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
1) Is it because there is no God in this place? He
would ask
C)
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
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
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)
3)
4)
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
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
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