“Sinning Against Light” • 7.16.17 • Calvary Christian
Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- Chapter 8 marks a period of decision for the
nation of Israel. The preceding chapters have been largely focused upon the
ministry of Elisha.
- God's work
through him has been miraculous, but it's point is not simply to display power.
His witness was given to convey the reality of God's presence to an apostate
nation that rejected Him!
- God has
allowed Elisha to repeatedly express divine power. The work has been widespread
and the effects have been undeniable, yet, the people have not been convinced.
- What we have
before us is a testimony of what happens to a nation that refuses to believe
the clear evidence of God's activity and sins against the light of the
knowledge of God!
Text
• II Kings 8:1 : "Then
Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, 'Arise and
go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the Lord
has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven
years.'" : Elisha is speaking to the woman
whose son he had restored to life! Consider that statement. Can you imagine
being forever identified with that fact?
- Here is a woman who has endured the pain of
seeing her son die, only to experience the subsequent elation of watching him
return to life! That is her enduring testimony.
- There is a person in Israel who can testify
to a resurrection by pointing to her own resurrected son! Unfortunately, that
truth won't insulate them from trouble.
- Elisha discloses that God has called for a
famine which would last for seven full years. The fact that it will last seven
years points to a full measure of God's judgment.
- Leviticus
26 and Deuteronomy 28 are key
chapters to review when one considers this action. Israel had agreed to a covenant
of blessing for obedience and cursing for disobedience.
- Israel had put it's trust in Baal, the
supposed god of the weather. This famine was meant to break that trust and
cause them to turn back toward Him.
- These disciplinary actions are meant to
reform them In all of it's obstinancy, Israel ignored the hand of God and fell
further away. This was the national response, but it was not universal. Verse 2.
• II Kings 8:2,3 : "So
the woman arose and did according to the saying of the man of God, and she went
with her household and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years. It came to pass, at the end of
seven years, that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she
went to make an appeal to the king for her house and for her land." : So the woman arose! She was a faithful servant in the midst of
a faithless nation! She trusts God's instruction through Elisha and does it!
- It's very likely that her husband, who was
aged when her son was born, has passed away because "she went with her
household" and dwelt in the land of the Philistines.
- The Philistines were located on the
Mediteranean coast. They share a land mass and they are not experiencing
famine!
- It's funny how focused this famine is! God
knows how to measure His people's portions!
- At the end of the seven years, she returns to
her land only to discover that it had somehow been occupied or taken over by
the government. Her sole recourse is to appeal to a wicked King!
- What an overwhelming circumstance? She
followed the Lord's direction and now is in danger of losing her home. How will
the Lord help her? Verse 4.
•
II Kings 8:4-6 : "Then the king talked with Gehazi,
the servant of the man of God, saying, 'Tell me, please, all the great things
Elisha has done.' Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored
the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son he had restored to life,
appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, 'My
lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to
life.' And when
the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, 'Restore
all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left
the land until now.'" : The King happens to be
talking to Gehazi, Elisha's servant! The question of how Gehazi could be before
the King is certainly reasonable.
-
The last time we saw Gehazi, he deceived Naaman into giving him silver and
clothing. He received that and Naaman's leprosy as a judgment! How then does
Gehazi show up here?
-
One explanation involves Gehazi being a national hero! Legend dictates that he
led the lepers that discovered the abandoned Syrian camp in chapter 7!
-
It's far more plausible to believe that this took place prior to Naaman's
visit. How they are together is a mystery. What they are talking about is not!
-
The King wants to hear some Elisha stories! He may have hated Elisha, but that
didn't kill his curiosity. Gehazi strokes his beard and says, "I wonder
which one I should tell? Oh yeah!"
-
"There was this woman who had a son who died. Elisha sent me to put his
staff on him. That probably got him warmed up. But then, Elisha went and laid
on the child and he rose from the dead!"
-
Can you imagine deciding to honor Baal, but then hearing about God's
activities, which involved the raising of the dead? How could this be? His
doubts are short-lived!
-
"Aw, c'mon? A resurrection? In this day and age? Do you take me for a fool
Gehazi?"
-
Right then, the woman in question comes in to plead her case, no doubt with her
son!
-
In the King's heart, he is hearing an incredible, unbelieveable story that
confirms yet again that God is at work in his apostate, rebellious Kingdom!
-
Here comes the woman to confirm Gehazi's story! God is real and Elisha is His
officer! The King that hates Elisha and his God has no choice but to face the
truth!
-
But that is only one side of the coin. What about the Shunnamite woman?
-
She has obeyed the voice of God and left Israel and her home. God had worked a
miracle in the resurrection of her son. Here she is, living by faith that God
will help her in her cause!
-
How can she possibly see her land return to her? How can this godless King be
convinced to see things her way? While she is on her way, God has a witness
working on the inside for her benefit!
-
God's miraculous provision can come in unbelieveable circumstances. Sometimes,
he simply plants people in a position to help His other people!
-
By faith, she had listened to Elisha and her life was preserved. Now, she not
only has her land back, but she is given all of the proceeds that came from it
in her absence!
-
How typical is that? We hope to have the bare minimum from God and He opens the
stores of blessing above and beyond! She should have served as a further
witness to the King!
-
Here was a woman who trusted Yahweh that the King has just helped, yet the King
himself did not believe! He's curious. He's willing to acknowledge the truth by
helping her.
-
He is not willing to repent and recant from his idolatry! Abraham once said,
"If they do not hear Moses and the
prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’"
-
That unbelief sets further disciplinary actions in motion. Verse 7.
•
II Kings 8:7-10 : "Then Elisha went to Damascus, and
Ben-Hadad king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, 'The man of God
has come here.' And the king said to Hazael, 'Take a present in your hand, and
go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, ‘Shall I recover
from this disease?’ So Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, of every
good thing of Damascus, forty camel-loads; and he came and stood before him,
and said, 'Your son Ben-Hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall
I recover from this disease?’ And Elisha said to him, 'Go, say to him, ‘You shall
certainly recover.’ However the Lord has shown me that he will really die.'" : Elisha's
venture into Damascus is somewhat curious until you recall God's command to
Elijah in I Kings 19:15.
-
At the mount of God, Elijah was told to do three things: He was to annoint a
successor, a new King for Israel and a certain man from Syria's throne.
-
Elijah did annoint Elisha as his successor, but it seems that he delegated the
last two duties to Elisha, who is likely here on that business and it's just in
time. Ben-Hadad, the King, is sick!
-
When he hears of Elisha's presence, he sends a gift and asks about his health.
This is Ben-Hadad II, the same man who attempted to lay siege to Israel just a chapter
ago!
-
When his sickness brings him to his bed, he is happy to seek spiritual help!
Perhaps you have a hardened opponent of God in your life. Don't give up. They
may seek you out yet!
-
Ben-Hadad is so eager to hear from Elisha that he sends an enormous gift
through Hazael.
-
When Elisha hears the question, he answers that the sickness would not kill
him, but he would die nonetheless! Hazael is confused and then it gets a little
weird. Verse 11.
•
II Kings 8:11,12 : "Then he set his countenance in a
stare until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept. And Hazael said, 'Why is my lord
weeping?' He
answered, 'Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel:
Their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with
the sword; and you will dash their children, and rip open their women with
child.'" : Talk about your ackward moments!
Elisha has just stared at Hazael.
-
He keeps staring until he becomes embarassed and then breaks down weeping!
Hazael is understandably confused and concerned for the prophet. But his
concern is misplaced.
-
Elisha has been given a glimpse into Hazael's wicked future. He wept at the
inhumanity, but certainly for the fact that his reign would be a necessary tool
of discipline against Israel.
-
Leviticus 26:16,17 and Deuteronomy 28:24,25 spells out this
term of the covenant. God will give victory to Israel's enemies! Verse 13.
•
II Kings 8:13 : "So Hazael said, 'But what is your
servant—a dog, that he should do this gross thing?' And Elisha answered, 'The Lord has shown me that you will become
king over Syria.'" : Hazael is immediately
repulsed by the suggestion that he would be capable of doing such things!
"What am I? A dog?" This is an interesting question.
-
He has accepted that Elisha knows what would take place. But now, as Elisha
exposes what will happen with him, he is immediately resistant to hear it!
-
Elisha has told him the truth about his future and he will not hear of it!
-
The truth is that we are capable of anything apart from the work of Jesus
Christ in our lives!
-
He couldn't conceive of this happening but God is giving Hazael a chance to
confront the wickedness that lays before him. How will he proceed? Verse 14.
•
II Kings 8:14,15 : "Then he departed from Elisha, and
came to his master, who said to him, 'What did Elisha say to you?' And he
answered, 'He told me you would surely recover.' But it happened on the next day
that he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face
so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his place." : Hazael has had time to consider Elisha's words. When he comes
to Ben-Hadad, he offers a part of Elisha's message, conveniently leaving out
the part about his death.
-
He made his decision and will fulfill God's word through Elisha by
assassinating Ben-Hadad!
-
Nobody questioned it in Syria, but God records it so that Israel will know what
a wicked adversary they had. This is happening outside the Kingdom. Let's have
a look within. Verse 15.
•
II Kings 8:16,17 : "Now in the fifth year of Joram the
son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat having been king of Judah, Jehoram the
son of Jehoshaphat began to reign as king of Judah. He was thirty-two years old when he
became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem." : For the first time since I
Kings 22, we are following a King from Judah!
-
This Jehoram is a son of Jehoshaphat, who was for the most part, a godly King.
-
Unfortunately, he was also an unwise King in his associations. That would prove
to be a large part of his son's downfall. Verse 18.
•
II Kings 8:18,19 : "And he walked in the way of the
kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab
was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah, for the
sake of His servant David, as He promised him to give a lamp to him and his
sons forever." : Jehoram walked in the ways
of the Kings of Israel. This was a King of Judah, a man charged with carrying
on the righteous heritage of his Father, Grandfather Asa and King David!
-
He is one of only a few Kings of Judah that was known to be completely wicked and
it shouldn't be a surprise. His married Ahab's daughter!
-
All of the foundation of his godly heritage that was laid by the example of
David, Asa and Jehoshaphat was ruined by one wicked wife! Predictably, Jehoram
did evil in the sight of the Lord!
-
I've often told people in pre-marital counseling that you aren't simply
marrying a single person, but an entire family!
-
He might have believed himself to be the exception. He would be spiritual
enough to stem the tide and perhaps even win Ahab and Jezebel to God! Many have
made the very same mistake!
-
You and I must be realistic in our own spiritual assessment. God promises us
strength to endure what He calls us to. He doesn't offer any to what we call
ourselves to!
-
In the case of unequal yokes, there is always a greater chance of our being
influenced than there is of our being the influence!
-
When we want something that God says "no" to, we will always
overestimate our strength!
-
II Chronicles 21 fills in some of
the details of Jehoram's wickedness. Verse 5
tells us that he killed all of his own brothers.
-
In verse 11, he constructed immoral
high places for the people of God to commit harlotry against the Lord!
-
In that same chapter, the Bible tells us of the only letter that Elisha ever
wrote, informing Jehoram of the judgment that was coming upon him!
-
At the end of the chapter, he "departs" and nobody was sorry to see
him go! All of this and yet God was faithful. He provoked God to anger, but God
chose to remember David's righteousness!
-
Jehoram may have believed that God was not concerned with his actions, but the
truth was that God chose to honor His promise to David! Verse 20.
•
II Kings 8:20-24 : "In his days Edom revolted against
Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves. So Joram went to Zair,
and all his chariots with him. Then he rose by night and attacked the Edomites
who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; and the troops fled to
their tents. Thus
Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. And Libnah
revolted at that time. Now the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they
not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? So Joram rested with his fathers,
and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Ahaziah his son
reigned in his place." : Edom's resurgence as a
regional power is a direct consequence for Israel's lack of fidelity toward
God! They lost all of the ground that had been gained!
-
How many have found this to be their story? Their lack of faithfulness to God
leaves them vulnerable again to an old enemy! Look at this situation in Zair.
-
He came out with a tremendous show of strength, only to be surrounded by the
Edomites!
-
Joram's troops were lucky to escape! That incident opened the door for Edom to
revolt against Judah's authority and then, Libnah, a Canaanite city in western
Judah also revolted!
-
The people of God are losing their dominance over the region. They didn't
figure it out during Joram's reign. Perhaps they would figure it out during his
son Ahaziah's reign. Verse 25.
•
II Kings 8:25-27 : "In the twelfth year of Joram the
son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began
to reign. Ahaziah
was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in
Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri, king of
Israel. And he
walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab, for he
was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab." : Ahaziah
continues the downward slide, albeit only for his single year as the King.
-
Look at his infliuences: His mother was the granddaughter of Omri, the second
most evil King in Samaria's history! It is almost a foregone conclusion that he
would turn out in the same way.
-
Verse 27 tells us that he lived up
to his name! He was the son-in-law of Ahab's house. When it came to wickedness,
he would not disappoint. Verse 28.
•
II Kings 8:28,29 : "Now he went with Joram the son of
Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead; and the Syrians
wounded Joram. Then
King Joram went back to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which the Syrians
had inflicted on him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And
Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram the son of
Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick." : Ahaziah's
sole highlight is found in his compassionate relationship with Joram, who he
visits in Jezreel when he is wounded.
-
Joram was wounded and Ahaziah was sick. They are both in Jezreel, which will
suit God's purpose in chapter 9.
Conclusion
- What can be said about this chapter? God's faithful love demands that He discipline His people! These things are written to admonish us!
- What can be said about this chapter? God's faithful love demands that He discipline His people! These things are written to admonish us!
-
Certainly, our covenant is not based upon our performance as Israel's was. Our
covenant is based upon Christ's performance and we are given the grace reward
that Christ's actions deserve!
-
Nevertheless, we would do well to ask ourselves if there are famine conditions
in our lives, not of physical food, but of hearing the word. Are there pockets
of disobedience to confront?
-
Perhaps an old, formerly defeated enemy, temptation or habit pattern has
re-established itself in our lives. What has changed? Is it the power of God?
Not likely!
-
These are things that require us to look to God's Spirit and ask for a true
assessment. Are we in the habit of obeying what we know of His truth? Are we in
line with where He wants us to be?
-
Israel wishes it would have asked these questions. I pray that we will not fail
to do so.
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