God’s Work in the Details

Transcript

GRS 2-104
3/30/2008
God’s Work in the Details
2 Kings 6-7
Gil Rugh

We’re studying Second Kings and if you turn in your Bibles to Second Kings Chapter 6, we’re in the section that deals with Elisha, the prophet’s ministry in Israel. If you remember Elisha was the successor to Elijah. Elijah, one of the greatest of the prophets in Israel’s history some would consider him the greatest, sometimes called the greatest of the non-writing prophets because we have no books written by Elijah like we do Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and so on.

When Elijah was taken to heaven, translated to heaven without experiencing death, his prophetic mantle fell up on Elisha. Both of these great prophets carry on their ministry primarily in the northern kingdom. Remember Israel has split; we have the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom, the northern kingdom ten tribes, the southern kingdom Judah and Benjamin.

The southern kingdom almost totally apostate, the first King of the northern kingdom established calf worship with its centers at Bethel and Dan and that continued to corrupt Israel until it’s carried away into captivity by the Assyrians. The God is gracious and there is a prophetic ministry going on in the northern kingdom because Israel is God’s chosen people. He has promised he will not wash his hands of them and so in the midst of spiritual decadence you have the great ministry of Elisha taking place.

These chapters that we are coming into and even once we’ve already looked at relate almost in an abrupt fashion, a casual fashion, miracles done by Elisha, some of them more outstanding, some of them dealing with everyday life, some of them more limited in scope, some of them dealing more on a national level, but all displaying that the sovereign God is at work among his people. The tragedy is his people will not submit to him. His people are in rebellion against him yet God is graciously at work.

Chapters 6 and 7 are primarily taken up with Israel’s conflict with the Arameans or as we know them the Syrians and they are an ongoing enemy of Israel. So the bulk of Chapter 6 and all of Chapter 7 are given over to Israel’s conflicts with the Assyrians. But the opening verses of Chapter 6 have to do with what we may call a more personal miracle. It happens within the framework of Elisha’s close circle of prophets. It has to do with setting up a new camp or location for the school of the prophets, those young men who carried on prophetic ministries under the leadership and authority of the lead prophet if you will, who at this time is Elisha.

So Chapter 6 opens up. Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha "Behold now the place before you where we are living is too limited for us, we’ve out grown our present site. Let’s go to the Jordan, each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place for ourselves where we may live." Elisha says that’s a fine idea, let’s do it. So we’re going to go down to Jordan, we’re going to get some lumber and cut down some trees. We will move to a new location and construct some facilities there that will enable us to expand our site.

Then one said "Please be willing to go with your servants" he said "I shall go." This school of the prophets, they remained somewhat localized. They may go off on ministries, but they have their headquarters if you will, their school, their camp. Elisha is not always located where they are located, but they ask him come join us as we construct this new site and he said he’ll go with him.

So they went, they cut down some trees of the Jordan, one was cutting down a tree and the axe head fell into the water. Modern day hammers and axes have less of this, but the old style even we knew then and of course in biblical times where they were handmade and so on the axe head comes off as he is swinging, goes flying off the end and out and lands in the water and of course since its iron it sinks. And he immediately turns to Elisha because this is a disaster, "Alas my master, it was borrowed" he had borrowed it for this task from someone outside the school of the prophets.

Now things haven’t changed a lot, students tend to be poor. I went to a seminary and the further along you go off and the poorer you get in school as you use up more and more of your resources to pay your bills. But the school of the prophets, they were men without means.

Back up in Chapter 4 you remember the account that we’ve already seen, in Chapter 4 verse 1 now a certain women of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead." So here’s the widow of a man who had been part of the sons of the prophets. "You know your servant feared the Lord, the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves." So you see they lived hand to mouth if you will, they lived on the gifts of God’s people. So when this woman’s husband died she left without resources and they owed money, and debts have to be paid one of the way they could be paid is the creditor would come and enslave the children and thus he would gain back what he had loaned.

So when over in Chapter 6 when he says "Alas my master it was borrowed" this is a serious matter. This man could go into slavery because we think well, there’s a valuable there iron is scarce at this time. Iron implements are very valuable and he has no way to replace it. Little sidetrack, everybody gets into sidetrack on these things and some commentators say well you know he shouldn’t have borrowed it because we shouldn’t be borrowing. Others said he was careless. When he’s learning a lesson about being careless but the Bible doesn’t indicate that Elisha didn’t turn around and say now you learned the dangers of borrowing, and he didn’t tell him you should learn to be more careful sort of the kind of lectures we give our kids when they do something even though it may be something we’ve done ourselves we still feel free to lecture them.

I like # comments on this. He says I do not think this poor fellow should be criticized on these points. Then he goes on as some of you have enjoyed # Ministry over the years, now with the Lord but his ministry continues on. He has a quote. "In fact I have a question to ask, who loaned this student an old axe with a head that would come off?" "That’s the fellow I would like to talk to, I imagine that fellow is the same one who gives second hand cloths and old Christmas cards to missionaries and thinks he’s serving the Lord." So as # could do he could work in his thoughts on it whether it was directly there or not.

At any rate, Elisha’s response is where did it go into the water? All right, and then Elisha cuts of his stick throws it into the water at that spot and the Iron comes floating to the top. Now obviously, physically speaking there’s no connection between throwing a branch into the water and having iron float. Elisha could have just said iron float but he chooses to use this object lesson. Then he said take it up for yourself. He took out it, reached out his hand and took it.

One of those miracles that as I said almost happens in passing, a little incidental thing it doesn’t impact the nation, it impacts primarily one person. It didn’t perhaps how the schools of the prophets would respond to have one of their number perhaps have to go into slavery to work off paying for this axe head but now we just go on there’s nothing more said about it. Well, I insert that it’s a strange little miracle and yet it demonstrates what, Gods gracious care and provision for his people during this time even on little everyday things of life, here an accident. If you’re going about construction and yet God graciously intervenes to spare one of the sons of the prophet the difficulties that would come to him over this.

God is caring for his people in little ways as well as in greater ways. And this in the context of a nation who really wants nothing to do with him they are about their own business and they have to set up their own worship system.

Now we move from that more personal setting to something on the national level because now we are going to deal with the conflict between the Syrians and the northern kingdom of Israel. Well now we step up significantly on the scope, but it’s the same God working his will. The king of Aram, which remember is Syria was warring against Israel. He counseled with his servants saying in such and such place shall be my camp. So naturally Elisha’s plans with his inner circle, and verse 9 tells us the man of God sent word to the king of Israel saying "Beware you do not pass this place for the Arameans are coming down there." So every time the Arameans set a plan for trapping Israel, Elisha sends word to the king of Israel and said be careful don’t go there, the Arameans will be waiting for you. Well, the king of Israel when he would send spy’s out to look and see sure enough Elisha told him the truth, they were the Arameans. So this happens several times. The end of verse 10 tells us more than once or twice.

So the King of Syria naturally his first thought is we’ve got to spy in our midst. Someone here in the inner circle is feeding information to the Israelites. So he was in rage in verse 11 tells us and says I want to know who the spy is, who’s leaking information. Interestingly verse 12 one of his servant said "No my Lord O king, but Elisha the prophet who is in Israel tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom." Now again, don’t you wonder how this servant in the court of the king of Aram, Syria knows this is really going on and has that faith in the God of Israel that this is truly happening. Bible doesn’t fill in that detail it just tells us enough to know so we understand how these events are transpiring.

So the King of Syria, amazing to me that people in these positions will accept that what you’re saying may be true. So if it’s Elisha telling the King of Israel well I’m going, I’ll send my army down and capture Elisha and I’ll settle the problem. Do you think you ought to be concerned? The Elisha represents the God who can tell secrets but that doesn’t cross his mind. So he sends the army to get Elisha and they said he’s in Dothan. So he sends horses and chariots verse 14 and a great army there. They came by night and surrounded the city.

Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, he’s the servant he goes out probably to get things ready, bring in water for the morning and so on. He looks out and well behold the city of Dothan is surrounded by a huge army of Syrians. Army with horses and chariots was circling city, his servants said "Alas my master, what shall we do?” we’re really in trouble. Elisha, you have to appreciate he’s unshakable oh; well don’t worry about it there are more on our sides than their side. Perhaps the servant thought may be Elisha was getting a little senile, have you looked out your window. Have you seen the number, what do you mean the number with us is greater than the number with them? Elisha prayed and said "O Lord I pray open his eyes that he may see." The Lord opened the servants eyes and he saw behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Here you have the army Syrians gathered around the City of Dothan. But now the servant looks out and there on the mountain surrounding the Syrian army is surrounded with a greater army and a more awesome army. It is an army full of horses and chariots of fire.

Now you can see why Elisha is not worried. He saw what the servant hadn’t seen. God obviously gave Elisha the opportunity to see in the spirit we’re all to see things that others didn’t see. Here he could see the angelic hosts present and then in a response to Elisha’s prayer that servant is given the privilege of seeing that same angelic hosts there ready. So did Elisha fear the puny army of the Syrians?

Now the remarkable thing to me in this that’s remarkable like sometimes think I was working on this, this week I thought about I wonder if the Lord had opened our eyes to see what we see angles, fiery angels present then around and they are ministering servants on behalf of those of us who are areas of salvation. We think that angle’s not present here because we don’t see them. But the amazing thing here’s this mighty angelic army with fiery chariots you know what, they will play no part in the battle, you might think now we’re going to sit back and just watch this angelic host descend on the Syrians and wipe them out, they won’t play a part. You see something of the awesome power of God there but you know what, God’s going to bring the victory through one single individual.

So this servant is given the privilege of seeing the hosts of the Lord present and that’s a blessing but you understand the battle over the Syrians, the Syrians will be defeated but look at the next verse. In verse 18 when they came down to him Elisha prayed to the Lords and said "Strike this people with blindness I pray." He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. That angelic hosts surrounding Elisha and thus surrounding the Syrians they don’t play role but they are there reminder the Lord could act and wipe out in any way he wants. He doesn’t have to use army to defeat them. It’s not a matter, well we’ve got this mighty army what will we do without a mighty army. One man can do it; we don’t need the army even though just because the Syrians have an army here doesn’t mean we have to engage the armies of heaven to defeat them.

Elisha prays Lord please strike them with blindness all of a sudden the Syrian army doesn’t know where they are. I know why they aren’t aware what has happened, what is going on, where are we? Evidently this is not physical blindness in the sense all of sudden they can’t see anything. You get the sense here because they're not in a panic, it’s like they don’t know where they are and so Elisha says O you’re in the wrong spot, let me tell you where you need to be they are almost like in a trance, unawareness of what’s going on. You don’t hear them crying out we're blind we can’t see we don’t know what to do and they’re not thrown into that kind of confusion but there’s a blindness that descends on them even though they evidently can see, they can talk to Elisha he says to them O you are in the wrong spot let me take you where you need to go. They just follow along. And where he’s going to take them is to the capital of Israel Samaria.

So here we go. Elisha said to them verse 19 "This is not the way nor is this city follow me I will bring you to the man whom you seek" and he brought them to Samaria. When they get to Samaria, Elisha said "O Lord open the eyes of these that they may see." They opened their eyes and they are in serious trouble because they have walked right into the centre of the city of their enemy. There is no escape. The king of Israel doesn’t know what to do, should I kill them, should I kill them. Elisha says no you don’t kill them, feed them just like they’d been captured in war. You take captives then you take care of them.

So verse 22 "You shall not kill them would you kill those you have taken captive with your sword, with your bow, set bread and water before them they may eat and drink go to their master they prepared a great a feast for them. When they had eaten and drank, they sent them away back home and marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.

You know that’s amazing miracle, really a – several miracles happened here. The miracle of Elisha being able to relate the secrets of the king of Syria, and what he’s going to do; the servant of the king of Syria knowing that it’s Elisha the prophet who can give such information. The army coming and now this awesome seen of the armies of heaven surrounding the prophet of God, fiery chariots what chance would the Syrians have against that heavenly host none but God doesn’t choose to use it, he don’t need it. He chooses to use Elisha. Just a simple prayer strikes them with blindness. The Syrian army is powerless, doesn’t matter whether they were 10,000 or a 100,000 Syrian soldiers. All the sudden they are powerless. Elisha can lead them one man follow me I’ll take you and here you have this vast Syrian army travelling 12 miles from Dothan down to Samaria. And here they are following who, the man they’ve come to capture. But they’re blind they don’t know who he is. They don’t even know where they are going. I mean isn’t the amazing power of God. He renders totally incapacitated the whole Syrian army all Elisha says is "Lord strike them with blindness." Does it, the armies of heaven they don’t engage not necessary amazing.

All right, they were told the Arameans do not come into the land, they are marauding bands in other words these band of Syrians were constantly coming out entering into Israel, capturing things, taking spoil, kidnapping people things like that, that stopped happening for a time but that’s not permanent. Verse 24 they came about after this that Ben-Hadad, king of Aram gathered all his army and went up and beseeched Samaria.

Now we have a major attack in Israel. The prior account was the Syrian armies coming just to get Elisha because he was letting out their secrets. Now you have a major military campaign to subjugate the northern kingdom. So the Syrian army comes up and they surround and lay siege to the city of Samaria and it is a terrible siege it creates an awful famine.

Two things happen that indicate how serious the famine was. First verse 25. There was great famine in Samaria. Behold they beseeched until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty silver, a fourth of a cab done was sold for five shekels of silver. These were almost worthless. I mean would be sold for next to nothing. A donkey’s head, people are so hungry starving they pay eighty shekels of silver. That’s 21 pounds of silver for a donkey’s head. And he said look at donkey’s head how hungry would you have to be and end to pay that kind of exorbitant price. What to do, what’s good the money. I mean it may not be much to eat on a donkey’s head but it will get you buy a little bit. I can’t eat the silver and the dove’s dung that’s used for fuel. They still are willing to pay silver for that.

Secondly the people are so reduced to starvation that cannibalism is taking place. Verse 26 is the king of Israel was passing by on the wall a woman cried out to him saying "Help my Lord O King." He said that "If the Lord does not help you from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?" before he asked her what she wants he tells her how in the world do you expect me to help you. What in the world can I do for you? I don’t have anything to give you but what do you want.

In verse 28 the king said to her "What’s the matter with you?" She answered this woman said to me, 'Give me your son that we may eat him today we’ll eat my son tomorrow'. So we boiled my son and ate him and I said to her on the next day give me your son so that we may eat him but she has hidden her son." This is a gruesome account. These two women agreed look we all are going to die we might well kill our children and eat them and at least that will sustain us because if we die our children will die in the family anyway. Now you note here, the woman is not upset that they’ve eaten her child. The woman’s upset that now they can’t eat the other woman’s child. She’s not here over grief that they ate her child the day before; she is here upset now they don’t get to eat the other woman’s child. You say what happened to mother’s love you realized the awful, awful condition. You know this is exactly what God said he would bring on Israel for judgment.

Come back to Leviticus Chapter 26. You know one thing you learn is you go through the Old Testament God is serious about his word. He is serious about the judgments of his word. Leviticus Chapter 26 and this is in the context verse 14. if you do not obey me, do not carry out all these commandments, you reject my statute, you abhor my ordinances, you don’t carry out my commandments, you break my covenant, then here’s what I will do. This is exactly what the northern kingdom has done. I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption, fever so on.

Verse 17, "I’ll set my face against you will be struck down by your enemies those who hate you would rule over you. After these things if you don’t obey me I’ll do seven times more and things multiply " Look down at verse 27 "Yet if in spite of this you do not obey me but act with hostility toward me then I will act with wrathful hostility against you I will punish you seven times for your sins." Further "You will eat the flesh of your sons, the flesh of your daughters you will eat." Exactly what God had said he would do when they reject him. You think Israel thought this could ever happen, the context of going to go into the land flowing with milk and honey, overwhelming prosperity more than enough? That could never happen to us and I would be ever reduced of killing my own child and eating them up as so gruesome. God’s word always is true.

You’re here look back in Deuteronomy Chapter 28, Deuteronomy 28, same kind of context. God promises blessing for obedience. And chapter 28 opens up now. It shall be if you don’t obey the Lord your God being careful to do all those commandments what I command to you the Lord will set you high up above all the nations to the earth. All these blessings will come upon you" and he enumerates blessings upon blessings.

Down in the verse 11. The Lord will make you abundant prosperity. In verse 12 the Lord will open for you his good store house, the heavens to give rain to your land in its season to bless the work of your hands and on it goes with blessings. But verse 15 it shall come about if you do not obey the Lord your God and so on. Verse 16, cursed you shall be in the cities, cursed, cursed, cursed.

Verse 20 The Lord will send upon you curses, confusion, rebuke. The Lord will make pestilence cling to you diseases verse 22. The heavens will turn bronze and iron no rain. You’ll be defeated verse 25 by your enemies and so on.

Come on down all the way down this is a long list of curses down to verse 53. Then you shall eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters whom the Lord your God has given you during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you. The man who is refined and very delicate among you shall be hostile toward his brother, toward his wife whom he cherishes, toward the rest of his children who remains so that he will might give any one of them of the flesh of his children which he will eat since he has nothing else left.

Verse 56 the refined and delicate woman among you who would not venture to set the sole of her feet on the ground for delicateness and refinement shall be hostile toward the husband she cherishes, toward her son and daughter and on it goes. What an awful picture. You think people in their prosperity ever thought that they could be reduced to that. You never want to be on the wrong side of the living God. His curses are his true as his blessings.

And so we come over to Second Kings Chapter 6 and we have this awful account of a disagreement between two women. One woman gave her child to be eaten and now she’s upset that the other women won’t do the same thing. No regret over her child, regret over where’s my next meal come from we ought to be eating this woman’s. It’s just an awful, awful time. And here you have the God of Israel who makes the axe had float, who strikes the Syrian army with blindness, who can send the host of heaven to encamp around his prophet. And his people are reduced to cannibalism because of their rebellion against him. It makes no sense; I mean you think that Israel would be on their face before their God in humility and repentances. The king of Israel what’s his impact, what’s the impact on him.

Verse 30 When the king heard the words of the women he tore his clothes. Now he is passing on the wall the people looked. He had sack cloth, he’s in mourning, but he’s not in godly repentances. You know how we know, read the next verse. Then he said may God do so to me and more also if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today. With a note he says Elisha will die today. What’s that got to do with the famine. Perhaps Elisha announced it, would have told. The king of Israel knows the hand of God is behind this, he told the woman when she said to help me verse 21 He said "If the Lord doesn’t help you how can I help you." You know he’s like Jezebel. What did Jezebel wanted to do, got to get rid of Elisha. "God do so more to me and more if I don’t do to you what you did to the prophets of Baal." What’s the king of Israel say "God do so to me and more also if I don’t cut off Elisha’s head today." I mean got the problem I am going to kill the prophet. And he has got the kind of power to bring a famine that reduces your people to cannibalism. Don’t you think you are to bow before him? It’s not the way it works. So he is going to kill Elisha.

So he sends the messenger out to get Elisha and Elisha knows he is coming. You can’t fool the Lord and Elisha is the prophet of the Lord. So Elisha knows what is going on he’s sitting in his house and the elders are there with him from Israel. The king send a man verse 32 from his presence and Elisha says to the elders do you see how this son of a murderer has sent away to take my head. He already knows what’s going on why? He knows the thoughts and words of the king. Look when the messenger comes you shut the door against him because the king’s right behind him. So he close the door on the messenger I’ll wait to give my response until the king gets here. In other words I don’t talk to the messenger, I talk to the king.

So while he was still talking the messenger came down to him then the king arrives and he is not willing to wait any longer. Statement here "Behold this evil is from the Lord why should I wait for the Lord any longer." Perhaps he is thinking of giving in to the king of Samaria to depict the lady, the yielding we’re not told. Elisha’s response in Chapter 7 verse 1 is simple. Listen to the word of Lord, "Thus says the Lord 'Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a Shekel, two measures of barley for a Shekel in the gate of Samaria. They are paying eighty Shekels of silver for a donkey’s head. Tomorrow be able to buy a measure of fine flour for one Shekel two measures of barley for a Shekel, Impossible. Even they live the siege is stared to go away you realize we are ruined, where are we going to go then. Armies of Syria is been out there encamped you know what they do. They gather all the food supplies and everything, I mean if the army of Syria decides to go home today how we’re going to feed all these people. So the royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said "Behold if the Lord should make windows in heaven could this thing be" I mean here you have this close servant of the king he rests on him, he is right there beside him that is such an impossibility. If God would open the heaven and rain down food he couldn’t get the job done.

Elisha’s response is striking. "You will see it with your own eyes that you won’t eat of it." Now that’s a puzzle, if you are going to see it you would think you would eat of it. But you are going to see it, but you won’t eat any of it. So then you have the story of the four lepers. The lepers are outside the city. The Syrians aren’t coming up to kill them; they don’t go into the city. They can’t live in the city they are lepers. They are outcasts so living outside the gate. These four lepers are there and they are starving. So they started talking and saying you know lets go over to the camps of the Syrians. I mean we’re lepers they'll treat, maybe treat us different and that we’re just common Jews and maybe they’ll give us something to eat. If they kill us just hasten the process because if we stay here we are going to starve to death anyway so we have nothing to lose.

So they come to the camp of the Arameans and you know what, nobody is home. The camp is empty. And not only is the camp empty the Arameans have left everything behind what is happened? Well that army of the Lord probably came into play now. Nope the Lord doesn’t even need to activate his army he just sends his scare into them.

Verse 6 the Lord had caused the army of the Arameans to hear a sound of chariots, a sound of horses, the sound of a great army for they said to one another "Behold the king of Israel is hired against us the kings of the Hittites, the kings of the Egyptians to come upon us." So they hear this roar of a coming army. They say the king of Israel has hired missionaries we’re going to get trapped here. Flee for your life so they take off on the run and you know what you do when you are on the run you don’t take anything with you. They arose and fled in the twilight they left their tents, their horses, their donkeys the camp just as it was fled for their life. The lepers came to the camp, they entered one tent ate and drank, carried away silver, gold, clothes and went to their tents and put it in the tent. They came back and did the same thing. Then they said you know what, we keep this up and don’t go tell them sooner or later somebody is going to find out then we’re going to be in trouble. So we have already got our spoil we’ve stocked our tents with silver and gold. We’ve eaten our fill, we’ve got good clothes let’s go tell them so that we can be heroes, rich heroes. So they go and say hey we came to the camp of the Arameans everybody’s gone cause the king of Israel oh, I know what happened the word of Elisha’s is come true. You know what he say. I know where they are doing it’s a trick. They acted like they left so they will come out and when we come out they are going to get us. He has no sensitivities in the things of the Lord at all. He can’t put two and two together on the spiritual ground.

So his servants said to him you know we’re starving. We’ve got a few horses let’s send some men over to check it out what do we have to lose. King says alright go ahead. No matter they kill, they take the horses and kill the riders. We’re dead anyway we’ll be eating those horses very quickly anyway. So they took two chariots with the horses’ verse 14.went over with the king’s blessing.

They followed them to the Jordon, I mean they are following this where are they, they are not in the camp and you’ve just got everything thrown along the way because the more they run, the longer run you know what you have to do pretty soon you’ve got to throw off your sword because it’s heavy I got to get out of here. And then you are throwing off this, you are throwing off any excess, you are leaving behind your stores because you don’t want to be the one at the end of your line because of the Egyptians, the Hittites are coming you’ll get caught. So pretty soon you are going to throwing away everything you have here leaving it all behind. You can run faster when you are light.

So they go all the way to the Jordon and you know what the Syrians are gone. So they came and told the king that people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans .then a measure of fine flour was sold for a Shekel two measures of barley for a Shekel according to the word of the Lord. Lord doesn’t says there will be enough food; he tells exactly what it will cost.

You know we sometimes forget we think you know our God takes care of the big things he gets rid of the Syrian army that’s a big thing, but you know what, he tells you exactly what you are going to pay for your flour tomorrow, and that’s the exact price that will be paid. What you pay for your barley that’s the exact price you will pay. I mean he’s just not a God of the picture. He’s a God of the smallest detail.

Now the king appointed the royal officer on whose hand he leaned to have charges of the gate. Alright, you have charge to see that this is done orderly you know what, they have opened the gates, the mob pours out and the officer is trampled to death. You know what, he saw it, but he didn’t get the partake of it. Exactly what Elisha said would happen. The people trampled on him at the gate, he died I mean they’re eating their own kids, you think they’re going to line up and in order for flesh behind this man and wait their turn. They’d been paying a small fortune for a donkey’s head now on. And tell you when the gates opened this poor guy standing there, it’s all over and he is rewarded for his unbelief.

So we are told verse 18 it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king. You have that underlined in your bible. It happened exactly as the man of God had spoken to the king, because it was god’s word. It happened regarding the supply of food; it happened regarding the cost of the food, it happened regarding the death of the king’s servant. And he reiterates what Elisha had said in the closing verses of the Chapter exactly as he said and the famine has lifted.

Few things to summarize these two chapters, lessons that I’ve observed. First simple one, we should trust the God in the everyday details of life. Back in chapter 6 verse 5.the axe had fell into the water he says "Alas my master it was borrowed." Great here that this one of the sons of the prophet turns to the prophet of God Elisha and God takes care of that detail that’s doesn’t mean God going to supernaturally, miraculously intervene in every situation in the same way but we’re reminded of the God we have. If he chooses not to, it’s not because he couldn’t, It’s because in his purposes for me he is determined this is not what he will do it this time that’s the best for me. But I understand that in the everyday details of life, here I am chopping down the tree and the axe head goes into the water I can trust God with that he’ll do what needs to be done.

The second point and these actually will overlap we must walk by faith not by sight. Verses 16 and 17 Elisha saw the heavenly host surrounding him, the armies of the Arameans as they are on the mountains around. The servant did and then his eyes are opened. We’ll say, well they were by sight you know what we are reminded up here, the presence of the armies of Israel they were there when the servant didn’t see them. You know I don’t see the Holy Spirit who dwells in me but I know he is there. I don’t see the angels who are present as God’s ministering servants to me as an era of salvation to you as an era of salvation but I know they are here. So much I haven’t seen but I walk by faith. And the scripture gives us these little windows to remind us the greatness of our God. I am sure that this servant walked with a greater faith than he had before. Everything is under control. Doesn’t matter that, you know it will be reduced to Elisha being the man but he can walk by faith.

I like the way Paul put it right into the Corinthians in Second Corinthians 4 verses 16 and 18. Therefore we do not lose heart, while we look not at the things which are seen but the things which are not seen. We walk by faith; we have the word of God. It’s just as much the word of God as the word of God that came to Elisha. We have the word of God. So I walk by faith, I take God as at his word. I believe him.

Thirdly, the resources of our God are always adequate. You know God is never in a bind. We are reminded he has more than adequate resources in verse 16; do not fear those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And you have this insight into the overwhelming resources of God. You’re reminded when Jesus said, "I could ask my father and he would send me legions of angels" but that’s not what he is going to do. Here you have the armies of heaven available but that’s not what he is going to use. But we’re reminded the resources of God are overwhelming. He doesn’t have to tap the resources that are his. He’ll just use Elisha. Just because we have a mighty Syrian army here doesn’t mean that we have to use the armies of heaven, I’ll just use one prophet.

So we are reminded that the resources of God are always overwhelmingly adequate. You know Zechariah Chapter4 verse 6 for I move on for this -- from this "Not by might nor by power but my spirit says the Lord of hosts." Like what Paul says in Second Corinthians 3:5 not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves but our adequacy is from the Lord who has made us adequate." When you think at that level we have the resources of our God to make us sufficient and adequate for all he wants us to do. That does not bring pride that brings you humility.

Our fourth point, the wicked blame the righteous for their adversity. That’s what comes with the king of Israel. In verse 31 when he is ready to kill Elisha why? Will you blame the righteous for your problems?

Fifth, faith believes what it cannot see, what it does not understand. Chapter 7, opened up listen to the word of the Lord. "Thus says the Lord. "Tomorrow about this time a measurable of fine flour will be sold for a Shekel. Two measures of barley for a Shekel at the gate of Samaria. If you would spend the last weeks or months in the city of Samaria seeing people reduce to cannibalism and so on, would you have believed the word of Elisha? If you are going to ask if I was here and I heard this well I will say oh say thank you Lord this famine is good as over. You know I can understand the royal officers saying if heaven opened I don’t think this could happen that’s what faith is. It believes in the sovereign power of God. It believes what God promises God will do. I don’t know how but I don’t have to work out the how. Elisha didn’t have to work out the details of seeing Israel. He just had to give the word of God, that’s it.

We don’t have time to go to some of the verses in the New Testament I like Romans 4 verses 20 and 21 when Abraham is promised that they will have a child, he believed, even though it’s totally out of the realm of human possibility. It is time that we believe in the power of God, isn’t it? Hebrews Chapter 11 the opening verses. These great men and women of faith they believed what they couldn’t see. That’s why they were great men and women of faith. Point six unbelief cannot experience the blessings of God. The royal officer how sad, he saw them but he couldn’t enjoy them. His unbelief is punished. Reminder, God always punishes those who don’t believe his word. And here we conclude one more, God’s word always comes the best. "Heaven and Earth will pass away my word will not pass away."

Verses 16 to 20 we have repeated what Elisha said in that framework you know exactly as God said down to the details it happens. You when I read this and I say what a glorious time, what a ministry Elisha has you understand Elisha is carrying out his ministry at a very difficult time. No indication, any change comes about in the heart of the King of Israel because of all this. There is no national turning to the God of Israel because of his divine invention. He had a thankless ministry in Israel. He’s going to be like his predecessors. Elijah will pass off the scene and nothing changes in Israel. Elisha will pass off the scene and you know what, we still will not have had a godly king in Israel. What a sad state of affairs. And you know I think what a glorious ministry he had he did you know why, he did what God told him. He was faithful to the word of God that’s why now all these centuries later we look back and say what a great ministry Elisha had. He was a man of faith. He walked faithfully before the Lord.

I think look what we have; we have the word of God. We have the spirit of God. We have all the promises of God. And we shall often walk with a shriveled up face. I don’t see how any good can come out of this. I don’t see why the Lord would do that. I don’t, I can’t what are we going to do to spare gloom, depression. Give me a will and where is our God. Oh, I know you have to walk you have to trust the Lord but you have to be practical too. No, you have to trust the Lord. You do the responsibilities God gives me but you know what, my God is sufficient. His resources are more than adequate. I don’t use up his resources. He doesn’t have to send the armies of heaven. I mean there is nothing out of control. When the armies of the Syrian are surrounding the city everything is under control. When the king of Israel is going to cut off Elisha’s head everything is under control. That’s my God, he’s sufficient, he’s adequate. And that’s the way we are to live our lives every day as his people.

Let’s pray together. Thank you Lord for your grace. Thank you for these simple historical records that are records of your grace, your mercy, and Lord the awfulness of your discipline on your people who rebelled. Thank you for Elisha, thank you for raising him up as a light in the darkness. Thank you for your grace that manifests itself in little ways and in big ways. And Lord we are dumbstruck that even in the midst of the displays of your power and your grace, people continue in their unbelief.

Lord, it’s good for us to be reminded that we serve an awesome God. A God with limitless resources and a God who reaches down to care and provide for us in all the details of our lives. The little everyday matters that may not be important on a national scale, may not be important to many people, but Lord they impact our lives and you are concerned, you care for us and you provide for us. What is true in the smallest details of our personal lives are true on the scales of the nations of this world. Lord we walk with confidence. We walk with assurance. We are children of the living God. We praise you for it in Christ’s name, amen.