I said it on the first episode of this podcast: if you’re a modern Christian living in a westernized country, you’re weird. You’re living in a very weird time and weird place in human history.

Because we are taught to accept rational, scientific explanations for things. We’re told that if you can’t find it in a test tube or with a telescope or see it with your own two eyes, then it probably doesn’t exist.

Most people, and perhaps even most western Christians, have absolutely no concept of a spiritual battle taking place around them at all times. No awareness of angels and demons.

Most Christians might be aware that yeah, there are spiritual forces that exist; but they never really think about them outside of church. Once Monday morning hits, most Christians often give no more thought to the spiritual realm than your average atheist.

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore what the Bible has to say about spiritual reality.

Turn to II Kings 6, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

1:30 - Behind-the-Scenes Code

4:00 - Elisha and Gehazi

8:15 - Your Eyes Can Deceive You

13:00 - Gehazi’s Eyes Opened

20:30 - Next Time

22:45 - All Around Elisha

If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com

Hosted by Luke Taylor

The Bible has some hard commandments in it. “Do everything without worrying or complaining.” “Forgive 70x7 times.” “Be content in all circumstances.” “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wifi.” “Thou shalt not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

I’m sure I’m not the only person out there who struggles with these.

OK, maybe that last one was kind of a joke. That actually is in the Bible, and it’s a weird thing in the Bible, but that’s not the weird thing I want to focus on today. Maybe we’ll circle back to it in a future episode.

No, the thing I want to focus on today, and perhaps a harder instruction than all those others, is a command found in

I Timothy 2:1-2

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Wait a minute, what? We’re supposed to pray for our leaders? That wouldn’t include presidents I don’t like, would it?

Well, it says “for kings and all who are in high positions.”

So perhaps presidents, then. But not the bad presidents, right? Not the evil and wicked rulers who sometimes get into power over us? God surely couldn’t be telling us to pray for THEM, right?

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to II Kings 6, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - Ben-Hadad and Elisha

5:55 - Who Was Jehoram?

7:55 - Supplications and Prayers for Leaders

12:15 - Intercessions

16:25 - Thanksgiving

20:20 - Mailbag

22:45 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com

Hosted by Luke Taylor

The raising of Lazarus. The 10 Plagues in Egypt. Walking on Water. Feeding the 5,000.

There are lots of miracle in the stories that are pretty well-known, even by non-Christians. Most of them are done by Jesus, but Moses and Elijah have their fair share as well.

But there’s a miracle in II Kings 6 that’s just a bit harder to categorize. It’s not nearly as dramatic as other miracles; it doesn’t solve a problem that seems nearly as dire as something like parting the Red Sea to save all the Israelites. And it can leave us scratching our heads wondering what it’s even doing in the Bible.

II kings 6:5-7 has this story of some men chopping down trees by a river

5 But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. 7 And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.

So a man is distressed that he broke an ax, so Elisha throws a stick in the water, which makes the iron ax head float back up to the surface. A miracle, sure…but kind of mundane compared to the rest.

In fact, another element of this story I’d like to study today is that Elisha is only given a limited amount of miracles to do, and this is how he chooses to use one of them.

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to II Kings 6, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

2:00 - A Double Anointing

5:25 - A Wasted Anointing?

7:25 - The Context

12:20 - So What Does it Mean?

14:45 - Next Time

16:45 - The God of Everything

If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com

Hosted by Luke Taylor