Joash and Stopping Short

And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.

2 Kings 13:18-19

Joash the king of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. The sins of Jeroboam were ever-present in his life (cf. 2 Kings 13:11). He did have a particular care for the prophet Elisha and the king visited Elisha on his deathbed. Joash came to him and made his worries known about the threat of the Syrians. Elisha instructed him to first shoot an arrow out the window eastward. This was the message. The arrow of the Lord's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them (cf. 2 Kings 13:17). Then he instructed him to strike the ground. Joash stopped at three, to which Elisha was angered by and said if you would have gone five or six you would no longer have a Syrian problem. It was that simple.

This makes one observe that part of the appeal of following the ways of the world is that, that way is less demanding than the way of the Lord. It was easy for Joash to walk in the ways of Jeroboam and all the other kings of Israel. I do not know why Joash stopped at three but evidently the Lord’s prophet knew that this was an improper effort. Most people will not follow through with God’s requirements. Our lack of zeal can stop the hand of God. Joash stopped at three, so God would stop at three. Our unfaithfulness limits God. Read it again. Our unfaithfulness limits God. Isaiah saith,

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness Isaiah 59:1-3

Do not stop short. Faith is hard, but God is great!

Grace and Peace,

R.D. Beavers

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