Is God involved in the world?
2 Kings 7:3-20
During my theological studies on an evangelistic placement, a couple of us were chatting with a man who started the conversation saying that he did not believe in God. However, he then recounted strange happenings in his house. Sometimes objects he remembered putting in one place turned up elsewhere in the house. He heard whistling when no one else was at home and on several occasions, he found the front door wide open in the morning even though he locked it the previous night. This sounded like the experience of people I know from occult/demonic backgrounds. Yet despite his own encounters with a spiritual reality that he could not explain the man denied that there was anything beyond the physical world. How we interpret reality is closely connected to how we think about the world and even direct evidence to the contrary can fail to convince us otherwise.
Different interpretations
As our story continues during the Aramean siege, we see various interpretations of the events as they unfold. The narrator tells us that the Lord made the Arameans hear the sound of a great army, which caused them to flee (2 Kings 7:6-7). However, none of the groups in the passage recognise this fact. The Arameans assume that Israel called in their allies for help (v.6). The four lepers seek no explanation for the empty camp but take advantage of the situation to fill their stomachs (2 Kings 7:8). Although the king knows Elisha’s prophecy, he makes no connection to it but fears an Aramean trick that will lead to Israel’s massacre (2 Kings 7:12). One royal servant, however, wants to test the situation knowing that they face certain death if they do nothing and the king acquiesces (2 Kings 7:13). Finally, we are reminded of the royal officer who heard Elisha’s prophecy and did not believe it possible (2 Kings 7:19).
God’s Word fulfilled
Our passage, however, is emphatic that events happened exactly as God’s Word had said, both in the provision of food for the starving city (2 Kings 7:16) and in the judgment on the cynical royal officer (2 Kings 6:17). In fact, the sentence for his unbelief was that he came to see the fulfilment of the prophecy but could not benefit from it (2 Kings 7:19-20). The repetition of the royal officer’s scepticism and judgment (vv.17-20) is cumbersome, but it stresses the dangers of unbelief. It was Israel’s besetting sin that despite hearing from God through the prophets, they refused to believe that their wickedness would catch up with them and lead to God’s judgment and exile (Mic 3:9-12). No doubt in their desperate situation as captives in Babylon they also questioned if God could ever bring them out despite the prophetic promise (e.g. Jer 29:10). Yet it would happen exactly as God’s Word had said.
God’s Word and involvement in the world
Looking at the chaos in the world, we may wonder whether God is involved at all. Likewise in our individual lives, we can face challenges and wonder if certain events are just coincidences, if there is a natural explanation for them, or if we should see God’s intervention in them. Sometimes we are too busy benefiting from God’s provision to acknowledge His gracious hand. A pessimistic perspective may turn even a positive development into fear that things will turn out badly. Like the people in our story who were not privy to what happened exactly, we have no divine commentary on current events or on what God is doing in our lives, either. Thus, it can be difficult to interpret what is really going. Nevertheless, God’s Word told Israel of the outcome to expect and Scripture still does so for us. God is moving this world to its climax, to judgment (Rev 20:11-15) and to bringing all things under His authority (1 Cor 15:24-28; Eph 1:10). He promises a new world where justice and right living will reign (2 Pet 3:13). In our Christian lives, too, God commits to work out His plans so that we may become more Christ-like (Rom 8:28-29).[1] May we be people who trust the Lord and His Word because no matter how hopeless a situation, He is at work in the world and will accomplish His purposes.
[1] The verse about God working all things for our good is often interpreted as a general hope that everything will turn out alright in our lives. However, the message of the passage in context is that everything God brings into our lives will serve in shaping us to be more like Christ.
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