The Illness
Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 13:14-21
Unlike his mentor and spiritual father Elijah, Elisha was not destined to leave the world in a whirlwind. He, like all other men, save Elijah and Enoch, would die and his body buried in the earth to await the final resurrection.
Verse 14 reads: “Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die,” (bold emphasis mine). While it is a minor point, this seems to indicate Elisha had endured other illnesses throughout his life. That isn’t an unusual statement unless you are prone to believe the doctrines of the prosperity gospel. Whatever this particular illness was, it was going to take Elisha’s life. Again, that is not a strange occurrence. All of us will die.
What I would point out is that this illness is spoken of as the one that would finish Elisha’s life on this earth. The text speaks of it in a way that indicates this was an appointed illness. This was the one “of which he was to die.” There was no escaping the life-ending effect this would have.
First, let me say what I am not saying. I am not saying we should not seek medical help for sickness. I am not saying pharmaceuticals are wrong. What I am saying is there is within the purposes of God an illness that will end our lives. There is that “illness of which we will die.”
I don’t point that out to cause you to fear death. I am saying what the writer of Hebrews said, albeit differently, when he wrote, “It is appointed unto man once to die…” We have an appointment with death and most likely there will be some illness from which we will die.
Now, looking behind those words, what I hope you will see is that there is One who sets the appointments. It isn’t the devil. It isn’t some other human. It is God Himself. He is the One who makes the appointment for us and decides how it will end for us here.
What that means is we don’t have to live in fear of death. It will come for us when God decides and not one minute sooner. It is not the “Grim Reaper” who comes either, at least not for the children of God. It is the Lord of Life. This knowledge sets us free to live now, not fearing what will happen then.
Yes, our life here is like a vapor. We have a brief time here. The Lord is the One who determines that time. We are in His hands. Even when we are ill.
