WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 35

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“He stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael was embarrassed. Then the man of God began to weep.” 2 Kings 8:11

WAIT, HE STARED AT HIM UNTIL HE GOT EMBARRASSED?!

Have you ever had someone look at you for just a little too long?

At first you’re fine.

Then a few seconds pass

And they’re STILL looking.

So you start wondering:

“Is there something on my face?”

Another few seconds…

“WHY IS THIS PERSON STILL LOOKING AT ME?!”

Well, apparently Elisha was the absolute master of the intense, unblinking stare.

Hazael comes to speak with the prophet.

Elisha looks at him.

And keeps looking.

And keeps looking.

And

KEEPS. LOOKING.

Until Scripture actually tells us:

HAZAEL BECAME EMBARRASSED.

Imagine being Hazael:

“Okay… he’s looking at me.”

“Still looking.”

“Maybe if I look away”

“NOPE. STILL LOOKING.”

At this point, Hazael has apparently entered:

THE ELISHA ZONE

Normal eye contact:

Slightly uncomfortable eye contact:

This is getting awkward:
A
Elisha:

Staring

Hazael:

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MY FACE ANYMORE.”

But then something completely unexpected happens.

ELISHA BEGINS TO WEEP.

And suddenly the whole moment changes.

Context REALLY matters with this one!

Hazael was an official serving the king of Aram.

But God had shown Elisha something about Hazael’s future.

Elisha knew that Hazael would become king.

And he also knew about the terrible suffering Hazael would eventually bring upon the people of Israel.

So Elisha wasn’t staring at him because he was trying to win the ancient world’s longest staring competition.

He was looking at a man

while knowing what that man would become.

And then he cried.

That’s actually incredibly powerful.

The verse begins almost awkwardly enough to make us laugh:

“He stared at him, until Hazael was embarrassed.”

But it ends with:

“The man of God began to weep.”

Elisha saw something Hazael couldn’t yet see.

He saw what was coming.

And his response wasn’t smugness.

It wasn’t anger.

It was grief.

There is something beautiful hidden inside this strange little moment:

Sometimes seeing clearly doesn’t make you feel powerful.

Sometimes it breaks your heart.

But still

You have to imagine Hazael during those first few moments:

HAZAEL:
“Why is he looking at me?”

“Seriously”

“Is he EVER going to blink?”

“Maybe I’ll stare back.”

“Nope.”

“I’M OUT.”

Sometimes Scripture gives us conversations.

Sometimes it gives us dramatic prophetic declarations.

And sometimes apparently

THE LOOK SAYS EVERYTHING.

But when Elisha’s stare turned to tears, we discover there was much more happening than Hazael realised.

Context still matters!