Note, God sometimes fetches to himself that honour from strangers which is denied him and alienated from him by his own professing people. This is the more observable, (1.) Because it was not long since a king of Israel had, in his sickness, sent to enquire of the god of Ekron ( ), as if there had been no God in Israel. Affliction brings those to God who in their prosperity had made light of him sometimes sickness opens men's eyes and rectifies their mistakes. " In his health he bowed in the house of Rimmon, but now that he is sick he distrusts his idol, and sends to enquire of the God of Israel. Notice was soon brought him that the man of God (for by that title he was well known in Syria since he cured Naaman) had come to Damascus. We may wonder that the king of Syria, in his sickness, should make Elisha his oracle. No honour, wealth, or power, will secure men from the common diseases and disasters of human life palaces and thrones lie as open to the arrests of sickness and death as the meanest cottage. We may observe that Ben-hadad, a great king, rich and mighty, lay sick. Some think he went to Damascus upon account of the famine, or rather he went thither in obedience to the orders God gave Elijah,, " Go to Damascus to anoint Hazael, thou, or thy successor." II. Perhaps he went to pay a visit to Naaman his convert, and to confirm him in his choice of the true religion, which was the more needful now because, it should seem, he was not out of his place (for Hazael is supposed to be captain of that host) either he resigned it or was turned out of it, because he would not bow, or not bow heartily, in the house of Rimmon.
Was he sent to any but the lost sheep of the house of Israel? It seems he was. We may enquire what brought Elisha to Damascus, the chief city of Syria. 15 And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead. 14 So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover. 13 And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The L ORD hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. 12 And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. 11 And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept. 8 And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the L ORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? 9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? 10 And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the L ORD hath showed me that he shall surely die. 7 And Elisha came to Damascus and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.
2Ki 8:8 | MHC | STEP | Hazael's Barbarity Predicted.
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