messenger contains both the promise of a miracle and the forecast of the messenger’s own death.
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Podcast 82 Story if Elisha, “Pt 8”
4w ago00:09:57Tap to summarizePodcast 82 Story if Elisha, “Pt 8”First, we learn something about the group called the Sons of the Prophets.2 Kings 6: 1-3And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.Though they may be given prophecies, they are students of the prophets. They recognized Elisha as the chosen prophet of God as they recognized Elijah as the chosen prophet of God.They are devotees. It is more like a seminary. Undoubtedly they preach the words of the true prophets because Elisha willingly moves to a better location so that they can be with him. As we have learned from Isaiah, Elijah, and Elisha, prophets are called only by inspiration, revelation, and authority of God. They do not go to school to learn the prophetic trade. We know however, that they may receive revelation. Consider, for example, the following. Before Elijah is miraculously taken up into heaven, the Sons of the Prophets say to Elisha.2 Kings 2:3And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.The Sons of the Prophets, though they received a revelation, subordinated themselves to Elisha who has especially been appointed by Elijah to follow in his footsteps. But as you recall, even then, it is dependent entirely upon Elisha’s faith. Elisha agrees to change locations so there will be room for the Sons of the Prophets. He accompanies them.2 Kings 6:4So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.Elisha is noted for the many miracles he performed. One of the oddest, perhaps, is the story of the iron axe head.2 Kings 6:5-7But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.Did the miracle violate the laws of nature? As I write this, four astronauts just returned to earth after circling the moon. In circling the moon, they travelled into space farther than any other humans. Was that a miracle, for it had never been done before? Did they violate the laws of nature? To me it was a miracle, but no! They did not violate the laws of nature such as the law of gravity. The scientists who engineered the journey understood the laws of nature. They understood the dynamics of higher laws. Gravity is as secure as it has ever been, yet it seems to have been defied a with the axe head. The difference between a scientific experiment such as circling the moon and a miracle such as levitating the head of an iron axe is simply this. We understand the laws organized by the men and women of Nasa. We do not understand the laws organized by God to make the head of the axe float. But what is the greater miracle, circling the moon? or making an ax head float? Many perhaps would say, ‘circling the moon.’ Miracles may be defined as unexplained phenomena whose laws are unknown to man but not to God.God, the creator of the universe, works by law. He never violates law or he would cease to be God.
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