That’s incredible.
You know what we say when we say that? We say that whatever we’re on about appears beyond credibility – it’s something we could barely believe. Apparently back in the day they thought that running a mile in less than 4 minutes would be highly improbable. So it was incredible when the record was made back in the 1950’s. Same thing could be said about other athletic achievements.
How about telling someone back at the start of the last century that within a few generations people would be able to communicate with others and share information with them from various parts of the globe simultaneously from a device no larger than their hand. And that same device would contain access to information that would usally take up the space of vast libraries. Mr 1901 would suggest that what you say is truly incredible.
What takes place in an episode in the time of the kings of Israel, however, is a good insight into how the seemingly incredible can get you in trouble. Especially if you don’t grasp that what’s impossible with man is more than possible with God.
In this episode, the city of Samaria is under siege. The severity of the siege was such that the economic circumstances were crippling. However bad you think things would get, it could not be as bad as hearing that you have to … kill and eat … babies … (the Bible ain’t light and fluffy reading at all.)
Under such a siege with the circumstances being so bad, you can imagine that mood and morale would be very low. Despite that, if you come across a man of God like Elisha, you would do well to consider him carefully, especially if he has an outstanding track record from his connection as the moutpiece for what God is saying in any given condition.
Unfortunately, a trusted right hand man of the king didn’t get that message. He was far more taken up with the severity of the circumstances than he was with the nature and capacity of the Creator of the universe. From a human perspective you can understand. Here’s a man saying that in the space of 24 hours the punitvely depressing economic situation will be turned on its head so that items will be dirt cheap for the purchase. If you heard something like that, you would be well within your rights to suggest that it would be even more incredible than running a mile in under 4 minutes.
This trusted right hand, however, thought that it wasn’t just incredible, that it was impossible. Impossible to the point that he questioned even if God was able to bring about such a turnaround in forturne if the window of heaven were opened.
This guy obviously didn’t know about the God of the incredible. This guy obviously didn’t pick up on how the nation of Israel was birthed out of the incredible acts of God. This guy obviously hadn’t noted how even in his lifetime God had done the incredible in the ministry of Elijah and Elisha. This has got to be obvious, because if this guy had taken the first moment to consider the greatness of God in His acts to mankind, he would have at least avoided expressing that degree of doubt.
That doubt received a response that should send chills down the spine of anyone wanting to utter doubt of the credentials of the God of the incredible.
Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” (2 Kings 7:2)
Sure, certain circumstances look very trying. We’re not guaranteed to go through this life trouble free and some of the situations in which we find ourselves can be taxing and overbearing. We can look at it and really think it would take something incredible to get out of it.
While we endure and as we persevere, we don’t have to live in a state of doubt and disbelief. We endure and persevere with hope. Hope in the God of the incredible.
There can be no doubt about that.
(Photo by Kym Ellis on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 