Elisha: The Man Who Defeated an Army
If you want to read a story about a very
resourceful and courageous man, one of those stories would be about the story about Elisha,
a prophet who lived in Israel from 892 to 832 BC. With the waning power of the major
powers in the Middle East and the internecine conflict between them, a vacuum
of power appeared in the region of Palestine. That allowed for the emergence of
the United Monarchy in Israel first under Saul, then David, followed by
Solomon. In 931 BC, when the ten tribes refused to follow Solomon’s son,
Rehoboam, because Rehoboam refused to ease the oppressive weight of the taxes
levied by Solomon to feed his frenzy of building construction, the United
Monarchy split into the separate states of Israel and Judah. At the same time
the Aram-Damascus state, to the north of Israel-Judea, rose in power and
encroached into Palestine and that emerging power was frequently at war with
Israel.
It was during this time that Elijah, the favorite prophet of the Jews, came onto the scene. Elijah performed many miracles, and was instructed by God to choose Elisha as his successor. Elisha was with Elijah died, when Elisha saw “a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.” 2 Kings 2:11 Since Elisha returned without Elijah, the prophets and followers of Elijah went in search of his body, but it was never found. Elisha inherited Elisha’s “mantle of prophecy.”
It was at that time that the Aram-Damascus king, Ben-Hadad was waging war with Israel. In his attempts to overrun Israel,.Ben-Hadad tried to assassinate the Israel king Jehoram. Every time Ben-Hadad set up his camp, Elisha warned King Jehoram that a trap was being laid for him. King Jehoram checked that out, of course, and found that Elisha was correct. Of course, King Jehoram eluded Ben-Hadad’s plans for assassination. Since King Jehoram managed to avoid all his traps, Ben-Hadad began to suspect there was a traitor in his camp who was leaking information to King Jehoram. But the Aramaean king was informed that it was the prophet Elisha. During those times, prophecy was believed to be a real force at work, and prophets were often powerful people. Ben-Hadad found out that Elisha was in the city of Dothan, so he came and surrounded it at night, in order to capture and kill Elisha.
The next morning, Elisha’s servant was, needless to say, quite disturbed and distressed. He asked Elisha what they could do. Elisha told the servant not to be afraid and prayed that God would allow the servant to see the truth. In an epiphany, the servant saw Elisha surrounded by a host of horses and chariots of fire. Elisha asked God to strike the enemy with blindness. When Elisha faced the Aramaeans, who had come to kill him, he told them that he, Elisha, was not in this city, but he could lead them to the prophet Elisha. Elisha led them to Samaria, the stronghold of Israel. When the king of Israel saw the Aramaeans at Samaria, he asked the prophet Elisha, if he should kill them. Elisha said, 2Ki 6:22 “Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” After sharing a feast with the Israelites, the soldiers of Aram-Damascus returned to Ben-Hadad, and related the story. After that the raids by the Aramaeans stopped.
Link to website: https://www.spirittruthandmeaning.com/
Postscript: Mini-critique with over 80,000 views and zero criticisms
Academic Materialism is an Ideology and a Mindset - as Mannheim explained long ago! For the record, I am For Science! And I Vigorously Oppose Academic Materialism because it deviates from “scientific” materialism.
That is due primarily to the Definist fallacy, false premise, and as Kay Deaux explained a fixation with laboratory experiments as well as a "rigid adherence to arbitrary quantification.
The False Premise is the assumption that “quantification equates unequivocally to science” which is does not – not even remotely. Strict quantification excludes quite a bit of consciousness. Strict quantification excludes art, music, hope, dreaming, dancing, creativity, poetry, singing as well as imagination (which Einstein and other scientists swear by), creativity, true love, freedom, justice, ideals.
My argument is that the materialist mindset and ideology has skewed thinking and research – and “destabilized society!”
Academic Materialist (Bargh-ian) Maladaptive Stereotypes
1."All spirituality is unreal or superstitious nonsense" is maladaptive stereotype
2. There is no spirituality is a Maladaptive Stereotype
3. All spirituality is a matter of opinion is a Maladaptive stereotype
These are all unsubstantiated and unscientific statements
Examples of Maladaptive Academic Materialist Stereotypes
1. "Spiritual people have no physical reality."
I got into a discussion with a materialist in a science and philosophy group. that materialist argued that spirituality is unreal That argument originates from the materialist fallacy that you can't measure spirit - so all spirituality - including compassion - is unreal. I replied that spiritual people are real. He replied - literally - that spiritual people have no physical reality. That is a quote.
2. "Spirituality is outside psychology"
I encountered a Christian woman who had training as a psychologist. In a discussion she stated unequivocally that spirituality is outside psychology. That is false as Dr Koenig, Dr Farra, Dr Wong and Kenneth Pargament would state out right. In fact, I wrote an essay addressing that very issue:
3. A Jungian analyst stated that compassion is a "matter of opinion" - which is factually incorrect. Autistics are 1.%% of the population. 1.5% of the U.S. population has compassion originating in spiritual processes. Bargh's Social Unconscious & stereotypes supplements and complements Jung's archetypal collective unconscious
I have had so many "Christians" fail to see that academic materialism is a destructive ideology without any scientific merit and at times actually seriously defend materialism that my personal take is that academic materialism is a perfect fit for the beast in revelations In Revelation 13:5–8, the beast was given a mouth speaking in blasphemies against God and his name. Inscriptions have been found in Ephesus in which Nero is called "Almighty God" and "Savior".[24] In verse 4, the beast is worshiped by the world alongside the dragon that gave it authority. I should highlight that this interpretation is in line with the Jungian understanding of energized archetypes and symbolism as well as the Bargh-ian theory of [automated] social perception and maladaptive stereotypes.
Link to mini-critique and full essay
https://independentscholar.academia.edu/CharlesPeckJr/Drafts