Gus Cameron

30 July 2026

2 Kings 10:1-11

Gus Cameron

30 July 2026

1 Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying: 2 “When this letter arrives, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weaponry, 3 select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”
4 But they were terrified and reasoned, “If two kings could not stand against him, how can we?”
5 So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your sight.”
6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”
Now the sons of the king, seventy in all, were being brought up by the leading men of the city. 7 And when the letter arrived, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.
8 When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the sons of the king.”
And Jehu ordered, “Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.”
9 The next morning, Jehu went out and stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these? 10 Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah.”
11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his great men and close friends and priests, leaving him without a single survivor.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Andy Rowlands

This isn’t particularly pleasant reading. On the one hand, Jehu rightly recognises that the word of God has not failed, and the Lord has done what he promised. God first announced his judgment against Ahab’s house to Elijah in 1 Kings 19, and he proclaimed it to Ahab himself in 1 Kings 21. Now it has been fully carried out, because God’s word never fails.

On the other hand, God brings it about by the hand of a manipulative and bloodthirsty usurper, Jehu. When God vindicates himself against the idolatry and rebelliousness of the house of Ahab, shouldn’t it be a glorious event, and cause for celebration? The wrath of Jehu leaves me thinking: “Not like this, Lord…” It seems like one wicked king and dynasty is being replaced by a king who is maybe slightly less wicked, but still brutal. In the rest of the chapter, more of Jehu’s true character will be revealed.

When I look out at our world, it’s easy to see similar dynamics at play, just without a clear word from God to commission these deeds. We see those who are strong meting out ‘justice’ against those who are rightly seen as evil; but how much better are their replacements? I think it’s right to have mixed emotions when we see justice being done in our world by those who are flawed and cannot execute perfect justice. On one hand, it is good that people seek and attempt to implement justice. However, so often those executing that justice have mixed motives, meting out imperfect punishments that are too harsh or too lenient.

But I look forward, with great longing, to the day when Jesus will return. He is not a king who delivered justice for his own benefit; instead, he bore the penalty due to us that he might be righteous and a merciful saviour. And when he returns, he will display his perfect justice in the world. On that day, he will make everything right again! And for those of us who call him Saviour, that judgement will be one that we will rejoice in wholeheartedly, as it displays the glory and splendour of our good God.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andy is one of our student ministers.

Gus Cameron

29 July 2026

2 Kings 9:27-37

Gus Cameron

29 July 2026

27 When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled up the road toward Beth-haggan.
And Jehu pursued him, shouting, “Shoot him too!”
So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot on the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam, and he fled to Megiddo and died there. 28 Then his servants carried him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David.
29 (In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.)
30 Now when Jehu arrived in Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. So she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from a window. 31 And as Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?”
32 He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?”
And two or three eunuchs looked down at him.
33 “Throw her down!” yelled Jehu.
So they threw her down, and her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses as they trampled her underfoot.
34 Then Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of this cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was the daughter of a king.”
35 But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands.
36 So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel. 37 And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’ ”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Susan Duc

In the lists of popular girls’ names across the world, ‘Jezebel’ has never done well. It’s probably because Jezebel is a name associated in the Bible with idolatry, wickedness and sexual immorality.

We have seen why this is so throughout 1 and 2 Kings. With her husband King Ahab of Israel, Jezebel promoted the worship of Baal amongst God’s people, persecuted God’s prophets and orchestrated the murder of Naboth.

We see even as Jezebel’s end draws near in today’s passage, that she remains unrepentant and defiantly anti-God. When Jehu, God’s appointed instrument for judgment, passes through the city gates, Jezebel flaunts herself and taunts him at her window (v 30-32). Jehu gives the order and the eunuchs by her side throw her down (v 33). Her death is a gruesome and just response for her sin (v 36-37).

Jezebel’s infamy spread so far and wide that in Revelation 2:20, Jesus applies her name to the woman who led the church at Thyatira into sexual immorality and the worship of false gods. Like her predecessor, this New Testament ‘Jezebel’ was unwilling to repent and so Jesus “cast her onto a bed of sickness” (Rev 2:22).

Have you been caught up in sins you are too ashamed to admit? Do you think your sins make you unworthy of love or acceptance? Look at Jezebel – even she was given time to repent. But don’t be like her – trust in God’s goodness, confess your sins and give them to Jesus. “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan is one of our assistant ministers.

Gus Cameron

28 July 2026

2 Kings 9:14-26

Gus Cameron

28 July 2026

14 Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram.
(Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, 15 but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.)
So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.”
16 Then Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was laid up there and Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him.
17 Now the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!”
“Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Have you come in peace?’”
18 So a horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’”
“What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”
And the watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.”
19 So the king sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’”
“What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”
20 Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the charioteer is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi —he is driving like a madman!”
21 “Harness!” Joram shouted, and they harnessed his chariot.
Then Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah set out, each in his own chariot, and met Jehu on the property of Naboth the Jezreelite.
22 When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?”
“How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”
23 Joram turned around and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”
24 Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.
25 And Jehu said to Bidkar his officer, “Pick him up and throw him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember that when you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, the LORD lifted up this burden against him: 26 ‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Susan Duc

In today’s passage, Jehu, who is God’s chosen instrument for judgment, rolls out a clever scheme which leads to the downfall of not one, but two wicked kings: Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah. Jehu draws Joram and Ahaziah out to meet him, and they only realise too late his plan to kill them. (Tomorrow we will read about Ahaziah’s death.)

God judged Joram and Ahaziah for they did evil in the eyes of the LORD and for failing to lead their people in worship of Him (2 Kgs 3:1-3 and 8:25-27). Joram’s death marks the end of Ahab’s house, and he is buried in Naboth’s field. Joram’s burial location is fitting, because his father Ahab had coveted Naboth’s field and murdered him for it, along with his sons (v 26).

Through Jehu, God pours out his wrath on Ahab and his family for their sins. Rightly, we praise God who gave them what they deserve. And yet, we have these words from Ezekiel 18:23: “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?”

We should rejoice when evil is defeated, even when that involves the death of the wicked. But as God longs for all to repent, we should pray that evildoers might turn to Jesus and throw themselves at the foot of the cross. “Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon” (Isa 55:7).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan is one of our assistant ministers.

Gus Cameron

27 July 2026

2 Kings 9:1-13

Gus Cameron

27 July 2026

1 Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead. 2 When you arrive, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go in, get him away from his companions, and take him to an inner room. 3 Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run. Do not delay!”
4 So the young prophet went to Ramoth-gilead, 5 and when he arrived, the army commanders were sitting there. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said.
“For which of us?” asked Jehu.
“For you, commander,” he replied.
6 So Jehu got up and went into the house, where the young prophet poured the oil on his head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel. 7 And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel. 8 The whole house of Ahab will perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, both slave and free, in Israel. 9 I will make the house of Ahab like the houses of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah. 10 And on the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour Jezebel, and there will be no one to bury her.’”
Then the young prophet opened the door and ran.
11 When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?”
“You know his kind and their babble,” he replied.
12 “That is a lie!” they said. “Tell us now!”
So Jehu answered, “He talked to me about this and that, and he said, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”
13 Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram’s horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Susan Duc

Have you tasted the bitterness of injustice? Have you seen too many evil-doers succeed in their schemes? These experiences may make us feel powerless, resentful and even vengeful.

In the final chapters of 1 Kings, we met King Ahab and Jezebel, his idolatrous and immoral queen. We saw how they abused their royal power – leading Israel in the worship of Baal, persecuting God’s prophets and even killing an innocent man to steal his land.

God had promised the prophet Elijah that he would end Ahab’s house (1 Kgs 19:15-17). At the end of 1 Kings, King Ahab and his son, Ahaziah, are killed. But there is still another son, Joram, and of course, Jezebel, who continue to rule in Israel.

So the anointing of Jehu as king in today’s passage is significant. God is keeping his promise to enact judgment on Ahab and Jezebel for their murder of God’s prophets and servants (v 7-8). Jehu has been appointed as the instrument of God’s work.

We are reminded that “the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth” (Psalm 34:16). It means that even if we face of the gravest injustices, we can rejoice in the God who loves justice, and we can worship Him knowing He will one day make good his promise to restore justice to the whole earth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan is one of our assistant ministers.

Gus Cameron

25 July 2026

2 Kings 8:16-29

Gus Cameron

25 July 2026

16 In the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab over Israel, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat succeeded his father as king of Judah. 17 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.
18 And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD.
19 Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.
20 In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king. 21 So Jehoram crossed over to Zair with all his chariots. When the Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, he rose up and attacked by night. His troops, however, fled to their homes.
22 So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled at the same time.
23 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoram, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
24 And Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.
25 In the twelfth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab over Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. 26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.
27 And Ahaziah walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.
28 Then Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram. 29 So King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Alex Chen

It’s shocking but not surprising that Jehoram and his son Ahaziah, two kings of God’s people in Judah, did evil. They had terrible influences to lead them astray. Even though they were descendants of King David, they became close friends with king Joram of the northern kingdom of Israel, who was part of the evil dynasty of King Ahab. Jehoram even married the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.

It’s a bit too close to home when we remember how easily the secular culture we live in can drag us away from God and trusting in Jesus – sometimes we don’t even notice it. It might be accepting bits of extra work which mean sacrificing good time with God, or the latest fad we chase too hard.

But we’re also reminded of God’s faithfulness. God relents from destroying Judah because of his promises to David and his descendants. We can know God will be faithful to all his promises through Christ, including the assurance of forgiveness when we turn back to him. It’s also comforting to know we have the Holy Spirit now, so we can swim against the culture and live a life that rightly serves God. Pray about the pressures and influences you feel, and ask for God’s help in saying “no” to ungodliness and “yes” to living joyfully for him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex is one of our student ministers..

Gus Cameron

24 July 2026

2 Kings 8:7-15

Gus Cameron

24 July 2026

7 Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and the king was told, “The man of God has come here.”
8 So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”
9 So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”
10 Elisha answered, “Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover.’ But the LORD has shown me that in fact he will die.”
11 Elisha fixed his gaze steadily on him until Hazael became uncomfortable. Then the man of God began to weep.
12 “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael.
“Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”
13 “But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael.
And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”
14 So Hazael left Elisha and went to his master, who asked him, “What did Elisha say to you?”
And he replied, “He told me that you would surely recover.” 15 But the next day Hazael took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it over the king’s face.
So Ben-hadad died, and Hazael reigned in his place.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Matt Radloff

When we see evil in the world, how should we respond? When we hear of horrific actions and atrocities committed against the innocent, how does God want us to react? Elisha came face-to-face with a terrible man, Hazael. God showed Elisha who this man would become. He showed him what this man would go on to do, actions which can only be described as pure evil. Hazael was to become the future king of Aram. But he would only achieve it by murder and treason. And then with his new power, Hazael would bring terror onto God’s people, committing unspeakable acts of evil. Seeing this man standing before him, Elisha weeps. Elisha knows that God is in control, but that doesn’t stop the tears. Rightly, Elisha weeps over the evil in this world.

Many years later, another man wept. As Jesus looked at the tomb which held his friend Lazarus, tears rolled down his cheeks. Facing the evil of this world, facing the wrongness of death, Jesus responded rightly. Even knowing that he was about to raise Lazarus from the grave, knowing that he would conquer death forever, Jesus wept.

As we see evil and hear about the great injustices of the world, it's right for us to weep. It’s right for us to be moved to grief over the wrongness of death, pain and suffering. We long for the day when God will wipe every tear from our eyes, when all things will be made right and all evil destroyed forever. In the meantime, while we wait, it's right to cry out to God through the tears, “Come Lord Jesus”.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt is one of our student ministers.

Gus Cameron

23 July 2026

2 Kings 8:1-6

Gus Cameron

23 July 2026

1 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed a seven-year famine, and it has already come to the land.”
2 So the woman had proceeded to do as the man of God had instructed. And she and her household lived as foreigners for seven years in the land of the Philistines.
3 At the end of seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to the king to appeal for her house and her land.
4 Now the king had been speaking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things Elisha has done.”
5 And Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought the dead back to life. Just then the woman whose son Elisha had revived came to appeal to the king for her house and her land. So Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is the son Elisha restored to life.”
6 When the king asked the woman, she confirmed it. So the king appointed for her an officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers, along with all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the country until now.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Susan Everett

When have you seen God miraculously intervene in your own ordinary life?

A few years ago, I needed to move suburb quite quickly. I remember praying to God, asking for his help. I had no idea how I could manage the move as a broke Uni student with very few connections outside my home town. To my astonishment, I was contacted by a family from the church I had just started attending – they offered for me to come live with them at a rate even a broke Uni student could afford. A week later, a job landed in my lap. It was so clear that God saw me, and was miraculously providing for me, even though I was just an ordinary Uni student.

We see something similar in 2 Kings 8. After all these grand tales concerning kings and nations, we zoom in to the ordinary life of one woman – the Shunammite woman we met back in 2 Kings 4. She has returned to Israel after 7 years, as Elisha had instructed her, but it seems someone has taken her house and land. Yet God sees her, this unnamed woman, and has already set plans in motion to provide for her. When she goes to the King, he’s already mid-conversation with Elisha’s old servant Gehazi, who is telling him all about how Elisha raised her son back to life. Coincidence? I think not. And despite the terrible reputation of the Israelite kings, all the woman’s property is restored.

It’s clear that God is at work here. Our God intervenes in all our lives – no matter how ordinary we seem. And if we obey the word of the LORD – like the Shunammite woman did – we can trust that God will provide what we need. As Jesus says, “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt 6:33). Spend some time now thanking God for the ways he’s intervened in your life, and ask him to keep providing what you need.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan is one of our student ministers.

Gus Cameron

22 July 2026

2 Kings 7:12-20

Gus Cameron

22 July 2026

12 So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “Let me tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving, so they have left the camp to hide in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and enter the city.’”
13 But one of his servants replied, “Please, have scouts take five of the horses that remain in the city. Their plight will be no worse than all the Israelites who are left here. You can see that all the Israelites here are doomed. So let us send them and find out.”
14 Then the scouts took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and see.” 15 And they tracked them as far as the Jordan, and indeed, the whole way was littered with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown off in haste. So the scouts returned and told the king.
16 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. It was then that a seah of fine flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.
17 Now the king had appointed the officer on whose arm he leaned to be in charge of the gate, but the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king had come to him. 18 It happened just as the man of God had told the king: “About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel.”
19 And the officer had answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?”
So Elisha had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!”
20 And that is just what happened to him. The people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

“According to the word of the LORD” (v 16). That’s the key to today’s passage. The word from the Lord that Elijah announced back in verse 1 seemed utterly far-fetched and ludicrous. There was no food left, people were starving even to the point of cannibalism – yet Elijah had said that the very next day there would be such an oversupply of food in the city that prices for groceries would plummet to record low levels. The king’s officer had declared this to be impossible, even if the Lord were to “make windows in heaven.” And yet everything happened “according to the word of the LORD”. The narrator goes out of his way to underscore that God’s word was precisely fulfilled down to the last detail.

The best part is that God’s promise was – for everyone except for the unbelieving officer – a promise of restoration, life, abundance, and overflowing fullness.

Jesus promised something similar, but a far more significant type of restoration and life. He said, “I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. … I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness” (John 10:9-10). The fullness of life Jesus promises begins as inner transformation now, like a spring of water which will “well up to eternal life” when he returns (John 4:14).

Do you sometimes struggle to believe that the fullness of life Jesus offers really will live up to his promise? Use today’s passage to confirm your trust that it will all be exactly according to his word.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

21 July 2026

2 Kings 7:3-11

Gus Cameron

21 July 2026

3 Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”
5 So they arose at twilight and went to the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the outskirts of the camp, there was not a man to be found. 6 For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.”
7 Thus the Arameans had arisen and fled at twilight, abandoning their tents and horses and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had run for their lives.
8 When the lepers reached the edge of the camp, they went into a tent to eat and drink. Then they carried off the silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. On returning, they entered another tent, carried off some items from there, and hid them.
9 Finally, they said to one another, “We are not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will overtake us. Now, therefore, let us go and tell the king’s household.”
10 So they went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city, saying, “We went to the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a trace—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents were intact.”
11 The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported to the king’s household.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

Today’s passage reminded me of two things about God which I never want to forget. First, God doesn’t need our help to carry out his plans and purposes. I’ve sometimes heard people say things like, “Me and God, together we can do anything” … that makes me cringe. Everything God does ultimately depends on his power alone – and we need to remember that so we give God all the glory and praise.

But the passage also reminded me that God loves to use the weak, the despised, and the nobodies as his instruments. As Paul told the Corinthians, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor. 1:27). These lepers didn’t do anything to send the Arameans packing – God did that. But he let them find out the good news – “Today is a day of good news”, they said (v. 9). And he chose these nobodies to be the bearers of the good news that would save their whole city.

Isn’t that a beautiful picture of evangelism? We didn’t do anything to defeat sin and death – Jesus did that on his own. But God uses people to bear that good news to the world. And he doesn’t just use the experts and “professionals” for that. Jesus chose simple, unschooled fishermen to kick off the whole process. So do you think he wouldn’t use you?

Today is a day of good news! Ask God to make you like these lepers with the treasure of the gospel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

20 July 2026

2 Kings 6:24 - 7:2

Gus Cameron

20 July 2026

A warning before you read: Today’s passage contains a graphic description of starvation and cannibalism.

~~~

24 Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria.
25 So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver.
26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
27 He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?” 28 Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?”
And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’ 29 So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had hidden her son.”
30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin. 31 He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”
32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?”
33 While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”

Chapter 7

1 Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel.’”
2 But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?”
“You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

When I reached verse 29, and I lost all desire to write a devotion on today’s passage. I felt sick. I wanted to tear my clothes too. This is a level of suffering, evil and horror that is beyond my comprehension, beyond rational reflection. I felt like a veil had been drawn back to reveal “the powers of this dark world and … the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12) that rule the affairs of men and drive people to unspeakable deeds.

War along with its accompanying evils – slaughter, famine and disease – perhaps shows more starkly than anything else the madness and horror of the sin to which humanity has become enslaved. Israel’s king recognises the tragedy befalling his city of Samaria – and yet there’s something messed up in the way he responds. He rightly understands that the calamity is at the same time the result of unbridled human wickedness, and also “from the LORD” (v 33). The same disaster can be the result of human evil for which God is not to blame, a devastating tragedy suffered by innocent victims, and also God’s wrath and judgment against a corrupt and rebellious world (see Romans 1:18-32).

But the king’s response is to swear an oath by God himself to kill God’s prophet. That seems … unhinged.

God gives Elisha an extraordinary prophetic word which seems to stall the king – we’ll find out how that is fulfilled tomorrow. But it’s worth remembering that this king – Jehoram son of Ahab – is the fourth king in the most evil and idolatrous dynasty that had ever ruled Israel. Israel is deservedly under the judgment of God. On top of that, he is the same king Jehoram who, only a few chapters earlier, had launched an unjustified and brutal war on a neighbouring country, and lied that the Lord had told him to (chapter 3)! Now he blames the Lord for the consequences of his war-mongering policies.

Revelation 6 paints a picture of the whole world, in our own age, in a similar situation, with four horsemen that represent the horrors of war, slaughter, famine and disease. Even though Jesus has risen from the dead and is saving people from every nation (Rev. 5), the world is under God’s judgment – and the New Testament hints that human evil will only increase until Jesus returns.

Today, pray for the innocent victims of wars around the world, and for Christian believers caught up in them. Come, Lord Jesus! I long for the day when Jesus will return and complete his victory over every power and authority by putting “all His enemies under His feet” (1 Cor. 15:25).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.

Gus Cameron

18 July 2026

2 Kings 6:13-23

Gus Cameron

18 July 2026

13 So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.”
On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,” 14 the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”
16 “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.”
And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.
19 And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.”
Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria.
21 And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”
22 “Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”
23 So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Gus Cameron

These verses sound like they could have been written into something like The Lord of the Rings. It has the plot twists and deception worthy of a movie, as Elisha shows his attendant the mighty, invisible army surrounding him.

I’m again reminded of Jesus, how in the garden of Gethsemane when his disciples were wanting to fight the people who came to arrest him, Jesus said, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthw 26:53). That would be 72,000 angels, which is more than the whole Australian Army!

Elisha had a cunning plan to save his people, and through it he also saved his enemies’ lives. He asked God to blind the enemy soldiers so that he could capture them, but then rather than slaughtering them, he showed them mercy – he fed them and sent them away, humbled but alive.

Like Elisha, Jesus knew God’s protection, and yet Jesus still submitted himself to die on a cross and even as he died, we get a hint of God’s mercy on his enemies. As Jesus died, Matthew 27:54 records this: ‘When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”’.

Jesus’ death is not a sign of weakness, it is the most incredible demonstration of God saving us from sin and death. Remember that we were God’s enemies, but in God’s mercy he has given us what we don’t deserve. Christ died to save us to save us from the death we deserve. Give thanks that God loves to save people like us!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gus is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

17 July 2026

2 Kings 6:1-12

Gus Cameron

17 July 2026

1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2 Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.”
“Go,” said Elisha.
3 Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.”
“I will come,” he replied.
4 So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”
6 “Where did it fall?” asked the man of God.
And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float.
7 “Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.
8 Now the king of Aram was at war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”
9 Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.”
10 So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had pointed out. Time and again[A] Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. 11 For this reason the king of Aram became enraged and called his servants to demand of them, “Tell me, which one of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
12 But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Gus Cameron

Two extraordinary things happen in this passage. First, Elisha makes an axe head float – something that clearly shouldn’t happen! Then Elisha is able to reveal the plans of the Arameans so that the Israelites are always one step ahead of them. We might be tempted to explain away the miracle of Elisha knowing the Arameans’ plans by wondering if he had a spy in the camp or by thinking they were simply lucky guesses. But we’re told about the floating axe head to remind us that God can do anything! For God, revealing the Arameans’ war plans to Elisha is no problem.

When Jesus came, he did even more remarkable things. He walked on water, calmed storms, and filled boats with fish. All his miracles display his power. Don’t write them off or try to explain them away with rational, natural explanations. Accept them for what they are: demonstrations of God’s power over this world. God created this world, so there is no problem with the Son of God having power over his creation.

Jesus’ miracles also show that we can’t explain away his resurrection from the dead. Jesus really did rise, which means he is more than capable of giving us new life too. Elisha’s miracles showed the people in his day that they could trust God to save them. Jesus’ miracles show us that we can trust him to save us too.

Do you have trouble believing that Jesus has the power to do miracles? Do you have trouble believing that Jesus has saved you through his death and resurrection? Pray that God would keep showing you that Jesus truly is God become flesh, and that you can trust him to save you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gus is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

16 July 2026

2 Kings 5:19b-27

Gus Cameron

16 July 2026

But after Naaman had traveled a short distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, while not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”
21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?”
22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi replied. “My master has sent me to say, ‘I have just now discovered that two young men from the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’”
23 But Naaman insisted, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged Gehazi to accept them. Then he tied up two talents of silver in two bags along with two sets of clothing and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them ahead of Gehazi.
24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the gifts from the servants and stored them in the house. Then he dismissed the men, and they departed.
25 When Gehazi went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Gehazi, where have you been?”
“Your servant did not go anywhere,” he replied.
26 But Elisha questioned him, “Did not my spirit go with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to accept money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants? 27 Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever!”
And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous—as white as snow.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Gus Cameron

Today’s passage comes as a bit of a downer after seeing God’s grace yesterday as he healed Naaman through the prophet Elisha. But I find myself feeling conflicted about it. On the one hand, it’s easy to understand why Gehazi is resentful of Elisha healing Naaman, because Naaman is the commander of the army of Israel’s enemy! Yet it’s also clear that Gehazi goes behind Elisha’s back to lie and steal. Jealousy can drive us to do things we know we shouldn’t.

As I read this, I was reminded of some of the parables Jesus told, particularly to the Pharisees, who were jealous of and looked down on those Jesus welcomed. In the parable of the prodigal son, the older brother is jealous when his father lavishly celebrates his younger brother’s return. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, the workers who were hired first are jealous that those hired later receive the same wage. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the servant whose enormous debt has been forgiven refuses to show the same mercy to his fellow servant.

Jesus wants us to know that none of us deserves forgiveness, yet in his great love God has forgiven us. So let’s examine our hearts. Are we grateful for what God has done for us, even though we don’t deserve it? And are we glad when God shows grace to others, even to those we find difficult to love or think deserve it the least?

Perhaps today would be a good day to pray for someone you find it hard to pray for. Ask God to save them or grow them in their love for him, and ask him to help you find joy in his grace towards them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gus is a Senior Assistant Minister with the Fairfield congregations.

Gus Cameron

15 July 2026

2 Kings 5:10-19a

Gus Cameron

15 July 2026

10 Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.”
11 But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the spot to cure my leprosy. 12 Are not the Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not have washed in them and been cleansed?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 Naaman’s servants, however, approached him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’?”
14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored and became like that of a little child, and he was clean.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
16 But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused.
17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry. For your servant will never again make a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but the LORD. 18 Yet may the LORD forgive your servant this one thing: When my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my arm, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant in this matter.”
19 “Go in peace,” said Elisha.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Tim Mitry

We recently finished the book of Daniel in our sermons. Naaman’s story is a bit like a shorter version of Nebuchadnezzar’s story arc in Daniel. They were both wealthy, powerful, rich men whom God humbled.

I also picked up on a similar lesson as in Daniel: God is always at work towards His purposes, both in big and small ways. Naaman’s success in chapter 5:1 is only due to the LORD, and nothing after that is a coincidence.

God has worked in big and small ways to bring Naaman to Israel so that he “will know that there is a prophet in Israel”, and Naaman now testifies that “there is no God in all the earth except in Israel”. After all, Naaman can’t credit the river water of Israel for healing his leprosy – he claims the rivers in his homeland are better! And Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him, so Naaman can hardly say it was some hand-waving that healed him.

On reflection, I find I have a bit in common with Naaman. He has wealth and power to seek out medical treatments. I sort of have that too – I am citizen in one of the wealthiest countries in the world with access to lots of free and advanced healthcare. He lives in a nation that worships physical idols in temples, I live in a nation that worships the idols of property, self, and pleasure.

I pray that I will be resolute like Naaman in my testimony and worship of God. I pray that I will be kept from the mistake Naaman made – that is, limiting God to work according to my expectations of how he should work. Why not pray those things for yourself too?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim is one of our Ministry Apprentices.

Gus Cameron

14 July 2026

2 Kings 5:1-9

Gus Cameron

14 July 2026

1 Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
2 At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his leprosy.”
4 And Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said.
5 “Go now,” said the king of Aram, “and I will send you with a letter to the king of Israel.”
So Naaman departed, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing.
6 And the letter that he took to the king of Israel stated: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman, so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a leper? Surely you can see that he is seeking a quarrel with me!”
8 Now when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let the man come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Tim Mitry

You might feel indifferent towards Naaman, dislike him, or develop a soft spot for him. I felt all those things in that order as I read this.

I felt indifferent at first because, well, who on earth is Naaman!?

I felt dislike for him, because he and his wife had a captive Israelite girl as their servant.

I began developing a small soft spot for Naaman when I thought about his situation. He had a disease that was eating away at his skin. And I can see he is desperate to relieve himself of the disease – he takes roughly 350 kilograms of silver, and millions of dollars’ worth of gold with him to seek out revolutionary medical treatment in Israel.

Naaman is a Gentile from a neighbouring country. But his story isn’t like Goliath’s. He isn’t an enemy brute to be knocked down by Israel. And while he would be the last man on earth an ancient Israelite would expect God to have mercy on, we see God at work in this story. Did you catch, in verse 1, that Naaman’s power and success was only because the LORD had given it to him? And things line up too much – repeatedly – for mere coincidence. When things go pear-shaped with the king of Israel, Elisha the man of God intervened, saying, “let the man come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel”.

I’m keen to see what happens to Naaman. It’s thrilling to see God demonstrating His love and mercy to the other nations around Israel. We’ve seen that this year in youth group with Jonah and the Ninevites, in church with King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel, and in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus’ ancestry. Will we see God make himself known to Naaman?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim is one of our Ministry Apprentices.

Gus Cameron

13 July 2026

2 Kings 4:38-44

Gus Cameron

13 July 2026

38 When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet, he said to his attendant, “Put on the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets.”
39 One of them went out to the field to gather herbs, and he found a wild vine from which he gathered as many wild gourds as his garment could hold. Then he came back and cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.
40 And they poured it out for the men to eat, but when they tasted the stew they cried out, “There is death in the pot, O man of God!” And they could not eat it.
41 Then Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
42 Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain.
“Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha.
43 But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?”
“Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’”
44 So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

God’s disciplining judgement of famine was on his disobedient people, just as Moses had warned them centuries before. But God had kept a small, faithful remnant, the sons of the prophets, led by the prophet Elisha – only one hundred of them. Their lives too were threatened by the famine, but in these two episodes, God provided food for them miraculously and abundantly.

So today, God has kept a small, faithful remnant for himself among a world in rebellion against him. We suffer the same difficulties as other people because we live in this fallen world, for example, natural disasters, tragedies, phone outages, traffic jams, sickness and death. But God promises that he will provide enough for us, so that we can accomplish the work he wants us to do. Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 6: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:31-33)

We can generously use all our resources of time, energy and wealth in the service of God’s kingdom knowing that God will provide us with all we need to do his work. We don’t have to be anxious about the necessities of life. Our heavenly Father will provide all we need.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

11 July 2026

2 Kings 4:28-37

Gus Cameron

11 July 2026

Context: The Shunammite woman’s son has died, and she has travelled to find the prophet Elisha.

~~~

28 Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn’t I say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”
29 So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment,[A] take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy’s face.”
30 And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”
32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed. 33 So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.
34 Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, and hand to hand. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body became warm. 35 Elisha turned away and paced back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed and stretched himself out over the boy again, and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” So he called her and she came.
Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.”
37 She came in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

In the list of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 we read, ‘Women received back their dead, raised to life again’ (Hebrews 11:35). Here is one such example. Her faith is emphasized. As soon as her son dies, she knows what she’s going to do. She’s going to ask Elisha to raise him. That’s why she places him on the bed that she had provided for Elisha in her home. That’s why straight away she went to him as quickly as she could. That’s why she wouldn’t leave his side once she found him. And, sure enough, her faith is rewarded. Elisha prays and the boy is raised.

But why did God raise this boy? No doubt many boys died in Israel’s history. Well, remember that this was a very special boy. His mother was the woman who showed remarkable kindness to God’s prophet Elisha. He was the miracle baby that God had promised her through Elisha. So God decided to demonstrate his power over death through this particular mother and child.

It’s the same today. God doesn’t promise to raise every boy who dies. But nonetheless, this reminds us that nothing is impossible with God. It also reminds us that the prayer of faith is powerful because God is powerful. Our prayers are powerful because our God is powerful. What an encouragement to pray!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

10 July 2026

2 Kings 4:11-27

Gus Cameron

10 July 2026

11 One day Elisha came to visit and went to his upper room to lie down. 12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call the Shunammite woman.”
And when he had called her, she stood before him, 13 and Elisha said to Gehazi, “Now tell her, ‘Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’”
“I have a home among my own people,” she replied.
14 So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?”
“Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old.”
15 “Call her,” said Elisha.
So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.”
“No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.”
17 But the woman did conceive, and at that time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
18 And the child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the harvesters.
19 “My head! My head!” he complained to his father.
So his father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”
20 After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door and went out.
22 And the woman called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may go quickly to the man of God and return.”
23 “Why would you go to him today?” he replied. “It is not a New Moon or a Sabbath.”
“Everything is all right,” she said.
24 Then she saddled the donkey and told her servant, “Drive onward; do not slow the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, there is the Shunammite woman. 26 Please run out now to meet her and ask, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’”
And she answered, “Everything is all right.”
27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

The last verse struck me. When the Shunammite woman reached Elisha on Mt Carmel, she clung to his feet. But Elisha’s servant Gehazi came over to push her away. Why did he do that? I think most likely because he thought it was unseemly. He thought it was inappropriate for a woman to be touching God’s prophet like that. But Elisha said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress.” This was not a moment for conventional etiquette to be observed. This was a moment when deep compassion was called for. Elisha recognized her distress and had compassion on her.

What a clear foreshadowing of Jesus! The disciples were surprised when they found Jesus talking to the woman of Samaria. It didn’t seem quite proper according to the custom of the time. But Jesus’ compassion for her was greater than his desire to fit the disciples’ view of what was proper. He broke down the conventional barrier to bring her the news of eternal salvation.

There’s a challenge for us. Are we prepared to reach out to people who other people may think are not appropriate for us to reach out to? Perhaps the homeless man living in a nearby park. Perhaps someone in jail. Perhaps that awkward person at work. We must treat all people with absolute purity, but we must also reach out to all people, including the not so socially acceptable.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

9 July 2026

2 Kings 4:1-10

Gus Cameron

9 July 2026

1 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”
2 “How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
3 “Go,” said Elisha, “borrow jars, even empty ones, from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few. 4 Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.”
5 So she left him, and after she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bringing jars to her, and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another.”
But he replied, “There are no more jars.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the remainder.”
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat.
9 Then the woman said to her husband, “Behold, now I know that the one who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Please let us make a small room upstairs and put in it a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then when he comes to us, he can stay there.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by James Davidson

God provided generously in a remarkable way for the destitute widow of one of the company of prophets who supported Elisha is his work of speaking the word of God. After that, the prominent woman provided generously for Elisha. This reminds me of two principles which flow through to the New Testament. Firstly, God’s command that we provide materially for those who teach us his word full time. Galatians 6:6 says: “Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.” Am I generous in supporting those who teach me God’s word?

The second principle is God’s desire that we support widows who are in financial need, particularly those who fear God. 1 Timothy 5:3 says: “Honor the widows who are truly widows.” Am I generous to Christian widows that I know? Am I generous to people in need generally?

Sometimes paid gospel workers die young. If so, we must be especially mindful to support the families they leave behind. We serve a God who loves the widow and the orphan, and who wants his word to go out. Let’s be like him in generously supporting both those in need and gospel workers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James is one of our Assistant Ministers.

Gus Cameron

8 July 2026

2 Kings 3:15-27

Gus Cameron

8 July 2026

15 But now, bring me a harpist. ”
And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha 16 and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’ 17 For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’ 18 This is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD, and He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. 19 And you shall attack every fortified city and every city of importance. You shall cut down every good tree, stop up every spring, and ruin every good field with stones.”
20 The next morning, at the time of the morning sacrifice, water suddenly flowed from the direction of Edom and filled the land.
21 Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. So all who could bear arms, young and old, were summoned and stationed at the border. 22 When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and it looked as red as blood to the Moabites across the way.
23 “This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered one another. Now to the plunder, Moab!”
24 But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked them, and they fled before them. So the Israelites invaded their land and struck down the Moabites. 25 They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every spring and cut down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth was left with stones in place, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not prevail. 27 So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall.
And there was great fury against the Israelites, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

The strange ambiguities continue in today’s passage. On the one hand, the Lord promises a miracle through Elisha, and he delivers, with all the water and the optical illusion of blood. But Elisha knows perfectly well that Jehoram is not a loyal follower of the Lord. So why does he give him a miraculous promise?

Then there’s the troubling description of what the Israelites did to the Moabite cities in verse 25 – completely destroying the fertile and productive land around their cities. This seems to be a direct violation of the Law of Moses. Deuteronomy 20 laid out rules for how the Israelites were to conduct wars on foreign soil, and one of the rules was: If they besieged a city, they must not cut down all the fruit-bearing trees around it (Deut. 20:19-20). They do that and more.

That might explain the puzzling and disturbing ending, where the king of Moab commits the most evil atrocity imaginable: he kills his own son as a human sacrifice to the Moabite god Chemosh. For some reason, this resulted in “great fury against the Israelites”. Perhaps this showed that their whole war had been based on lies and that God was displeased with them.

The lesson I drew from all this was: You can’t come to God with an agenda, hoping that he will give you a way to justify your selfish plans. If you do, you will be deceived into thinking God backs your choices. It’s yet another reminder of the importance of genuinely humbling ourselves before the Lord. James rebuked the hypocrites he was writing to for asking God “with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). Paul told the Corinthians, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:15). Today would be a good day to ask God to help you search your heart and see whether you are being honest and transparent with him in the things you are pursuing in life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.