2 Kings 8:10
And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die. And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.
Elisha's answer meant that Ben-hadad's sickness in itself was not fatal, yet the king would still die. It was given as faithful counsel to those who sought guidance at a time of widespread rebellion against God. For Hazael that answer posed a life-and-death test of whether he would commit treacherous crime for personal gain, relieve pressure by wrongdoing, barter away his own soul for a small temporary advantage, and turn traitor and betrayer, robber and avenger. To yield to that temptation would have a fearful and fatal effect upon his eternal welfare, separating him forever from God and from God's people.
Hazael's history around this answer stands as a memorable illustration of how thoroughly deceptive and corrupt the unconsecrated, unsubdued natural heart is, and of the depths to which people sink when controlled by satanic agencies. Satan takes advantage of circumstances to stir up every evil tendency of the natural heart and inflame every evil inclination. A person who had every opportunity for a rich spiritual experience but did not value it becomes a dupe of the chief deceiver without recognizing the evil of his own heart. A small provocation turns his unsanctified temper into uncontrollable raging passion, he loses self-mastery and becomes a mouthpiece and conduit for dark power, and after long submission to that molding control he has no power to escape the trap.