2 Kings 4 … Consider Him, Conspicuously Recognizable

Originally posted: 3/05/2020

Conspicuously: “in a clearly visible way; in a way that attracts notice or attention.”
Recognizable: “able to be recognized or identified from previous encounters or knowledge.”

I recognized these miracles, as though I might have heard of them before. And I realized, I have, and so have you. These miracles, so like the miracles Jesus performed, point to Him, Conspicuously Recognizable.

Consider Him, Conspicuously Recognizable

• In the miracle of Elisha:
  • “…and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” …⁶ When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not one vessel more.” And the oil stopped. ⁷ Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest,” (4:1, 6-7).
• Him, Conspicuously Recognizable: Filling vessels and paying our ransom
  • Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰ For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
  • Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot, (1 Peter 1:18-19).

• In the miracle of Elisha:
  • Then he said, “At this season next year you will embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant.” ¹⁷ The woman conceived and bore a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had said to her, (4:16-17).
• Him, Conspicuously Recognizable: Granting hope of new life to the hopeless
  • Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life, (Romans 6:4).
  • remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, (Ephesians 2:12-13).

• In the miracle of Elisha:
  • When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then died… ³⁶ He called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Take up your son.” ³⁷ Then she went in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and she took up her son and went out, (4:20, 36-37).
• Him, Conspicuously Recognizable: Returning a dead child to parents
  • Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” ¹⁴ And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” ¹⁵ The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother, (Luke 7:12-15).
  • While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?” ³⁶ But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.”… ³⁹ And entering in, He said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.” ⁴⁰ …He took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was. ⁴¹ Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).⁴² Immediately the girl got up and began to walk… (Mark 5:35-42).

• In the miracle of Elisha:
  • So they poured it out for the men to eat. And as they were eating of the stew, they cried out and said, “O man of God, there is death in the pot.” And they were unable to eat. ⁴¹ But he said, “Now bring meal.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people that they may eat.” Then there was no harm in the pot, (4:40-41).
• Him, Conspicuously Recognizable: Life-giving sustenance, eliminating death and harm
  •  Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst,” (John 6:35).
  • Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).

• In the miracle of Elisha:
  • His attendant said, “What, will I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’” ⁴⁴ So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord. (4:43-44).
• Him, Conspicuously Recognizable: Miraculously multiplying provisions with leftovers
  •  And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. ⁷ They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. ⁸ And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. ⁹ About four thousand were there… (Matthew 8:6-9).
  • Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. ¹² When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” ¹³ So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. (John 6:7, 11-13).

How do we respond to Him, Conspicuously Recognizable?

A few thoughts. God used miracles as His sign to confirm His prophets. Prophets were Conspicuously Recognizable as being a true vessel of God when the LORD performed the supernatural through them.

Jesus was confirmed by God through greater signs, through the greatest sign ever. Not only being raised to new life, but raised to conquer sin and death as well.

As the crowds were increasing, He began to say,“This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah.³⁰ For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation,” (Luke 11:29-30).

…then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵ O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; ⁵⁷ but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

Many often conclude that Jesus doesn’t do those kinds of miracles anymore. But He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and He continues to be Conspicuously Recognizable in His miraculously powerful demonstrations. I myself am the recipient of many acts of His supernatural hand of grace. We all are.

Today, that we would see Him Conspicuously Recognizable in every part and moment of our day.

• Today, a new day has been granted; He is Conspicuously Recognizable in His unfailing love and compassion.
  • The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
    For His compassions never fail.
    ²³ They are new every morning;
    Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23).

• Today, an opportunity to share Him with others; He is Conspicuously Recognizable in His heart for the lost.
  • The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance, (2 Peter 3:9).

• Today, we are not all we will be, but we are not what we once were; He is Conspicuously Recognizable in His sanctifying work.
  • Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?… ¹¹ Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God, (1 Corinthians 6:9, 11).
  •  For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus, (Philippians 1:6).

• Today, a growing desire for Him above all else; He is Conspicuously Recognizable in His value and worth.
  • “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹ for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” (Matthew 6:20-21).

Oh, that we would so attune our lives to see Him in every moment of every day with a desire to truly know Him. After all, He has made Himself Conspicuously Recognizable.

“…Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you… ²⁷ that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; ²⁸ for in Him we live and move and exist…” (Acts 17:23, 27-28).

And while He absolutely is Conspicuously Recognizable, He wants to be intimately known as well, through tenacious and dogged faith. Let us ask Him to so grow us in faith, especially in those times when we don’t quite see Him so Conspicuously Recognizable, until our desire for Him surpasses and displaces everything else this world has to offer.

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ… ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; ¹¹ in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. ¹² Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 3:7-8, 10-14).

Let’s Grow Together!