2 Kings 8:14
So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover. So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.
The verse belongs to the visit to Elisha to learn whether Ben-hadad's illness would be fatal. In that setting Elisha bore faithful witness at a time when truth was widely perverted and most of the people were rebelling against Heaven. Hazael answered his master Benhadad that he would surely recover, concealing what had been shown that Benhadad would die and hiding his own intent to murder the king and seize power and the kingdom for himself.
Hazael was the one God had anointed to bring judgment on apostate Israel, and his reign brought severe judgments on the Israelites. His response illustrates how deeply evil a person can sink when under satanic control and the danger of an unsubdued, deceitful heart. He thus becomes the pattern of a man arrayed against God, whose character is molded by satanic agencies and is shown in clearer and still clearer light to heaven and unfallen worlds.
The verse shows Hazael under test before his master, meeting an opportunity for personal advantage and choosing lying, treachery and crime to secure it. That same test has now come to the one being warned, to ward off financial pressure by a crime, to barter the soul for temporary relief, and to become a traitor and rob the cause of God for revenge. The verse teaches that such a covetous spirit seeking money is not to be gratified by buying his silence, since that sustains him in wrongdoing and gratifies Satan and dishonors God. If wrong done toward him is to be removed, wise counsel should be obtained should the case go to court, he should be left to act as Hazael did and expose himself, while he is still invited to return, repent, humble his proud heart, and bring forth fruit fitting repentance so his soul may be saved from death.