Like a human life, I think the prophetic word or promise from God, has a life cycle. Some interesting things can be seen about it in 2 Kings 4. This is the story of the prophetic word given by Elisha the Prophet to a Shunammite woman.
In verse 8, the prophet Elisha, whose name means "God is Salvation", makes a prophetic promise to a notable (great) woman from Shunem (Double resting place). We could say that this prophetic promise is like one given by Jesus to the Church. Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10). The woman had made a special place for "God is Salvation" in her home, as the Church, or believer, has made a special place for Jesus in their hearts, in their spiritual home.
Because of this special relationship with the prophet, he wants to give her the desire of her heart (Ps. 20:4, 37:4). That desire has nothing to do with worldly things. She is not interested in being mentioned to the king. She says she lives with her own people. She is part of a separated body of people.
THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE PROPHETIC WORD
THE SEED:
Elisha, "God is Salvation", calls her (chosen). She stands (stand firm, hold one's ground, remain) in the door (opening, entrance, let loose, break forth). The Church also abides in Jesus, who says "I AM the Door" (Jn. 10:7-9).The prophetic promise comes to the Shunammite woman in the form of a child (v. 16). It is a miraculous promise, because she and her husband have no children. It is such a great promise that she struggles with faith. She says to the man of God, "Do not lie to your maidservant." This prophetic word has a season of manifestation, called "the time of life", which is not immediate. We receive the prophetic promise with faith and patience. It will manifest at its appointed time.
CONCEPTION/BIRTH:
At the appointed time, "Double Resting Place" does conceive and bear the prophetic promise, her son.
GROWTH/MATURING:
Something happened when the child of prophecy was grown (become great, magnified, powerful, do great things, exceed, excellent tower). He went out to his father, who was with the reapers (be vexed, grieved, shortened, cut down, curtailed, much discouraged).
With the prophetic promise, just when we are about to see it manifest and grow to the greatness promised, it comes to a day of heavy testing. It is a time of being cut down, and even discouraged and grieved.
The boy cries out that the attack is to his head (upper part, summit, principal, height, top) in verse 19. The attack upon the prophetic promise is really an attack upon the headship of God, the authority of His living Word, Jesus. The prophetic word will be tried and challenged, and we will be tried and challenged with it. Will we continue to stand in the door, as Double Resting Place did?
DEATH:
The father tells a lad (to shake the head like a lion about to roar) to carry (lift up, exalt) the prophetic promise to his mother. A mother, of course, means a natural mother, but it is also a term to describe the relationship between a prophetess and the people. It is a spiritual relationship, as well.
When the child, or prophetic word, was brought to his mother, he sat (dwelled, remained, abided) on her knees (though weak from fear, to bless, kneel, adore, praise, thank God). She held him there until noon (double light, window, also time of unexpected attack). He died (be executed, put to death, die prematurely).
It is at this point, that many of us might erroneously give up on the prophetic word, or believe that perhaps, it was a false word. However, that is not what Double Resting Place did. She laid her prophetic promise on the bed, shut the door, and went as quickly as possible to "God of Salvation". She shut the door, perhaps, so no one would be able to enter and speak words of death over her child, so no one would look with natural eyes, and see only the outer appearance. It also means to surrender. Not surrendering it to an enemy, but surrendering that prophetic promise back into the control of the One who gave it, and no one else.
Her husband didn't understand why she would seek out "God of Salvation", when it wasn't an appointed time of worship. Some people only seek out God religiously at appointed times, or certain days of the week, but her relationship with God was not like that. Before she left to go to "God is Salvation", she told her husband, "It shall be well" (v. 23). The word used here is shalom. This word means peace, but it also means completeness, safety, quiet tranquility and contentment. The root word shalam, means to make whole, restore, to pay, to be completed, to be finished. I wonder if Jesus spoke the word "Shalom" on the cross, when He said "It is finished" (Jn. 19:30)?
RESURRECTION:
When Double Resting Place gets to "God of Salvation", she continues to say "shalom". His servant tries to discourage her from clinging to the prophet's feet, but she persists. The prophet knows the woman is vexed (bitter like myrhh), but the reason has been hidden from him by God. The woman questions "God is Salvation" about the prophetic promise that was made to her. The prophet sends his servant ahead with his staff (support, trust in God). Now was the time for trust in God, whether they understood what was going on, or not. When the staff is laid upon the child, there is not yet a response. Again, would we be discouraged from the lack of response?
When the prophet gets to the woman's home, into the room with the lad, he shut the door between himself and the mother, and began to pray. The God of Salvation is not always going to tell us, or show us how He's going to do something. Sometimes we think He has to reveal this to us. Not so. At this point, the work will be between "God of Salvation" and the prophetic promise. This is a sovereign work of God
The prophet then laid on the child. He stretched himself out ( to prostrate one's self, to cast self down), even as the LORD humbles Himself and magnifies His word above all His name (Ps. 138:2). The prophet stretches himself out as Jesus stretched Himself out in humility on the cross. The prophet made contact with the boy at three places: the mouth, the eyes, and the palms of the hands: Pe, Ayin, Kaph.
The eyes of "God of Salvation" touched the eyes of the child, the mouth touched the child's mouth, and the palms of the hands to those of the prophetic promise. In touching, He made them the same, in agreement: the mouth, to make the speech and declaration the same, the eyes, to make the vision, understandng and experience the same, the palms of the hands, to make the work, the lifting up and casting down, the same as His. The warmth of His body created by the blood, gave living warmth to the prophetic promise.
Then He walked through the house, up and down, returned, and did the same again.
This time, the boy opened his eyes and sneezed (stranger, alien, enemy prostitute, profane, loathsome, to turn aside from God, and from the way of truth and uprightness) seven (swear, oath, vow, curse) times. A loathsome, profane enemy, estranged from God, had cursed what the LORD had sworn, or promised. The grip of that enemy had now been broken. The prophetic promise had been resurrected from death to life.
The mother was called, and when she came in to him, her son was returned to her alive. "Take up thy son."
AFFIRMATION:
Why does the prophetic promise go through this life-cycle? Perhaps so in the end, we will have experienced the truth of the word that says:
"Then said the LORD unto me, "Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten (to watch for, be alert) My word to perform it." Jer. 1:12
And
"So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
Isa. 55:11
And
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."
Mt. 24:35, Mk. 13:31, Lk. 21:33
Our Father will watch over His prophetic promise.
"Because He Lives"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBvU7arNhQs
"One Thing Remains"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYCJ8EvkGCs
No comments:
Post a Comment