#DailyDevotion It’s Not Magick, It’s The Word Of The Lord

September 5th

Read 2 Kng 2:19–25

2Ki 2:19-25  Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.”  (20)  He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.  (21)  Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the LORD, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.”  (22)  So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.  (23)  He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”  (24)  And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys.  (25)  From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

Here we see the spirit of Elijah doubled in practice.  To those who have been humbled the Lord is merciful and kind.  These men had been merciful unto Elisha who sought to see if the Lord had perhaps put Elijah down somewhere not too far away, but he was indeed taken up until the day of the Lord Jesus’ transfiguration.  In His mercy then the Lord uses Elisha to bless the people there at that place.  No it was not the new bowl nor the salt which purified the water but the Word of the Lord which healed it.  The new bowl and the salt were the carriers, the instruments through the Word of the Lord acted, salt being an agent of purification (though not usually of water) and a new bowl representing something new had to be done here.

In the same manner the Lord Jesus Christ makes us pure and holy and new creations.  He uses the water of Baptism which is not just water, but the water included and combined with the Word of God.  The Word of God with the water gives to us the Spirit of God and faith in Christ which makes us a new creation. (Rom. 6:3ff, Gal. 6:5, 2 Cor. 5:17).  St. Paul in Ephesians tells us, Eph 5:26-27 “having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,  (27)  so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”  Jesus tells us, Joh 3:5  “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. So wherever the Word of the Lord is so is the Spirit of our God.

Now the action of Elisha towards the youth seems rather harsh, 1Co 10:11 ESV “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”  Indeed at the end of the ages when Jesus returns, everyone will receive their recompense.  These young fellows were acting out what they had seen their parents did and instead of reproving them they followed their actions.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant us such faith that we trust in the Word which you have placed in the institutions of the sacraments and may we recognize those whom you have sent and treat them as we should treat you.  Amen.