Day 175: Knowledge of god

2 Kings 6:1-7 This unusual miracle has been interpreted allegorically by different Church Fathers in various ways. Among these, both St. Ambrose and Tertullian see imagery of the Sacrament of Baptism: the sunken axe represents the person steeped in sin, and the waters of Baptism raise up the person to new life; for Tertullian, the stick additionally represents the Cross by which we are saved (De Sacramentis, 2, 4, 11; Adversus Judaeos, 13) 

Ch 6:8-23 Elisha’s prophetic gifts and powerful prayers allowed him to bring what otherwise could have been a bloody battle to a peaceful resolution, even to the point of feeding the prisoners of war before sending them home.

Ch 6:24-33 A famine in Samaria had caused the people to resort to eating unclean animals and even to cannibalism. The king blamed Elisha for the troubles and sought his death.

Ch 7:1-20 The miraculous and sudden departure of the Syrians from their camp left sufficient food behind to break the famine that had been plaguing Samaria. Elisha’s prophecy about the availability of grains at reasonable prices was fulfilled as well as the prophecy that implied the death of the king’s captain. (CCC 305-307)

Hosea 4:1-19 In the first of several prophecies, Hosea reported that Israel had offended both God and neighbor. These sins were in great part the fault of the priests, who had neglected to teach the people about the Law and Commandments. The priests, in fact, were slow to correct the people of their sins because they profited from the sin offerings they made on behalf of the people. (CCC 2056)

Ch 4:1-2 Lying...stealing: The exploitation of people through unjust economic practices such as usury and fraud, especially when they victimize the poor, were frequently condemned by the Old Testament prophets. (CCC 2453)

Ch 4:9-19 In keeping with the marriage analogy present throughout the Book of Hosea, idolatry is referred to as harlotry or adultery. (CCC 2380)

Ch 5:1-15 Amid references to the tensions between Judah and the Northern Kingdom, the Lord condemned the mixing of paganism with the divinely revealed religion of Israel. This condemnation included the tendency toward a subjective attitude toward religious worship and rituals that denied the existence of one true religion. Such denial of the existence of objective truth tends to lead to the erroneous belief that all religions are equally valid.

Ch 6:1-11 Hosea urged both the priests and people to repentance and conversion through which the Lord would manifest his steadfast love and mercy on them.

On the third day he will raise us up: These words may be a foreshadowing of the Resurrection of Christ. The “third day” after death was significant because it was believed that the physical decay of the human corpse began on the fourth day. Therefore, his Resurrection on the third day was an assurance that physical corruption had not yet begun.

I desire...not sacrifice: Christ paraphrase this verse when he urged his listeners to put the needs of the human person above any other sacrifice. Humility and charity were the dispositions that truly glorified God rather than ceremonial burnt offerings that had no bearing on one’s personal life. (CCC 589, 627, 2100, 2787)

Ch 7:1-16 The Lord condemned certain treacheries that happened with regularity during the years of the divided kingdom: murderous rebellions against rulers and alliances with pagan neighbors, which led to war between the two kingdoms. This prophecy was aimed at Ephraim (Samaria), but the condemnation included everyone guilty of these sins. 

Psalm 103 This psalm praises God wholeheartedly for the wonderful blessings lavished on them. All of God’s saving works spring forth from his infinite goodness and steadfast love and faithfulness to his people. God’s love is expressed as kind, fatherly, and full of compassion. Since this psalm gives so much elaboration to God’s infinite mercy, it is prayed at Mass on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Year A.

Bless the Lord, O you his angels: This verse refers to the created spirits who act as messengers and servants of God. St. Augustine was careful to distinguish the term “spirit” from the term “angel,” pointing out that “spirit” describes their nature while “angel” denotes their function (cf. En. in Ps., 103, 1, 15). (CCC 304, 328-329, 2645)

(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)

• 2 Kings Ch 6 & 7 we have more stories of Elisha and his incredible miracles

• Remember, Elisha has a DOUBLE PORTION of the spirit of Elijah

• His life is marked not only by miracles, but also by insight

• He knows what is going on

• Here is Israel (NORTHERN KINGDOM) under attack by Syria

• It’s not a good situation

• The king of Israel wants to KILL ELISHA

• What does Elisha do?

• He knows what’s coming

• He has this knowledge that the Lord has given to him

• The king of Syria is armed against the city in which Elisha and his young servant are

• The servant asks Elisha what they should do

• Elisha says, “Fear not, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

• Such an INCREDIBLE gift

• We have to recognize what happens next

• 2 Kings 6:17 “Then Elisha prayed, and said, ‘O Lord, I beg you, open his eyes that he may see.’ So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”

• THE WHOLE TIME, the horses were THERE

• THE WHOLE TIME, the chariots of fire were THERE

• THE WHOLE TIME, God was on the side of Elisha

• THE WHOLE TIME, God was THERE to protect

• THE WHOLE TIME, God’s Presence was THERE

• THE WHOLE TIME, God was ACTIVE IN THE MOMENT

• BUT...

• The servant COULD NOT SEE IT

• You could almost imagine that Elisha couldn’t see it either

• BUT IT WAS AN ACT OF FAITH

• In this GRACED MOMENT, God-working through Elisha-allowed this young servant to SEE the REALITY OF THIS SITUATION

• The reality of the situation was that GOD WAS NOT FAR

• The reality of the situation was that GOD WAS NOT DISTANT

• EVEN THOUGH when they have the siege of Samaria later on in this chapter, some horrible things are happening here

• It reminds Fr. Mike of the siege the Romans did against Jerusalem in the year 60-70 AD

• 2 Kings 6:28-29 “And the king asked her, ‘What is your trouble?’ She answered, ‘This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ So we boiled my son, and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.’”

• She wanted justice because the second woman was not willing to SERVE HER OWN SON AS A MEAL!!!

• WOW!!!

• The lengths to which DESPERATION can bring a person!!

• This is what happens in 70 AD as well with the destruction of Jerusalem

• The history of these wars talk about how people were starving and at one point, you could smell ROAST MEAT and they found out that there was a woman who had ROASTED HER SON in order to EAT HIM because she was driven by such HUNGER 

• Here is that reality of the HORRORS OF WAR

• Here is God STILL PRESENT in the midst of the HORRORS OF WAR

• What does God do?

• God fights EVEN FOR UNFAITHFUL ISRAEL

• This is IMPORTANT to understand

• Here is the king of Israel...NOT FAITHFUL!

• Here are the people of Israel...NOT FAITHFUL!

• AND YET…

• Against the Syrians, the Lord is willing to CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THEM

• Speaking of the people of the NORTH, here is the Prophet Hosea

• One word to keep in mind when it comes to this middle section of the Book of Hosea is the word KNOWLEDGE or TO KNOW

• It is repeated several times

• Hosea 4:1 “...There is no faithfulness or kindness, and no knowledge of God in the land...”

• That sense of KNOWLEDGE not meaning that they never HEARD OF GOD, or didn’t know the CATECHISM, or they don’t know stuff about God

• KNOWLEDGE in this sense is INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE

• It means FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE

• Adam KNEW his wife Eve and she conceived a son

• That is the type of INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

• Without that INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE and DRAWING NEAR TO HIM

• We are doing this Bible in a Year so that you and I can NOT JUST HEAR these stories about God

• BUT…

• We can actually get to KNOW THE HEART OF GOD by allowing these stories to TRANSFORM OUR MINDS

• TO SHAPE OUR LENS

• TO CREATE A WORLDVIEW

• So that we can actually COME INTO CONTACT WITH GOD

• That’s the WHOLE POINT of Bible in a Year

• Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…”

• Some people say the translation may be “My people are destroyed for lack of VISION…”

• If you don’t have VISION, you don’t have a sense of DIRECTION of what God could do in your life, then the people are destroyed

• Sure, not a bad translation

• But LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, if we want to continue to understand KNOWLEDGE as INTIMACY WITH THE LORD

• KNOWLEDGE as I KNOW HIM IN A RELATIONSHIP

• Then that makes SO MUCH  MORE SENSE

• Because then the people are DESTROYED

• WHY?

• Not because they don’t KNOW WHAT TO DO

• Not because they don’t KNOW THE COMMANDMENTS

• Not because they haven’t had PROPHETS like Hosea speaking to them

• BUT…

• Because they haven’t ENCOUNTERED THE LORD IN THIS LIFE-CHANGING WAY

• In our culture, MY GOSH IN SO MANY WAYS, THAT IS WHAT WE NEED

• Not just that we need to KNOW WHAT THE GOSPEL IS

• Not just that we need to KNOW THE STORIES

• Not just that we need to KNOW THE TALES

• Not just that we need to KNOW THE DETAILS

• Yes, they are IMPORTANT

• BUT…

• WE NEED TO KNOW THE LORD HIMSELF

• THAT IS SO CRITICAL

• THAT IS SO ABSOLUTELY KEY

• As Hosea is preaching to these people in the North and trying to CALL THEM BACK TO THE LORD

• It is not just to FAITHFULNESS

• It is not just to OBEDIENCE

• Scripture makes it very clear: Matthew 9:13  “...I desire MERCY and not SACRIFICE.”

• The KNOWLEDGE of God rather than the burnt offerings

• Hosea is calling them BACK to that

• BACK TO KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

• BACK TO KNOW HIM AS HE REALLY IS

• That is what we are praying for

• THAT IS OUR GOAL for these 365 days

• Our GOAL is to have a DEEPER AND DEEPER KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

• The God who CREATED US

• The God who REDEEMED US

• The God who LOVES US

• HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH!!

• Fr. Mike is praying for YOU

• PRAY FOR FR. MIKE

• PRAY FOR EACH OTHER

Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we give you praise and we give you thanks because it is true. Your mercy is towards those who fear you. As far as the east is from the west, so far do you remove our transgressions from us, Lord God. Your mercy is limitless. It is unstoppable. It is infinite. Your mercy is given to us the most when we need it the most and deserve it the least. And that is what your love is like. And so thank you so much. You know our frame. You remember that we are dust. You know how feeble we can be. You know how weak we can be. You know what causes us to sin, and yet you still give us your Grace so that your life may abound in us. So help us. Help us to say yes to you this day and every day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”