693. 2KI 8:13. HAZAEL’S EXCLAMATION

2Ki_8:13. Hazael’s Exclamation

"And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria."’972Ki_8:13.

Ben-hadad, king of Syria, was sick, and anxious to know the result of his affliction, sent Hazael to visit Elisha, and seek prophetical information from him. Doubtless, this confidence in Elisha might, in part, have resulted from the miraculous restoration of Naaman, the chief captain of Ben-hadad’s army. So Hazael went, &c.; 2Ki_8:9.

Now, the answer was evidently this: The disease itself is not of a mortal kind, and that disease shall not prove fatal; yet he shall surely die, &c.

The prophet then fixed his eyes steadfastly on Hazael, until Hazael was overwhelmed with the gaze; and then Elisha, the man of God, wept; 2Ki_8:11. Hazael then said, Why weepest, &c. And Elisha replied: 2Ki_8:12. As a man and a patriot, &c., he wept. Then follows the exclamation of surprise and indignant horror: "Is thy servant a dog," &c. Now such is the history.

I intend to ground on the text several weighty propositions, of a practical character.

I. That men are extensively ignorant of the evil of their own hearts.

So the prophet affirms. "The heart is deceitful," &c. "Who can know it?" &c. This ignorance is almost universal. Self-love leads to undue self-estimation. We can imagine others to be wicked, &c.; but most men think more highly of themselves, &c. In the natural heart are the seeds and germs of every sin; and these produce all manner of evil, if left to the influence of the temptations, &c., of Satan. What does Christ say? Mat_15:19. The Word of God describes the heart as froward’97full of evil imaginings’97full of hypocrisy’97proud’97hard’97impenitent’97perverse’97rebellious’97stony, &c.

Now, this ignorance is extensively maintained through viewing ourselves in a worldly mirror, and not by the Word of God.

Observe, how men call evil things by false names. Pride, is a good spirit; revenge, noble-mindedness; profligacy, generous living, or merely given to pleasure; infidelity, freethinking, &c., &c.

II. That the most awful courses of vice, often have small beginnings.

The way of sin is wide and downward; but few think of this.

The leprosy commences with a small pimple, or spot.

Hatred, is murder in the germ.

Unbelief, the precursor of mature infidelity, and rejection of God, and his Word.

The very first transgression commenced by gazing on the forbidden fruit’97and then hearing the seductive statements of Satan’97then desiring’97then receiving’97and finally eating.

III. That men would have been overwhelmed with horror at one period of their history, could they have foreseen the crimes of which they have afterwards been guilty.

Would it not have been so with

Eve, if she had seen the evil, and woe, and misery, she would entail on her posterity.

Cain, when he first felt unhappy at the excellency of Abel.

Noah, in his purity, amid the depravity of the antediluviaus, &c.

Lot, when his righteous soul was vexed, &c., that he should commit drunkenness and incest, and repeat them.

David, who was so good, and pure, and gentle, and generous, that he should fall into the heinous sin of cool and deliberate murder, after he had yielded to the lusts of the flesh.

Solomon, the wise, and excellent, and highly favored of heaven, that he should be deceived and ensnared, when he was old. Read 1Ki_11:4 to 1Ki_11:8.

And Peter warned, resolved, protesting, &c., then denying Christ with oaths.

Now these are beacons, and show how men have fallen into awful evil, who would have been overwhelmed with the idea of their after sins. How many cases might be added.

That infidel, was once a regular hearer of God’s word’97perhaps a Sabbath-school teacher. Began to keep company with the irreligious. Then was found in the way of sinners’97then in the seat of the scorner, &c.

That drunkard, once sober, &c., then took the glass. The desire stole his heart, it became necessary, then essential.

That convict, once honest, &c.; but he betrayed confidence,’97purloined, &c.; till, at length, he became a swindler’97a robber’97a felon.

That prostitute was once chaste and lovely, but threw off the robe of modesty, and went down step by step, until she walks on the street; the scorn of the vile, and the wreck of her former self.

That murderer would have shuddered at the idea of blood, but sin hardened him. By yielding, he became the pliant tool of the Devil, until, at length, he could stain his hands with the fearful crimson of human blood.

That man, in agony on the bed of death, and on the verge of hell’97often resolved, desired, prayed, vowed, &c. But deferred, procrastinated, &c., until he exclaimed, "The harvest is past," &c.

IV. That our safety and happiness can only be insured by adhering to the way of godliness.

The way of holiness and heaven are the very opposite of sin, and it is only by walking in the very opposite, that we are secure, &c. There is only one absolutely sure path,’97the fear, love, and service of God.

Preserved, and guided, and sustained, by the grace of God.

To trust to ourselves, is the way of deception and ruin.

God will keep and sanctify those who come to him, and seek with humility his divine aid.

V. Genuine goodness will weep over the errors and crimes of men.

What a beautiful instance the text presents’97Elisha wept, &c. Wherefore? Why, doubtless, for these reasons:’97

1. For the honor of his God.

All sin dishonors God’97insults, grieves him. One wept because men did not keep God’s law.

Now this should affect us on the same account. The swearer’97the Sabbath-breaker, &c. He wept, doubtless,

2. On account of his fellowmen. Iniquity injures men, as well as offends

God. One sinner destroyeth much good. What misery does a drunkard spread! A robber’97a murderer! Their friends, their parents, and sisters, &c. Society violated and oppressed.

3. For his own sake.

He would remember that Hazael was a man’97a brother’97an immortal being’97accountable to God, &c. His soul precious. His salvation infinitely important.

Now, thus we should feel; however ignorant, vile, brutalized; yet that the sinner is a man, &c. We are often excited, and use harsh words. What would Christ say, if he were in our midst? What he once said,’97"He that is without sin," &c. Such, after all, are their own worst enemies.

Learn,’97

1. The depravity of human nature.

2. The necessity of renewing grace.

3. The efficiency of Christ’s blood to save.

Autor: JABEZ BURNS