Consulting God: Better Late Than Never
(2 Kings 3:1-27)
1. I have had a love for “who done it” mysteries from childhood. My mom. Charlie Chan WGN
2. Hardy Boys, Ellery Queen, Agatha Christie
3. Perry Mason, Murder She Wrote, Death in Paradise … I enjoy trying to figure out who done it.
4. 2 Kings 3 has its mysteries, and I have enjoying trying to solve them. Main commentaries did not even raise the questions, let alone answer them. I dug around, though, and found the answers. We will note some of those.
5. But the main lesson of the text is understandable, even with unanswered questions.
Main Idea: Human wisdom is often our default mode of operation, but we need to learn to consult God before we engage in major undertakings or decisions.
I. The FLOW of Events (1-27)
Daniel Arnold points out that this chapter is written in a chiasm (inverse parallelism)
A. Sin of the King of ISRAEL (1-3)
B. PREPARATION for battle against Moab (4-8)
C. On the verge of DOWNFALL (9)
D. CALLING the Prophet (Elisha) (10-12)
E. (Center) The REASON for salvation (13-14)
D' The VISION of the Prophet (15-19)
C' Divine SALVATION (20)
B' BATTLE against Moab (21-25)
A' Sin of the King of MOAB (26-27)
Dr., Constable writes:
“The Moabite Stone, a significant archaeological find, contains Mesha's own record of this
battle and other battles with Israel.43 On it he claimed to have won with Chemosh's help.
Though he lost the battle he did not lose his life or his capital.”
II. The Central Point: God's EAR Is Toward the Godly (13-14)
A. Why didn't these kings ask God FIRST?
1. We, too, forget we are not operating independently.
2. We need to consult God's Word, consult God's people, consider our motives, ask why we want to do what we want to do. Ask God to show us our motives and what we need to see.
3. Elisha is discerning; the kings are shortsighted.
B. God helped Jehoram because of JEHOSHAPHAT.
• Why did these three nations – Israel, Judah, and Edom ally themselves?
• Do you recognize yourself as one who can pray with lost/struggling believers, and God can bless and help them through you? Priesthood of all believers.
C. Even though Jehoram was better than Ahab, his father, he was still COMPROMISED.
D. The prayers of a RIGHTEOUS man avail much.
• Debate: does God hear the prayer of an unbeliever?
• Does God hear the prayer of all believers equally?
• Equal access does not mean equal power (Secretary of State. Vs. St. Dept.)
E. God counts us RIGHTEOUS because of Jesus.
