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“Elisha's Early Ministry” • 5.21.17 • Calvary Christian
Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- The last time
we were together, we witnessed an incredible scene. Elijah was taken up into
heaven by a whirlwind and as Elisha stood watching, the mantle that Elijah
wore, fell down upon him.
- Elisha had
asked for a double portion, the right of the firstborn prophetic son, to carry
on where Elijah was leaving off.
- Elisha
provides us with a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus, who, when He was baptized
at the Jordan river, was affirmed by God the Father and the Holy Spirit, to be
the well pleasing Son.
- In the same
way, Elisha goes forward into his public ministry, empowered to speak God's
Word to an increasingly apostate nation. What we have before us are his first
acts in office. Verse 15.
Text
• II Kings 2:15,16a : "Now when the sons of the prophets
who were from Jericho saw him, they said, 'The spirit of Elijah rests on
Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. Then they said to him, 'Look now,
there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search
for your master, lest perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him upon
some mountain or into some valley.'" :
Immediately, the sons of the prophets identify the mantle that has come to rest
upon Elisha, as being symbolic of the spirit of Elijah.
- This was no great deduction on their part, as
the Jordan river has just parted before him! Properly, they submit themselves
to him, but then offer this strange suggestion.
- They want to begin a search to see if God
hasn't deposited Elijah somewhere nearby as He had done in the past. "He
could just be over there."
- Even if he was, couldn't Elijah just make it
back on his own? Didn't God have a return service? Their zeal is commendable,
but it is certainly without knowledge.
- It seems that they are just in a hurry to do
something about what they have seen, which is usually a recipe for futility in
the Christian life!
•
II Kings 2:16b-18 : "And he said, 'You shall not send
anyone.' But when
they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, 'Send them!' Therefore they sent
fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him. And when they came back to him, for he had stayed in Jericho,
he said to them, 'Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?'" : Elisha repeatedly seeks to dissuade them and with every
repitition, they continued to press him! The words speaks of beating a sharp
object until it's blunt.
-
Their enthusiasm actually caused Elijah to be embarassed! He finally gave in
and allowed them to go out on their search party which lasted a full three
days. Surprise: No Elijah!
-
How often has this been the case with God's people? Certainly, they cannot
shame God, but they manage to follow their own course when God communicates a
"no" answer.
-
Just like the sons of the prophets, you'll come home empty handed! Better to
heed the Lord's voice and not go in the first place! The sons of the prophets
had to learn the hard way! Verse 19.
•
II Kings 2:19-22 : "Then the men of the city said to
Elisha, 'Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord
sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.' And he said, 'Bring me a new bowl,
and put salt in it.' So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in
the salt there, and said, 'Thus says the Lord: ‘I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more
death or barrenness.’ So the water remains
healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke." : Joshua had said of Jericho in Joshua 6:26 that a curse would be upon the man that sought to
rebuild the city.
-
His sons would die in the effort. This was fulfilled in I Kings 16:34 when Hiel rebuilt the city for King Ahab. We see here
that the group that settled here was still struggling in their efforts.
-
In spite of it being a good place to live, the city's water supply, kept it
from being ideal. The water was bad for drinking and for agriculture, as it
kept making the ground "miscarry."
-
This is an interesting. Jericho was a city of Israel and was therefore, an
idolatrous, rebellious city. It's likely that they have exhausted their Baal
and Jeroboam "calf" religion resources.
-
How sad is it that the supposed god of fertility was powerless in the face of a
simple spring?
-
The people of Jericho are coming to Elisha as a last resort. Nobody else has
been able to help. These then, are not believers, but their desperation leads
them to this action.
-
Elisha looks at them and scolds them for their lack of belief! No. He welcomes
their respectful request and asks for a bowl of salt, which he poured out at
the source of the water.
-
There is still a spring that flows into the city of Jericho that is called
"Elisha's Spring." Without testing the water, Elisha declares that
the Lord had healed it.
-
Understand that Elisha could have done a dance or stood on his head. The salt
is inconsequential, except for it remaining as a picture for us.
-
The fact is that God wanted the people of Samaria to know that it was He and He
alone that had the power to overturn death and barrenness! What Baal was
powerless to do, He did with ease!
-
This is precisely why God allows such goodness to extend to those that are not
yet believers.
-
He wants an undeniable testimony of His faithfulness to remain as a witness.
The people of Jericho could not deny that it was His involvement. And that
testimony still remains!
-
That water was good at the time that this was written and if you have the
chance to visit, you can drink from it to this day! Consider the picture before
we move on.
-
When God calls a work to be done in your life, it must begin at the source, at
the very heart of an individual.
-
His presence will heal and cleanse what had brought forth death and
fruitlessness in your life! When He does it, it won't be temporary or personal.
It will be permanent and public!
-
All will be able to drink from what comes from your life and be refreshed!
-
The people of Jericho were grateful for Elisha's presence, but that couldn't be
said for all the people he encountered. Verse 23.
•
II Kings 2:23-25 : "Then he went up from there to
Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and
mocked him, and said to him, 'Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!' So he turned around and looked at
them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears
came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. Then he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he
returned to Samaria." : Bethel had been a thriving
center for Jeroboam's calf worship. God's hand split it's altar in I Kings 13.
-
The arrival of an "anti-calf" prophet was not likely to be well
received. The reception was in fact openly hostile! Before entering the city,
he is surrounded by a gang of youths will ill-intentions.
-
Certain translations intimate that these were young children, despite the same
word being used to describe grown men, most notably Rehoboam's friends. (I Kings 12:10)
-
These young men relentlessly mocked him and, very likely, were intent upon
physically harming the prophet. "Go up you baldhead!"
-
This may or may not be descriptive of Elisha's follicals. It may be that they
are saying that they have no need to fear Elisha because he did not possess
Elijah's hair.
-
Ultimately, they don't want him there, but want him to join Elijah! Elisha is
done hearing their taunts and pronounces a curse upon them. "Oh, what do
we have to fear." Just then, they knew!
-
These men have focused their hatred upon God's man and have blasphemed His
Name. God allows this to be their final or perhaps, most severe warning!
-
You'll note that the author does not report their deaths, but their mauling or
their being torn! It seems that they lived to consider their beliefs about God
and His man another day.
-
You might object to God's action here, but the grace remains the same as in
Jericho!
-
Jerico's unbelievers saw His kindness. These young men were met with the His
severity!
-
Both lived to tell a story of the reality of God's presence in their lives!
Chapter 3.
• II Kings 3:1-7 : "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. And he did evil in the
sight of the Lord,
but not like his father and mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal
that his father had made. Nevertheless he persisted
in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; he did not
depart from them. Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheepbreeder, and he regularly paid
the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred
thousand rams. But it happened, when Ahab died, that the king of Moab rebelled
against the king of Israel. So King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered
all Israel. Then he
went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, 'The king of Moab has
rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?' And he said, 'I
will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your
horses.'" : Jehoram did evil in the sight of
the Lord, but not like his Father and Mother. He was not a follower of Baal,
but was still devoted to Jeroboam's religion.
- The imitation of Yahweh worship, the false
worship of the true God, is called by the author, evil in God's sight! For
those that believe in grading on a spiritual curve, keep this verse in mind!
- Less evil is still evil! Jesus told the
people who lived at His time that unless their righteousness exceeded the
scribes and Pharisees, they would not enter heaven! (Matthew 5:20)
- Jehoram persisted. He clung to the sins that
were associated with this false worship.
- This recounting brings us back to the very
first verse of this book. Moab rebelled during Ahaziah's time. His premature
death left Jehoram with the problem.
- Moab refused to pay Jehoram from the benefits
of his master shepherding industry. When that stopped coming in, the King
rightly believed that it was time to deal with Moab.
- He brought all of Israel together and called
Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah to come along with him. Jehoshaphat answered
just as he had answered Ahab.
- "I am as you are, my people as your
people, my horses as your horses!" This is incredible. He had exercised
God's wisdom in not participating with Ahaziah, but he can't resist now.
- There are times when you want to reach into
the pages of scripture and grab someone by the lapels! God gave you wisdom to
get out of trouble. Will you run headlong into it again?
- It's bad enough that he hasn't remembered the
lesson that he learned. Worse still, is that fact that he is sinning against a
word from Jehu about his participation with the wicked!
- II
Chronicles 19:2 records Jehu's rhetorical question for the ages: "Should you help the wicked and love those
who hate the Lord?" The King of Judah hasn't listened. Verse 8.
•
II Kings 3:8-12 : "Then he said, 'Which way shall we
go up? And he
answered, 'By way of the Wilderness of Edom.' So
the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they
marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the
army, nor for the animals that followed them. And
the king of Israel said, 'Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into
the hand of Moab.' But Jehoshaphat said, 'Is
there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?' So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and
said, 'Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of
Elijah.' And Jehoshaphat said, 'The word of
the Lord is with
him.' So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to
him." : Jehoshaphat, it seems, concocts the
idea to approach Moab by the wilderness of Edom.
-
On paper, it's a fair plan, as the wilderness entrance was lightly guarded. An
attack from that vantage point would be a great surprise, for a reason!
-
It's a seven day journey through wilderness! Nobody could carry that much
water. It wasn't long before they were bone dry. The three armies and their
animals were about to die of thirst!
-
Jehoram is the first to grasp the gravity of the situation. He senses that
there is something divine in this planning. He is the most wicked and
therefore, the most conscious of his pending doom!
-
It's at this point, after hundreds of miles and thousands of empty water jugs
that Jehoshaphat has the bright idea to inquire of the Lord! What a great idea
and an incredibly strong illustration!
-
How many have taken the roundabout way of Christian life, taking journeys that
almost cost them everything, only to then look up to ask advice of the Shepherd
of their souls?
-
Before you judge him too harshly, remember that this is here to remind you and
I not to do the same! Paul tells the Corinthians that this is why we have a
preserved record. (I Cor. 10:11)
-
And may I also add, that the best thing is that he did finally turn to ask the
Lord for help!
-
The only thing worse than making the same mistake twice is to forget what got
you out of that same mistake the
last time! Thankfully, Elisha is providentially in the area. Verse 13.
•
II Kings 3:13-19 : "Then Elisha said to the king of
Israel, 'What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the
prophets of your mother.' But the king of Israel said to him, 'No, for the Lord has called these three
kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.' And Elisha said, 'As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not
that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at
you, nor see you. But now bring me
a musician.' Then it happened, when the
musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. And
he said, 'Thus says the Lord: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that
valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals
may drink.’ And this is a simple matter in the
sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. Also you shall attack every fortified city and every choice
city, and shall cut down every good tree, and stop up every spring of water,
and ruin every good piece of land with stones.'" : Elisha is not very hospitable to Jehoram, telling him directly to
seek out the prophets of his parents!
-
"Be consistent Jehoram! You swear by these other gods! Let them help you!"
-
Elisha speaks in the same way that God spoke to the nation of Israel earlier in
Judges 10:24. "Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen.
Let them deliver you in your time of distress!"
-
Don't you find it interesting that even the most ardent athiest in the world
finds themselves praying during times of personal crisis? Where is their
bravado about "God existing" then?
-
Elisha assures Jehoram that he wouldn't even acknowledge, much less, listen to
him if it wasn't for the presence of Jehoshaphat.
-
Elisha is only talking to him because of the presence of David's descendant!
-
After a few choruses, Elisha instructs the Kings to have their men dig out
ditches in the valley before them. Can you imagine their faces? "The
answer is dig a ditch!?"
-
Elisha makes it a little worse. There won't be any sign of water, but God would
fill the ditches with water! That would be nothing to the Lord. That is an
interesting phrase to keep in mind.
-
When you are coming to the Lord in your time of distress, are you making the
mistake of thinking God is as stressed or as burdened as you are?
-
God is never overwhelmed by your circumstance, but will meet the overwhelmed in
their circumstance! What a comfort to hear these words and may you say them to
yourself!
-
"This is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord!" May the Lord
comfort you with that knowledge! Beyond their personal needs, God was also
going to use this to defeat the Moabites.
-
They were not to be forced to be on the defensive. They were to be the
aggressors, attacking fortified cities, cutting down green trees and stopping
up the water sources. Verse 20.
•
II Kings 3:20-25 : "Now it happened in the morning,
when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom,
and the land was filled with water. And when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up
to fight against them, all who were able to bear arms and older were gathered;
and they stood at the border. Then they rose
up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites
saw the water on the other side as red as blood. And they said, 'This is blood; the kings have surely struck
swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!' So when they came to the camp of Israel, Israel rose up and
attacked the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they entered their
land, killing the Moabites. Then they
destroyed the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land
and filled it; and they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all
the good trees. But they left the stones of Kir Haraseth intact. However the
slingers surrounded and attacked it." : Edom,
known as Petra today, is subject to massive flash floods.
-
The wadis that are almost always dry become a free flowing river when the rains
hit Edom. They are many miles away and would have no idea it had rained elsewhere!
-
The miraculous part of this is that the water reached them right after the
morning sacrifice had been offered in Judah! God wants it connected to Him! He
brought this about!
-
Soon, from their vantage point, they could see the water filling the pits that
they had dug the day before! The Moabites however, saw something entirely
different.
-
The sun shone in the direction of the water, which when combined with the mud,
looked as thick and red as blood. They believed that the Kings had turned on each
other!
-
With any hesitation, they ran out from their fortified position to gather
whatever spoil was left. Can you imagine their faces when they ran unarmed into
the well armed armies of the three Kings?
-
The three Kings followed the Lord's instruction and saw victory over Moab. At
this point, we'll see why God wanted to bring Moab down.
-
God will not have the Kings believe that the victory was due to their
righteousness. Verse 26.
•
II Kings 3:26,27 : "And when the king of Moab saw that
the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew
swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. Then he took his eldest son who
would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the
wall; and there was great indignation against Israel. So they departed from him
and returned to their own land." : This
section is a bit mysterious. What is clear is Moab's defeat. Their last ditch
effort, it seems, was to seek asylum with the King of Edom. That failed.
-
What is also clear is the King showed why God wanted him delivered. He
sacrificed his heir upon the wall, burning him as a sacrifice to Chemosh, the
abomination of the Moabites. (I Ki. 11:7)
-
The final part is unclear. Were the remaining people of Moab incensed at
Israel's actions?
-
Was there a great angering in Israel's eyes? Were they so disgusted by what
they saw that they just turned around and left? That part is unclear though
both are true.
-
When the unbeliever sees his doom, he won't simply recant and repent. He will
further hate the righteous. Hell is not filled with men who, if given a
reprieve, would suddenly change their mind.
-
If anything, their torment will only make them more resolved to hate the God
that has relentlessly called them to receive His love.
-
They weep for their own lost opportunity and gnash their teeth at the One that
would have spared them from it!
-
On the other hand, the nominally unbelieving, the less evil, the Jehorams of
the world, are disgusted by what excesses their false religion leads to.
-
They would never sacrifice a human being, but they won't mind sacrificing their
own future for a little pleasure. Either way you read this, Israel's force
returned home with an unsatisfying victory.
Conclusion
- What amazing lessons for us to learn! What Elisha provides in shadow, Christ provides in totality! His Word and direction will keep you from fruitless searches and lead you to victory.
- What amazing lessons for us to learn! What Elisha provides in shadow, Christ provides in totality! His Word and direction will keep you from fruitless searches and lead you to victory.
- His kindness and severity will be lasting
reminders of His reality, and glimpses into greater reserves, kindness for the
righteous or severity toward the wicked!
- His presence as the greatest descendant of
David, allows God to look upon you who believe with favor and you who do not
believe with temporal charity.
- How He will address you for eternity will
depend upon how you have viewed the Son that He has sacrificed for your sins!
Will you enter into fellowship with Him or will you leave disgusted?
- Those that look upon the sacrificed Christ
and are disgusted by their own sin will find a fresh and clean spring flowing
from their lives! May it be so for all we know!
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