Below is the outline of the sermon, I preached on 2 June 2013 at West Ewell Evangelical Church, Surrey
Introduction
After last sermon’s long passage, the one for this sermon is much shorter!
The famine had lasted for 8 years. The woman whose oil had been restored (2 Kings 4: 1 ff) had been away from Israel for majority of time (7 years) – she had been noted for her care and attention of Elisha (chapter 4).
She acted as the head of household, probably because husband (already elderly in chapter 4) had died in meantime.
It seems as though there was plenty of rain in the lands surrounding Israel – although, in a normal year, Samaria typically slightly more rain than southern coastal plain (which included the land of the Philistines).
Long famines were not uncommon in the Old Testament (as they still exist today), cf. Genesis 41: 30, where Joseph prophesied seven years of famine in Egypt.
She had stayed as a resident alien in Philistia – Hebrew: ‘sojourn where you sojourn’ – like Naomi and family going to Moab, in narrative of Ruth, when famine had arisen in Bethlehem.
The title of this sermon, ‘Restoration,’ is taken from verse 6 – where ‘restore’ means literally ‘ 'to give back everything, cause to turn back.’
We shall look at the following areas:
1. God the Restorer
2. Restoration of ourselves
3. Restoration of others
1. God the Restorer
We should and must centre on God; otherwise, our efforts at restoration merely becomes good works.
God is abundant, not scrimping – ‘Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’ (Lamentations 3: 22 – 23)
In the Shepherd’s Psalm (Psalm 23: 3), we are reminded that ‘He restores my soul.’
He loves to restore – not one, two or three times but times without number.
He acts not out of selfishness, but out of love – as seen on the cross.
We are so different as the following shows:
A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5 and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who gets the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson so she said: ‘If Jesus was sitting here, He would say, “Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.” Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”
God’s timing is immaculate – as in this instance, Gehazi talking about the woman’s son at the time she was about to petition the king. We need to pray that we would listen to His timing.
We will be fully restored in the future as God finishes His work of restoration– ‘Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully as I am fully known.’ (1 Corinthians 13: 12)
There are attributes that are uniquely God’s (e.g. all-knowing, all-seeing, all-present), but others that He shares with us (e.g. to be separate [holy], creative). Restoring falls into latter category: for as He restores so should we – ‘Forgive our debts as we also have forgiven others’ (Matthew 6: 12).
As we come into relationship with the Restorer, so we can be restored
2. Restoration of ourselves
Restoration is cross-shaped – Jesus was the only way, we could not do anything to restore ourselves.
We need to turn – ‘If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.’ (1 Chronicles 7: 14)
Joel 2: 25 – 26 – ‘I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…You will have plenty to eat until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be ashamed.’
God asks: ‘Who despises the days of small things?’ in Zechariah 4: 10, before outlining that He plans to bless beyond our understanding.
George MacDonald stated ‘It matters little where a man may be at this moment; the point is whether he is growing.’
We should not be apathetic about how God is working in our lives, unlike other people.
I am reminded that, in 1991, Frank Leyden, the president of Utah Jazz basketball team, spoke about a former player: “I told him, ‘Son, what is it with you, is it ignorance or apathy?’ He said, ‘Coach, I don’t know and I don’t care.’”
God uses different ways to restore us, e.g.:
· The Bible – many narratives and promises
· Holy Spirit – encouraging within
· Others with ‘skin on’ – our example in this passage is Elisha.
God wants to restore us before He sends us out on the mission He has for us.The church is like a refreshment point in a marathon, not the end (for that is the finishing line when we reach heaven) but to restore us as we face our frontlines.
It can be painful.
I am reminded of a man once regarded as one of the most violent racists in the United States has endured 25 painful operations to burn off his offensive tattoos. Bryon Widner, a founder of a notorious American skinhead gang, had turned his back on his racist past to start a new life with his wife and child. Mr Widner’s face and body was once covered with swastikas, blood-soaked razors and ‘HATE’ stamps until his wife contacted a reformed neo-Nazi who helped them. The operations, which cost $35,000, have left the father of one with pigment damage on his face and neck. Mr Widner had thought of using acid to rid his skin of the hateful tattoos before financial assistance meant that doctors could remove them. The family are currently in hiding after receiving death threats from white separatist groups – but Mr Widner has no regrets. In speaking to the press about the physical and financial cost of the operations, he said: ‘It’s a small price to pay for being human again.’
Restoration is ongoing process until see Jesus face to face
3. Restoration of others
Restoration can occur on on two levels: physical and spiritual. We need to support the right of those are wronged and seek to raise up those who are disadvantaged.
The land that had been deserted normally reverted to crown property until a claim was made. The fact that the woman had been able to make a claim suggests that her husband had died – for it was a male dominated society – so she was able to claim on behalf of her son, who would be rightful heir. Normally, the person would not expect to receive any income in the absent years as this income would be considered reimbursement for those who had worked the land in the absence of the rightful owners – so she was restored beyond she would have normally been entitled to.
We learnt that, in the last sermon (the siege of Samaria and subsequent famine within city), there had been a shift of power; for the leading men were now to be found in company of Elisha rather than at the palace.
We read that the king (Jehoram) was in discussion with Gehazi, who had sought material reward from Namaan (the Aramean general cleansed from leprosy) and so became leprous himself, being dishonourably discharged from Elisha’s service. They were probably have been talking about Gehazi’s former master from a distance as conversation would have been alright but actual contact and living with a leper would have been defiling for the king. The king probably had insatiable curiosity about the prophet who had done amazing things – either because the hostility had ceased (caused by famine in Samaria) or the king was looking for opportunity for renewed opposition.
When we do good deeds, we will be under scrutiny – 1 Peter 4: ‘Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you’ (verse 15)… make sure you are doing nothing wrong than ‘However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name’ (verse 16)
There was responsibility for Elisha as he now had influence in the royal court – we are also to support the right of those who have been wronged as we have been given responsibility by the King of kings.
There was urgency and intensity for woman – the translation should read that she ‘cried out’ better than ‘beg’ (verse 3).
a. Physical
God often uses His people to make provision for widows and orphans:
· Deuteronomy 10: 18 – ‘He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and water.’
· Jeremiah 7: 5 – 7 –‘If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless and the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave to your forefathers for ever and ever.’
We need to listen to what people are asking for, World Bank asked the poor in 60 low-income countries in early 1990s:
· From Guinea-Bissau: ‘When I don’t have any [food to bring to my family], I borrow from neighbours and friends. I feel ashamed standing before my children when I have nothing to feed my family. I’m not well when I’m unemployed. It’s terrible.’
· From Uganda: ‘When one is poor, she has no say in public, she feels inferior. She has no food, so there is famine in her house; no clothing, and no progress in her family.’
· From Cambodia: ‘[The poor have] a feeling of powerlessness and an inability to make themselves heard.’
· From Moldova: ‘For a poor person, everything is terrible – illness, humiliation, shame. We are cripples; we are afraid of everything; we depend on everyone. No one needs us. We are like garbage that everyone wants to get rid of.’
We can support agencies (e.g. Tearfund, Compassion, World Vision), can do things locally (e.g. Food Bank), helping our neighbours or others in the locality. I was reminded recently of the campaign particularly in the US of ‘What would Jesus do?’
Note: inaction is not an option
We may be scrutinised for our good deeds, some Christians have been persecuted. In April 2013, Kenneth Bae sentenced to 15 months hard labour in North Korea for illegally entering the country to feed the orphans
b. Spiritual
It is important that restore physically as all created by God, but it is also important that we should seek that all would come into relationship with Him.
James 5: 20: ‘Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.’
In Vansbro, Sweden, police were startled when a thief returned a wallet he had stolen with the whole amount that was in the wallet together with the interest that the money would have earned. He also enclosed a letter of apology. He had stolen the money forty years earlier.
In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul refers to ‘ministry of reconciliation’ where we are introduce others to God the Restorer –for it is a circular message: restoration begins and ends with God, who cares about us.
Conclusion
Questions:
a. How much do you know about God the Restorer? – read through the Bible, encourage one another as you learn
b. Have you been restored by God recently? – like drinking fresh water after being used to bracken, let Him restore what is broken in your life
c. Have you restored others recently? – physically and spiritually: not exclusive; if not recently, pray for opportunities
