Sermon Central
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Asking And Believing
Contributed by Joe Rowland on Nov 29, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: Joash’s actions, blessed by Elisha, released the power of God on behalf of Israel. This was an act of obedience, which affected the destiny of an entire nation. Victory or defeat, survival or slaughter, was determined by this apparent silly action.
Asking And Believing
14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.
16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. {Put thine...: Heb. Make thine hand to ride}
17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.
I have entitled this today: “Asking and Believing”
In our opening text, it is believed Elisha was at least 80 years old at this time.
His illness was probably the result of a natural decay.
Today we are talking about how an arrow of faith changed history.
This portion of Scripture tells of one such battle.
Elisha who had received a double portion of Elijah’s mantle and performed miracles and signs in Israel for over 60 years was dying.
He summoned Joash, the King of Israel, for one final audience to bless Israel.
During this encounter, Elisha tells the king to take some vital prophetic actions.
Joash, the king of Israel, came down unto him, and wept over his face.
It is amazing to me how Joash as privious Kings of Israel knew the worth of Elisha, but still would not serve Elisha’s God.
Men, in general, love their sin.
15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.
Allthough it is not mentioned here, evidently Joash had sought direction from the Lord through Elisha.
As it regards to the threat of Syrian domination the Holy Spirit, evidently tells Elisha what to do.
The Word says in:
Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.
16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands.
17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.
Notice that the arrows became the Lord’s arrows of victory in a very real way.
Joash’s actions, blessed by Elisha, released the power of God on behalf of Israel.
This was an act of obedience, which affected the destiny of an entire nation.
Victory or defeat, survival or slaughter, was determined by this apparent silly action.
1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
Unfortunately, Joash was somewhat apathetic about performing this prophetic act.
Certainly, he must have known the stories of Elisha’s command to dig ditches in a deserted valley where soldiers were dying of thirst, and how those ditches were miraculously filled with water.
Elisha gave him another chance to overcome his indifference.
18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed.
19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
Elisha told Joash that his actions would determine the future of the Israelite people, but the king did not truly believe the prohetic word.
His waivering cost many Israelites their lives, and Israel gained only partial victory.
History was changed because of a poor and casual response by the king.
Had Joash believed the impact of his actions, he would have repeatedly smashed the arrows into the ground.
We, too, are given opportunities to prophetically intercede for the land of our inheritance.
These opportunities may require us to take prophetic action that, in the natural, seem to be puny, unrelated, or even foolish.
Beware! What appears to be absurb or insignificant in the natural, may accomplish great things in the spiritual realm when done in faith and obedience.
