Arrows of Victory Text: II Kings 13: 14-19
14 Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, “O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So he took himself a bow and some arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the east window”; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot”; and he shot. And he said, “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.” 18 Then he said “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped. 19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times.”
Elisha the great prophet of God is sick until death. How ironic that Elisha, the great giant of faith who had done so many miracles in his lifetime (and even one more after his death) would die from illness.
( This only proves that all men die equally.)
In verse 14 Joash the king of Israel comes in to see Elisha the prophet. The King almost say’s the same words over Elisha that Elisha said over Elijah before he was caught away! This makes one wonder that maybe Elisha wanted to put King Joash to the test to evaluate the king’s faith and character! Elisha would find the truth was the king just full of good words, or was he really ready to be a leader!
Look at Vs. 14c,”O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!”
Elisha is thinking, "sounds like a Spiritual cry-let me put him to the test!" Don’t think that you’re going to soar in mature faith without some test!
Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
When Elisha placed his hands on the hands of the king this should have alerted the king that the aged prophet wanted to convey a divine blessing on him! (The king should have been alert!)
II Kings 13: 15-17 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So he took himself a bow and some arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the east window”; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot”; and he shot. And he said, “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.”
The way in which Elisha conveys this message unto the king was exciting to say the least! Elisha just doesn’t say these words, no. He sings or shouts out, “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.”
You must strike the Syrians Is a good indication that this couldn’t be some half-hearted effort, and it wasn’t going to be just a few men in these wars! Elisha was telling the king that it would take everything he had- it was going take the king having the right attitude with a warriors Spirit to win every fight!
II Kings 13:18-19 Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped. 19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times.”
By all indications Elisha this time only gives King Joash instructions, and now the King kind of half-heartily performs this action. Elisha expected total compliance from King Joash!
Here’s the King’s reaction unto the prophets instruction! Illustration: (Take an arrow and strike the ground three times!) Then Ill. how he should have done it.)
God’s not looking for the half-hearted, or those who really don’t care. He’s looking for faith and character that will make a person love God and fight back Hell for a lifetime!
II Kings 13:19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times.”
I believe Elisha’s instructions exposed the Kings weak faith and showed the king’s weak character!
You’ve heard the saying, “The proof is in the pudding!” Jesus said in John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakens and knows it has to run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakens and knows it must outrun the swiftest gazelle or it will starve to death. The saying goes, “ It matters not whether you’re a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up you’d better be ready to run!”
God is looking for some overcomers; those who would say that they are ready to run! Those who will strike in Jesus’ name knowing that if they will just continue to strike they will win! Men and women who will awaken knowing that their redeemer lives, and because He lives nothing is impossible if they will just run!
