Don't Talk Too Much

Don't Talk Too Much 

II Kings 7:2, 17 NKJV

[2] So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” 

[17] Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. 

There's a preponderance of Bible Verses against talking too much. Prov.10:19, Eccl. 5:3, Eph..4:29. There are moments to be quiet. The matter was between the king and the Prophet, but this loquacious third rank officer spoke. The Expositors Commentary says, " Such contemptuous repudiation of a Divine promise was a blasphemy; and answering scorn with scorn, and riddle with riddling, Elisha answers the mockery, "Yes! and you shall see this, but shall not enjoy it."

    John Gill attempts to explain the capacity of this officer in relation to the King. He was a man, " ...whom the king confided, but literally, on whose hand he rested, and by whom he was supported, being a form and matter of state, while he and Elisha were talking together, or on whom he leaned as he came to him; this was a principal lord, the third to the king, as his title seems to denote; the word by which the Septuagint renders it is by Suidas (u) interpreted of such that held three spears in the hand together; and this was an honourable post, for a king to lean on him; such state was used by the king of Syria, 2Ki 5:18 and by the kings and queens of Persia". He had sn important office. Be careful how you speak to or contradict a man of God. 

   David Guzik is detailed and scathing in his observations about this officer. "The king’s officer doubted the prophecy, and his doubt was based on several faulty premises.

i. First, he doubted the power of God. If God willed it, He certainly could make windows in heaven and drop down food from the sky for the hungry, besieged city of Samaria.

ii. Second, he doubted the creativity of God. In the mind of the king’s officer, the way food could come to the city was from above, because the city was surrounded by a hostile, besieging army. He had no idea that God could bring provision in a completely unexpected way. “How often faith breaks down in this way! It knows that God is, and that He can act. But it only sees one way, and refuses to believe that such a way will be taken. The supply came without the opening of heaven’s windows.” (Morgan)

iii. Third, he doubted the messenger of God. Though the promise was admittedly hard to believe, the king’s officer could have and should have believed it because it came from a man with an established track record of reliability.

iv. All in all, the officer well illustrates the conduct of unbelief:

• Unbelief dares to question the truthfulness of God’s promise itself.

• Unbelief says, “This is a new thing and cannot be true.”

• Unbelief says, “This is a sudden thing and cannot be true.”

• Unbelief says, “There is no way to accomplish this thing.”

• Unbelief says, “There is only one way God can work.”

• Unbelief says, “Even if God does something, it won’t be enough.”

 Too much talk from an unbelieving heart kill. Today, just believe the word of God. Good morning.