This Is What Happens When You Procrastinate III
The Family Table Devotions
The parallels, themes, and foreshadowing one finds occurring in God's word can be quite enlightening. Case in point: Since I have been thinking and writing about the immediacy and urgency found in the Bible, the men's Bible study landed in Second Kings and more of that typography.
Elisha called one of the sons of the prophets and told him, “Hike up your garments for travel, and take this flask of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth Gilead. When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in and have him excuse himself from his associates and bring him into an inner room. Take the flask of oil, pour it out on his head, and say, ‘This is what the Lord says. I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and flee. Do not delay!”
So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. When he got there, he found the commanders of the army sitting together.
He said, “I have a message for you, commander.”
Then Jehu said, “For which of us?”
He answered, “For you, commander.”
So Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the servant poured the oil on his head and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says. I anoint you king over the Lord’s people Israel.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%209&version=EHV>
A little bit of the backstory: Way back in 1 King 19, Elijah was told by God to anoint three men to different offices. The men and offices were Hazael to king of Aram, Jehu to king of Israel, and Elisha to prophet. Elijah never got around to anointing Hazael or Jehu, Elisha eventually completed those tasks. And as we see from the above passage, Elisha outsourced the anointing of Jehu to another prophet.
I find the connection between Elisha and Jehu to the account of Philip and the Ethiopian (Acts 8) quite compelling: The instructions through God's word, the quick resolve to accomplish the task, and the fulfillment through anointing/baptism. The hallmark of Lutheran theology, God's Word and his Sacraments carried out through His people!
Are we listening to God's Word? Do we have the resolve to act in a timely manner? St Paul writing on the mercy of God quotes the prophet Hosea:
This is also what God says in Hosea:
Those who were not my people, I will call my people,
and she who was not loved, I will call my loved one.
And, it will be that in the place where they were told,
“You are not my people,”
there they will be called “sons of the living God.”
And Isaiah cries out about Israel:
Although the number of the sons of Israel is as great as the sand
of the sea,
only the remnant will be saved.
For the Lord, who carries out what he says without delay,
will do what he said completely and decisively on the earth.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%209&version=EHV>
God speaks and acts, and we also respond. With God's mercy in view, hear Christ's words: “Return to your home and tell how much God has done for you.”
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%208&version=EHV>
As I am writing this, we are approaching Pentecost Sunday, the day His Church remembers and celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on His Church. I think it is fitting to conclude with Martin Luther's explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles Creed:
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
This is most certainly true.
Trust the Promises,
Steve Skiver
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