The NFL has started its season again, and in about a month the NHL will begin its regular season too. As always, fans are eager to learn how the new crop of draft picks will do. Will they live up to the hype that accompanied their first-round selections and their multi-million dollar contracts? Very few of them do. It’s a big step from the collegiate level and developmental leagues to Prime Time.
Last week we heard how the prophet Elisha went from plough-hand to prophet and succeeded the famous Elijah as the leading prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In sport’s terms, Elisha was now playing in the big leagues. But not everyone thought highly of Elisha. A gang of juveniles from Bethel taunted Elisha, making fun of his baldness and making it clear that they didn’t want to have anything to do with him or his message from the Lord. Do you remember what happened to those guys? 42 of them were mauled by a couple of bears God sent out of the woods to protect his prophet. It was clear that Elisha would not labor in obscurity. As we continue our sermon series today about this bald ‘n’ bold prophet, we’ll learn how he was summoned by kings to offer assistance.
The Northern Kingdom of Israel was now ruled by one of Ahab’s sons named Joram. The good news was that he was not as wicked as his father Ahab had been. In fact he destroyed one of the idols of Baal his father had made. That’s especially commendable when you consider how Joram’s mother Jezebel was still alive, and it was she who had urged Ahab to promote Baal worship. But Joram did not make a full U-turn back to the Lord. He continued to promote the worship of golden calves at Bethel and Dan that a previous king had set up.
There are two things that we can learn here. As we said last week, God does not want any compromise with sin. He wants a complete break from it. And so while it was great that Joram had turned away from the worship of Baal, he should have also destroyed those golden calves even though he claimed that this was a just a different way in which one could worship the true God.
You still hear that a lot today in a world where the majority of people say they believe in God. However, many also insist that it doesn’t matter how you worship God. “Just follow your heart,” they say. “Do what feels right and God is happy with that.” Well Joram had done what he felt was right, but it wasn’t in line with God’s Word. God had said that his Old Testament people were only to worship him at the temple in Jerusalem. Likewise God has clearly said that the only way we can approach him in worship is through faith in what Jesus has done for us through his death on the cross. Any religion or any philosophy that says Jesus is not the only way to approach God will actually lead us farther away from him and should be avoided.
The other truth that is impressed upon us again is the great influence parents have on their children. Ahab had dug a big spiritual hole for his sons they found hard to climb out of. Likewise what you do, more than what you say will have a spiritual impact on your children. So what example are you setting for them, dear parents? Do you model for your children a love for God’s Word the way that you eagerly look forward to church and Bible class, as much as you look forward to seeing a movie? Or do you give the impression that church is just another appointment to be endured? Sunday School is starting today. Have you set aside time to take your child there the way you set aside time to get them to their music lessons and their sports practices? Your child’s spiritual instruction shouldn’t only take place at church on Sunday morning of course. That’s why you should have found in your email inbox this past week a summary of the lesson that your child will learn today in Sunday School. Be sure to read it so you can review the lesson and the memory treasure with your child. God has made you parents the first line of spiritual defense for your children. Build a fortress for them, not a hole from which they’ll find it hard to climb out of!
Our text goes on to describe how the country of Moab rebelled against King Joram. It was no longer going to send Israel the wool that it had once sent when Ahab was king. So Joram decided to claim what he thought was his. He garnered support from Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah and also teamed up with the king of Edom. The three kings set out to attack Moab from the south. This, however, meant a long march through the hot and dry desert. After seven days they ran out of water. Joram’s reaction was typical of someone who thought he could worship God on his terms. He exclaimed: “What! Has the LORD called us three kings together only to hand us over to Moab?” (2 Kings 3:10)
This march into Moab had been Joram’s idea. He hadn’t bothered to consult the Lord before he left. And now that he had gotten himself into trouble he was quick to blame God! Joram’s attitude still lives on doesn’t it? How often haven’t we made choices without first taking the matter to the Lord in prayer? And then when things started to fall apart because of our hasty decisions we accuse God of not caring for us.
Thankfully King Jehoshaphat had more sense than King Joram. He enquired as to whether or not there was a prophet of the Lord in their midst they could consult. One of Joram’s men said that the prophet Elisha was travelling with the army. And so the three kings sought him out to hear what he would have say. When Elisha received the three kings he boldly confronted Joram. “Why,” he asked, “don’t you consult one of those prophets of Baal that your father and mother so highly prized? Why come running to the Lord now?” Joram complained again that it was the Lord who had gotten him into this mess. Elisha would not be intimidated. He said: “As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you” (2 Kings 3:14).
Ouch! What a response! And yet in a way that’s what God says to each one of us isn’t it? “If it wouldn’t be for my Son, Jesus, I wouldn’t even look at you. Instead I would punish you for all of your sins!” Friends, it’s only because of Jesus that God listens to our prayers and has promised to answer them in the way that is best for us because it’s only Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross that has the power to cleanse us from our sins. So if we think we can approach God without Jesus, we really don’t understand just how terrible sin is – that we wouldn’t even be able to survive for a moment in God’s presence because of our sins, just as piece of dirt has no chance against someone determined to clean the floors with a mop.
For Elisha’s sake God did respond to the three kings who stood before him. God would not only miraculously provide the water they needed, he would also give them victory over Moab. That’s how our God still treats us today. He doesn’t just tell us that our sins are forgiven, and that we should now behave ourselves so that maybe, just maybe we make it to heaven. No! God has forgiven and continues to forgive us our sins and he gives us credit for Jesus’ righteousness so that there is no doubt about our salvation. God does this even though we don’t deserve it, just as Joram didn’t deserve any help from the God he blamed for his troubles.
So how exactly was God going to help these kings and their armies? Elisha directed them to dig trenches and promised that in the morning they would be filled with water even though it wouldn’t rain. And sure enough, the next morning there was water everywhere! The men and the horses were saved. Meanwhile, the Moabite soldiers saw the water from a distance but to them it looked like blood. Perhaps the rising sun was reflecting off the water making it look red, but since the Moabites didn’t expect any water in that region, they figured it must have been blood from the Israelites and Edomites fighting amongst themselves. When the Moabites went to scavenge a field they thought would be littered with dead bodies, however, they found three armies very ready to fight. The Moabites were routed and God won a great victory that day.
It’s interesting how the water that God promised the Israelites and their allies made its miraculous appearance right about the time the morning sacrifice was being offered in Jerusalem. Less than a thousand years later while the morning sacrifice was being offered at the temple in Jerusalem, the Lamb of God was being offered up as a sacrifice on the cross and filled us all with forgiveness. There is not a person here or in the world who has not been forgiven.
So like the Israelite army we now have the strength to stand up and to fight our battles. The most important battle to engage in is our fight against sin. With God’s help we can say no to temptations, and we can set wonderful examples for our children and our friends to follow. Don’t be a King Joram - quick to blame God for problems you bring on yourself. Instead admit and confess your sins and turn to the Lord for forgiveness. And then you, like Elisha, will be a bold witness to the truth and will be a blessing to others. Amen.
SERMON NOTES
List at least three things you remember about Elisha.
Joram was now king of Israel. How was he better than his father Ahab? How was he just as bad?
Ahab had not been a good example for his son. What kind of example are you setting for those around you? In what ways can you be a better example?
In what way was Elisha like Jesus in our sermon text?
The water that poured into Edom to save the thirsty Israelite army started to flow around the time of the morning sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem. What parallels do you see with Jesus’ death on the cross?
