The Hope That Comes From God's Provision Series

Series: 3:16- Numbers That Bring Hope [#12]

THE HOPE THAT COMES FROM GOD’S PROVISION

2 Kings 3:16

Introduction:

This morning, we are going to continue our series from chapter 3 verse 16 of each Book of the Bible. We live in a time when the Church is in a spiritual drought; but it doesn’t have to be that way.

2 Kings 3:1-10 (NIV)

“Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to supply the king of Israel with a hundred thousand lambs and with the wool of a hundred thousand rams. But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?" "I will go with you," he replied. "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." "By what route shall we attack?" he asked. "Through the Desert of Edom," he answered. So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them. "What!" exclaimed the king of Israel. "Has the LORD called us three kings together only to hand us over to Moab?"

There is hope in…

1. Disaster.

Evil King Ahab and Queen Jezebel’s son Joram was the new King over Israel. King Mesha of Moab had been giving Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams; but when he realized King Ahab was dead, he decided he was done. King Joram wasn’t going to let that slide and so he was ready to go to war; but he was afraid to go alone. He got the King of Judah and the King of Edom to go with him.

I want you to notice that all 3 of these Kings and military were going to war over King Joram’s possessions. He did not care about anyone except himself. King Jehoshaphat chose the route and after 7 days there was no more water. We all know that without water, they had no hope. The positive thing from this disaster was that Jehoshaphat was reminded that they should have taken this to the Lord before just going out to war.

How many of us are guilty of this? We take advice from and follow people that have nothing to do with God and then we wonder why things go badly. We need to be wise about whom we listen to and follow. The only way that will happen is by seeking God’s will in that situation. We also need to be careful of our motives.

2 Kings 3:11-19 (NIV)

“But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD through him?" An officer of the king of Israel answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah." Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the LORD is with him." So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." "No," the king of Israel answered, "because it was the LORD who called us three kings together to hand us over to Moab." Elisha 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. But now bring me a harpist." While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha and he said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches. For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you. You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones."