2 Kings Chapters 1-2

 

RD V.1-2

 

After the death of Ahab his son Ahaziah became King

A)Ahaziah’s name means held by Yahweh –but his heart was held by Baal.

 

B) He came to the throne in 853 BC and reigned into 853BC.

 

C) One day walking on the roof top patio and fell thru the Lattice – really heavily injured.

1) Lead to his death

 

Anyone of us here: One step from Death!

A)Greg Mandersen 59 gets cancer – Loved the Lord

Loved his family / Loved Life

 

B) Mike Moran – 20 – Loved the Lord

 

C) What would people say about you

1) Legacy leave

 

Ps 37:23-24

 

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;

For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

 

Well Ahaziah proves he was not a good man or a man of God –

A)He sent messengers to go inquire of Baal Zebub if he was going to recover –

 

B) Baal Zebub was the Lord of the flies – also considered the Lord of medicine

1) Because they drained the blood from the flies because they thought it had healing ability

 

C) So he sends messengers to inquire of Baal Zebub and the Lord God wasn’t pleased.

                                         RD V. 3-8

 

 

We can be guilty of doing what Ahaziah did when he are hurting

A) Instead of running to the Lord – we run to someone else {Friend

 

B) God asked the question – Is there no God in Israel

1) Is it because there is no God in this place? He would ask

 

C) 1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your cares upon him because he cares for you.

 

D) Do you believe that? Are you willing to wait for an answer?

 

E) Go to the Lord! – Eddie driving back Murrieta

Well Ahaziah isn’t to thrilled at the Word of Elijah – go get him – RD V.9-12

A)COME DOWN –

 

B) Always the enemies request – Come down/ come off the MT top

1) Come off the place of Pursuing the Lord

     Come Down man

 

C) Note that others were affected by Ahaziah’s rebellion and unrepentant heart

 

D) 100 men died because of this

1) Always collateral damage

 

E) Third Captain takes a different more humble approach. RD V. 13-18

 

 

Elijah brought down fire from heaven but Jesus wouldn’t let his disciples do the same

A) Luke 9:54 – Samaritans – You don’t know what spirit you are of.

 

B) Sometimes we want to bring the fire – we want to come down hard and heavy

1) God would say: Not my spirit

 

C) This action was rare – we need to remember that

1) God is a gracious God.

 

CH.2 The Calling of Elisha – Looked at Sunday.

 

J. Oswald Sanders: “Spiritual leaders are not made by men or appointed by men. Only God can make them. Simply holding a position of importance does not constitute a leader, nor does taking courses in leadership. Spiritual leadership is a thing of the Spirit and it is conferred by God alone.”

 

Gary Inrig: When a leader is taken, we tend to look for a substitute, a replacement- someone to fill the position. But the Lord doesn’t recycle the past. Our need isn’t that person or another just like him, but the God of that person. The critical truth is this: When God’s leader is removed, everything of God remains. Transition times are times to refocus on the unchanging God.

 

It was time for Elisha to take up the mantle

A) 1st met Elisha in 1Kings 19 – he was tending his father’s oxen – 12 oxen = dad was a man of means

 

B) God told Elijah – go throw your mantle on that man – He is to be your successor

 

C) Worth noting: It was while Elisha was usefully engaged, in the performance of duty, undertaking the strenuous work of plowing, that he was made the recipient of a divine call into special service.

 

 

D) Common practice of the Lord:

1) Peter & Andrew / James and John Fishing

2) Matthew Tax booth

3) David Sheep –

 

E) All men who were faithfully engaged in a task

1) Weren’t kicking back waiting for the Lord to call

 

Also worth noting that to enter upon the prophetic office, to identify himself with Elijah, meant a drastic change in his manner of life.

A) It meant the giving up of a lucrative worldly position, the leaving of the farm,

 

B) for the servant and soldier of Jesus Christ must not "entangle himself with the affairs of this life"

                         (2 Tim. 2:4).

 

C) Can’t have two passions:

1) Spurgeon: See yourself doing anything else – probably not called to full time ministry.

 

D) When Elijah called Elisha asked permission to go kiss his parent’s goodbye

1) Elijah encouraged him to do so – In essence said to him – don’t act impulsively – count the cost before you commit yourself.

 

E) So important –

1) I live by Hab 2:2 – I want people to count the cost

Clear picture of what their getting themselves into

F) I have seen people jump into ministry at the encouragement of well meaning friends

1) Or simply responding to a need – Never counting the Cost – {Flounder or worse crash and burn

 

G) Important for Elisha to count the cost

1) He does – spends the next 6yrs assisting Elijah

 

Now it is time to take over RD 1-3

Now, there were in those days, sort of theological seminaries which were called the schools of the prophets.

A) These were begun by Samuel, and it was training young men in the scriptures, in order that they might be a spiritual guide to the nation.

 

B) The priesthood at this time did not have a powerful spiritual influence.

1) This was maintained more by the prophets, they were God’s spokesmen to the people.

 

C) Early on the priesthood became corrupted.

1) So, God began to speak to the people through these prophets.

 

D) They had these schools of the prophets, where the fellows would study the word of God, learn the word of God, and learn to listen to the voice of God.

 

 

 

The major school of the prophets was in Gilgal, and Elijah was the head over these schools during this period of time.

A) Later, Elisha became the head over these schools.

 

B) There was also one in Bethel, and there was one in Jericho

 

C) So Elijah is visiting the schools before he is going to leave. -  RD V.4-15

 

 

DOUBLE PORTION:  Looked at Sunday: 4 stops – 4 points of Prep for receiving Power

 

1) Gilgal – Place of Purification

2) Bethel – Place of revelation or realization

3) Jericho – Place of submission

4) Jordan – Place of expectation

 

B) Result – Elisha received his double portion.

 

C) Here is what I want you to consider – His persistence – each stop – stay

1) NO WAY – I am going

 

D) What if he would have said – ok – I am tired and you are right I am going to chill

1) He doesn’t see Elijah taken – and He doesn’t receive a double portion.

 

 

 

God rewards persistence: Keep on Knocking / keep on asking!

A)Heb He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him

 

Story of a wealthy insurance broker from the east who got caught up in the gold rush – headed off to Colorado – He discovered a very rich vein of gold in the Rockies –

 

He talked his friends into investing in his mining venture – they formed a corporation –

Bought a ton of equipment – to mine this vein of gold.

 

About the time that the corporation was paid off and all the debts were paid the vein ran out – Well the investors kept digging until finally ran themselves into debt again

 

Darby discouraged and now in debt ordered the end to the digging. He closed the mine went to Denver and sold the mine and the equipment to a junk dealer for a few hundred dollars.

 

Well the junk dealer hired a geologist to study the mine and the area. The geologist came back with the report “ If you dig three feet past the place where Mr. Darby stopped you will find that same vein of gold.

 

That junk dealer became the wealthiest mine owner ever in the state of Colorado – all because of 3 more feet.

 

I wonder how many times we stop 3 feet short of the blessing of God –

 

Others were telling Elisha to stay behind – but he persisted to follow his master –

A) He persisted/ He persevered