Biblical Prophets - Bible Study Online
On this particular day we find that Elisha was on his way to Damascus, which was the capitol of Syria. Now we are not told the reason why Elisha would be headed towards Syria the land where Ben-Hadad reigned. But what we do know is that the Syrian king had fallen seriously ill when word had reached him that Elisha was in the city of Damascus. Although between these two there was a history of war and conflict, Ben-Hadad would try to reach out to the prophet in a humble way. It shouldn't surprise us that by this time Elisha was quite popular within their land. After all he had blinded their whole entire army and led them into an ambush that could have killed them all, but Elisha would spare them. The prophet had also healed Ben-Hadad most celebrated commander of leprosy, who went by the name of Naaman. Now we find that the king would inquire of this prophet to help aid him in his sickness, "The man of God has come all the way up here. Take a gift with you and go to meet the man of God. Consult the Lord through him; ask him if I would recover from this illness?" the king had instructed Hazael. There is little that we know of Hazael at this time, we can only assume that he came from a common background. But he had to have held a high position with the Syrian courts for him to have direct access to the king. Also for the king to trust him with such a message and task that dealt with the king's life. So Hazael headed out to find Elisha, taking with him forty camel loads of the finest gifts that Damascus had to offer. A short while later we find that Hazael had finally caught up with the prophet, "Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, 'Will I recover from this illness?' Hazael would inquire of the prophet. "Go and say to him, 'You will certainly recover'; but the Lord has revealed to me that he will in fact die," the prophet would tell Hazael while staring at him in a fixed gaze. Elisha stared at Hazael so intense that the prophet began to weep and Hazael felt ashamed. "Why is my lord weeping?" Hazael would ask the prophet. "Because I know the harm that you will do to Israel. You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women," Elisha would tell a shocked looking Hazael. "How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such a feat?" Hazael would ask the prophet. "The Lord has shown me that you will become king of Aram," Elisha would tell Hazael. So Hazael left from the prophet and headed back to the Syrian king. "What did Elisha say to you," Ben-Hadad would ask of his official. "He told me that you would certainly recover," Hazael would tell the king, lying to him. Remember that Elisha had told Hazael that the king would indeed recover, but he would still die. So the next day we find that Hazael had taken a thick cloth and soak it in water and placed it over the king's face. Then he proceeded to smother the Ben-Hadad until he had passed away. Hazael once a trusted confidant to Ben-Hadad; was now the person who murdered him, making him the new king of Syria. Now this would conclude the second phase of the three phase judgment plan that God had revealed to Elijah before he was taken to the heavens. Phase One Completed: The prophet Elijah has been taken by the Lord and Elisha was promoted from apprentice to master prophet. Phase Two Completed: Ben-Hadad has been removed from his throne as king of Aram. Hazael has now taken the throne to the Syrian Empire. Phase Three Still In Progress: Ahab and his oldest son Ahaziah are now deceased. Jehoram the youngest and the last of Ahab's family dynasty is now on the throne. If Jehoram doesn't produce an heir, Ahab's descendants will be a few steps closer to being cutoff from the throne of Israel. Putting Jehu closer to becoming the new king of Israel. Start at the Beginning: Elijah the Fire Prophet 13) Elijah and the Chariot of Fire 15) Elisha - She Bears Attacking 17) The Blood Water 19) Shunammite's Son Raised From The Dead 20) Elisha and the Pot of Death 24) The Siege of the Dark Famine 26) The Shunammite's Divine Provision 27) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 29) Jehu Is Anointed King of Israel 30) The Demise of Jehoram & Ahaziah 
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