Lesson 13: Acting in Faith

14 Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows.16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” 18 And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.” (II Kings 13)
Elisha was dying.  So was Israel.  Each king struggled to keep the nation alive.  Joash was introduced earlier as one of the many kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord.  Yet, deep down, he knew where help could come from. He went to Elisha and asked for help.  We see the hardness of his heart in his lack of concern for Elisha - only for his own skin and reputation.  Elisha was not bitter; he gave him what he needed to hear and to do.  Joash heard and responded, but only half-heartedly.  His actions demonstrated his lack of faith. After Elisha dies, the Israelites do drive the Syrians out of occupied territory, but only three times.  Their deliverance will be short-lived due to this lack of faith.  When we ask, and God answers, do we respond in full faith, or more like "I hope this will work."?