On the other hand: Maybe
7 Now Elisha came to Damascus. Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. And when it was told him, “The man of God has come here,” 8 the king said to Hazael, “Take a present with you and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord through him, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?'” (2 Kings 8:7-8–ESV)
In the histories that we have of Ben-Hadad and Israel the most significant player was God and his plays were mediated through Elisha as we have noted. When Ben Hadad on his seeming death bed ponders his life his mind would drift to Jehovah, to Elisha. When desperate illness traps him we see that he never forgot where answers might be found. When the chips were down he did not run to Rimmon. He, like Naaman, knew there were no players like Elisha in Syria.
So, when he makes this request could it be that he has had a Jehovah experience unto a pre-Christian salvation? Hence my title. My father, being with God and an innumerable set of God’s holy people, could ask around. “Is Ben Hadad up here?” he might ask.
We cannot go so far as to say that Ben Hadad’s request equates to his being a Jehovah follower. We can, however, go so far as to say that Ben Hadad acknowledged the foresight of Jehovah. Additionally, we can say that Ben Hadad humbled himself before a foreign deity, one so responsible for national humiliation. Humility is certain among the traits God considers foremost for those who follow him.
So, I don’t think that we can say without equivocation that Ben Hadad is alive and well with Christ, but he experienced much about Jehovah during his career as King.
What do I hope to hear?
While my dad might go find Ben Hadad there is no way for me to discern it. What do I hope to hear when it is my turn, when I could ask for myself? I hope to hear a narrative of faith. I hope to hear Ben Hadad relate his story of unbelief to belief; his fight to the point of submission.
What can I do now? What can you do now? Well, we are still living in the land of faith. So, Do, Be, Live the way that you hope Ben Hadad did. Better than hearing Ben Hadad’s story will be the hearing of God’s blessing, his welcome.
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