And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” - Luke 4:27

According to the Biblical record, Elisha performed more miracles than any other Old Testament prophet. In just the past 2 weeks, we’ve discussed several of these miracles including the parting of the Jordan River, the purification of Jericho’s tainted water supply, the provision of oil to pay a widow’s debt, the physical resurrection of the Shunammite woman’s deceased son, the purification of poisonous stew, the multiplication of bread and grain, and the floating axhead. This morning we will highlight yet another of Elisha’s many miracles and talk about the unfortunate events that followed.

I. NAAMAN SEEKS A CURE (2 Kings 5:1-7)

Naaman was the captain of the army of Aram (Syria in the New Testament). Perhaps you may recall that the Arameans were bitter enemies of the northern kingdom. They had fought repeatedly against Israel during the reign of King Ahab, and had even fatally wounded him during 1 of their battles about a decade earlier. Naaman was a highly respected and revered man in Aram because of his great military success. Though he was a valiant and fearsome warrior, Naaman had contracted a dreaded case of leprosy.

Naaman’s wife had a young Israelite girl who was her servant. The child had been captured and taken from her homeland by a marauding band of Arameans. Though she was young, the girl was aware of Elisha’s miraculous power and wonderful deeds in Samaria. She wished Naaman could meet him and, perhaps, be healed of his leprosy. Based on her statement, Naaman had the king of Aram write a letter to the king of Israel requesting that he be cured. With the letter in hand, along with a sizable gift of gold, silver, and clothes, Naaman departed for Israel hoping to be cleansed of his leprosy.

When Naaman arrived, the king of Israel (Jehoram) read the letter that he’d carried with him. The king tore his clothes in dismay, fretting that he was not God and did not have the power to cure any one of leprosy! In fact, the king suspected that perhaps this whole episode was some type of a set-up or a pretext for Aram to make a quarrel with Israel.

II. NAAMAN IS HEALED (2 Kings 5:8-14)

Somehow Elisha learned that Naaman had come to Samaria and that the king of Israel was confounded by his seemingly impossible request for a cure. Elisha asked the king to send Naaman to him. So Naaman came, with his grand procession of horses and chariots, and arrived at the doorway of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger out to tell him to go wash himself in the Jordan River 7 times in order to be cleansed of his disease.

Naaman, a man of great renown and authority, went away furious and felt insulted that Elisha had not personally come out to meet him or to perform any type of miraculous healing. He huffed that the rivers of his homeland Damascus, the Abanah and the Pharpar, were much cleaner than the Jordan River and wondered why he couldn’t wash himself there. But Naaman’s servants reasoned with him, stating that if Elisha had told him to do some great thing he would have done it, so why not try this? Regaining his composure, Naaman went down to the Jordan and dipped himself in its waters 7 times. Amazingly, the leprosy disappeared and his skin was made clean like that of a little child.

This passage foreshadows and beautifully exemplifies that teaching of Christ that we are to “love our enemies”. Jesus gave us this paradoxical command during the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5:43-45). Though she had been taken by him and his countrymen as a slave, the little servant girl still wished for the well-being of her master. Though the nation of Aram was a bitter enemy of Israel, still Elisha told Naaman how he could receive the LORD’s healing. I am struck by their kindness and affection for Naaman.

III. GEHAZI’S GREED (2 Kings 5:15-27)

Naaman returned to Elisha’s house to give him the generous gift he’d brought from Aram in appreciation for being healed. However, Elisha refused to accept the gift, despite Naaman’s insistence. Before leaving, Naaman asked Elisha if he might take 2 mules’ load of dirt with him. In ancient times, gods were believed to be isolated to individual nations or kingdoms based upon the boundaries of the land. By taking some dirt back to his home in Aram, Naaman hoped the God of Israel could become active in his house. Naaman also promised that, going forward, he would not worship any other god(s) but the LORD. He realized that, as a servant of the king, he’d still be required to make regular trips to the pagan temple of Rimmon and bow before him, so he asked Elisha to excuse him in this matter, as it would just be an act to appease his king. Elisha wished him well and Naaman departed.

Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, thought to himself, “Why didn’t Elisha take the generous gift that Naaman offered to give him? Surely I will take some of it.” So Gehazi pursued and overtook Naaman’s troop. He told Naaman that some guests had just arrived unexpectedly at Elisha’s house and that he’d been sent to ask for a talent and silver and 2 changes of clothes for them. Naaman happily gave these things to Gehazi, who subsequently hid them in his house for himself. Then he hastily returned to his master Elisha who asked him where he’d been, and Gehazi lied about his whereabouts.

By divine revelation, God had already shown Elisha the truth of what Gehazi had done. Imagine Gehazi’s surprise when Elisha described in detail what he thought he’d done in secret. Elisha bitterly rebuked Gehazi’s deception and greed. As punishment, Elisha cursed Gehazi and his descendants forever with the leprosy of Naaman. Gehazi departed from the house a leper, covered in sores.

This story is similar to that of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11. They lied about the fullness of their giving and withheld a portion of it for themselves, believing that no one else would ever know. But Peter knew, and as a result both of them died. Or the story of Achin, who hid some of the forbidden spoils he’d taken from Jericho in his tent. When he was found out by Joshua, the Hebrew Children stoned him to death. Or David who concealed his sinful relationship with Bathsheba, only to be exposed by Nathan and then lose the child that was born as a result of their adultery. Beloved, the truth will come out sooner or later and unrepentant liars will be held accountable. Even if no one else knows your secret, God does (Hebrews 4:13).

CONCLUSION

A final thought… Naaman was a proud, accomplished man. He initially scoffed at Elisha’s unusual prescription for healing his leprosy, supposing it to be a ridiculous and woefully inadequate proposal. In fact, he thought his solution was better. Fortunately, Naaman eventually humbled himself and complied with Elisha’s instructions. As a result, he was healed.

In the same way, the Bible teaches us that the way of the cross seems foolish to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18). What a ludicrous and naive notion to believe that salvation would come freely by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. What type of idiot would believe that? Nothing in life is free - surely it must be purchased or earned. Yet, this “foolishness” is the gospel and repentance and surrender are the only means of salvation. It is sad to think about how many people are never cleansed of their sin because they stubbornly and arrogantly refuse to be washed in the blood of Christ.

You are the God who works wonders [miracles]; You have made known Your strength among the peoples. - Psalm 77:14

Earlier in this series, as you may remember, there was a sermon titled, “The Miracles of Elijah”.  It was based on 1 Kings 17 and 18. In that message, we read that Elijah blessed the widow’s flour and oil so that neither would run out during the years of drought. We also learned that when her young son died, by God’s divine might Elijah raised him from the dead. In this morning’s message, “The Miracles of Elisha”, we will see some striking parallels between the ministry of these 2 great Old Testament prophets.

I. THE WIDOW’S OIL (2 Kings 4:1-7)

Elisha was a leader of the sons of the prophets, a group of students and disciples with whom he met and taught on a regular basis. The widow of 1 of these young disciples approached Elisha and told him that her husband, his servant, had died and left her in debt. Their creditor was planning to take her 2 sons as slaves. Elisha asked the widow if she had any assets with which to pay him, and she answered that all she had was a large jar of oil.

Elisha instructed the widow to gather as many jars, bottles, and empty vessels as she could find. She collected them from neighbors, friends, and any one who’d donate. Then, following Elisha’s command, she went into a private room and began to pour the oil from her single jar into these many empty vessels. Miraculously, it filled vessel after vessel until all she had collected were full. When she finished, Elisha told her to go sell the oil necessary to pay her debt and that she and her sons could live on the rest.

This miracle is striking to me in that God’s provision was only limited by the widow’s capacity to receive it. Had she gathered even more jars and bottles to fill, the LORD would have presumably provided even more oil for her and her sons. While she certainly received plenty to meet her immediate needs, I can’t help but wonder if she missed out. Could it be that sometimes we miss the fullness of God’s blessing because we limit it in some way ourselves?

II. THE SHUNAMMITE’S SON  (2 Kings 4:8-37)

During his travels, Elisha often passed through the village of Shunem, located near the Jezreel Valley. There was a prominent woman in the village, along with her husband, who often provided meals to Elisha whenever he was in town. In fact, she even prepared a small room for him in their upper chamber with a bed, table, chair, and lamp where he could stay overnight.

In return for her kindness, Elisha asked the Shunammite woman if there was anything he might do for her - perhaps put in a good word with the king or captain of the military. She answered that neither of these suggestions was necessary and that she was content as she was. Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, pointed out that she didn’t have a son and that her husband had passed his child producing years. So Elisha told the woman that she would have a son. At first she didn’t believe him, but sure enough she conceived and gave birth to a baby boy the next year.

The infant grew into a young boy, and 1 fateful morning he complained of severe head pain. Sadly, the child died at noon and his mother took him to the upper chamber and laid his body on Elsiha’s bed. Leaving him there, she hastily departed for Mt. Carmel to find Elisha. He saw her approaching and sent Gehazi to go greet her. She did not tell Gehazi what had happened, but instead waited until she reached Elisha.

Upon hearing the tragic news, Elisha gave his staff to his younger and faster servant Gehazi and instructed him to rush, non-stop, to Shunem and lay it on the deceased boy’s face. Gehazi did so, but there was no response. He returned to tell Elisha, who had himself departed for Shumen at this point, albeit at a slower pace, along with the child’s mother.

When Elisha arrived, he went alone into the upper room, prayed, and stretched himself out on the boy’s body. It suddenly became warm. Elisha walked down into the house, then back up to the room, and laid on the child again. This time the lad sneezed 7 times and opened his eyes. Elisha then called for the Shunammite woman to come, so she entered the room, saw her resurrected son, bowed in thanksgiving and awe before the prophet, and finally gathered her son in her arms and left. Elisha had raised him from the dead!

III. THE POISONOUS STEW (2 Kings 4:38-41)

When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. He asked a servant to prepare a large pot of stew for him and the sons of the prophets there. Someone went out to the field to gather herbs and found several gourds growing on a wild vine. Not knowing what they were, they took the gourds, sliced them, and cooked them in the stew. When the sons of the prophets began to eat, they immediately felt uneasy, realized that the stew was poisonous, and cried out in desperation. Elisha took some meal (ground seed), threw it into the pot, and the stew was miraculously remedied and made safe to consume. Everyone then ate safely. God had taken that which was tainted and bad and made it pure and good.

IV. THE LOAVES AND GRAIN (2 Kings 4:42-44)

A man came up from Baal-shalishah and brought Elisha 20 barley loaves and ears of grain that he’d taken from the first fruits of his harvest. He told Elisha to give them to the people so that they might eat, perhaps referring to the sons of the prophets. Nevertheless, his attendant openly doubted that this would be enough food to feed them all… some 100 people in total. Elisha answered with the word of the LORD, stating that it would be more than enough. So they set the food before the people, they all ate their fill, and there were leftovers just as the LORD had spoken.

This miracle is similar to the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000 which are recorded in the gospels. On both of these occasions, Jesus fed the multitudes with just a few fish and loaves of bread. In both instances, there was food leftover afterward. These types of miracles demonstrate the marvelous and supernatural power of God to take little and multiply it above and beyond our needs. We can trust in the LORD’s provision.

V. THE FLOATING AXEHEAD (2 Kings 6:1-7)

The sons of the prophets decided that their living quarters were too cramped and they wanted to expand. With Elisha’s blessing, they went down to the Jordan River to gather beams of timber in order to build additional, meager living spaces for themselves. They asked Elisha to join them, which he did, and when they arrived they began cutting down trees. As they were doing so, 1 of the men cried out that the axehead had slipped off the handle of his borrowed ax and had flown into and sunk to the bottom of the river. Elisha came over and asked him to indicate the general area where it had fallen. When the man showed him, Elisha cut off a stick and threw it there, miraculously causing the heavy iron axehead to float to the top. Seeing it resting on the waters, Elisha told the man to take it, which he did and presumably repaired the ax.

This peculiar little miracle demonstrates God's ability to find lost things. It reminds me of the parable of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son. On a personal note, over the years I’ve dropped wedding rings (yes, plural), multiple cell phones, my favorite childhood teddy bear, rods, reels, tackle, and all sorts of other stuff in the lake. Maybe I should take Elisha with me the next time I go fishing, you know, just in case…

CONCLUSION

The miracles we’ve discussed this morning took place at various times during the reign of King Jehoram in Israel. Elisha had a remarkable ministry which lasted well over 50 years, more than twice as long as Elijah’s. Depending on who's count you use, there are 14 miracles attributed to Elisha in the book of Kings, exactly twice as many as the 7 that are credited to his predecessor Elijah. These numbers make sense of course, seeing that Elisha received a “double-portion” of Elijah’s spirit. We will talk more about Elisha’s amazing accomplishments next Sunday.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. - Hebrews 11:1

Good morning. In last Sunday’s message, we discussed the memorable transition from Elijah to Elisha as the leading prophet in Israel. We will talk a lot more about Elisha and his remarkable ministry in the coming weeks, including some today. That said, our primary emphasis this morning will be on the kings of the northern and southern kingdoms and yet another alliance between them. 

I. JEHORAM BECOMES KING (2 Kings 3:1-3)

After his brother Ahaziah’s death, Jehoram became the king of Israel during the 18th year of Jehoshaphat in Judah. Jehoram, the son of Ahab, reigned for 12 years and did evil in the sight of the LORD although not to the extent of his parents. To his credit, he did put away the sacred pillar of Baal that Ahab had made. Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam and led the northern kingdom further into idolatry and wickedness.

II. MOAB’S REBELLION & ISRAEL’S ALLIANCE (2 Kings 3:4-12)

During the reign of King Ahab, the Moabites paid an annual tribute to Israel consisting of lambs and ram’s wool. But after Ahab’s death (and Ahaziah’s), Mesha, the king of Moab, rebelled against the northern kingdom. In response, Jehoram called his army together and sought the assistance of neighboring Judah. Jehoshaphat, who had always stood with Israel in the past, readily agreed to fight alongside Jehoram to quell Moab’s rebellion. Jehoshaphat suggested that their alliance should attack Moab from the south, via the desert wilderness of Edom.

So the combined forces of Israel, Judah, and Edom journeyed through the arid wilderness for 7 days slowly making their way toward Moab. Unfortunately, they were unable to find any water for themselves or their animals. They became increasingly weak and dehydrated. King Jehoram moaned that God was against them. Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of the LORD available for them to inquire of, and Jehoram’s servant suggested Elisha. Therefore, the 3 kings went to speak to him.

This scenario is reminiscent of an earlier alliance between Israel and Judah in their battle against Aram (1 Kings 22). On that occasion, Jehoshaphat agreed to fight alongside Ahab and insisted that they consult with a prophet of the LORD before going to war. They spoke with Micaiah, who prophesied against the battle, but they stubbornly moved forward with it anyway. As you may recall, things didn't end well for either Israel or Judah. Would this time be different?

III. ELISHA’S MESSAGE (2 Kings 3:13-20)

Elisha was well aware of Israel’s long history of wickedness and idolatry. When the 3 rulers arrived and King Jehoram asked Elisha for his counsel, the prophet’s initial and rather flippant response was “go ask your parents’ prophets and gods”. Jehoram expressed his grave fear that God intended to give the over to the Moabites, but Elisha wasn’t moved by his despair. He bluntly responded that the only reason he was even meeting with this trio was for the sake of Jehoshaphat, the righteous God-fearing king of Judah.

Elisha asked that a minstrel, that is, a musician, be brought to him. When the minstrel began to play, the hand of the LORD came upon him and he told the kings to fill the valley with trenches. Elisha explained that, though they would not actually see any wind or rain occur, God would suddenly fill the valley with water to supply their needs. Besides this, the LORD would also give them the victory over Moab. They were instructed to strike Moab’s prominent cities, fell its trees, stop its springs, and mar its land with stones. The next morning, God sent a sudden flash flood through the valley and water filled the trenches that had been dug.

This story serves as an example of how music can enhance our communication with the LORD. The word of God came to Elisha when the music played. There is no question that music is an important aspect of worship and sincere communion with the Holy Spirit. That said, music isn’t always necessary for the Holy Spirit to move or for the LORD to reveal His word. Sadly, many churches in recent years, particularly some megachurches, have abused music to create an emotionally-charged “atmosphere” that replicates a genuine movement of the Holy Spirit with intense human feelings divorced from truth.

IV. ISRAEL’S VICTORY (2 Kings 3:21-27)

When the Moabites heard that Jehoram’s united army was approaching, all of their fighting men girded themselves in armor and gathered at the border to intercept the invaders. Looking out over the valley before them, they saw the morning sunlight reflecting off the water-filled trenches and it appeared to them as blood. They thought that the allied forces had slain each other, so they broke ranks and descended into the valley to gather spoils.

When the Moabites entered the camp disorganized and unaware, Israel and her allies ambushed and slaughtered them. The alliance then set about destroying all the cities and lands of Moab just as the LORD had directed. Realizing the battle was lost, the king of Moab took 700 sword-wielding soldiers and made a final, desperate attempt to escape. When he was unable, he sacrificed his eldest son (who was to be his successor) as a burnt offering, presumably to appease their pagan god(s). Shocked and appalled by his crazed despair, Israel called off their advance and returned to their own land. Nevertheless, the Moabite rebellion had been crushed.

CONCLUSION

This passage provides a clear illustration of true, saving faith. The combined armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom were exhausted from a week-long trek through the desert. They needed water to sustain and revive them. Their situation had grown desperate. That said, God promised to provide them the water they needed, but in order to receive it they had to do something - dig ditches. Now If you’ve ever done any digging, you know that it's not easy work… especially when you are already worn-out. But, by faith, they obeyed with the confident expectation that God’s promises were true. Had they not done so, God’s blessing would have been lost. Sure enough, when the waters came, they were prepared. The waters they captured not only provided for their thirst, but were also (in a rather peculiar way) the means by which they defeated the Moabites.

Beloved, genuine faith acts in a manner that anticipates the promises and truths of God. It is not merely belief, but rather a lifestyle of obedience, behavior, and speech that is firmly based on and securely rooted in that belief. It is not just a confession, but rather a daily commitment to “take up your cross and follow” Jesus (Luke 9:23). It is living today in accordance with an expected outcome tomorrow. Anyone can say they believe and perhaps, on some level, they do, but saving faith provides tangible evidence. It is supported by hard, tedious, and often thankless, work. My friends, true, saving faith digs ditches.

You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. He [Jesus] must increase, but I [John the Baptist] must decrease. - John 3:28-30

This morning we are going to turn our attention away from the kings of Judah and Israel. Instead, we are going to discuss the prophet Elijah and his successor Elisha. Following the chronology of 2 Kings, the events we’ll cover this morning occurred soon after the death of Ahaziah and the crowning of Jehoram (his brother) as ruler over the northern kingdom.  

It is important to remember that Elijah had already selected Elisha to become his replacement a few years earlier during the reign of King Ahab. In fact, Elisha had left his family and home behind in order to follow Elijah as his disciple (1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21). Therefore, these 2 prophets had known each other and even ministered together for a while. In today’s message, we will read about the official “passing of the torch” from Elijah to Elisha.

I. JOURNEY TO THE JORDAN (2 Kings 2:1-8)

The Lord instructed Elijah to go to Bethel. Elijah told his disciple Elisha to stay behind, but he insisted on going with him. So the 2 men departed from Gilgal and came to Bethel. When they arrived, the sons of the prophets there asked Elisha if he knew that the LORD intended to take his master away from him that day. Elisha indicated that he was aware of God’s plan and encouraged them to remain calm.

Then the Lord instructed Elijah to continue on to Jericho. Again he asked Elisha to stay behind, but Elisha insisted on going with him. When they reached Jericho, the sons of the prophets there also asked Elisha if he knew that God planned to take Elijah his master away, and Elisha said, “Yes, I know, but don’t be troubled by it.”

Then the Lord instructed Elijah to keep going to the Jordan River. Elijah asked Elisha to stay in Jericho, but insisted on going so the 2 men went together, accompanied by 50 sons of the prophets. When they arrived at the Jordan, Elijah took off his mantle and struck the waters. The river parted and he and Elisha crossed over on dry ground to the opposite side while the 50 sons of the prophets stayed put and watched from a distance.

Apparently God had already revealed His intentions to Elijah, Elisha, and the sons of the prophets in both Bethel and Jericho. They already knew that the LORD was about to formally replace Elijah with Elisha as the prominent prophet in Israel. In fact, they were somewhat unsettled by it so Elisha tried to reassure them and relieve their anxiety.

II. TRANSLATION AND SEARCH (2 Kings 2:9-18)

Having crossed to the opposite side of the Jordan, Elijah asked Elisha if there was any departing thing he might do from him. Elisha asked for a double-portion of Elijah’s spirit to be upon him. Elijah answered that if Elisha was able to see him being taken away, it would be a sign that God had granted his request. As they were walking, suddenly the 2 men were separated by a fiery chariot and flaming horses and Elijah was taken up by a whirlwind to heaven as Elisha watched. As he was whisked away, Elijah dropped his mantle to the ground. Elisha mourned his master’s departure, took up the mantle (signifying the transition of office), and used it to divide and cross back over the river.

The 50 sons of the prophets, who had observed everything from a distance, declared that Elijah’s spirit now rested on Elisha. They asked Elisha if they might go search for Elijah in the surrounding area and perhaps find where God had taken him. Elisha discouraged them from doing so, but they insisted until he consented. They searched for Elijah for 3 days and were unable to find him. When they called off the search, Elisha said, “I told you not to go.”

The traditional view is that Elijah was taken up into Heaven, where God the Father abides. However, many contemporary Bible students (myself included) disagree with this assessment. I tend to think that Elijah was translated to another somewhat distant and discrete location on the earth where he later died in obscurity. Here are a few (but not all) of the reasons why I hold this opinion. First, the Hebrew word for heavens in this passage is most often translated “sky” elsewhere in the Bible. Second, the fact that the witnesses wanted to look for him suggests that he was taken away across the sky, not up into Heaven. Third, as we’ll read in a few weeks, some years later King Jehoram of Judah received a letter sent from an unknown location that was written by Elijah (2 Chronicles 21:12-15). Fourth, there are examples of instantaneous relocation to another place on the earth in both John (6:21) and Acts (8:39-40). Fifth, and most significant to me, Jesus explicitly said that He was the first person to ascend into Heaven (John 3:13) - not Elijah (or Enoch for that matter).

III. RETURN TO SAMARIA (2 Kings 2:19-25)

After the failed search for Elijah, the people of Jericho informed Elisha that the city’s water was bad and, accordingly, the land was unfruitful  He requested that they bring him a new jar that had been filled with salt. He went out to the principal spring that supplied Jericho’s water. He sprinkled some salt into it and declared that the Lord had miraculously purified the water. Sure enough, the waters were cleaned and have remained clear and good ever since.

Elisha went up from there to Bethel. He was met by a large hoard of “young lads” from the city. They ruthlessly mocked him, shouting, “Go up, baldhead!” He looked at them and cursed them in the name of the LORD. 2 female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the lads. Elisha continued on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

This episode is often perceived to be quite disturbing and incomprehensible. It has been depicted as a rash and impulsive decision by an insecure prophet to curse children leading to their violent deaths, simply because they were name-calling him. But, upon further study, the same Hebrew word translated “children” in the King James Version of this passage is also used regularly in Scripture to refer to young men or servants. Furthermore, they were taunting Elisha to “go up” like Elijah had done, apparently well aware of Elijah’s miraculous translation. This makes me wonder if these young men were the aforementioned “sons of the prophets” in Bethel, or were affiliated with them in some way. Regardless, a more apt understanding of this story is that a large group of informed young men confronted Elisha, bitterly questioning and scornfully doubting his credentials as Elijah’s rightful successor, and were judged by God for their dismissive behavior. This is comparable to those who accepted John the Baptist as legitimate, but then despised and rejected Jesus who followed thereafter.

CONCLUSION

A major theme of today’s message is the transition of status from Elijah to Elisha. For the past several years, Elijah had been the premiere prophet in Israel. Among other things, he had announced the beginning and ending of the drought, he’d blessed the widow’s flour and oil so that it would not run out, he’d raised her young son from the dead, he’d challenged the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, he’d called fire down from heaven 3 times (once to consume a sacrifice and twice to consume a captain and his soldiers), and he had given specific prophecies of doom to Ahab, Jezebel, and Ahaziah. When you have been successful in ministry like Elijah was, sometimes it can be hard to step aside and let others lead, but he did so gracefully and in spectacular fashion. Passing the baton takes a measure of humility.

Likewise, it can be difficult to follow in and step out of the shadow of a great leader. Elisha had some big shoes to fill and, naturally, he felt some degree of pressure. This is why he asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit to be upon him, and it explains why all of the sons of the prophets were somewhat nervous about the change. Would Elisha be up to the challenge? Could he rise to the level of his mentor? Could he become the great man of God that Elijah was? Obviously there were some “haters” in Bethel who didn’t think so. Only time would tell…

Beloved, I close with this simple thought...  We have led our own lives long enough. It is time to hand the reins over to Jesus and give him control. We must decrease, and He must increase.

Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. - James 4:10

Good morning. Today’s message is the 12th in our current sermon series titled, “The Divided Church: The Northern and Southern Kingdoms”. We will read the last few verses of 1st Kings and then move into 2 Kings. Did you know that when the book of Kings was originally written, it was not divided into 2 parts? It was separated later when the Bible was being canonized.

Last Sunday we discussed the reign of King Jehoshaphat in Judah. We mentioned his partnership with Ahaziah to construct a fleet of merchant ships. As you may recall, God was displeased by this alliance and He destroyed these ships. This morning, we will read a bit more about Ahaziah and his short kingship over Israel.
 
I. AHAZIAH BECOMES KING (1 Kings 22:51-53)

In approximately 877 BC, after his father Ahab was killed during a battle against Aram, Ahaziah became king of Israel. His reign began during the 17th year of King Jehoshaphat in Judah, and lasted for just 2 years. Azahiah lived in and ruled from the capital city of Samaria. Like his father and mother, Ahab and Jezebel, he was an evil king who walked in the ways of Jeroboam and led the northern kingdom into sin. Azahiah served and worshiped Baal which, as we will discover in this message, provoked the LORD to anger.

II. ELIJAH’S DIRE PROPHECY (2 Kings 1:1-8)

After Ahab’s death, the neighboring kingdom of Moab rebelled against Israel. We read last week of their uprising against Judah as well. At some point, Ahaziah fell through a lattice in the upper chamber of his palace. As a result of the injuries he sustained, Ahaziah became seriously ill. So he sent messengers to the Philistine city of Ekron to inquire of their god Baal-zebub whether he would recover from his sickness or not.

Meanwhile, the LORD spoke to Elijah the prophet and instructed him to go and intercept the king’s messengers. He was to sarcastically ask them if they were seeking answers from Baal-zebub because there was no God in Israel to inquire of. Elijah told the messengers to tell Ahaziah that he would surely die. So the messengers returned to Samaria, having never gone to Ekron, and surprised the king by their early arrival. When they told him the foreboding message they’d received, Ahaziah asked them to describe the prophet they encountered. As they did so, King Ahaziah realized that they had spoken with Elijah.

Of course there was a god in Israel that Ahaziah could have sought out - Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the 1 and only true and living God.  Baal-zebub, which means “the lord of the flies”, was another of many false deities. Over the centuries, Beelzebul came to be synonymous with Satan. In the gospels, the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul (their manifestation of Baal-zebub) rather than that of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22-28, Mark 3:22, Luke 11:14-20).

III. FIRE FROM HEAVEN (2 Kings 1:9-16)

Enraged, Ahaziah sent a captain and his 50 soldiers to find, arrest, or possibly even kill Elijah. When they arrived, he was perched up on top of a hill. The captain demanded that he come down. Elijah answered, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your men.” At that moment, fire fell and burnt up the captain and his soldiers.

When the king heard what had happened, he sent another captain with 50 more men. Once again, they found Elijah on top of the hill and ordered him to come down. Elijah called fire down from heaven and it consumed them, too.

Furious, Ahaziah sent a 3rd captain with 50 men. This time, however, when they found Elijah, the captain humbly pleaded for Elijah to spare their lives. An angel of the LORD told Elijah to go down to them, which he did, and was subsequently taken to the king. Upon his arrival, Elijah boldly rebuked Ahaziah for inquiring the word of Baal-zebub rather than God, and again stated that he would surely die.

Beloved, the LORD is a jealous God. He is provoked and offended when we seek out other gods rather than Him. He is rightly angered when we turn to others for answers instead of our all-knowing Creator. This is especially egregious when we should know better and do it anyway.

IV. AHAZIAH DIES AS PREDICTED (2 Kings 1:17-18)

And so, in the days that followed, Ahaziah died just as Elijah had spoken. He had no son and so his brother, Jehoram, another of Ahab’s children, became king over Israel in his place. Ahaziah’s death and the coronation of his brother Jehoram in Samaria took place during the 18th year of Jehoshaphat (2 Kings 3:1) which was also the 2nd year of Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram in Judah. This means that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram served as co-regents for a few years in the southern kingdom.

This period of the divided kingdom era can get a bit confusing because the kings in Israel and Judah had the same name - both were named Jehoram (also called Joram). Also, due to the marriage with Athaliah, they were relatives - brother in laws to be specific. Whatsmore, Ahaziah of Israel, who we spoke about this morning, was the deceased uncle of Ahaziah of Judah, who we’ll discuss in a few weeks. I’ve included a diagram (see below) to help us keep this straight.

CONCLUSION

In closing, Ahaziah wanted to hear a message of life. He longed to hear good news of restoration, hope, and deliverance. Don’t we all? But rather than turning to God, the Giver of Life, he sought salvation from Baal-zebub. Because of his idolatry and sin, the LORD decreed through Elijah that he would certainly die. Instead of being convicted and repenting of his evil ways and misplaced faith, Ahaziah decided to harm God’s prophet for speaking the truth.

Ultimately, King Ahaziah died. So did the 1st and 2nd commanders and each of their 50 men because they did not recognize or respect the authority and power of God and His prophet. But the 3rd commander acknowledged the LORD, humbly bowed before Elijah, and pleaded for his life and that of his soldiers. He did not turn elsewhere for salvation (like Ahaziah did), he did not discount or demean God’s prophets (like the 1st commander did), nor did he foolishly overlook the clearly demonstrated power of God (like the 2nd commander did).

Beloved, we are all dying as the just consequence of our sin and there is only 1 source of forgiveness and eternal life. Rather than seeking other futile alternatives, rather than railing against the truth and seeking to harm those who speak it, and rather than ignoring the abundant evidence of His almighty power, why don’t we instead bow before the LORD and receive the life He offers? Friends, God will extend favor to and spare those who humbly submit and surrender their lives to His Son, Jesus Christ. Will you trust Him for salvation today?

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? - 2 Corinthians 6:14

Last week we began our discussion on King Jehoshaphat of Judah. He was a good ruler who led the southern kingdom to revere and follow the LORD. His dominion was strong and well respected by the surrounding nations. Unfortunately, he allied himself and his forces with Israel in their campaign to reclaim Ramoth-gilead from the Aramaens. Their alliance was soundly defeated, King Ahab was killed, and Jehoshaphat narrowly escaped with his life.

This week we will learn more details about Jehoshaphat's reign. We will pick up right where we left off last Sunday. Most of the Biblical information about Jehoshaphat is recorded in the book of Chronicles, so for the sake of today’s message we will spend more time there than in the book of Kings (where we normally are).
  
I. REBUKE & REFORM (2 Chronicles 19)

Following the death of Ahab and their combined army’s failure to retake Ramoth-gilead, Jehoshaphat returned to his palace in Jerusalem. Jehu the prophet went out to meet him. This was the same Jehu who had prophesied against King Baasha of Israel around 30 years earlier (1 Kings 16:7). Jehu rebuked Jehoshaphat for assisting the wicked and idolatrous King Ahab. Still, he did recognize and acknowledge the good things that Jehoshaphat had done.

Perhaps somewhat convicted by his foolish choice to fight alongside Ahab, Jehoshaphat renewed his efforts to reform Judah in its obedience to God. He appointed judges to serve in cities throughout his kingdom who were fair, impartial, upright, and righteous. He also appointed some Levites, priests, and respected household leaders to resolve disputes among the people in Jerusalem. He instructed them to render judgments in the fear of the LORD. In short, he reformed the court system of Judah, placing it under the headship of Amariah, the chief priest, and Zebadiah, the king’s official.

II. INVASION & PRAYER (2 Chronicles 20:1-13)

Up to this point, Judah had been at peace throughout the entirety of Jehoshaphat’s reign. However, in the wake of his defeat against the Aramaens, the traditional enemies of Judah again became emboldened. A large army, made up mostly of soldiers from Moab and Ammon, along with a few others, came up against Judah. Their invading forces camped at En-gedi, an oasis located on the western shore of the Dead Sea.

Jehoshaphat was frightened so he declared a fast throughout Judah and summoned his people to come seek the LORD. He stood before a large assembly who had gathered at the temple in Jerusalem and began to pray. As he did so, Jehoshaphat remembered how God had brought His people out of Egyptian captivity and settled them in the Promised Land. He spoke of how their ancestors had left the Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites alone for the most part during those former days and lamented that these nations had now risen up against them. As all of Judah’s families listened intently to his prayer, Jehoshaphat pleaded with God to deliver his powerless kingdom from their enemies’ mighty hands.  

III. ASSURANCE & SUCCESS (2 Chronicles 20:14-30)

Then, in the midst of the assembly, the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the prophet. He assured Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah that God would deliver them from the invading multitude. He foretold the path by which the enemy would approach and instructed the army of Judah to meet them for battle. However, Jahaziel prophesied that Judah would not need to fight, but rather simply watch and behold God overthrow the opposition. Upon hearing the message, Jehoshaphat, the Levites, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem joyfully praised and worshiped the LORD.

Early the next morning, the army of Judah went out to meet the approaching adversary. Jehoshaphat encouraged them to trust in the LORD and the word of His prophets. He appointed singers to go before the soldiers singing songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. As soon as they began singing, the multitude of Moabites, Ammonites, and others were overcome with supernatural confusion and began fighting each other

When the men of Judah came near they looked from a distance. They saw that the enemy had completely destroyed itself and slain bodies were scattered across the landscape. It took 3 days for Jehoshaphat and his troops to gather the abundant spoils that were left on the battlefield, including various goods, garments, and valuables.

On the 4th day, Judah’s army assembled in the valley of Beracah and blessed the LORD. Then they returned triumphantly to Jerusalem, singing and playing musical instruments as they came. When word spread of how God had fought for Judah, the surrounding nations were again filled with dread and resumed their previous policy of keeping the peace with Jehoshaphat.

IV. DISPLEASED & DESTROYED (1 Kings 22:47-50; 2 Chronicles 20:31-37)

Sometime later Jehoshaphat engaged in a joint initiative with Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, king of Israel. Together they built a fleet of merchant ships to travel to Tarshish and import gold from Ophir. However, Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahaziah was displeasing to God, just as his alliance with Ahab had been. Eliezer the prophet told him that the LORD would destroy his fleet. Sure enough, for reasons not stated in Scripture, the ships were broken at Ezion-geber.
 
CONCLUSION

Jehoshaphat was a good, righteous king who initiated and oversaw many reforms in Judah to bring his people closer to God. That said, he seemed to have a tendency to entangle himself in bad alliances. As we read last week, he foolishly joined forces with wicked King Ahab to fight against Aram. After being decimated and barely escaping with his life, Jehoshaphat was rebuked for his poor decision. His reputation of strength was damaged, which may have been a motivation for the invasion of the Moabites and Ammonites which we studied this morning. Though God delivered him, apart from his alliance with Ahab the LORD’s intervention may not have been necessary.

A few years later, seemingly having learned nothing from his previous misstep, Jehoshaphat teamed up with Ahab’s contemptible son Ahaziah to build a merchant fleet of ships, apparently to serve both Judah and Israel. Once again, he was rebuked for his foolishness. God destroyed the ships so that they were rendered unusable and the project was a failure.

These aren’t the only outcomes of Jehoshaphat’s unwise alliances with Ahab and his corrupt family. He allowed his son Jehoram to marry Athaliah, Ahab and Jezebel’s awful daughter. This decision would result in disastrous consequences also, as we will discover in a few weeks.

The Bible teaches us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. This command is often applied to marriage, but it is also appropriate in many other circumstances. We should avoid becoming allied, partnered, or contractually bound with evil, ungodly people or groups. Such associations and relationships are a recipe for trouble.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. - 2 Timothy 4:3-4

For the past few weeks we have concentrated on the northern kingdom. We have talked about the reign of King Ahab and his malicious wife Jezebel. We have discussed their encounters with the prophet Elijah, Israel’s ongoing war with Aram, and their conspiracy to confiscate Naboth’s vineyard. Meanwhile in Judah, Asa’s son Jehoshaphat had taken the throne. Let’s backtrack a bit this morning to discuss the first several years of his rule in the southern kingdom.
  
I. JEHOSHAPHAT’S EARLY REIGN (1 Kings 22:41-46; 2 Chronicles 17)

After the death of his father Asa (presumably to complications from foot disease), Jehoshaphat became king of Judah during the 4th year of Ahab in Israel. Jehoshaphat's mother was named Azubah. He was 35 years old when he became king and he ruled for 25 years in Jerusalem. Like his father, Jehoshaphat was regarded as a good king who generally did right in the sight of the LORD. He did not remove all of the high places, but he did expel the remnant of sodomites that remained in the land following his father’s reign.

Jehoshaphat placed troops in Judah’s fortified cities and garrisons throughout the kingdom including in the cities of Ephraim that Asa had captured. He firmly cemented his position as king and all of Judah brought tribute to him.  He walked in the ways of David, did not seek after idols, and took pride in God’s commandments. Thus, the LORD established his kingdom and made him strong.

In the 3rd year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent select officials, Levites, and priests to teach the law of the LORD throughout the cities of Judah. The surrounding nations dreaded him and kept the peace. In fact, some of the Philistines and Arabians brought him gifts as tribute, such as silver and flocks of animals. Jehoshaphat built fortresses and store cities to contain the vast quantity of supplies he accumulated. He also mustered a sizable army that was placed under the command of several skilled leaders.

II. AHAB & JEHOSHAPHAT JOIN FORCES (1 Kings 22:1-12; 2 Chronicles 18:1-11)

Earlier in his reign, Jehoshaphat had allied himself with Ahab by marriage (allowing his son Jehoram to marry Ahab and Jezebel's daughter, Athaliah). So 3 years after Israel's 2nd victory over Aram, Ahab decided to retake the city of Ramoth-gilead. It was an Israeli city that was still being held by the Aramaens. Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to assist him in this effort (it would be Israel’s 3rd campaign against Aram), and Jehoshaphat readily agreed to the alliance.

As a precursor, Jehoshaphat requested that Ahab inquire a word from the LORD as to whether this was a good idea or not. So Ahab gathered up the “prophets” of Israel, about 400 men, and asked them. They all agreed that Ahab and Jehoshaphat should move forward with their plans to retake Ramoth-gilead. However, when Jehoshaphat saw that none of these men were actually prophets of the LORD, he asked Ahab if there were any of God’s prophets available that they might ask. Ahab named 1 man, Micaiah, but said that he hated him because he never prophesied good or favorable things for him.

To appease Jehoshaphat, Ahab went ahead and summoned Micaiah. In the meantime, while they waited for him to arrive, Ahab and Jehoshaphat sat on their thrones in the palace in Samaria as numerous false prophets appeared before them ensuring victory. Zedekiah, a prominent prophet in the northern kingdom, confidently predicted that Israel would gore the Aramaens with horns of iron.

III. MICAIAH PREDICTS DEFEAT (1 Kings 22:13-28; 2 Chronicles 18:12-27)

The messenger who went to retrieve Micaiah told him that all of King Ahab’s prophets had uniformly assured him success over Aram. He asked Micaiah to deliver the same positive message. However, Micaiah rebuked the messenger saying that he would prophesy whatever God revealed to him, whether encouraging or not.

When Micaiah appeared before the 2 kings, he initially consented to the messenger’s request and simply told Ahab what he wanted to hear - that Israel would surely defeat Aram. But something in his tone or on his face must have given him away, and Ahab insisted that he tell the truth. So Micaiah prophesied the word of the LORD, that Israel would be defeated if they attempted to retake Ramoth-gilead. Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, “See? I told you he would not prophesy anything good for me.” 

Micaiah proceeded to describe his heavenly vision of how God had sent a deceiving word to the prophets of Israel. Their false promises of victory would entice Ahab into a losing battle. Furious, Zedekiah slapped Micaiah across the face and questioned his message. Ahab commanded that Micaiah be thrown in prison and fed sparingly until he returned triumphantly from battle. The prophet defiantly responded that if Ahab returned safely from battle, then the LORD had not spoken by him. For God had decreed that Ahab would die in the fight.  

IV. DEFEAT & DEATH OF AHAB (1 Kings 22:29-40; 2 Chronicles 18:28-34)

The allied forces of Israel and Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. Before the conflict began, Ahab disguised himself in order to conceal his identity from the Aramaens. When the fighting broke out, Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, ordered some of his charioteers to the singular mission of finding and fighting against Ahab. In the heat of battle, they mistook Jehoshaphat for Ahab and sought to overtake him, but when they realized their error, they broke off their pursuit.

As the confrontation raged on, Ahab was randomly struck by an arrow in the joint of his armor. Severely injured, the driver of his chariot withdrew him from the battle. At a safe distance, they propped Ahab up in his chariot so that he could watch the fighting. As the disguised king slowly bled out, his blood stained and pooled in the bottom of his chariot. Ahab died that evening, and Israel’s and Judah’s troops withdrew in defeat from Ramoth-gilead.

King Ahab’s body was returned to Samaria and buried. His chariot was taken outside of the city to be washed, just as Naboth had been taken out of the city to be stoned. As it was being cleaned, Ahab’s blood dripped onto the ground where it was licked up by the dogs, just as Ezekiel had prophesied (1 Kings 21:17-19). Thus, Ahab died and his son Ahaziah became king of Israel in his place.

CONCLUSION

King Ahab had surrounded himself with “yes men”. His many prophets told him exactly what he wanted to hear. They even tried to suppress and silence any messages to the contrary so that there would be no dissenting opinions. Ahab didn’t want the truth, and he despised and imprisoned the man who was bold enough to speak it. Emboldened by his previous success, Ahab foolishly ignored the word of the LORD. But Ahab’s arrogance and corruption ultimately was his downfall, and his disregard for God’s prophetic word cost him his life.

Beloved, people need to hear the truth. It may not be popular or easy to listen to, but it alone has the power to save. This world hates the truth of God. It revels in the darkness and despises the light. It delights in the filth and stink of sin, while stubbornly resisting purity and righteousness. This fallen world deceives itself with comforting lies and empty deception. Nevertheless, this world desperately needs the truth more than anything. Jesus is the truth! May we have the courage to say it.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor. - Exodus 20:17

Good morning. In today’s message we will continue focusing on events in the life of King Ahab, ruler of the northern kingdom, Israel. This sermon is titled, “Ahab Covets Naboth’s Vineyard”. Perhaps you've heard or read this somewhat familiar passage before. It includes 4 main characters - King Ahab, Queen Jezebel, Naboth, and Elijah the prophet. This story is recorded in 1 Kings chapter 21. Let’s get started…

I. AHAB’S PLIGHT (1 Kings 21:1-7)

After 2 resounding military victories over the Aramaens, the kingdom of Israel enjoyed a brief respite of peace. Though King Ahab reigned from Samaria, he had palaces in other cities as well. There was a man named Naboth living in Jezreel who owned a vineyard next to Ahab’s palace there. Ahab approached Naboth and asked him if he might have his vineyard in order to use it as a vegetable garden due to its proximity to the palace. Ahab promised to either give Naboth an even better vineyard in its place or to buy the vineyard from him outright.

However, when presented with Ahab’s offer, Naboth declined to give or sell his vineyard to Ahab. Naboth explained that this land belonged to his ancestors and tribe, and rightly stated that the Law did not allow the transfer of land from 1 tribe to another (Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7). Ahab did not have legitimate authority to take the vineyard so he went away disappointed and sorrowful. He returned to his palace where he laid in bed sulking, refusing to eat.

Queen Jezebel asked the king what had happened to cause him such distress. Ahab answered that Naboth was unwilling to sell or exchange his vineyard. Jezebel was shocked by Ahab’s weakness and said, “Aren’t you the king?”, implying that he should just confiscate it. She told him to quit crying, get out of bed, cheer up, and eat. She said that she would handle the situation and would get the vineyard for her husband.  

II. JEZEBEL’S PLOT (1 Kings 21:8-16)

Jezebel wrote letters in the king’s name, sealed them with his royal seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles of Jezreel. She instructed them to proclaim a fast, a religious holiday, and to hold a ceremony with all of the prominent men in the city. Naboth was to be seated at the head of the table.  However, they were to sit 2 false witnesses before him who would publicly accuse him of cursing God and the king. Based on their “testimony”, the nobles and elders were directed to take Naboth outside of the city and stone him to death (Leviticus 24:16).  

When the leaders of the city received Jezebel letters, which had been written in the king’s name, they promptly obeyed. They proclaimed a fast, planted false witnesses at the grand ceremony, publicly made false allegations against Naboth, and then stoned him to death. Though not stated here, in 2 Kings 9:26 (which we will study later in this series) we learn that Naboth’s sons were stoned with him so as to wipe out his heirs. It was all an elaborate set up, orchestrated by the evil queen. After it had been done, the nobles and elders sent word to Jezebel that Naboth was dead.

Upon hearing the news, Jezebel went to her husband, King Ahab, and reported that Naboth (and his heirs) had been killed. She told him to go and take possession of the vineyard that Naboth had previously refused to give him. So Ahab arose and went down to the vineyard to take it for himself.

III. ELIJAH’S PROPHECY (1 Kings 21:17-29)

Then the word of the LORD came to the prophet Elijah and told him to go meet Ahab at the vineyard. Elijah was to confront Ahab with his sin, charging him with murdering an innocent man in order to steal his possessions. For his wickedness, the LORD would bring judgment upon Ahab. In the same place where the dogs had licked up Naboth’s blood after he’d been stoned outside the city, they would also somebody lick up Ahab’s blood.

Ahab asked Elijah why he had come to trouble him. Elijah replied that Ahab had acted wickedly and that God would soon cut off his royal line just as He had done with Jeroboam and Baasha. Because Ahab had provoked the LORD and led Israel astray, God would see to it that his male descendants were destroyed and that the throne was forever taken away from his family. Furthermore, Jezebel would die and her body would be picked over by dogs in the streets of Jezreel. Likewise, the bodies of Ahab’s household would be ravished by the dogs and birds. 

Ahab was an evil, idolatrous king. To make matters worse, he was enticed to commit greater sin by his wicked and cruel wife Jezebel. Nevertheless, when Elijah pronounced this damning prophecy against him, Ahab expressed grave sorrow and remorse. The word of the LORD came to Elijah again declaring that, because Ahab had humbled himself, God’s judgment against his household would not come during Ahab’s days but rather during the days of his son. Thus, God’s judgment was postponed, but not rescinded.

CONCLUSION

This story deals with the sin of coveting. The 10th commandment states, “Thou shall not covet.” The word covet can also be translated as lust. It is an evil, carnal desire for something or someone that does not belong to you or that you have no right to long after. Coveting is an inner sin of the heart and mind that often gives birth to other outer sins such as stealing, adultery, and/or murder. It is a form of envy.

Perhaps the most well known Bible story about coveting features King David. He lustfully desired Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, which ultimately led to both adultery and murder. In the passage we read today, King Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard, which resulted in a conspiracy, lies, theft, and murder. Both of these passages, and many others, illustrate how coveting oftentimes is a catalyst for other sins.

Today’s message also touches on the issue of private property and eminent domain. When does the government have a legitimate right to take someone’s private property? I will concede that this is not always a cut-and-dry answer and there are often considerations that need to be made for the public good. However, in this instance, there was no compelling reason for Ahab to seize Naboth’s vineyard. He was wrong to do so. In general, the government has no right to confiscate someone’s private property unless the owner voluntarily permits them to do so, and even then they should be properly compensated for the property. 
 
In the Garden of Eden, God held Adam accountable for his sin even though Eve enticed him. We see the same thing in this passage. God held Ahab accountable for his sin even though Jezebel was the mastermind behind it. The lesson is clear. When we are complicit with sin and freely go along with it, we bear the same level of guilt as those who originated it. For this reason, we cannot blame others (even the Devil) for our sin.

Lastly, this story is an example of how powerful people can seemingly get away with anything. They can exploit the powerless, set them up to take the fall, and abuse the justice system for their own purposes. We see this type of corruption all the time among our politicians and the wealthy elite class. It is simply naive to believe that man’s law applies equally to everyone. That said, God will hold everyone accountable. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but we can rest assured that, in His time, those who commit sin - even the rich and powerful - will face justice.

The pronouncement concerning Damascus: “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin.” - Isaiah 17:1

The Biblical nation of Aram equates to modern-day Syria. Its capital city was and still is Damascus. The people of Aram were descendants of Noah’s son Shem. They became known as Aramaens. Aram is mentioned frequently in the Old Testament, during the era of the patriarchs, the judges, and the kings. By the time of the New Testament, its name had officially changed to Syria. During Israel’s divided kingdom era, which is the topic of our current study, Aram was ruled by a leader named Ben-hadad.

Ben-hadad is actually a title, not a name, similar to “Pharaoh” or “Emperor”. It means “son of Hadad.” Hadad was the Mesopotamian god of thunder and storms. It was common in ancient times for kings to be named after gods. Bible historians believe there were 3 separate kings in Aram who went by this title - Ben-hadad I, Ben-hadad II (his son or grandson), and Ben-hadad III (an unrelated man who assassinated Ben-hadad II). We will mention all 3 of these men during this series.

In today’s sermon, we will turn our attention away from Elijah the prophet (who we’ve spoken about for the past 2 weeks) and focus instead on King Ahab and Israel’s renewed war with Ben-hadad, king of Aram. This may have still been Ben-hadad I, the same man who made a treaty with King Asa of Judah some 25-30 earlier in his skirmish against Baasha (1 Kings 15:16-22), but was more likely Ben-hadad II. Turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 20 and let’s begin…  

I. AHAB’S RESISTANCE (1 Kings 20:1-12)

Ben-hadad king of Aram, along with 32 other kings, gathered a united army with horses and chariots and went up to Samaria and besieged it. He sent a message to King Ahab, who was surrounded in the city, that he wanted all of his gold and silver, as well as his most beautiful wives and children. Seeing no other choice, Ahab agreed to Ben-hadad’s request. However, when the king of Aram’s messengers returned a second time they told Ahab that they’d be coming the next day to search his house as well as those of his servants to take whatever they found desirable.

While Ahab had previously agreed to a limited seizure of his possessions, this expanded seizure seemed too much. He called all of his elders together and explained to them what had happened. They advised him not to consent to Ben-hadad’s new terms. Therefore, Ahab told the messengers that he would abide by the initial request, but would not consent to the second, larger request. When Ahab’s message was delivered, Ben-hadad decided to attack the city and take it by force.

He sent a pompous message to Ahab stating that he and the Aramaen army would reduce Samaria to dust. Ahab defiantly replied, “Let not him who girds his armor boast like him who takes it off.” In other words, don’t count your chickens before they hatch. When the king of Aram received Ahab’s snarky response, he readied his forces to attack Samaria.

II. AHAB’S FIRST VICTORY (1 Kings 20:13-25)

In the meantime an unnamed prophet approached King Ahab and told him that God would deliver the city from the Aramaens, again showing Himself to be the true LORD. Skeptical, Ahab asked by what means. The prophet answered, “By the young men of the rulers of the provinces.” These were small, regional units of skilled commandos. Ahab asked who would begin the battle and the prophet answered that he would. So Ahab gathered his forces, 232 commandos and 7,000 regular Israeli soldiers, to start the fight.

Israel went out at noon, while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings were drinking themselves drunk in their tents. The young men from the provinces went first and it was reported that they were coming. Ben-hadad commanded that they be taken alive. When the Aramaen soldiers approached them, Israel suddenly attacked. They slaughtered Aram’s forces and pursued them as they fled.  Ben-hadad escaped on horseback. Nevertheless, King Ahab and Israel achieved a great victory.

The prophet returned to Ahab once again and advised him to strengthen himself because Ben-hadad and the army of Aram would be back at the turn of the year. Meanwhile, as the Aramaen army sought to recover its losses and regroup from its crushing defeat, Ben-hadad’s advisors reasoned that Israel’s gods were gods of the mountains while Aram’s gods were gods of the plains. They instructed him to replace his supporting kings with captains and to fight Israel on the plains rather than in the mountains, so that they would have the advantage and prevail. This would be the strategy for their next battle.

III. AHAB’S SECOND VICTORY (1 Kings 20:26-43)

Just as predicted, at the turn of the year the king of Aram, Ben-hadad, and his replenished army went up to fight against Israel on the plains surrounding Aphek. Israel went out and camped opposite of Aram. An unnamed prophet, perhaps the same person as before, came and told King Ahab that God would deliver Israel again, although they were vastly outnumbered, once more proving himself to be the LORD. Both camps were still for a week, but on the 7th day the battle began. Israel was victorious, killing 100,000 of Aram’s soldiers in a single day. The remaining 27,000 fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall subsequently fell on them.

Ben-hadad hid himself in the city. His servants advised him that Israel’s kings were known to be merciful, and counseled him to surrender. Heeding their advice, Ben-hadad came out of hiding and surrendered himself to Ahab. Ben-hadad promised to return the Israeli cities that had been previously taken by Aram and to restore friendly relations between the 2 kingdoms. Agreeing to the covenant, Ahab allowed Ben-hadad to live and released him to return to Damascus. 

Meanwhile, another unnamed prophet asked a man to strike him. When the man refused, the prophet told him that he would be killed by a lion for his disobedience. When the man left, a lion found and killed him just as had been prophesied. The unnamed prophet asked another man to strike him. This time the man complied and hit the prophet, leaving an obvious injury. The prophet disguised himself with a bandage and went to speak to King Ahab. He presented himself as a soldier who had been charged to guard a prisoner with his life, but told the king that somehow his prisoner had escaped.

King Ahab ordered that he be executed, consistent with the penalty that had been given by his commanding officer. However, the whole story was made up. The prophet revealed his true identity and explained that his story was an object lesson for Ahab. Just as he was furious at the hypothetical soldier for allowing his hypothetical prisoner to escape, so also God was angry at Ahab for allowing Ben-hadad to go free. As a result, God would bring judgment on Ahab for his negligence.

CONCLUSION

I want to make 3 observations from this chapter before we conclude today’s message. First, don’t presume you know the outcome of something before you’ve even started. Ben-hadad boasted of victory prior to the fight, and ended up getting whipped - twice. Second, when God shows you who He is, believe Him. God showed Himself to Ahab at Mt. Carmel (which we discussed last week), and again during both his first and second victories over Aram. Sadly, Ahab still didn’t repent or change his evil ways. Third, if God affords you an opportunity to rid yourself of danger, consistent with His will of course, take it. I am not suggesting that you should murder your enemies, but I am saying that if you foolishly allow sinful influences to remain in your life rather than disposing of them, it is likely that they will eventually bring you down. Beloved, the broad road leads to destruction, so if you see an exit ramp, get off. And by the way, the exit ramp is named Jesus…

And I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not allow My holy name to be profaned anymore. But the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. - Ezekiel 39:7

When we concluded last Sunday’s message, Elijah was going to meet King Ahab. Along the way, he had encountered Ahab’s servant Obadiah, who was also a believer in God. The 2 men had spoken with each other and Obadiah had expressed his reservations in announcing Elijah’s arrival to the king. Nevertheless, he ultimately did so and Elijah and Ahab met.

This morning we will pick up the story there and read about an epic confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. We will also learn how the 3 year drought ended, how Elijah fled from the evil Queen Jezebel, and identify 3 men who God commanded him to anoint. This message is titled, “Elijah’s Courage and Cowardice”.
 
I. CONFRONTATION ON CARMEL (1 Kings 18:17-40)

When Ahab and Elijah met, Ahab accused Elijah of being a “troubler” to Israel. Elijah answered that Ahab and his household were the real troublers because they had forsaken the Lord and followed the Baals. Elijah asked Ahab to gather the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah who ate at Jezebel’s table together with him at Mount Carmel.

Ahab summoned all of these false prophets, along with the people of Israel, to Mount Carmel. Elijah asked the people assembled there not to waver between two alternatives but to choose and follow either Baal or the Lord as the true god. He challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest to determine which god was genuine. Both he and they would prepare an ox to be sacrificed, both would lay it on wood, both would call out to their god, and the god who answered by consuming the offering with fire would be declared the true god. The prophets of Baal agreed to the terms and the challenge began.

They went first. After preparing an ox and placing it on wood atop an altar, the false prophets of Baal began crying out for him to pour fire down upon their offering. They did so from morning until noon, but nothing happened. Elijah began mocking them, suggesting that they shout louder because Baal might be away traveling or perhaps be asleep. In their desperation, as the afternoon wore on, they began cutting themselves as they continued crying out until evening. Still, Baal did not answer and nothing happened.

Now it was Elijah’s turn. He took 12 stones, representing the 12 tribes of Israel, and built an altar with them. He prepared an ox and placed it on the wood. However, he also dug a trench around the altar. Then he had the people pour water on the ox and wood 3 times so that both were drenched, and the surplus water flowed into and filled the trench. Finally, Elijah cried out to the LORD to reveal Himself to the people as the true God, and the LORD immediately and spectacularly sent fire down from heaven consuming the offering, wood, altar, and all of the water in the trench.

The people fell on their faces and declared the LORD as the true and living God. Following Elijah’s command, they seized all of the prophets of Baal. They brought them down to the brook Kishon and Elijah slew them there.

II. RAINING AND RUNNING (1 Kings 18:41-19:8)

Elijah told Ahab to eat and drink in celebration, for he had heard the sound of a heavy rain that would finally end the crippling drought. As Ahab did so, Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. God told him to look toward the sea, but when he did, Elijah saw nothing in the sky. This happened 7 times. On the 7th time, when Elijah looked, he saw a small rain cloud in the distance. He told Ahab to hurry in his chariot to Jezreel before the heavy downpour came. The clouds grew dark, the winds blew, and a torrent of rain showered down. God strengthened Elijah so that he actually outran Ahab’s chariot back to Jezreel.

Ahab told Jezebel his wife that Elijah had killed the prophets of Baal. She sent a messenger to Elijah swearing that she would find and kill him the very next day. Fearing for his life, Elijah fled to Beersheba in extreme southern Judah, left his servant there, and then continued another day into the wilderness alone. He sat under a juniper tree and wailed for God to take his life. An angel attended to him, telling him to arise, eat, and drink the bread and water that God had provided. The angel also said that he’d need this nutrition for the long journey ahead. Elijah obeyed, regained his strength, and then traveled 40 days and 40 nights to Mount Horeb.

III. GOD’S STILL, SMALL VOICE (1 Kings 19:9-21)

When he arrived at Mount Horeb, Elijah hid in a cave. The LORD spoke to him asking why he was hiding there. In self-pity, Elijah defended his righteousness and contended that Israel had forsaken God, murdered His prophets, and that he alone was left running for his life. Of course, this was a bit of an exaggeration, as Obadiah had rescued and provided for 100 of the LORD’s prophets. People tend to be overdramatic when they are feeling sorry for themselves.

So the LORD told Elijah to step out of the cave and watch as He passed by. A great and powerful wind blew up, so strong that it broke the rocks, but God was not in the wind. Next came an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. Then came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire either. Finally came the sound of a gentle breeze. Elijah wrapped his face in his cloak and listened to the still, small voice of the LORD.

For the 2nd time God asked Elijah why he was hiding there and Elijah offered the same answer as before. Seemingly ignoring his self-misery, God told Elijah to get up and go back to Israel. God isn’t impressed with our “pity parties”. Along the way he was to stop in Damascus and anoint Hazael as king over Aram, then Jehu as king over Israel, and Elisha as prophet in his place. God would use these 3 men to bring judgment upon Ahab and the kingdom Israel, yet would preserve 7,000 faithful people who had refused to worship Baal.

Elijah obeyed the command of the LORD. He went and found Elisha while he was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen. Elijah threw his cloak (or mantle) upon Elisha, symbolizing his anointing of the new prophet. Before departing, Elisha asked if he might say goodbye to his parents. He sacrificed and prepared a pair of oxen for them all to eat together. After the meal, Elisha got up and left with Elijah and became his servant.

CONCLUSION

I have always been struck by the dramatic change in Elijah’s character from chapter 18 to chapter 19. He acted with tremendous courage as he appeared before King Ahab who was intent on killing him. He boldly challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel, mocked their frivolous and futile cries, and then valiantly executed all of them. He was, in these moments, a warrior for the LORD.

Then, when threatened by Jezebel, he was suddenly overcome with fear. He cowardly fled and hid in a cave, crying that all was lost and that he was the last godly prophet alive. He was filled with self-pity and timidity. What happened to him? Jokingly, I have heard some pastors suggest that these passages prove that dealing with just 1 evil woman is more scary than dealing with hundreds of wicked men. But seriously…

While we are fickle - brave at times and terrified at others, confident at times and uncertain at others, strong at times and weak at others - beloved, we can always trust in the constancy of God. He is unchanging, the same all the time. He doesn’t have good days and bad days. He is always good, always mighty, always faithful, always wise, always truthful, and always ready to save. If you have placed your faith in Him as Lord and Savior, He is your Constant.