2 Kings 4: 42 - 44 - eighth sermon on the life of Elisha
Below is the outline of the sermon, I preached on 10 June 2012 at West Ewell Evangelical Church, Surrey:
Introduction
The incident occurs when the land of Israel was still in the period of famine that had started when we looked at where there was death in the pot) - it was a famine that lasted for eight years.
There was no precedent in the Bible for feeding in such a miraculous way – until Jesus fed the 5,000 recorded by all four gospel writers (e.g. Matthew 14: 13 – 21) - so Elisha had to step out in faith.
As Christ had compassion on the crowd before Him, so Elisha was concerned for the hungry people.
We will look at the following:
· The Need
· The Provider
1. The Need
The man had travelled a long distance to meet up with Elisha – from Baal-shalisha to Gilgal for fellowship – what prevents us from meeting up with other Christians (such as on Days of Prayer, mid-week meetings)? It could be that there is inconvenience for us, or we are lukewarm towards God, or it could be when legitimate reasons (such as family) become excuses.
When we pray ‘give us our daily bread’ then it is so easy to forget the One who provided it – we can get so wrapped up in the gifts that forget that God wants to do greater things in our lives.
In addition, the man came from a town originally called ‘Shalisha’ but influence by Jezebel so that affixed word pagan idol ‘Baal’ to the name – as demonstrated by Baal-Hermon (1 Chronicles 5: 23). In the midst of difficult times, one man prepared to be identified with true God although he was going against the prevalent culture of the time, which has so many lessons for us today where the Christian heritage of this nation is being eroded.
Had he come from Bethel, for example, there might not have been any comment – as school of prophets in that town.
He was not aware that he was going to take part in a miracle – yet it is amazing how God used him.
Even when there is famine, food elsewhere in the world. It is said that enough food in the world today to feed everyone so no need for people to die of starvation.
In our day, the hand of God is pushed aside and there is no recognition as to His blessings upon us – need to thank Him for the things we take for granted, e.g. shelter, food, music, air, life itself.
When the prophet Amos recorded the words of the Lord, it was stated: ‘I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up.’ (Amos 4: 7) God continues: ‘People staggered from town from town to town but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me.’ (verse 8)
We too live in a day of drought – spiritual as well as physical.
2. The Provider
We have looked at the need, now to look at the provider: God
There was obviously a harvest in Baal-shalisha for God is merciful. In addition, He gave man a heart to serve God’s people.
God also keeps His promises, such as ‘As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease’ (Genesis 8: 22) - He has not deviated from any of them so we can trust in Him.
The offering of the first fruits was normally offered to a priest (Leviticus 23: 10), but here is a precursor to when all who would believe in the Lord would be the priesthood of all believers.
CS Lewis wrote: ‘All find who truly seek’ (The last battle, p. 149)
We need to acknowledge the bounty of God by bringing a representative portion to Him – here the firstfruits were to be brought normally into the house of the Lord. (Exodus 23: 19; 34: 26)
We are not to keep all for ourselves – e.g. tithes, other free will offerings for the work of the Lord, ourselves
Interestingly, there was a person who questioned (verse 43) but the real faith in God is not stumbled by the unbelief of others
Jim Elliott (a man who was willing to give his life in the service of God) wrote ‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose’
Dietrich Bonheoffer (another man who gave his life in the service of God who he loved) also wrote ‘In life we receive more than we give; therefore it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.’
Conclusion
Questions:
· What do we want God to do in our lives that He has not done before? – walk closer with Him, to love Him more, (for non-Christian) salvation, miracles (including healing)
· What do we want God to do for those near to us that He has not done before? – conviction, save, get closer to God
· What do we want God to do for our nation that He has not done before? – revival, biblical principles
We should take God at His word, what He promises, such as:
· ‘Everyone who believes who believes in Him may have eternal life’ (John 3: 15)
· ‘…For if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul’ (Deuteronomy 4: 29)
· ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more’ (Jeremiah 31: 34)
· ‘No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it’ (1 Corinthians 10: 13)
· ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’ (Deuteronomy 31: 6)
· (Jesus said) ‘For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them’ (Matthew 18: 20)
After the exile, at the laying the foundation of the new temple, in Zechariah 4: 10, it states ‘Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.’ Likewise, we should be expectant to see God building up new things in the spiritual desolation that we see around us.
We might start with 100 (as illustrated in this passage) but we should long for God to touch more than that in our neighbourhood. Often stated that the Gospel is one beggar telling another where to find bread – spiritually speaking, we have heaps of bread because God’s grace is limitless.
On personal level, may want to start small and then God move you into greater things.
So often we confine God because our vision or perspective is restricted, but He wants to widen our boundaries – if only we would let Him.
It will cause us to rely totally on God for as John Wimber spelt ‘faith’ R.I.S.K.- so we should put our hand into the hand of the steadfast God.
Hudson Taylor wrote ‘God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.’
Let God take control of your life for He has the means and the way.
We shall end with illustration of George Muller who established several orphanages in Bristol solely on basis of relying on God. He believed that God would provide His needs, which were never made known, no indirect hints were made that finance was required so that the glory would go to God. He stated that he was kept in peace by ‘not looking at the little in the hand, but at the fullness of God.’
May we know that fullness!
