But the next day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and held it over the king’s face until he died. Then Hazael became the next king of Aram. [2 Kings 8.15]
As I read this story today, it occurred to me that Hazael had apparently not even thought about being the king of Aram until Elisha told him he would be.
One might conclude that Hazael would have eventually come to the decision of murdering the king regardless, but how much was the timing of the event accelerated because Elisha brought it up?
The moral of the story, as I see it, is that the power of God will invoke the powers of darkness to manifest as well.
One might argue, "Then we should not demonstrate the power of God so we will not have to encounter the powers of darkness!" (Elisha's prophecy would have been better left unsaid). This would indeed be the appropriate response for a person of no character or faith!
Father, help me to comprehend the lesson in this story today. It seems Elisha cost the king of Aram his life, but I know that is not the case.
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