A Taste of God’s Favor (2 Kings 6:8-23)
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.
