“The Man of God Wept”

2 Kings 8:7-15

 

This morning we come to the conclusion of the “Elisha” section.

 

It is not the end of his ministry, but it does end the section

Which focuses on his miracles and prophecies.

 

As you know this section has not really been about Elisha,

But rather it has been using the ministry of Elisha

To reveal how God is at work in Israel.

 

For those who are seeking and trusting God,

God has been using Elisha to bless them

With miraculous deliverance, and merciful and insightful warnings.

 

We called them “The Blessed”.

Regardless of their hardships they had God on their side

And therefore they always seemed to find deliverance.

 

But for those who did not seek or trust God,

God has been using Elisha to call them to faith in him.

 

We called them “The Cursed”

Regardless of the situation, life would never go as planned

And they found themselves suffering continuously because of their sin.

 

And through the ministry of Elisha

We have been able to see a very definite contrast between the two.

 

Today we close this section with a very vivid and tragic scene.

 

The section chronicling Elisha

Does not end with Elisha rejoicing over Israel’s repentance,

But rather weeping because of Israel’s coming judgment.

 

To put things in proper perspective,

You must know that this story began several years prior.

 

There was a wicked king in Israel named Ahab.

He was an idolatrous, murderous, rebellious man.

His wife’s name was Jezebel and she was even worse.

 

During the reign of Ahab, God sent a 3 ½ year drought on Israel

In order to get their attention.

 

As the drought was about to end, Elijah went to show himself to Ahab and what ensued was the show down on Mt. Carmel, in which Elijah humiliated the 450 prophets of Baal and the slaughtered them.

Following that event, the rains fell for the first time in 3 ½ years and Elijah ran back to Jezreel expecting revival.

 

What he found was a death threat from Jezebel and so Elijah fled to the mountain of God and awaited God’s counsel.

 

God revealed to Elijah that

He would completely remove Baal worship from Israel,

Though the manner in which God did it,

Would not be through revival, but rather judgment.

 

Here is what God had to say:

1 Kings 19:15-18 “The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. “It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. “Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

 

God was planning to remove Baal, but not solely through Elijah.

God would use 3 other significant characters to do it.

 

• He would use a prophet named Elisha who would confront the people…

• He would use a king named Jehu who would attack Baal…

• He would use a king named Hazael who would attack Israel…

 

This morning we see the fulfillment of the reign of Hazael.

He is about to come to power,

But that does not mark a pleasant thing for Israel.

 

Let’s look at our text.

 

3 things

#1 THE REVELATION

2 Kings 8:7-10

 

Elisha now has left Israel and is visiting the capital of Aram.

 

It was uncommon for Israel’s prophets to do this, but not unheard of.

(Jonah visited Nineveh)

 

But most likely Elisha is on this trip in reference to the prophecy

And to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

 

Now when he arrives we find once again that the PROVIDENCE OF GOD is at work, for there is another DIVINE APPOINTMENT.

 

Elisha does not have to find Hazael, Hazael finds Elisha.

The reason is because Ben-hadad is sick

And he wants to know if he will recover.

 

Ben-hadad is convinced that Elisha is legitimate.

He has had too many run-ins with the man, and he knows Elisha has great insight.

 

He also is willing to humble himself before Elisha

And to pay him an enormous amount for his services.

 

(Verse 9) “So Hazael went to meet him and took a gift in his hand, every kind of good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ loads; and he came and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”

 

And so you can see the humility and submission of Ben-Hadad,

And that this also has arranged the meeting between Hazael and Elisha.

 

Elisha’s response:

(Verse 10) “Then Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You will surely recover’, but the LORD has shown me that he will certainly die.”

 

Now that is an interesting statement.

IS ELISHA PURPOSELY LYING TO THE KING?

 

No, in regard to the sickness Ben-hadad inquired about, he will recover.

But he will also die, from another cause.

 

And that is the initial revelation from Elisha,

But the main idea is that it allowed he and Hazael to meet.

 

The Revelation

#2 THE REMORSE

2 Kings 8:11-13

 

And this is really the heart of our passage.

 

After the revelation of the kings recovery and death,

Elisha had a stare down on Hazael.

 

“He fixed his gaze steadily on him until he was ashamed…”

 

God had revealed to Elisha the conspiracy of murder in Hazael’s heart

And so Elisha stared him down.

 

Hazael planned to use this sickness

To murder the king and take his throne.

It may have only been conceived in Hazael’s heart, but Elisha knew it.

 

Many think that no one ever knew of Hazael’s act, since he was indeed made king, and that the only place this incident was ever revealed was under the inspiration of Scripture.

 

But none the less, because of his wickedness, Elisha stares him down.

 

I’m sure his gaze pierced Hazael’s heart, and just as it is with the word of God, there was nowhere for Hazael to hide.

 

But as soon as Hazael reached a point of shame,

Elisha instantly changed the mood.

 

(11) “He fixed his gaze steadily on him until he was ashamed, and the man of God wept.”

 

So just when Hazael is at his breaking point,

It is not he, but Elisha who breaks into tears and begins to weep.

 

That poses a legitimate question:

(12) “Hazael said, “Why does my lord weep?” Then he answered, “Because I have seen the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword, and their little ones you will dash in pieces, and their women with child you will rip up.”

 

Now of course Hazael denies it with false humility

VERSE 13

 

The main point is that when Elisha is given a glimpse from God

As to what this man will do, he begins to weep.

 

And the answer is to why he is weeping is very clear.

“Because I know the evil…”

 

Elisha is weeping because in Israel it has come to this.

Israel is so stubborn, and so obstinate, and so defiant, and so hard of hearing

That in order to get their attention it has resorted to this.

 

• It would have been nice if the 3 ½ year drought or the 7 year famine would have changed their hearts…

 

• It would have been nice if the marauding bands of Arameans had accomplished the purpose…

 

• It would have been nice if the preaching of Elijah and Elisha had accomplished this, but Israel refused them all.

 

And so now it has come to an oppressive tyrant

Who will absolutely mutilate Israel.

And when Elisha sees the coming judgment all he can do is weep.

 

And let me remind you that Elisha is God’s representative on the earth,

And so you are not just seeing the tears of Elisha,

But the tears of Almighty God.

 

God is mourning, God is in remorse, for this was not God’s intention.

 

In fact, Scripture reminds that God does not favor judgment.

 

Ezekiel 33:11 “Say to them, ‘ As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’”

 

The prophet Isaiah gave tremendous insight into God’s judgment.

Isaiah 28:21-22 “For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon, To do His task, His unusual task, And to work His work, His extraordinary work. And now do not carry on as scoffers, Or your fetters will be made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts Of decisive destruction on all the earth.”

 

Of course the New Testament continues this thought.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

 

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

 

God does not rejoice in judgment, nor does He take any pleasure in it.

It is peculiar to Him, it is strange to him, and He does not enjoy it.

 

As we said last week.

God is not a tyrant, nor is God a thief, or destroyer.

GOD IS A SAVIOR – seen most clearly in the person of Jesus.

 

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

 

You may remember when Jesus and His disciples were heading through Samaria:

Luke 9:51-56 “When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But He turned and rebuked them, [ and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.”

 

And the point is seen over and over that

God does not rejoice in destroying men, but in saving men.

 

In fact Scripture says:

Luke 15:7 “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

 

God is a Savior, He wants men saved.

He takes no pleasure in having to exercise divine judgment.

 

Yet that is precisely what Israel has pushed Him to,

And so through the eyes of Elisha, God is weeping.

 

And I wish I could say that this was an isolated incident.

I wish I could say that this is the only time in Scripture

In which God showed remorse through His messengers.

 

BUT IT IS NOT.

 

When Jeremiah was God’s prophet:

Jeremiah 9:1 “Oh that my head were waters And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people!”

 

Jeremiah 13:16-17 “Give glory to the LORD your God, Before He brings darkness And before your feet stumble On the dusky mountains, And while you are hoping for light He makes it into deep darkness, And turns it into gloom. But if you will not listen to it, My soul will sob in secret for such pride; And my eyes will bitterly weep And flow down with tears, Because the flock of the LORD has been taken captive.”

 

Jeremiah 14:17-18 “You will say this word to them, ‘Let my eyes flow down with tears night and day, And let them not cease; For the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow, With a sorely infected wound. ‘If I go out to the country, Behold, those slain with the sword! Or if I enter the city, Behold, diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest Have gone roving about in the land that they do not know.'”

 

It was even Jeremiah who wrote an entire book of weeping.

We call it “Lamentations”.

 

God wept through Jeremiah over the coming judgment on Judah.

 

In regard to Israel the Psalmist had this to say:

Psalms 119:136 “My eyes shed streams of water, Because they do not keep Your law.”

 

Paul shared his grief as he wrote of their rejection by God.

Romans 9:1-3 “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,”

 

But of course ultimately the weeping of God was seen through Jesus.

Luke 19:41-44 “When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

 

Time and time again we God weeping

Over the coming destruction of His people.

 

It is not the pleasure of God to send men into judgment.

He gets no satisfaction from it.

 

BUT WHY DOES IT UPSET GOD SO?

 

Elisha answered that.

“Because I know the evil…”

 

DO YOU KNOW WHY GOD IS SO MOVED OVER THE JUDGMENT OF MEN?

 

Because God knows better than anyone what hell is like.

 

If we truly knew what hell was like,

Then we would be just as distraught as God is

Over the fact that men and women are rapidly filling that place.

 

J. Hudson Taylor said, “Would that God would make hell so real to us that we cannot rest; heaven so real that we must have men there.”

 

And so this morning,

Allow me to remind you about this dreadful place we call hell

 

I do not wish to manipulate you, or to move you emotionally,

Only to help you see what the Bible says about this dreadful place.

 

Let me give you a few describers of this place called hell.

 

1) Outer darkness

Matthew 22:13 “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

 

2) Place of weeping and gnashing of teeth

Matthew 24:51 “…in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

 

3) Eternal punishment

Matthew 25:46 “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

 

 

4) Furnace of Fire

Matthew 13:42 “and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

 

5) Lake of Fire

Revelation 20:15 “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

 

6) Fire and Brimstone

Revelation 14:10 “he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.”

 

7) Unquenchable Fire

Matthew 3:12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

 

8) Place that destroys both the body and the soul

Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

 

9) A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF IT

Isaiah 30:33 “For Topheth has long been ready, Indeed, it has been prepared for the king. He has made it deep and large, A pyre of fire with plenty of wood; The breath of the LORD, like a torrent of brimstone, sets it afire.”

 

If you want some illustrative descriptions of hell,

We have some of those as well.

 

TURN TO: Luke 16:19-26

 

TURN TO: Revelation 9:1-11

 

The point is that hell is a terrible place.

 

And when God sees mankind headed there,

It does not cause Him joy, but grief.

He does not resort to singing, but weeping.

 

The thought of men enduring a judgment He so desperately tried to save them from, is extremely grievous to Him.

 

Hell is a dreadful place.

Jesus even gave an indicator of how badly it should be avoided.

 

TURN TO: Mark 9:42-48

 

The idea is that hell is no place to go.

 

Jerry Vines once said, “There are three reasons why you should be saved. Number one, you don’t want to go to hell. Number two, you don’t want to go to hell. Number three, you don’t want to go to hell.”

 

And yet men continually choose that place

Over the salvation of God.

 

IS IT ANY WONDER GOD IS WEEPING?

 

Elisha is weeping because

He sees the judgment of God being poured out,

And he knows what the children of Israel are about to endure.

 

“Because I know the evil…”

 

So we see the revelation

We see the remorse

#3 THE REALIZATION

2 Kings 8:14-15

 

And the point is that what Elisha said would happen is being fulfilled.

 

Hazael suffocated the king and seized the throne,

And now it is only a matter of time

Until the promised judgment is also realized.

 

And that is something that this world

Desperately needs to understand.

 

Hell is not a possibility, hell is a reality.

There are men there now, and more are headed.

 

God has promised it for those who reject Jesus,

And some day with tears in His eyes

He will most certainly cast men there.

 

What I tell you about this morning is not a myth.

What I tell you about this morning is not a gimmick.

What I tell you about is absolute truth.

 

1) If you are not saved, then be saved today.

• Repent of your sin and wickedness and the evil of your life…

• Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and submit your life to Him…

• Trust in His saving work as absolutely sufficient to save you forever…

 

DO NOT REJECT JESUS

 

 

2) If you are saved, then warn a lost and dying world.

We spend much of our lives attending funerals, but contrary to what 95% of the funeral preachers are telling you. NOT EVERYONE WHO DIES IS IN HEAVEN.

 

In fact Scriptures says that most people who die are in hell.

 

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

 

Most people do not go to heaven. Most people go to hell.

That tells me that our job is urgent.

 

Men must be warned.

 

But long gone is the weeping of the church.

No longer do we weep for the lost.

 

We laugh with them…

We socialize with them…

We entertain them…

We sympathize with them…

We work with them…

But seldom do we weep for them.

 

Charles Spurgeon said, “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned or unprayed for.”

 

It is a call to a church for a general concern for the lost.

 

 

 

Hell is real And men are suffering And more will join them.

 

Don’t be one of them.

 

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

 

“The Blessing of God’s Warnings”

2 Kings 8:1-6

 

As you know we have been on quite an extensive study

Of two various types of livelihood.

 

We have been examining the difference between

“The Blessed Life” and “The Cursed Life”

 

And as we have studied, it has become increasingly obvious

What makes up the difference.

 

The difference between the blessed life and the cursed life

Can be summed up in one word: GOD

 

Those who had God on their side and at their side were blessed.

Those who tried to live this life apart from God were cursed.

 

We don’t have to study long to find that

He is indeed the key ingredient to life.

We were created for Him, and without Him life is not fulfilling.

 

Time and time again we have been told this in Scripture.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 “Thus says the LORD, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD. “For he will be like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt without inhabitant. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.”

 

Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”

 

It is the presence of God that makes a difference in a life.

Those who have Him find themselves continually blessed.

Those who do not find themselves in a life of difficulty and futility.

 

Therefore we obviously learn the importance of

Seeking and keeping God’s presence in our lives.

 

HOW?

 

This is also spelled out in Scripture.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

 

There is a definite link to the presence of God and obedience to His Word.

 

When we love and obey God we can expect a life of blessing. When we deny and disobey God we can expect a life of hardship.

 

It is not just because God punishes those who disobey,

But also because there are natural consequences

When we do things the wrong way.

 

God’s word is the right way, and when we refuse that way

We naturally invite hardship upon ourselves.

 

And so the point of the section has been clear.

 

• Time and time again we have seen God bail out His children from hardship and distress.

 

• And we have also seen the wicked inflict themselves with numerous griefs simply because they would not seek and trust God.

 

This morning we continue to learn this valuable truth,

But in a new way yet again.

 

Thus far we have seen two main categories.

 

God using miracles to bless those who love Him

Poor Widow

Prominent Woman

Prophetic Witnesses (3 times)

Naaman the Aramian

 

God using His prophetic word to prove Himself to the wicked

Jehoram (by delivery from the marauding bands)

Jehoram’s Attendant (by seeing him crushed under the starving people)

 

This morning we see one more vitally important concept.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOD’S WORD

AS PROTECTOR FROM DANGER

God’s Word is not just an evangelistic tool.

 

Yes it is true that the gospel is the power of God for salvation.

Yes it is true that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.

Yes it is true they cannot be saved without a preacher.

 

God’s word is also valuable for those who love God.

It is a continual guide and blessing to those who will trust it.

 

That is why the Psalmist said.

Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

 

Psalms 19:7-11 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.”

 

TURN TO: PSALMS 1

 

The Word of God is far more than an evangelistic tool,

It serves great benefit to those who already believe.

 

And that is very clearly seen this morning.

 

Once again we see the blessing of obedience,

Only this time we see it in a life that has already been blessed.

 

We see again: The Shunammite woman.

 

This morning we learn that through His Word

God continues to bless those who will obey Him.

 

Again I remind you that the Kings is not in chronological order.

 

You’ve probably already noticed that Gehazi is back, and therefore we know that this story happens before the cleansing of Naaman.

 

That means this is prior to the deliverance from the marauding bands…

This is prior to the story of war we saw last week.

 

This story is even prior to the cleansing of the prophets stew

And the multiplying of their food supply.

 

We know this because that event occurred during a famine

And this event occurs before the famine comes.

 

WHY IS THIS EVENT RECORDED HERE THEN?

We just read a heart wrenching story

Of what those living under the curse will do during a famine.

 

We actually saw women eating their own children.

 

Now the writer wants to show the difference

If God had been on their side when famine hit.

 

Those women resorted to eating their own children,

This woman won’t suffer at all.

 

It is a major difference.

 

3 divisions to our text.

#1 A DIVINE WARNING

2 Kings 8:1-2

 

Now this is truly an interesting event, and one that deserves some consideration, for it is anything but ordinary.

 

The first thing we notice is that Elisha

Gives this woman some very valuable information.

 

Elisha reveals to her that there is about to be a 7 year famine on the land.

Elijah called for a 3 ½ year drought, now Elisha’s lasts 7 years.

Israel is hard headed and God is turning up the heat.

 

But the mercy of God extends to those who love Him so much so

That He does not require this woman to experience the famine.

 

So he tells her to go somewhere else

 

Put yourself in this woman’s shoes.

• We already know she is a prominent woman.

• We know her husband has at least one field he works.

• We know she has a house with an upper room.

 

The point is, this woman has roots in Israel.

Elisha tells her to leave.

 

I hope you realize the cross roads she is at.

DO YOU LOVE YOUR HOME OR DO YOU TRUST GOD MORE?

 

What a decision to have to make.

 

THIS STORY IS FAR FROM UNIQUE

 

You are aware that Israel was exiled into Babylon

Because of disobedience to God.

 

After 70 years many were very comfortable there.

 

And when they allowed to return to Israel, many desired not to go.

Jeremiah 50:8-10 “Wander away from the midst of Babylon And go forth from the land of the Chaldeans; Be also like male goats at the head of the flock. “For behold, I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon A horde of great nations from the land of the north, And they will draw up their battle lines against her; From there she will be taken captive. Their arrows will be like an expert warrior Who does not return empty-handed. “Chaldea will become plunder; All who plunder her will have enough,” declares the LORD.”

 

Jeremiah 51:5-6 “For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken By his God, the LORD of hosts, Although their land is full of guilt Before the Holy One of Israel. Flee from the midst of Babylon, And each of you save his life! Do not be destroyed in her punishment, For this is the LORD’S time of vengeance; He is going to render recompense to her.”

 

Jeremiah 51:45-48 “Come forth from her midst, My people, And each of you save yourselves From the fierce anger of the LORD. “Now so that your heart does not grow faint, And you are not afraid at the report that will be heard in the land — For the report will come one year, And after that another report in another year, And violence will be in the land With ruler against ruler — Therefore behold, days are coming When I will punish the idols of Babylon; And her whole land will be put to shame And all her slain will fall in her midst. “Then heaven and earth and all that is in them Will shout for joy over Babylon, For the destroyers will come to her from the north,” Declares the LORD.”

 

ANOTHER FAMOUS WARNING

 

TURN TO: Genesis 19:12-26

 

THAT’S FINE PREACHER,

BUT WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH US?

 

Do you realize that there is coming a day when the same could be required of you?

 

First let me read to you out of the book of Revelation

Of an event in the end.

 

Revelation 18:4-8 “I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. “Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. “To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.’ “For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.”

 

TURN TO: Luke 17:22-37

There is extreme danger in becoming so comfortable in the world

That we are unwilling to leave it during a time of judgment.

 

That is why Jesus gave that sobering 3 word warning.

“Remember Lot’s wife”

And the same is being said to this woman.

She is really in a unique situation.

 

Imagine God warning you to leave all that you have acquired

For the sake of saving yourself from judgment.

 

WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO LEAVE IT ALL?

(The Rich young ruler wouldn’t)

 

That is what makes this woman so special.

 

She loves and trusts God more than this world,

Therefore she leaves her possessions behind.

 

And based upon what we saw last week,

You and I know that this was a good idea.

 

AND SO LETS BRING SOME PERSPECTIVE HERE.

 

There are times when the word of God asks us to do things

That seem unpleasant or unfavorable.

 

But it only does because we do not know all the facts.

 

God knows what is coming, and therefore His divine warnings

Should be seen as a tremendous act of mercy.

 

I’m not saying that God may tell you to leave your home,

Or your city, or state or even this country.

 

But if He did, would you be willing?

Would you trust God that much?

Would obedience to Him outweigh your personal treasure?

 

It might just save you from the coming judgment.

 

So first – A Divine Warning

#2 A DIVINE APPOINTMENT

2 Kings 8:3-5

 

Now it is 7 years later and the famine is over.

 

This woman has been living in the land of the Philistines.

(That tells us that the famine was only in Israel – a true judgment of God)

 

And now she has come back and she goes to the king

To petition for her land back.

 

(It is quite possible that others have moved in)

Some would see this is a greedy move,

In which she only is concerned about her wealth.

That is not true, she already proved that.

 

God does not oppose for a person to own property.

 

Did He not give the Israelites land as their inheritance?

Was not Esau even punished for giving up his birthright?

 

God is not opposed to people having possessions.

God is opposed to people treasuring those possessions

More than they treasure Him.

 

This woman loved God more than her possessions,

And that is perfectly fine in God’s eyes.

 

Furthermore she even used her possessions

To meet the needs of God’s prophet.

 

Why wouldn’t God put resources in the hands of those

Who will use it for His kingdom?

 

The Bible says He will:

2 Corinthians 9:10-12 “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.”

 

And that is where we find this woman.

Now returning home and about to petition for her land back.

 

DON’T YOU FIND IT INTERESTING THAT GOD WAS ALREADY AT WORK FOR HER?

 

• God had already put it in the King’s heart to want to hear about Elisha’s miracles.

• God had already sent Gehazi to relay those miracles to the King…

• And it just happened to be her miracle that was being spoken of the moment she hit the door…

 

And we are reminded once again:

Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”

 

We call this a divine appointment.

 

It is a sovereign God making it easy for those who will trust Him,

And working out their difficulties ahead of time.

 

HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED FOR YOU?

 

I could relate to you several times it has happened to me, but I’ll just share the first time. (at least the first time I recognized it)

 

I was in Seminary and had been praying for opportunity to share my faith more often. A BOY WALKED ACROSS CAMPUS.

 

So it is with this woman.

God is on her side and things are just working out for her.

 

She obeys and loves God more than anything else,

And God is at work for her.

 

A Divine Warning

A Divine Appointment

#3 DIVINE RESTORATION

2 Kings 8:6

 

Let me ask you, does that seem a little strange to you?

 

If you had been in a land that endured 7 years of famine,

And you had struggled and suffered, and had survived it.

 

And some person who took off for those seven years came back when it was over and wanted all their property back,

HOW SYMAPTHETIC WOULD YOU BE?

 

Furthermore, it is not like we are dealing with a saint of a king.

We know Jehoram does not fear God…

We also know what is truly in Gehazi’s heart…

 

And yet this king gives her back her land, and not just her land,

But also every bit of produce she would have had coming to her

When she up and left.

 

THAT IS CALLED RESTORATION.

 

And that makes this a truly remarkable story.

 

WE LEARN:

• God was not taking the land from her…

• God was not asking her to give up her harvest…

• God was saving it for her and saving her family.

 

Please allow me to remind you of an obvious truth this morning.

GOD IS NOT THE THEIF

 

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

 

• God is not out to get you…

• God does not want all your possessions…

• God is not out their craving all your money…

 

In fact:

Psalms 50:9-12 “I shall take no young bull out of your house Nor male goats out of your folds. “For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. “I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains.”

 

God is not out to get what you have.

God is out to save you from the hardships of life.

 

• When He asks you to give, it is because He knows you need to learn not to depend on money but on Him.

 

• When He asks you to sacrifice, it is because He knows you need to see that He is taking care of you.

 

• When He asks you to leave your possessions behind, it is because He is saving you from some unseen hardship that you would rather not endure.

 

It is not God who is out to get you.

God is out to save you.

 

Scripture tells us that the most perfect revelation of God

Came in the form of Jesus Christ.

 

John 1:17-18 “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

 

If you want to know what God is really like, then look at Jesus.

Jesus is the greatest revelation of God.

 

That tells us then that God is by nature a Savior.

 

• He is not a thief…

• He is not a tyrant…

• He is not cruel…

• He is not indifferent…

 

He is an all-knowing, merciful, loving Savior.

 

And when He tells you to do something that seems strange to you,

It is in your best interest to listen for He is only trying to save you.

It is apparent that the Shunammite woman knew that.

 

And the pages of Scripture of filled with people who did the same.

 

• We see the blessing of Abraham for leaving Ur of the Chaldeans…

• We see the blessing of Noah for believing God and building a boat…

• We see the blessing of Moses for leaving Egypt and leading the Israelites…

• We see the blessing of Peter, James and John for leaving their fishing businesses…

 

And all along Jesus was saying:

Matthew 19:29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”

 

On the flip side He said this:

Matthew 16:25-27 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”

 

 

This morning I hope you can see that

What God wants for you is salvation.

 

The plans God has for you are good.

And God can always be trusted.

 

Just trust Him.

 

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

 

“The Cursed Life”

2 Kings 6:24 – 7:20 (24-31)

 

You know that we are presently in a very interesting time

In the nation of Israel.

 

And we have been looking at

Two very distinct and different types of people.

 

1 type is the Blessed Life.

It was those who had God ON their side and God AT their side.

It is those who have chosen to choose God

Over this world and to seek Him out.

 

Poor Widow

Prominent Woman

Prophetic Witnesses

Naaman the Aramean

 

The other type is the Cursed Life.

 

We already saw one man, and that was Gehazi.

 

A man who loved money more than the things of God.

He wanted to attain the world so bad

That he ended up being cursed with leprosy.

 

And so the distinction has been clearly seen in this portion of 2 Kings.

 

And carrying on this theme a little, I wanted to take a moment

And show you that this is a very foundational truth.

 

In fact, when God was about to send His people into the Promised Land,

He first gave them a very pointed book of instruction.

 

We call it the book of Deuteronomy.

In that book, God outlined the difference between

The Blessed Life and the Cursed Life.

 

Close to the end of the book, God throws down a very important invitation.

TURN TO: DEUTERONOMY 30:15-20

 

And so you see that God has warned Israel from the beginning

That once she was in her land,

She should seek out God and thus live the blessed life.

 

But they have overwhelmingly refused that mandate.

 

And so in Israel we have many who are living “The Cursed Life”.

We are in a section in which Elisha is trying to get through to them.

He is not using miracles, he is using fulfilled prophecy

 

But you and I know that:

SOME PEOPLE INSIST ON LEARNING IT THE HARD WAY

 

There have always been those who refuse to learn anything the easy way. They won’t just listen to God, they force God to pound them first.

 

Israel has commonly found herself in this role.

TURN TO: ISAIAH 1:1-9

 

TURN TO: AMOS 4:6-13

 

Jeremiah 5:3 “O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You have smitten them, But they did not weaken; You have consumed them, But they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent.”

 

And if we had time we could continue.

• About how Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3 was sent to a stubborn and obstinate people, and so God promised to make his forehead as hard as their foreheads.

 

• We could read Isaiah 28 as God tells them not to be like ground that refuses to be plowed or like seed that refuses to be crushed.

 

• We could hear Jesus in Matthew 23 weeping over Jerusalem saying, ”How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.”

 

• We could go and see Paul in Acts 18 in the Corinthian synagogue frustrated with the unbelief of the Jews finally saying, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

 

And so the list goes on and on.

 

The Bible is full of people who prove to be tough nuts to crack.

 

And certainly that is the type of people that Elisha is dealing with here.

 

So allow me this morning to reveal to you a host of different characters to help you better see, “The Cursed Life”

 

There are 5 main personalities I want us to see.

 

#1 A CURSED PEOPLE

2 Kings 6:24-29

 

Let’s examine this disturbing passage just a little closer.

 

First we recognize that Aram and Ben-Hadad are back.

The marauding bands have truly stopped raiding the border,

But now we find Israel in all out war.

 

By this time, Ben-Hadad has made his way all the way to Samaria,

Has surrounded the city, and has cut off all supplies from it.

 

Believe me when I tell you this did not happen overnight,

But we are allowed to see the story at the height of despair.

 

And now the result of this city under siege is that of severe famine.

 

And to see the severity, we go to the local market.

 

(25) “a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.”

 

“A donkey’s head” was the least nutritious part of a filthy unclean animal, and yet it was fetching a high price.

 

“dove’s dung” may have either been literal dung, or a slain name for seed pods that were commonly fed to animals, but either way, it was also fetching a high price.

 

And one could say they were at rock bottom.

 

Certainly the king thought so,

Until he decided to take a stroll on the wall.

 

And while walking on the wall a woman cries out to him for justice.

 

Please notice his sarcasm when he says:

(27) “If the LORD does not help you, from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?”

 

Obviously both of those places were empty,

He was speaking sarcastically

And unfortunately he was blaming the situation on God.

 

It is amazing how the wicked can live in sin, spurn God,

Disobey His commands and yet somehow find a way

To pin the blame for all their adversity on God.

 

But that is precisely what Jehoram does.

 

And then we read one of the most horrifying accounts in Scripture

 

(28-29) “And the king said to her, “What is the matter with you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ “So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.”

 

Now obviously we have to pause a moment

And deal with the absolute horror of cannibalism.

This is a level of depravity that literally blows the mind.

 

But that isn’t even the most shocking part of the story.

 

The most shocking part is the woman’s indifference.

 

This woman obviously sees nothing wrong

With that course of action for she openly reveals it to the king.

In fact she is upset because she has can’t eat another baby.

 

They are not just starving

They are completely and totally depraved in their thinking.

 

COULD YOU EVER IMAGINE SUCH A SITUATION OCCURRING?

God could.

 

In fact God prophesied it.

TURN TO: DEUTERONOMY 28:47-57

(curses start in 28:15)

 

God knew this day was coming.

It was a consequence of being under the curse.

 

They are literally a cursed people in need of God.

 

First, A Cursed People

#2 A CONFUSED KING

2 Kings 6:30-33

 

And so you see the immediate response of the king.

The account horrified him so much so that he tore his clothes.

 

Tearing clothes was a sign of horror and ultimate frustration.

 

Those on the ground below the wall, were able to see that

“he had sackcloth beneath on his body.”

 

“sackcloth” was a black fabric woven from goats hair.

 

It was almost always associated with repentance for it was uncomfortable to wear and seen almost as a sort of self-abasement.

 

And so the King is wearing “sackcloth”

And so immediately some would read this and say,

“Well why is God allowing this, the king is repenting?”

 

Scripture doesn’t say he repented.

 

“Scripture says he wore sackcloth,

And wearing sackcloth does not make you right with God”

 

In fact there is no religious exercise that will do that.

There is no emotional display that can make it happen.

 

Perhaps you remember Esau, the man who sold despised his own birth right.

Hebrews 12:15-17 “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.”

 

Emotional response and religious displays mean nothing to God

If not accompanied by the heart.

 

God wants a change of behavior, not a change of underwear.

 

TURN TO: JOEL 2:12-20

 

This king is clearly confused about how to entreat the favor of the Lord.

 

And if there was any doubt as to his hypocritical repentance,

He wipes it away with his statement.

 

(31) “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today.”

 

Here we have an idolatrous, murdering, son of a Baal worshiper

Blaming the plight of the country on Elisha.

 

No doubt Jehoram is angry because Elisha counseled him to let Aram go

When he had the army under his thumb earlier on.

 

But it was not Elisha who let Ben-Hadad escape.

(In fact, those that Elisha dealt with did not return to Israel)

 

1 Kings 20:34 “Ben-hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” Ahab said, “And I will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.”

 

It was Ahab who defeated Ben-Hadad, and Ahab who let him escape.

 

 

Later the prophet approached Ahab and said:

1 Kings 20:42 “He said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.'”

 

It was Jehoram’s daddy who let Ben-Hadad go, not Elisha,

But Elisha is still the enemy.

 

Jehoram is confused.

 

If that is not enough, look at his next step.

Verses 32-33

 

So Jehoram is going to capture Elisha and behead him.

 

Apparently he learned nothing from the last king

Who tried to capture Elisha.

 

He is clearly a confused man

 

And look at what he says to Elisha:

(33) “Behold, this evil is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”

 

Now we see the other reason Jehoram is angry.

 

Obviously Elisha has counseled him to “wait for the LORD”

And now that deliverance has not come, Jehoram is angry at Elisha.

 

But you understand when Scripture says to “wait on the LORD”

It does not mean continue in sin until God delivers.

 

• Aside from waiting Jehoram should have been tearing down those two golden calves of Jeroboam that he was clinging to.

 

• Aside from waiting Jehoram should have been doing something about that wicked queen mother Jezebel who was killing the prophets.

 

• Aside from waiting Jehoram should have been punishing the gross immorality of the nation such as cannibalism.

 

The true idea of waiting is that of trusting God

With faithful obedience until He delivers.

 

You can’t live in sin and expect God to change His mind about your plight.

 

This is one confused king.

 

First – A Cursed People Second – A Confused King

#3 A CONFIDENT PROPHET

2 Kings 7:1-2

 

There is Elisha, that rock of a man.

 

He isn’t the least bit concerned about the wrath of Jehoram,

For he still has that unmovable faith that seems to carry him.

 

And even after he is scorned for his belief by an arrogant officer,

Elisha still holds his ground.

 

And it is then that he makes a very confident prophecy.

(2) “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you not eat of it.”

 

There is not even a hesitation if Elisha’s voice.

He is a confident man.

 

A Cursed People – A Confused King – A Confident Prophet

#4 A CURIOUS LEPER

2 Kings 7:3-14

 

Now we have God doing an amazing thing.

 

It is one that is brought to light by four leprous men.

(Let us remember that Jesus said that Elisha purposely did not heal a single leper in Israel, only Naaman the Aramean – that is because none of these lepers would seek God.)

 

They reason that they are as good as dead either way,

And so they determine to take their chances with Aram

And see if they can’t get some food.

 

When they enter the camp, they find it deserted.

 

We know why.

(6) “For the LORD had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses, even the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to come upon us.”

 

Earlier God affected their sight, here God affects their hearing.

 

God delivered according to the word of Elisha.

And these lepers find it.

 

They return and take word to the King,

And even after the word of Elisha he is still skeptical.

But God has given a great deliverance.

 

#5 A CRUSHED OFFICER

2 Kings 7:15-20

 

There you find that God has indeed delivered

And the people are enjoying what God has done.

 

The interesting part is that arrogant officer who doubted Elisha

Has been stationed at the gate to oversee the distribution.

 

And as a casualty of his placement he is trampled

By the rushing of people to get food.

 

And then the writer repeats the prophecy of Elisha.

Verses 18-19 “It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria.” Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, “Now behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.”

 

The reason the writer repeats it again is because

He wants you to understand that this is the point of the story.

 

• He doesn’t want you to leave this morning thinking about the horrors of cannibalism…

 

• He doesn’t want you to leave this morning thinking about the free for all in the Aramean camp…

 

HE WANTS YOU TO READ THIS STORY AND UNDERSTAND THAT GOD’S WORD CAN BE TRUSTED.

 

Isaiah 55:11 “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

 

Psalms 19:7-11 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.”

 

This is what faithless Israel should have learned

And it is also what we should learn.

In addition to that, we must understand how crucial it is then

To be obedient to this perfect word of God.

 

You cannot disobey God and expect to live a life of blessing.

You cannot reject His word and expect to have a life of fulfillment.

 

We should certainly learn this in a nation

That seems to try and remove God’s word from everything.

 

And I am not just talking about schools

That take the 10 Commandments off the wall,

 

I’m talking about PULPITS that omit the word of God,

CHURCHES that disregard the word of God

And HOMES that neglect the word of God.

 

You cannot reject God’s word and expect to live a blessed life.

 

And if this morning you realize

That you have neglected God’s word

And you have decided you want to return to God.

 

Then learn also that repentance is from the heart.

 

Returning to God is far more than just returning to church.

“Rend your hearts and not your garments”

 

 

BUT THE POINT IS THAT GOD’S WORD IS TRUSTWORTHY.

 

Israel should have learned this back in the desert

When Moses was preaching, but they didn’t.

 

And because of that, they are having to learn the HARD WAY.

 

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

 

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

 

A Taste of God’s Favor

2 Kings 6:8-23

 

We have been in a great section outlining the miracles of Elisha.

 

Without a doubt a central and important theme has immerged.

God is blessing those who seek Him.

 

No matter if you are rich or poor, in the ministry or not…

No matter if it is a little problem like an axe head or a big problem like a dead child…

 

God has been seen as one who is

Coming to the aid of those who seek His face and love Him.

 

The contrast has been to those who have not sought God,

But who sought the world.

 

Those, like Gehazi, who wanted the world worse than the wanted God,

Did not find the blessing they desired, but instead found a curse.

 

And so we have learned that it is infinitely valuable

To be one who seeks the face of God.

 

But this morning we move into a new section of the book of 2 Kings.

 

We are leaving the miracle section behind

And moving towards the prophecy section.

 

Elisha is no longer dealing with those who have trusted God,

But is now about to deal with those who have denied Him.

 

And for them, Elisha gives the benefit of fulfilled prophecy.

 

We know that God’s Word is His power for salvation.

 

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

 

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

 

It has always been the word of God that led the lost to faith,

Not the miracles of God.

 

And so while dealing with the faithless,

Elisha uses prophecy to turn their hearts back to God.

 

This morning we see the first person Elisha works on.

It is the King of Israel.

 

Though he is not listed by name we know him as Joram, the son of Ahab.

You are probably familiar with what type of king he is.

 

2 Kings 3:1-3 “Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. He did evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and his mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal which his father had made. Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.”

 

And so he was a man easily characterized as one

Who “did evil in the sight of the LORD”

 

He was a man who had no use for God,

And lived a life contrary to one that was pleasing to God.

 

What Elisha will do is give this man a taste of the things of God.

He will allow him to taste the blessing of having God on your side,

With the hope that King Joram will turn to the Lord.

 

This type of attempt is not at all foreign to Scripture.

 

The Psalmist said:

Psalms 34:8 “O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”

 

God does this still today for many.

TURN TO: HEBREWS 6:1-8

 

There are still today those who are afforded a taste of the blessed life,

Before they ever fully accept it.

 

• They are given understanding to the Word of God.

• They are allowed to see the blessing that God’s people enjoy.

• They are allowed to participate in things like corporate worship and fellowship.

• They even feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

 

The intention is that they will latch on to what they have tasted

And make it fully theirs.

 

It is most certainly an act of divine grace and mercy

That God would even do this.

 

And that is precisely what is happening for Joram in our text today.

 

And there are three things God will afford Joram a taste of today.

#1 A TASTE OF GOD’S FAVOR

2 Kings 6:8-12

 

The writer actually sets the context for us in the first sentence of verse 8.

 

“Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel;”

So allow me to paint the context.

 

When you read the Kings, please understand that what is written

Is not necessarily in chronological order.

 

Certainly you have seen the reigns of various kings intermingled.

 

But even more so, in this section we are in,

It is best to see the events pulled out of chronological order

And put back to back in order to reveal the theological point.

 

For example:

It is doubtful that all of the miracles we saw happened at the beginning of Elisha’s ministry. Most likely the occurred throughout his ministry.

 

But the writer pulled them out and presented them in rapid fashion

So we could more easily see the theme of God’s blessing.

 

I tell you that because it helps us put all these events in context,

And to better understand the story and the participants in it.

 

It is likely that this event happened early in the ministry of Elisha,

And there are several clues to that.

 

The first is this warring that Aram is doing with Israel.

 

Later in the chapter we see what they were specifically doing.

(23b) “And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.”

 

And so the “warring” mentioned here is these small bands of warriors

Infiltrating Israel and plundering them.

 

And we know this is the case.

 

Remember the girl that informed Naaman of the God of Israel?

2 Kings 5:2 “Now the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.”

 

And so we are able to put this story in it’s context.

 

This most likely occurred even before Naaman was healed.

 

And so we see these small raiding bands of fighters

Who were making it extremely fearful to live on the border of Israel.

 

No doubt all of Israel was fearful and concerned.

If the risk of having a child stolen was true,

Then certainly there was much anxiety on the part of those living in Israel.

One would also assume that if King Joram had any affection for his people

He was also perplexed about the situation.

 

This is undoubtedly the inroad Elisha used

In order to offer a taste to the King of Israel.

 

But we see the incident occurring.

“Now the king of Aram was warring against Israel; and he counseled with his servants saying, ‘In such and such a place shall be my camp.”

 

So the King is preparing another attack,

And his point of entry has been determined and planned.

 

Now notice how Elisha steps on the scene.

(9) “The man of God sent word to the king of Israel saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Arameans are coming down there.”

 

God had revealed to Elisha the sword

And Elisha is doing the work of a faithful watchman.

 

One of the most convicting passages I read on a regular basis

Addresses this very issue.

 

Ezekiel 3:16-21 “At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. “When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. “Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself. “Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. “However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself.”

 

And that is precisely what Elisha is doing.

He warns the king of this physical danger.

 

And notice the King’s response:

(10) “The King of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God had told him; thus he warned him, so that he guarded himself there, more than once or twice.”

 

It is quite frustrating why the King will heed

Elisha’s physical warnings but disregards his spiritual ones.

 

So do many today.

You could warn them about physical death and the immediately respond,

But warn them about spiritual death and they totally disregard you.

But Elisha’s warnings have delivered him several times.

 

And obviously this did not set well with the king of Aram.

VERSES (11-12)

 

I hope you caught what the king of Aram said.

“Will you tell me which one of us is FOR the king of Israel?”

 

Even the king of Aram recognized

That Joram had someone’s special favor.

 

We know that favor did not come from Aram’s servants, but from Holy God.

 

God has graciously given Joram a taste

Of what it is like to have Him on your side.

 

We call it the favor of God.

And it is something that is vitally important.

 

The King of Aram did not have a chance,

For he was actually fighting against God.

 

We have seen this before.

When the chief priests were trying to silence the followers of Jesus:

Acts 5:33-39 “But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. “For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. “After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. “So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”

 

In regard to Saul of Tarsus:

Acts 26:14 “And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’”

 

What these men learned was that when someone is

A recipient of God’s favor, you have not shot at defeating them.

 

When people received God’s favor:

 

Genesis 6:8 “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”

 

Genesis 39:21 “But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.”

 

Exodus 12:36 “and the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.”

 

Later in Kings

2 Kings 13:4-5 “Then Jehoahaz entreated the favor of the LORD, and the LORD listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. The LORD gave Israel a deliverer, so that they escaped from under the hand of the Arameans; and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as formerly.”

 

David understood it:

Psalms 118:5-9 “From my distress I called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me and set me in a large place. The LORD is FOR me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? The LORD is FOR me among those who help me; Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in princes.”

 

Psalms 56:8-11 “You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is FOR me. In God, whose word I praise, In the LORD, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

 

Psalms 90:17

“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.”

 

When people received God’s favor:

• The Red Sea parted as a way of escape…

• The wall of Jericho fell down flat…

• Axe heads float…

• Oil never stops pouring…

 

We understand it as well.

TURN TO: ROMANS 8:31-37

 

What a blessing to have God FOR you.

What a blessing to have God on your side.

 

And that is why God’s people have sought His favor.

Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”

 

Paul even encouraged the Colossians to do the same:

Colossians 1:9-10 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, TO PLEASE HIM in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

 

It is extremely beneficial to have God’s favor.

For who is able to thwart the will of God?

 

 

And Joram has been given a taste of this wonderful reality

That is enjoyed by those who seek and love God.

 

So first, he is given A Taste of God’s Favor

#2 A TASTE OF GOD’S PRESENCE

2 Kings 6:13-17

 

Now of course you have probably already recognized that king Joram

Was not a DIRECT recipient of this great revelation.

 

He was however an indirect recipient as he reaped the blessing

Of having God’s presence in his country.

 

The direct recipient here was the servant of Elisha.

 

And if this even did occur prior to the healing of Naaman then we know who this servant was. It was none other than Gehazi.

 

Knowing what we know now, it is easy to see why God

Would choose to give Gehazi a taste of the blessing of His presence.

 

But none the less, here we see a foolish king in Aram.

And I hope to help you see how foolish he is.

 

His decision makes no sense at all.

 

Either he believes that Elisha is revealing his secret plans or he doesn’t.

 

• If he believes that Elisha really has this power, then does he suppose this plan will be hidden from him?

 

• If he doesn’t really believe Elisha has this power, then why bother with him?

 

The point is this decision makes no sense on any level,

But he goes forward anyway.

 

And as his troops surround Dothan, Elisha’s servant goes out and sees it.

 

And instantly he is overcome with fear.

(Fear is the opposite of faith)

 

And notice Elisha’s answer.

(16) “Do not fear, for those who are WITH us are more than those who are with them.”

 

Of course then Elisha prayed that his eyes be opened

And that he would be allowed to see the “unseen”.

And have we ever talked about that.

 

Last week we saw the very definition of faith.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

 

Last week we learned that it is beneficial to trust in God,

Even when we can’t see a possible way of deliverance,

For our God brings forth what is seen from what is unseen.

 

Here we learn again that just because we can’t see it,

Doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

 

Elisha had a faith that saw the unseen, his servant did not.

He “walked by faith, not by sight”

 

“For the things which are seen are temporal,

but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

 

But what we learn again is the infinite value of God’s presence.

 

It is not just having God ON your side, but having God AT your side.

 

And the most direct application reveals to us

That the presence of God should mean the absence of fear.

 

Elisha told his servant, “Do not fear”.

 

And that is a common command in Scripture.

 

When Israel was sandwiched between Pharaoh and the Red Sea:

Exodus 14:13-14 “But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. “The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.”

 

When Assyria threatened to destroy Judah:

2 Chronicles 32:7-8 “Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. “With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”

 

When Jeremiah was threatened by those who hated him:

Jeremiah 20:10-11 “For I have heard the whispering of many, “Terror on every side! Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!” All my trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say: “Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may prevail against him And take our revenge on him.” But the LORD is with me like a dread champion; Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, With an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.”

 

When Paul was harassed in Corinth:

Acts 18:9-10 “And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”

 

When we face the threat of persecution:

Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

 

In fact, there is no situation that warrants our fear.

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

 

And the reason we are not to fear is because we have God with us.

 

1 John 4:4 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

 

TURN TO: ISAIAH 41:10-16

 

TURN TO: PSALMS 46

 

The point is that it is valuable to have God at your side,

And Gehazi and Joram are given a taste of that here.

 

A taste of God’s favor A taste of God’s presence

#3 A TASTE OF GOD’S DELIVERANCE

2 Kings 6:18-23

 

And if you wanted, you could see deliverance on two fronts.

1) God delivering the armies of Aram into Joram’s lap.

 

Elisha prays that this army be struck with blindness, and they were.

 

The word for “blindness” here is a word that actually means “to blind with light”.

 

It is used one other time in Scripture.

When the perverts of Sodom were pressing against Lot

To have him bring out the angelic men to them.

 

Genesis 19:10-11 “But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.”

 

The apparent truth is that it was the brightness of the heavenly host

That actually blinded these men.

 

It is most likely the same kind of blindness that Saul received

On the road to Damascus.

But these men are struck blind by the brightness of the angelic host

And led by Elisha right into Samaria, where they were clearly outnumbered.

 

And so, Joram is able to taste the great deliverance of God.

Simply because God was on his side, and God was at his side,

HE DIDN’T EVEN HAVE TO MUSTER AN ARMY.

 

And the army of Aram was delivered to him in a state of defeat.

 

God is able to deliver your enemy into your hand,

Because no one defeats God.

 

But there is another way in which we see deliverance

2) The deliverance which God extends to the captives.

 

You will notice that when the army arrives

Joram is beside himself.

 

(21) “Then the king of Israel when he saw them, said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”

 

He sort of resembles a bouncing Chihuahua.

 

Elisha says “No”, they aren’t your prisoners, they are God’s prisoners

And no one murders prisoners of war.

 

And once he allows the army to leave, we see a wonderful truth.

 

(23b) “And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.”

 

God completely delivered Joram from the attacks

That had so upset his kingdom.

WHY?

 

God was giving Joram a taste of the blessing

That rests on those who seek and trust God.

 

• The blessing of God’s favor…

• The blessing of God’s presence…

• The blessing of God’s mercy…

 

And of course the implication is that Joram

Should immediately respond to God entirely.

 

In fact we would call him foolish for not fully submitting to God.

 

Yet, that is what many do today.

 

• They are offered a taste of redemption…

• They are offered a taste of mercy…

• They are offered a taste of the abundant life…

 

And then turn and walk away and choose rather

To crucify Christ than to submit to Him.

 

Hebrews 6:4-6 “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”

 

Perhaps you have been with us for the past several weeks

And have seen clearly that there is extreme blessing

In forsaking this world and seeking God.

 

But for some reason you have so far failed to do so.

 

 

 

 

This morning let me encourage you to

“taste and see that the LORD is good”,

And then fully surrender your life to Him.

 

The Floating Axe Head

2 Kings 6:1-7

 

We have been systematically working through the miracles of Elisha,

And we have continually seen that

GOD IS GOING OVER AND ABOVE TO INTERVENE

IN THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO SEEK HIM.

 

• Poor Widow

• Prominent Woman

• Prophetic Witnesses

• The Foreigner Naaman (Leprosy)

 

Those that were willing to seek out God and to trust Him

Were never disappointed.

 

This morning we see that God doesn’t mind doing it over and over again.

For this morning God revisits a group

That He has already worked for twice.

 

The sons of the prophets

 

And again we see the extreme benefit of

Not only having God ON your side,

But also the benefit of having God AT your side.

 

IT IS THE BEAUTY OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

 

But last week was a different lesson:

LAST WEEK WE SAW THE DANGERS OF GREED,

As Gehazi was actually inflicted with the leprosy of Naaman.

 

Gehazi sought this world, and when he received it,

He was certainly disappointed,

And so we saw the extreme importance of contentment in this life.

 

When you contrast then Gehazi (a man cursed by God)

With the others who were all blessed by God,

A NATURAL TEACHING POINT EMERGES.

 

THAT OUR MINDS SHOULD BE SO SET ON ETERNITY,

THAT OUR DESIRE IS NOT THIS WORLD, BUT THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

 

HOW DO WE DO THAT?

 

Consider what Jesus said:

Luke 12:33-34 “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Wouldn’t it be great if we all eagerly longed for the return of Jesus?

Wouldn’t it be great if we were ready to kiss this world good-bye?

 

I know at times we are ready (suffering, pain, sorrow)

But by in large, most of us are so comfortable here

That we can go several days without ever really longing for Jesus.

 

Jesus gave us the solution to that problem.

Store up more treasure in heaven, than heaven on earth.

 

Picture a man owning two houses.

• One is full of his treasures and enjoyments…

• One is an efficiency apartment…

WHICH DO YOU THINK HE DESIRES TO BE AT MOST OF THE TIME?

 

That is precisely how we tune our hearts toward heaven.

We make sure that our nicest house is there, not here.

We make sure that more treasure is deposited there than here.

 

It naturally causes our heart

To shift away from this place and toward that one.

 

That is what Jesus meant when He said:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

 

When you make investments for eternity, then eternity is what you seek.

 

That was what Gehazi failed to see, while the others all understood it.

 

So we are learning that as Christians

We must shift our perspective to realize

That our greatest treasure is not this world, but the presence of God.

 

This morning we see those who had this very perspective.

 

They are the opposite of Gehazi.

They didn’t desire gold, they desired the presence of God.

 

While Gehazi’s desire for the world led him to judgment,

These prophets desire for God brings about deliverance.

 

Let us quickly look at this illustrative story this morning.

 

3 things

#1 THEIR DILEMMA

2 Kings 6:1

 

You see their dilemma,

There is not enough room for them where they are dwelling.

This is not just some discontented attitude

In which they are tired of their surroundings and want newer ones.

 

What we have occurring here is a wonderful thing.

 

• The nation is in extreme moral decay…

• The nation is rapidly headed towards Baal worship…

• The word of God is not particularly popular…

 

Yet more and more young men are answering the call of God

To preach the word to a lost and dying world.

 

It reminded me of Paul’s admonition to Timothy.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

 

These young prophets were the real deal.

 

In a world that was hostile to their message,

So many have answered the call,

That the school where they dwelt was too small to hold them all.

 

It is a simple dilemma that must be addressed.

#2 THEIR DECISION

2 Kings 6:2-4

 

Now you see their plan of action.

• They don’t expect a grant from the government…

• They aren’t looking for a “bailout”…

 

They have a plan to go and physically chop down trees, hew timbers,

And construct a new facility.

 

They are humble men willing to work, not supposing

That their calling earned for them a life without labor.

 

And they first run this plan past Elisha,

And he consents that it is a good idea.

 

BUT THEY DIDN’T JUST WANT HIS APPROVAL

 

(VERSES 3-4) “Then one said, “Please be willing to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I shall go.” So he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan they cut down trees.”

They were not just interested in Elisha’s approval,

What they really wanted was Elisha’s presence.

 

And there again a continual theme has emerged.

 

Earlier we found them starving yet sitting at Elisha’s feet,

Now we find them working, yet still wanting Elisha there.

 

Elisha is not God, but Elisha is symbolic of God’s presence.

He was their teacher…

He introduced God to them…

Furthermore, God worked through him in a mighty way…

 

And these men had learned his value.

 

When most would have recruited lumberjacks and construction workers these men recruited a prophet of God.

 

And so please note that their desire was for God’s presence.

They wanted God involved in everything they did.

 

And you will see that it paid off.

 

#3 THEIR DELIVERANCE

2 Kings 6:5-7

 

As one man is chopping down a beam, he loses his axe head.

 

Now you and I know why.

These men aren’t loggers, they are preachers.

Ever seen a preacher chop wood?

 

Ordinarily it would have just been the cause of some embarrassment.

 

But remember these men are poor.

They didn’t have enough to buy food, let alone axes.

 

And so this axe was borrowed, and now that he lost the head,

He also did not have the means of repayment.

 

To us it may not seem like a major dilemma,

But to the man who did it, it was.

 

Let us there learn that God is interested in our lives

Not just with our major catastrophes.

 

Billy Graham’s prayer – “And let me find my hat.”

 

Our God is not just concerned about our major problems,

But all of our minor ones as well.

 

Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

 

Paul doesn’t tell us to take care of our minor problems

But only to bring the major ones to God.

 

Paul said not to let anything cause us anxiety,

But to bring all of our requests to God.

 

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

 

He doesn’t tell us to cast some of our anxiety on God,

But to cast it all there.

 

It is the relationship of a child to a parent.

And kids understand this well.

 

Kids will drive you crazy presenting requests to you.

• They have learned that there is no need to look for shoes if mom is around, just ask here…

 

• They have learned that there is no need to get up and get a drink if mom is around, just ask here…

 

So it is with these prophets.

They made sure Elisha was near in case such an incident occurred.

 

And so they take the problem directly to him.

 

And you already know his solution.

 

(6) “he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float.”

 

A MIRACLE, BY DEFINITION,

Is something that transcends the laws of nature.

 

Many today claim miracles of things that are not miraculous.

They are the providence of God, but they are not miracles.

 

But Elisha worked miracles

And in many ways this is Elisha’s most undeniable miracle.

 

There are many skeptics in the world that love to explain away miracles.

 

William Barclay (renowned Scottish theologian) considered by many to be an expert on the New Testament.

 

He will drive you crazy explaining away the miracles in the Bible.

 

The gate that opened for Peter – “No need to see a miracle here.”

Jesus feeding the 5,000 – “Probably just inspired generosity in the crowd”

Jesus walking on water – “Probably close to shore so that it appeared to be so.”

 

But certainly it had also happened to Elisha.

 

“The widow probably just had more oil than she realized…”

“The prominent woman just finally got pregnant…”

“Her son probably wasn’t really dead, but only sick…”

“The stew wasn’t dangerous, it just tasted that way…”

 

And you can hear skeptics argue away his miracles.

 

Perhaps that is why this one is included.

There is no way to explain

How an axe head comes to float on the top of the water.

 

But the point of the story is this.

THEY WANTED ELISHA NEAR,

AND HIS PRESENCE PAID OFF.

 

Contrast them to Gehazi.

 

Gehazi wanted the world and he found ruin.

The sons of the prophets wanted God and they found deliverance.

 

We learn a valuable lesson from this.

And one that people have learned throughout the ages.

 

TURN TO: PSALMS 73

 

Don’t you love his concluding statement.

“The nearness of God is my good.”

 

Asaph learned true contentment.

I am fine with what I have as long as I have God.

 

TURN TO: EXODUS 33:1-17

 

Notice the people realizing that God

Was more important than the things of this world.

 

 

THE POINT IS THAT WHEN GOD IS AROUND,

PROBLEMS ARE NOT TOO BIG

AND SOLUTIONS ARE NOT IMPOSSIBLE.

 

TURN TO: HEBREWS 11

 

This is a marvelous chapter

To teach us the value of having a desire for God and a trust in Him.

 

I want you to especially key on the term “not seen”.

It is a key word in this chapter.

 

We first see it used in the preachers definition of faith.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

 

In other words, true faith does not rest on measurable evidence.

Christians have no proof, they only have a promise.

 

By faith we believe what we do not see.

 

Now to many this would seem like a foolish thing.

 

• Why in the world would you believe something when you cannot see it?

• Why would you look at an impossible situation as though there is a solution?

 

Because our God is in the business

Of bringing what is seen out of what is unseen.

 

Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”

 

If you need proof that God can change a situation, look at creation.

There was nothing and God made something come.

 

He has the power to speak into a situation

And bring forth what is seen out of what is unseen.

 

That is the basis for our faith.

 

And it is that faith that the ancients were commended for.

 

VERSE 7

• Noah had never seen rain…

• Noah had never seen a global killer…

 

But he knew God had the ability to bring forth what is seen out of what is unseen, and so he trusted God and it paid off.

 

VERSE 24-27

• Moses could see Pharaoh, he could not see God…

 

Yet Moses chose to fear God more,

Because He knew the unseen God had more power

Than the Pharaoh before his eyes.

 

And this is the point to all these saints.

 

When given the opportunity to choose

What they could see or to trust what they could not,

They chose to trust what they could not see.

 

They forsook what was seen and INVESTED in what was not seen, and they all reaped enormous benefits for it.

 

VERSES 13-16

 

And we learn from them, just as we learn from Asaph and Gehazi and the sons of the prophets.

 

Do not set your eye upon attaining this world,

There is only ruin and misery there.

 

Instead realize that “the nearness of God is my good”

And set your eye on Him.

 

Surrender what is seen for the sake of attaining what is “not seen”

And find the blessing of having God in the middle of your dilemma.

 

And so it is a simple decision.

 

Which is more valuable, the riches of the world, or the presence of God?

 

Which house are you investing in?

 

Psalms 73:25-28 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”