The Wisdom of the World

I love 2 Kings in the Old Testament. It is maybe my favorite book in the Bible. I just adore Elijah and Elisha. As I was toodling along, reading about my favorite prophets, I came to a very interesting passage:

2 Kings 13:18-20 NIV
[18] Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. [19] The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.” [20] Elisha died and was buried.

Is anyone else left shaking their heads over this passage? How was the poor king supposed to know ahead of time that he needed to strike the ground as many times as he could? I wouldn't have known! It is not like Elisha gave him any clues! It struck me as unfair. Why was the King chastised for not knowing the future repercussion of his action?

I read a few commentaries on the passage and came to a startling conclusion. There are some things in life that we cannot know by experience or cognition. Some things are only known through faith, and spiritual discernment. This may have been one of those instances. How often, like the king, are we brought into circumstances in which only faith and spirituality will guide us in how to act?! If we are not in the habit of perceiving the world with eyes that have learned to focus on the unseen, we will not be able to follow the commands of the spirit. Even in the king's ignorance, God was gracious, and gave him partial victory over his enemies. But complete victory will never be achieved without faith and spiritual discernment.

And faith and spiritual discernment will never be achieved without daily immersion in the word of God and obedience to His promptings. It is simultaneously a passage of rebuke and hope.

We cannot, but God can.

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For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe. Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness; but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:21-25 ESV)

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