2 Kings Chapter 3:1-27
Stranded Without Water
Review: 2
Kingdoms –
VERSES
1-3
Jehoram was
better than his mom and dad by virtue of the fact that he didn’t worship Ba-al.
But he did
continue to worship the calves that Jeroboam constructed in Dan. So he was better than Ahab but NOT really right in the sight of the Lord.
VERSES
4-5
When Ahab died, Mesha thought that it was the time to
get out from under the heavy tribute that the Moabites were paying to
V. 6-8
Deja vu - Jehoshaphat –
Good man – Gullible
A) Same mistake w/ Ahab - Almost Killed
B) Syrians – Kill the King
– Ahab disguised – they thought Jehoshaphat was Ahab
C) Doesn’t learn his lesson. {Back Again
So Jehoram of
The King of Judah advised
Jehoram that they attack
Result their armies end up stranded in
the Desert w/ out water! RD V.9-10
A) Jehoram says – WE ARE
GOING TO DIE
B) Jehoshaphat’s response – V.11-12
C) Jehoshaphat has his
priorities backward
1) He likes to act on his own intuition and then when
things are not going right – Seek God
D) Unfortunately many believers are this way.
1) Do what they think is right and when it doesn’t
work – then they seek the Lord
Here is what God
promised: -
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Psalm 37:4-5
4 Delight yourself also in
the LORD,
And He shall give you the
desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the
LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
B) Well King Jehoshaphat doesn’t do either of those
things – instead he launches out – trouble – then he turns to the Lord
Common among Men Pride of men
– Not ask for directions! Why
1) Survival instinct – I can do this!
2) Men are hunters ….. Love the Hunt - Adventure
3) To ask for
directions – Admit weakness –
1) Also
Vulnerable – Put my life & family in the hands of a Stranger –
4) Don’t easily trust – Ladies are so trusting – why
they share so much.
Why should I trust that this stranger knows where he
is going?
Guys that might be fine –
driving – but with God we are not talking about Strangers {God –
A) He is so interested in our lives – Learn from our
wives
B) Lost cell phone – for
2days scowered the house
1) Retraced my steps -
Piesters at 8:30pm
C) Next day: Wife – Please look for me –
1) She hangs up the phone –
Prays – cushion -Calls back
D) Denise more spiritual – Yes -
Jehoshaphat is being a typical guy – Problem is this
is repeat PERFORMANCE – Hasn’t learned
A) TROUBLE - Let’s seek the Lord now!
RDV.13-15
Love this - God works
thru worship!
A) Music can be an instrument in seeking the mind and
Heart of God.
B) Music that glorifies God can be used by God to TUNE
you into the heart of the Lord.
C) Worship before studies.
D) Worship is a weapon over the enemy!
1) David with Saul – Demons fled
E)
1) Enemy was smitten
Here Elisha
asked for a musician – He played God
Spoke {Praise the Lord for our worship leaders
RD V.16-20
Heart of my message tonight
This is a simple matter in
the sight of the Lord
A) God was going to bring a flash flood – water would
be provided in that desert with no storm
B) God promised to send water to the valley, but they
had to dig the ditches
to catch what God would provide.
1) They had to dig the
ditches before the water was apparent, so they could benefit from it when it
came.
C) So the kings returned from their visit to Elisha
& told their commanders to have the men dig ditches,
1) That must have been hard
to hear.
D) Thirsty, near-dead men in the middle of the desert
don't look forward to the hard work of digging ditches in dry ground.
1) Yet this work was
essential.
See
the water was available only because they were obedient to dig the ditches.
A) If
B) This demonstrates an important principle of
Scripture:
1) The principle that God
wants us to prepare for the blessing He wants to bring.
C) God instructs us, we are
to anticipate His working and to get ready for it.
D) Digging ditches was something the people of God
could do.
1) God didn't ask them to do more than they were able
to do.
E) When God wants us to prepare for the blessing He
will bring, He gives us things that we can really
do.
APPLICATION: Your morning devotions might seem like nothing more than
digging a trench. It’s DRY... You can’t get anything out of the Scriptures.
NOTE: You DIG THE TRENCH and God will fill it in His timing.
COMING TO CHURCH – WE PREPARE
OUR HEARTS
"If we expect to obtain the Holy
Spirit’s blessing, we must prepare for his reception.’Make this valley full of
trenches' is an order which is given me this morning for the members of this
church; make ready for the Holy Ghost’s power; be prepared to receive that
which he is about to give; each man in his place and each woman in her sphere,
make the whole of this church full of trenches for the reception of the divine
water-floods." (Spurgeon)
"But
the most of people say, 'Well, you know, of course, if
God sends a blessing, we must then enlarge.' Yes, that is the way of
unbelief, and the road to the curse. But the way of faith and the road to the
blessing is this: God has promised it-we will get ready for it; God is engaged
to bless, now let us be prepared to receive the
boon. Act not on the mere strength of what you have, but in expectation
of that which you have asked." (Spurgeon)
Christmas Eve – 39 people come to Christ
Last Sunday 2nd & 3rd
– 28
A) One months time Close to 70
conversions
B) Sometimes I look out – I know all
these people
1) There are those in this area – don’t
know Jesus
C) Get prepared to reach them –
God
told them to get ready and prepare to receive and catch His blessing.
A) God often moves us to do things that
may or may not make much sense for the moment, but they are things that will
prepare us for what He will do in the future.
B) They are Steps in the pathway of
God’s blessing!
C) See the measure of water available to
these thirsty men was directly connected to how faithful they were to dig the
ditches.
D)
The more ditches and the bigger the ditches, the more water was provided.
1) Though it was hard and unpleasant
work, the more they did the more blessing they received.
E) The ditches were not the blessing,
and they were not the victory, though they were essential parts of what both
the blessing and the victory.
Now
When God wants us to do something to prepare for blessing, we should not
confuse the preparation with the blessing itself.
A) God wanted to give them more than their
immediate need.
1)
God wanted to give them more than immediate provision;
2)
He wanted to give them complete victory over their enemies.
B) Learning to look beyond the immediate
need.
RD V.21-24
C) Interesting: The heathen viewed the water as BLOOD
1)
Water in the Scriptures is a type of the Word.
D) There are many unbelievers who view
the Word of God as something “bloody” and gross
1)
But to those of us that have tasted it, it is LIFE-GIVING and REFRESHING.
If
these guys had taken the time to TASTE they would have seen that it was water
and been spared from being wiped out.
A) NOTE: I have NEVER met a person who
has truly studied the Word of God and not loved it.
B) The CRITICS of the Word of God only
VIEW it from a DISTANCE. They NEVER taste it.
VERSES 25-27
Here
was a man in a desperate place and in an attempt to appease his gods he offers
his sons life. Sad story
But
this whole account of God's provision in the desert gives many principles that
apply to Christian leadership.
· Like digging ditches, the work of
leadership comes from God's revelation.
· Like digging ditches,
leadership means not accepting
the present state of dryness.
· Like digging ditches,
leadership must use delegation
· Like digging ditches, leadership
is done with faith in the future.
· Like digging ditches, the
work of leadership often
seems unimpressive or unspectacular.
· Like digging ditches, the
work of leadership will be
criticized or doubted.
· Like digging ditches, the
work of leadership often
feels like work without reward.
· Like digging ditches,
leadership matters nothing
without a miracle.