A Measure of fine Flour...the Wayfarer 5/25 /14

A Measure of fine Flour
5/25 /14

“Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a Shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned and answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.”

(2 Kings 7:1 & 2)

When things seemed their darkest and war and famine ravaged God’s people, a promise was made. It was a promise of hope that hunger would be assuaged and that the enemy would be defeated.

As Elisha brought that message of hope to his king, and through him a people direly in need of that hope and promise, the king’s advisor chose to mock that promise, instead of hearing and giving thanks that it had been made.

The promise was kept. The enemy was in fact defeated, with no blood shed by the people.

It took two lepers, outcasts, so desperate for food and safety that they were willing to risk their lives to convince the king that the promise had indeed been kept.

After deciding to throw themselves on the mercy of that enemy, they found the city deserted, fled by those who had heard the sound, created solely by God, of a great army descending on them choosing to run in fear rather than face that army.

Those lepers, those outcasts first ate their fill and stashed away spoils before realizing the need to inform the people through the king that there was food, and hope to be had for the taking.

The king, in disbelief, decided that it must be a trick, and sent others to verify what the lepers told him.

That verification was given, not only of the emptiness of a city, but of the trail of riches left behind a fleeing enemy, also but for the taking.

The king then, knowing the hunger of his people, and the desperation of them to find the needed sustenance appointed that same advisor to take charge of the city and its spoils and control any mob action to take what he now considered rightly his own.

The people, in their hunger and desperation, naturally stampeded the gates of the city, and crushed that advisor who had mocked God and His prophet by his statements to the king as that promise was given.

Today, a promise has been given of hope, of plenty, of joy, of life in the face of desperation and death, just as that promise was given then.

That promise is also being mocked by the advisors to the leadership of nations refusing to accept that the promise is TRUE, refusing to see any help, except through their own devices and machinations.

It goes ignored by the majority of the people of all nations, simply because of their belief in their own leadership, their own fallible means to create hope in their desperation, their own abilities to wrest victory from what they themselves have created.

Forgotten is the promise made by God, of His mercy, His love, His provision for the needs of his people, given through the sacrifice of His own Son so long ago.

Mockery of that promise is abundant and loud. Mockery of even the existence of that same God that caused and enemy to hear the righteous might He held, and to flee without any other evidence than that hearing rather than face that might they knew to exist because of simply having heard it.

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

(Revelation 2: 7)

What then needs to be heard?

What has already been given that is still being ignored, denigrated and mocked?

Despite the efforts of the few within the Church, there remains a forgetfulness of purpose, a forgetfulness of responsibility to the promise that has been made, and of the effort still required to assure that promise to as many as will simply hear it.

Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love,

 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

(Revelation 2:4&5)

Prior to this warning, given by none less than Jesus, praise was given for what had already been accomplished, by purging those who claimed belief, but had none as was evidenced through their absolute failure to hold true to the GOSPEL as given, taking dogma and false doctrine instead.

The warning itself sates that there is still something badly amiss; that first love still needed attention not being given it. The very spreading of that Gospel, and that promise that had been made was neglected, the love and sacrifice that granted that love was neglected.

Repentance was and is required. The first works of spreading that hope, that message of love, that sweet promise of redemption through repentance needs attention FIRST AND FOREMOST in this time of desperation, and despair.

That promise is to be heard through doing those first works, showing that very love as was and is required, not only with words, but with actions by any truly believing that promise.

Just as the promise of defeat by Israel’s old enemy was heard, and the Syrians fled before the power of God simply for having heard that power, so too will the far greater enemy flee before the same sound that that promise is on the way, that God Himself is in control, that victory is assured through the sacrifice of his Son and the blood given for the atonement available to all willing to simply hear and comprehend and accept the message given by Him of redemption through repentance which was not silenced by those who crucified Him, but instead amplified for those with ears to hear.

We live in both a perilous time, one of persecution by those mockers who refuse to hear, and a marvelous time that grants the opportunity to those who have not yet heard that promise, have not seen that promise in action because the first works are left undone.

 Preach the promise!

Teach the Truth of that Promise!

Show the Way to that promise through the love that is required of us.

Help others to find that Life that is guaranteed through that promise.

First works first. Knowledge of love is possible only if it is seen, then perhaps ears will also hear.

I remain the same humble servant, same simple sinner, saved by grace through faith in that promise made by Jesus, and the same soldier proclaiming the necessity to remember what needs to come first in all lives.

I stand willingly and forcefully in defiance of any denying or mocking that precious promise, in full knowledge that that promise is being fulfilled continually by the one that made it, and can never fail to be fulfilled for any having heard and accepted its terms.

“Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! “

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen 
the Wayfarer