Have you read this story in the Bible? It’s found in 2 Kings 13:14-19 (NET):
“Now Elisha had a terminal illness. King Joash of Israel went down to visit him. He wept before him and said, “MY father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!”
Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so.
Then Elisha told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.” He did so, and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands.
Elisha said, “Open the east window, and he did so. Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he did so. Elisha said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the LORD will give you over Syria. You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!”
Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so. He told the king of Irasel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped.
The prophet got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria! But now you will defeat Syria only three times.”
Elisha died and was buried.”
This incident is probably why we are still fighting Syria.
This passage of Scripture never ceases to amaze me. Elisha, the prophet, despite his sickness and approaching death, wanted God to use him one more time. He wanted their enemy, Syria, to be completely destroyed and consumed. He would not be able to physically fight Syria, but as a prophet, he could prophetically pronounce the entire destruction of one of Israel’s greatest enemies.
Elisha, as ill as he was, asked the king to pick up his bow and arrows which he did. His arrows were most likely in his quiver. He asked the king to put his hands upon the bow and the king did. Then Elisha the prophet must have climbed out of his sick bed to stand over the king and place his hands upon the king’s hands.
He asks the king to open the east window. Joash the king would have asked his servant to do this as his hands were holding the bow and arrow. He shoots and Elisha prophetically pronounces: “The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria.”
When the prophet asks the king to smite the ground with his arrows, he only smites three times and stops! Elisha was angry and challenges King Joash, “Why didn’t you smite the ground five or six times? You would have consumed and destroyed Syria! Now you will only smite Syria three times.”
Having made this pronouncement Elisha died an angry man. Every man of God wans to go home to Heaven on the eve of a great victory. Sad to say this did not happen.
Why did King Joash only smite the ground three times? Many could say that it was not his fault. How could the king know how may times he should smite the ground?
The answer could be that . . .
1. He was spiritually out of tune with the prophet.
2. He was lazy and apathetic.
3. He may not have had a quiver full of arrows.
4. He used the only arrows he had.
The following are the lessons each of us fathers should learn from this story:
1. Be in tune with the prophetic voice.
2. The children God has given you (your arrows) are for the purpose of deliverance.
3. Never be ashamed of the number of arrows God gives to you.
4. Keep shooting out your arrows to get the maximum victory.
Be encouraged,
Colin Campbell
Photo: The beautiful Torkelson family.