We have learned an important lesson—the quality of our lives depends on the quality of our heart relationship with God. God looks at our hearts and deals with each of us accordingly. Yet there is the element of divine grace. Even though our heart relationship with God oftentimes falls short of His standard, He deals with us graciously.
We learned how God deals with three kinds of hearts. The first heart is a divided heart—the heart of Jehoram. A divided heart earns the displeasure of God. The second heart is a sensitive heart—the heart of Jehoshaphat. A sensitive heart gets the attention of God.
A Consecrated Heart Gains the Cooperation of God
There is the third heart, the consecrated heart—the heart of Elisha. To consecrate your heart is to offer and set apart your heart to God. A consecrated heart is a heart that is wholeheartedly, totally, and unreservedly committed to God. This kind of heart gains the cooperation of God.
As we look into Elisha’s wholehearted commitment to Yahweh, I would like you also to look into your heart. Which kind of heart do you have today? Do you have a divided heart, a sensitive, but not consecrated heart, or a heart that loves God absolutely? I hope and pray that you will consecrate your heart to God today.
We learn several qualities of a consecrated person. First, a consecrated person is someone people would go to constantly to know God’s answers. "And Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there no prophet of the LORD here’ . . . Then one of the king of Israel’s servants answered, ‘Elisha the son of Shaphat is here . . .’ And Jehoshaphat said, ‘The word of the LORD is with him’" (2 Ki. 3:11-12).
Jehoshaphat asked for somebody who will tell them God’s Word. The name of Elisha comes up immediately. Jehoshaphat said that the word of the LORD is with Elisha (v. 12). We are not told how Jehoshaphat came to this conclusion. Perhaps the servant told him about Elisha. In any case, Elisha is known to be a man of God’s Word. He is known to speak the word of the LORD. He is known to know the will of God.
There were true prophets in the time of Elisha. There were false prophets of Baal also in the time of Elisha. But Elisha had the reputation to speak the word of the LORD.
There were many intelligent men in the time of Elisha. There were many religious men as well. But when people wanted to know God’s Word, they looked for Elisha.
What do people look for in a pastor or speaker today? They may want somebody who graduated from Bible school. Perhaps they want somebody who holds degrees in theology. They may want somebody who speaks English well. (In the Philippines, perhaps due to colonial mentality, they prefer a white American missionary more than a brown Filipino pastor.)
Yet God operates in a heart that is in love with Him. He works in a heart that is immersed in His Word. He works with a heart that is governed by His Word.
If people would come to you for God’s answers, you will have to develop a reputation of knowing God’s Word. You must have the discipline to live by God’s Word. Then you will be known as somebody people can go to when they want to know God’s Word.
Second, a consecrated person is someone who is known to have a servant attitude consistently. “‘Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah’” (v. 11). The expression, “poured water,” pictures Elisha as holding a container of water, while Elijah washed his hands.1 This means Elisha was known to serve Elijah’s needs. Elisha was the servant of Elijah.
But did you know that Elisha comes from a rich family (1 Ki. 19:19)? Elisha’s family was rich enough to hire servants to handle twelve pairs of oxen behind twelve plows on a field.2 Nevertheless, Elisha left behind his riches to become a servant of Elijah.
That tells me something about the consecrated life of Elisha. He was willing to leave a comfortable life behind and serve God. How many pastors are willing to leave a comfortable job in order to go into full time ministry? How many wives would like that? Elisha left a comfortable life to serve Elijah full time.
When God calls you to leave a life of comfort for a life of uncomfortable ministry, will you say, “Yes”? I know of a pastor whose email address is “yeslord@yahoo.com.” What is your reaction if God calls your children into the ministry? Would you say, “Yes, Lord”?
Why would the king’s servant remember Elisha as a “waiter”? Apparently, Elisha was known to have a servant attitude. People knew him as a servant of Elijah.
That is the mark of a consecrated heart. A consecrated heart is a humble heart, a servant heart.
Do you want to be known as the one who serves water? Do you want to be remembered as the one who cleans the house or the one who carries the bags?
Elisha was known as the one who poured water to Elijah’s hands. Few people want to be known like that. Many pastors like to be known as the one who leads the biggest church; the one who preaches the best sermon; or the one who writes the best-selling books. But few pastors would want to be known as the one who serves another pastor.
Does your mega-church pastor want to be known as somebody who sweeps the floor of your church building, cleans the comfort rooms, or serves food to your staff? Have you heard of a mega-church pastor who is known to serve his people? (Most likely, your mega-church pastor does not even know the names of ninety percent of the people who come to his church every Sunday!)
But the greatest in the kingdom are those who serve others. Heaven will be full of surprises someday soon. The well-known pastors of this world shall be overshadowed by divine praises for the lesser-known servants of the kingdom. God shall lift up those unknown servants of the kingdom. He will give them their full rewards.
I remember when I was in fourth year high school. Sam Alparaque suggested to me that I could study at Doane Baptist Seminary in Iloilo City, with free or subsidized tuition, room, and board. But he said that I should also work in school, sweep the floors, clean the comfort rooms, or wash the dishes.
I reacted negatively. I do not want to sweep the floors, wash the dishes, or clean the comfort rooms, just to study there. Why should I do that?
Then through the years, I realized that a servant attitude is the starting point for a consecrated ministry. For if you are willing to do the unwanted jobs today, then you will be willing to do anything for the Lord tomorrow.
Elisha was a rich boy from a rich family. But he was humble enough to serve Elijah for more than ten years. Because he was willing to do the lowly things for his earthly master, he was willing to do anything for his heavenly master.
That is a mark of a consecrated heart. God is willing to work with that kind of heart.
Third, a consecrated person is someone whose allegiance is to the Lord only and not to powerful people. “And Elisha said to the king of Israel, ‘What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother’” (2 Ki. 3:13). Elisha is saying, “What do we have in common? You worship other gods. I worship Yahweh. You consult other gods, and not Yahweh. Now you come to me to ask Yahweh’s guidance. What have I to do with you? Go to the idolatrous prophets of your father and mother.”
It is a good question for ecumenical evangelicals who love to work with Roman Catholic priests. “What do we have in common? You teach a gospel of faith plus works plus sacraments. We preach the gospel of grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone. You promote idols. You venerate images made by human hands. We worship God who is spirit. What have we to do with you? Go to the idolatrous leaders of your religion.”
In effect, Elisha is saying rhetorically, “What has Yahweh got to do with you, when you don’t worship and consult Him?” If Jehoram worships other gods, then he should go to their prophets for guidance. Yahweh therefore has nothing to do with Jehoram. That is why Elisha appears to ask, “As the prophet of Yahweh, what have I to do with you?”
What has Yahweh to do with you? The answer is nothing. Yahweh has nothing to do with people who do not trust Him. God has nothing to do with people who worship idols.
This is an important lesson for us today. How many times do we ignore God in the things we do? Then when all else fails, we ask God for help? What has God to do with you now in your problems, when you did not even consult Him before the problems came? If we consult God only after we run out of solutions, we treat Him like the 911 operator or some customer service.
Notice that Elisha is more loyal to the principles of God’s Word than to powerful people. Elisha took God seriously. He follows God’s Word diligently. He is committed to God’s glory absolutely.
For Elisha, it does not matter who stands before him. What matters is that he stands before the LORD. As a true prophet of God, he stands in loyal service to God first. Thus, he faces the rich and powerful fearlessly, regardless of the consequences. The glory of God consumes him. This is something every pastor should think about, especially when he faces powerful people in church.
This then is a mark of a consecrated heart. It seeks not the glory of man but the glory of God.
Like a true syncretist, Jehoram answers Elisha that he is now coming to Yahweh, because they are there by Yahweh’s plan (v. 13). In other words, Jehoram accused God that God brought them there to be killed.
Elisha replies that God would not help Jehoram because of Jehoram’s divided heart. "And Elisha said, ‘As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you’" (v. 14).
Elisha is saying that God will not answer his prayers. But for the sake of Jehoshaphat, God will help them.
We learn something about the prayers of the saints here. Are you the only believer in your family? Do you know that God blesses your family because of you? Do you believe that God blesses the Philippines for the prayers of the believers of this land? God answers the believers’ prayers more than He answers the prayers of unbelievers.
God shall deliver Israel, not because of the prayers of an idolater like Jehoram, but because of the prayers of a Yahwist like Jehoshaphat. God answers a heart that seeks God. But God rejects a heart that rejects God.
In sum, a consecrated heart takes God seriously. You will be loyal to God and not to powerful people. You will stand on the principles of God’s Word.
Fourth, a consecrated person is someone who is sensitive to the Lord and speaks His Word clearly. “‘But now bring me a musician.’ And when the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him. And he said, ‘Thus says the LORD’” (vv. 15-16). The word “musician” (Heb. nagan) is a piel participle, which means “touch (strings), play a stringed instrument.”3 The musician here is a player of a stringed instrument. Elisha uses the music of a harp to receive the word of the Lord (1 Sam. 10:5).
In the Old Testament, music accompanied the prophesying of the word. "David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals" (1 Chron. 25:1).
I believe that the ministry of music is as essential as the ministry of preaching. Paul connects the word of Christ with the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God (Col. 3:16).
The music and musicians are set apart for God. They are consecrated to the worship of God. Let me ask our worship team, “Have you consecrated yourselves to God?” Our music ministry is not just for anybody who likes to play. It is for anybody who is consecrated to God. The music also is not any music or worldly music. The music should only be music that worships God. The music of Scripture is music that glorifies God. It enables the seeking of God’s will. It is filled with His Word. Paul wrote, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Col 3:16).
All worship music should be Word-filled music. It is consecrated music—music that is set apart for God. It is also soothing music—music that turns your thoughts from outer distractions, toward inner thoughts of God and His Word.4
While Elisha listened to the consecrated music of the harp, the hand of Yahweh came upon him. The hand of Yahweh is the power of Yahweh.5 The power of God was upon Elisha, as he received the revelation of the word of God. Then Elisha prophesied.
A consecrated heart is sensitive to the Spirit of God. It listens to the word of God. Are you sensitive to the Spirit? Do you listen to His word?
Further, a consecrated heart speaks clearly the word of the Lord. “And he said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘I will make this dry streambed full of pools’” (2 Ki. 3:16). The word “pools” (Heb. geb) means ditches or trenches.6 The writer mentions it two times, suggesting the many trenches that the waters shall fill. They shall not hear the sound of wind or see the drops of rain. It will occur far away so that the Moabites will not see it also. At the exact time, they shall see the waters sent by God, coming like a flash flood from the mountains and filling many pools in the dry valley. Then the thirsty army and their animals shall drink of it (v. 17).
The LORD shall cause the defeat of the Moabites. There is the classic holy war victory formula—“He will also give the Moabites into your hand” (v. 18). Israel shall besiege every fortified city. They shall cut every good tree and block all springs of water. They shall make the land infertile by putting stones on it (vv. 18-20).
Elisha prophesied clearly and plainly the miracle of the waters and the victory of Israel. A consecrated person is someone who listens to God and proclaims God’s Word clearly.
Fifth, a consecrated person is someone who believes in the power and sovereignty of God absolutely. He said in v. 18, “This is a light thing in the sight of the LORD.” When Elisha prophesied it, he proclaimed it by faith. He believed in the power of God completely. He believed also in the sovereignty of God totally. He knew that what God says would happen, will happen.
It happened exactly as Elisha predicted it, proving his prophetic ministry before Israel (v. 20). It occurred at the break of dawn, “the time of offering the sacrifice” (v. 20). The break of dawn was the established moment of holy war victory for Israel (Ex. 14:24; Ps. 46:5). When the Moabites woke up early in the morning, they saw the pools of water, but it looked as red as blood. It looked like a red mirage. They never suspected that it was water. They saw no rain the night before. The three armies must have turned on each other and killed each other, so they thought. Chemosh, the god of Moab, must be good to them today. Hence, the Moabites went out to plunder the camp.
However, when they got to the camp, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites (2 Ki. 3:20-24). Yahweh, not Chemosh, turns out to be in command.7 Thus, the LORD gave the Moabites into the hand of the Israelites. The Israelites overthrew the cities of Moab. They blocked all the wells. They cut all the trees. They put stones on all the land, just as Elisha had said (v. 25).
Thus, the LORD confirmed His prophet, Elisha. The LORD also saved Israel, despite her idolatrous king. This miracle is due to God’s grace, in answer to the prayer of Jehoshaphat, but not to the prayer of Jehoram.
Do you believe in the sovereign power of God without reservation? Jesus said if you have faith, you can say to this mountain, be thrown into the sea, and do not doubt in heart, it shall be done for him. Therefore, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received it, and it shall be yours (Mk. 11:23-24)!
Conclusion
The NIV reads, “This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD.” The three armies were facing the impossible. They ran out of water. They could not move forward or backward or they die along the way. Yet the impossible thing for them was a little thing for God.
What are you facing today that seems unchangeable? God can change the unchangeable. He can do the impossible for you.
God works with a consecrated heart that is loyal to God totally. God listens to a consecrated heart that listens and trusts Him completely. God answers a consecrated heart that expects great things from God absolutely.
Will you consecrate your heart to God today?
ENDNOTES
1 M. Pierce Matheney and Roy Honeycutt, 1-2 Kings (vol. 3; BBC; ed. Clifton J. Allen; Nashville: Broadman, 1970), 146-296.
2 Dilday, 1, 2 Kings, 209.
3 Brown, Driver, and Briggs, ??????, BDB 5882.
4 Dilday, 1, 2 Kings, 262.
5 Hobbs, 2 Kings, 36.
6 Brown, Driver, and Briggs, ????, BDB 1696.
7 Nelson, Kings, 167.
