Amos – The Last Call To Personal Holiness – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Good morning! Come with me on a little adventure. I’m trying something a little different with the SMP: a Bible Study on the Book of Amos. One of the things that triggered this was a news article about a group called Freedom From Religion, who are trying to get a cross removed from a war memorial that has been there for 91 years. I remember seeing this group in an interview a few years ago: I can’t remember when. The group was started by a woman who belonged to a religion that was forcing her to do this, that, and the other thing. She should use her group to get others out of a works religion, and get them into a KJV Bible believing church. A church where they believe Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Unfortunately many confuse God with the church in their priorities. Your priorities should start with God. He should be your number one priority. Your second priority is that of your family, and because you love your family, and want a good house with food on the table, and clothes on their backs; your job should be in here somewhere. Your third priority is your church. Fourth: everything else.
Romans 14:1 thru 15:7 (and I promise we will get to Amos) tells us that, “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
One day we will all give account to God. This is a call to personal holiness. In 1Peter, chapter 1, Peter quotes Leviticus 11:44: “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (Romans 14:1-15:7)
And Peter knew this is personal between him and the Lord. Jesus told Peter, straight out, the way it is. John 21:20-22 tells us, “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.”
Don’t worry about the other guy, you follow what God says in His Holy Word.
In the Book of Amos, time had run out. The nations did not listen or care to do what the only true and living God said to do. God’s people were about to be judged for turning their backs on God. The nations that surrounded Israel and Judah were about to be judged for what they did to God’s people. The nations of Syria, Palestine, Edom, Ammon, and Moab hurt God’s people. They were threshed by the Syrians. Threshing is a process in which the chafe and the grain is removed from the stalk. Then the grain is separated from the chafe. God’s people were torn apart by the Syrians. God’s people were sold as slaves by the Palestinians. Edom, the descendants of Esua, had no pity on their brother, Israel, and fought with God’s people. God’s people were attacked by the Ammonites. They ripped up the pregnant women (genocide) to enlarge their borders. It did not matter to them that they attacked the children of Abraham, their father’s uncle. Moab was going to be punished for attacking the other son of Abraham: Isaac’s son Esau. God is a righteous God, and wrong is wrong, whether it is delivered by the hand of an enemy, or the hand of a friend. And God’s people, Israel and Judah, turned their backs on the God who loved them, who chose them to be His bride, who led them out of captivity. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Scarey.
Did you ever play chess? The best players are always thinking several moves ahead. Amos was giving these people a vision of what was going to happen to them. God gave them a peek at what was going to be a few moves ahead. They could either repent, change their mind about the direction they were going, or just keep going further and further away from God. Remember that the wages of sin is death, even for a Christian. But God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Your life is between you and God. He purchased you with His blood. Maybe the time has come for some self examination, and a life that reflects a closer walk with God.
Let me encourage you to read the Book of Amos this week. But before you do, ask God to open your eyes to being holy; and to keep you from falling. And when you do fall, remember 1John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Peace (Isaiah 43:5-12)
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Choose Your Battles Wisely
Today’s Passage – 2 Kings 23 – 25
Second Milers also read – Luke 23 – 24; Psalms 16 – 20; Proverbs 4
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8
“In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.” – (2 Kings 23:29)
In order to make sense of the story referenced in 2 Kings 23:29 above, the parallel passage in 2 Chronicles 35:20 – 25 should be read also. In a nutshell, the two big dogs on the block during the time of Josiah are Egypt and Assyria. The Kingdom of Judah, which includes Jerusalem and its surrounding areas was nestled right in between these two world powers. Assyria had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. Anyway, Egypt was travelling north to fight with Assyria at a place called Carchemesh on the Euphrates River. King Josiah from Judah, for some unknown reason, got in the middle of this battle, choosing to fight for the Assyrians against Egypt. 2 Chronicles tells us that the Pharaoh of Egypt warned Josiah not to interfere. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that God told Josiah to get involved. From all appearances it looks as if Josiah was killed because he involved himself in something that God never told him to be involved in. Josiah was a great king, but he got his priorities messed up here. The end result is that Josiah’s son takes control of Judah, and the Bible tells us that he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.
I think that there is a great lesson for us to learn here. Sometimes we get ourselves in trouble when we interfere in things that God never told us to interfere with. We need to learn to do two things. First, we need to choose our battles carefully. Second, we need to learn to mind our own business at times. Now don’t misunderstand, sometimes God wants us to get involved in things that are not directly involving us, but when these times arise we need to make sure that it is truly God’s will for us to involve ourselves. When I look back at the ten years of my ministry here at Jersey Shore Baptist Church, I can now see in hindsight that there were many times that I got involved in things that God never told me to do. As a result, the church would lose focus, and harm would come. I am trying now to stay within the area that God has called me to. He has called me to pastor the people of Jersey Shore Baptist Church, and He has called me to get the message of the gospel to my community. Besides my responsibilities as a husband and father, those are my main duties. It is a big enough job by itself, so I don’t need to get mixed up in something that distracts me from those purposes. There are a lot of “good” causes out there to get involved in, but even a “good” cause can become sin, if it is not God’s will.
How about you? Do you ever find yourself getting sidetracked into an area that distracts you from what you know God wants you to do? Choose your battles wisely, mind your own business, and stay focused on the will of God for your life.
By the way, I want to also be careful to acknowledge that even though Josiah got mixed up in something he shouldn’t have; he was still a great king, and in my opinion the greatest king Judah ever had. Chapter 23 of our passage records all of the great things Josiah did in Judah and even in the northern kingdom, Israel. He worked tirelessly removing the evil that his predecessors had allowed to enter into the land.
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Selfish Attitude
Click on Scripture references below to listen to passages.
Today’s Passage – 2 Kings 20 – 22
Second Milers also read – Luke 21 – 22; Psalms 11 – 15; Proverbs 3
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 3:1
Read last year’s post from this passage – “Have You Found The Book?”
“Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?” – (2 Kings 20:19)
In our passage today we read about good King Hezekiah of Judah. Hezekiah was one of the greatest kings the southern kingdom ever had, and there is very little negative information recorded about him. He loved the Lord, and for the most part, he pleased God with the way he ruled. However, there has always been something about Hezekiah that has bothered me. In 2 Kings chapter 20, we read about Hezekiah being graciously granted an additional 15 years of life after initially being told by God that his life was going to end sooner. He may have been better off going home to Heaven when God originally told him he was going. Those last 15 years of Hezekiah’s life were not his best. It was in those last years that he had a son named Manassah who is recorded as being the worst king in Judah’s history. It was also in the last 15 years of his life that he allowed ambassadors from Babylon to come in to see his kingdom. These delegates from Babylon would bring back to their kingdom information that would eventually cause them to invade Judah and Jerusalem years later. Isaiah strongly rebukes Hezekiah for his lack of judgment in allowing these men to see everything in the kingdom, and Isaiah tells Hezekiah that a lot of horrible things were going to happen to Jerusalem in the future. Upon hearing the report, Hezekiah is actually glad because the bad things won’t start until after he is gone. That’s a pretty selfish attitude if you ask me.
We are a lot like Hezekiah. We make decisions that benefit ourselves, but they may have a negative impact on future generations. For instance, parents that neglect their worship and service of God set an example for their children that will probably cause them to move even further away from God. I have seen good Christian people who have lost their children and grandchildren to the world because they compromised their convictions when the kids were young. We have a responsibility to the next generation. I want my children and grandchildren to be more sold-out, and more in love with the Lord than I am. Before we make decisions that may make us a little more comfortable or happy in this generation, we need to consider the affect that it will have on future generations. Hezekiah forsook the future generations of his family, and all of Jerusalem, all because he wanted to receive a little flattery and praise from a visiting delegation of ambassadors from Babylon. Very foolish, and very selfish.
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Spread It Before The Lord
Today’s Passage – 2 Kings 18 – 19
Second Milers also read – Luke 19 – 20; Psalms 6 – 10; Proverbs 2
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 53
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17
Read – “Anti-Bullying Campaign Demeans Christians” by Pastor Chappell
“And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.” – (2 Kings 19:1)
“And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.” – (2 Kings 19:14)
In our passage this morning in 2 Kings. we see the city of Jerusalem surrounded by the army from Assyria. Assyria had already conquered much of the known world at that time, including the northern kingdom of Israel, and Jerusalem in Judah certainly did not have the military strength to repel such a powerful force. Hezekiah, the King of Judah did what we all should do when we are faced with problems far bigger than our own human ability to solve: he went to the Lord. Notice in verse 1 above that Hezekiah went into the house of the Lord. That’s a good place to go to find answers, isn’t it. He then sent for the man of God, Isaiah. In this passage we can see a recipe that will help us in time of trouble. Go to God; go to God’s house; seek counsel from the man of God.
Notice in verse 14 above, the Assyrian’s are threatening again, and Hezekiah does the same thing that he did the first time. Why wouldn’t he? By the way, both times God delivers Jerusalem from the mighty Assyrians. The first time, God just lures them away from Jerusalem, but the second time He actually kills 185,000 of them. They should have quit while they were ahead.
So, what can we learn from this passage? When you are faced with questions and problems that are bigger than yourself, go to God. Look into the Bible for answers to your questions. Seek counsel from the men and women that God has placed in your life to help you. And whatever you do, do not forsake the house of God, when you are faced with problems. It very well may be that God will solve your problem there. The older I get, the more I realize that my life is bigger than my ability to live it right, and I find myself not knowing what to do often. I need God’s help. I need God’s wisdom. Our church is facing some decisions regarding what to do with our property and our parsonage. The men of the church will meet to discuss it, but what we really need is God’s wisdom. Our family is facing decisions regarding the future. We need God’s wisdom; God’s help. We need to spread these things before the Lord.
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Have It Your Way
Today’s Passage – 2 Kings 16 – 17
Second Milers also read – Luke 17 – 18; Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32
“They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.” – (2 Kings 17:33)
Do you remember the old Burger King jingle and ad campaign, “Have It Your Way”. Years ago this company promoted the concept of having your burger custom designed any wany you desire. They inferred that the other fast-food burger places would only let you purchase their food the way they made it, and you could not “special order” a sandwich the way you wanted it. The ad campaign, I think, was very successful for Burger King. It has been over 30 years ago that they ran those ads, and I still remember them. The Burger King concept is a reflection of the American culture. We don’t want to be confined to a pre-determined menu. We want it our way. The Burger King concept may be a very good idea when it comes to selling fast food, but it will be a disaster for the church.
In our text we see in the land of Israel people from many nations. They had been placed there by the king of Assyria after he had removed the Israelites from the land. These foreigners faced opposition from God Himself when they first came in to inhabit the land (see 2 Kings 17:25), so they figured they had better do something to appease the God of Israel. The king of Assyria released one of the Israelite priests from captivity, and charged him to return to Israel and instruct the people in the proper worship of the God of Israel. The result was that these people incorporated God into their worship partially, but they still continued to worship their own gods, their way.
The New Testament tells us that in the end times there will be many that will do the same thing:
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” – (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
We are certainly living in the time that the Bible describes, and we have applied the Burger King philosophy to our worship of God. We pick and choose which doctrines on the menu that appeal to our tastes, and we create our own custom designed forms of worship and service. We have it wrong. This “seeker sensitive” generation of Christians needs to go back to the Bible and discover what is pleasing to the Lord, and then submit themselves to the menu that He has designed for them in His wisdom. God knows how to make our burgers better than we can. We had better let Him have it His way.
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He Gave Them A Saviour
Today’s Passage – 2 Kings 13 – 15
Second Milers also read – Luke 15 – 16; Psalms 146 – 150; Proverbs 30 – 31
Scripture Memory f or April – 1 Corinthians 13
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33
“And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days. And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. (And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.” – (2 Kings 13:3-5)
In our passage today we have the northern kingdom of Israel, which is a nation that had long ago abandoned the God that had brought them from bondage, and had given them a land of their own. They are lead by a king, Jehoahaz who the Bible describes as an evil man. Because of this nations wickedness, God sends judgment via the hand of the Syrians. However, in verse 4 something very interesting happens: this bad king, Jehoahaz, humbles himself before the Lord, and asks for the Lord’s help; and the Lord delivers Israel from the hand of their enemy.
What a marvelous picture we have here of the grace of the Lord. This nation and this king certainly did not deserve any help from the Lord; yet the Lord, in His mercy, delivered them anyway. This story reminds me of another story. I know a guy who is also a bad guy – a sinner; and he lives in a bad place – America: a nation that also has long ago abandoned the God that blessed them with their freedom and prosperity. Twenty-two years ago this evil guy I know recognizes his sinful condition, and the judgment that lies ahead for him in Hell; and he also humbles himself before the Lord, and calls upon Him for forgiveness. You know what? The Lord had mercy upon him too, and saved him. That guy’s name is Phil Erickson. He didn’t deserve then, and still doesn’t deserve now any consideration at all from a holy God; yet God saved him. What a God?
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – (Romans 10:13)
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Housecleaning
Today’sPassage – 2 Kings 10 – 12
Second Milers also read – Luke 13 – 14; Psalms 141 – 150; Proverbs 29
“Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.” – (2 Kings 10:28)
“And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.” – (2 Kings 11:18)
In all three of the chapters from 2 Kings that we have read today we have seen a “housecleaning” of sorts. First we see Jehu of the northern kingdom of Israel in chapter 10. He slaughters all of the family of wicked King Ahab along with all of the prophets of Baal. Now I understand that when we read passages like this in the 21st Century, we tend to think that Jehu was way to cruel to the family of Ahab. However, it is important to realize that Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, had done more to cause God to be angry than any other king of Israel or Judah. They had filled the land with immorality and idolatry; they had repressed the true worshippers of God, and promoted the worship of Baal. Jehu was actually fulfilling the Word of God through the prophet Elijah when he said that the house of Ahab and Jezebel would be destroyed. (1 Kings 21:19, 21, 29)
Now when we get to chapters 11 and 12, we are in the southern kingdom of Judah. The king of Judah, Ahaziah, was also slain by Jehu in the northern kingdom back in chapter 9. Ahaziah was friends with the king of Israel, so he was guilty by association. Also, Ahaziah’s mother was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. So you see the wicked influence of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of the northern kingdom had spread to the southern kingdom of Judah. By the way, it all started when the good king, Jehoshaphat, became friendly with Ahab. At any rate, by the time we get to 2 Kings 12, the southern kingdom of Judah is filled with the worship Baal, which needs to be exterminated from the land.
What we need to learn from all of this is that if we are not careful about living our lives separate from the world, we too will begin to allow all kinds of things that God is against. And what is worse, we will also set a poor example to our children who will most likely move even further away from God than we do. I do not believe that King Jehoshaphat would be pleased with what happened to his nation in the next couple of generations, but in reality, he was the one who started it all by getting too cozy with people who hated God and God’s prophets.
Consider some New Testament verses about separation:
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” – (2 Corinthians 6:14)
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” – (1 John 2:15)
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” – (2 Corinthians 6:17)
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – (Romans 12:2)
I do not believe these verses teach that we should isolate ourselves from the world. Jesus said we are to be in the world but not of the world. Our presence as Christians in this world is really for the purpose of God’s glorification. We are to make God look good to the world through our lives. When we allow the world to conform us into its image rather than us influencing the world, we are no longer glorifying God. Remember, Christian, you are the one who knows the truth. Don’t let the vain philosophies of this world somehow cause you to doubt that truth. I think if we would be completely honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that we have all allowed too much of the dirt of the world to creep into our lives. Maybe its time for us to do a little housecleaning. Just a thought.
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Why Me? – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Psalm 136…
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever: And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever: With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever: And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever: And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever: Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever: And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Why me? I’ve asked this question many times, but I never got an answer. I’ve asked that question so many time that I’ve stopped asking. There is no answer to: why me. Why? I know now that His mercy endureth for ever. You and I need to thank God that His mercy does endure for ever. Our lives are Psalm 136: sandwiched between verse 1 and verse 26. He feeds us. He protects us. He supplies our every need. That’s everything between those two verses. That’s our lives, and we should thank God that His mercy endureth forever.
My daughter is in Heaven: for His mercy endureth for ever. She has no more pain from the arthritis and cancer: for His mercy endureth for ever. My wife didn’t need a triple bypass, only stents: for His mercy endureth for ever.
Our lives will show us God’s mercy if we look for it. There will always be something we can give thanks for, even in the darkest hours. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Peace. (Psalm 135:1)
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God Will Take Care of You
Today’s Passage – 2 Kings 4 – 5, 2 Kings 6
Second Milers also read – Luke 9 – 10; Psalm 131 – 135; Proverbs 27
Scripture Memory for April – 1 Corinthians 13
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Micah 6:8
Read last years post from this passage – “Lean Not Unto Thine Own Understanding”
“Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. … Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.” – (2 Kings 4:1, 7)
There are some mornings when I have a difficult time finding something interesting to write about from the Scripture reading for the day. However, the three chapters that we have read this morning from 2 Kings 4 – 6 are full of exciting stories from the life of Elisha. I have chosen this morning to consider the story of the widow woman who was miraculous provided for by God. The story is found in 2 Kings 4: 1 – 7, and speaks of a woman was the wife of one of the prophets, and was now left alone to care for her two sons. She has nothing left but a pot of oil in her house. The creditors are bearing down on her, and want to take her two sons as bondmen in order to repay a debt that is owed them. She comes to the man of God for help, and he instructs her to borrow vessels from her neighbors that will hold oil. Elisha takes the little bit of oil that she has and pours it into the other containers that the woman borrowed from her neighbors. The oil did not run out until all of the vessels were filled, which she was then able to go and sell so that she would be able to pay the debt that she owed.
There are two thoughts that I would like to pull from this passage. The first involves debt. The Scripture says, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” – (Proverbs 22:7). The passage does not give us any of the details regarding the reason why this woman was in debt. It may have been a debt that she inherited from her dead husband. Anyway, she has a debt that is causing her a lot of trouble. I got to thinking about what kind of financial situation my wife would be in if I passed away suddenly today. I would leave her with the burden of some debt. We are in the process of making some changes to our financial decisions so that all of our debt would be eliminated. I would not want to leave my wife with the kind of pressure this woman had to face.
My second thought from this passage is that God took care of this lady who had given her life to serve Him. She was the wife of one of the prophets, and prophets lived by faith. They had no doubt made many financial sacrifices in the process of serving the Lord. I understand a little about what she is going through. When we sold our house, and packed up our stuff and headed for Bible college, we knew that we were entering a journey of faith and sacrifice. We have had to live without a lot of things throughout the years; but one of the things that we have had to do away with was insurance. Since we have been in the ministry, we have been unable to afford health insurance or life insurance. I know that this is not good stewardship, but when you are forced to choose between food on the table or an insurance policy to protect you from something that may or may not happen, you can see why we might go uninsured. This is a great source of worry for my wife particularly. However, this passage reminds us that even though we may not be the best financial planners, God takes care of those that have given their life in service for Him. He will take care of my family. Don’t misunderstand, someday I want to be able to provide some of these comforting benefits like insurance for my family; but for now, I know that God has got my family’s back.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” – (Matthew 6:33)
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Commit Thou To Faithful Men
Today’s Passage – 2 Kings 1 – 3
Second Milers also read – Luke 7 – 8; Psalm 126 – 130; Proverbs 26
Scripture memory for April – 1 Corinthians 13
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 27:15
“And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.” – (2 Kings 2:9)
In chapter 2 of 2 Kings we see the account of Elijah, the mighty prophet of God being translated by God up into Heaven. Can you imagine what it must have been like for Elijah, and even for the people who witnessed it, to see the chariot of fire come down to pick him up. Wow! Before Elijah left, however, he passed his mantle (garment, robe) to Elisha and with the mantle came a “double portion of [Elijah’s] spirit”.
I have a couple thoughts regarding this transition. First I think that it is a marvelous thing that Elijah took the time to diligently mentor young Elisha. He did not just teach him, he demonstrated through his life a man that knew God, walked with God, and was greatly used of God. He made serving God look good.
Secondly, I think about Elisha who did not squander the training and the mentoring he received from Elijah. He took the foundation that was given him and he used it and built upon it. I haven’t checked it myself, but I’ve heard other preachers say that Elisha performed twice the number of recorded miracles than did Elijah.
I remember as a young Christian there were men who took time to mentor me. There were actually many men that had a part in my training, but one man stands out above all of the rest. Pastor Rick Wedemeyer spent time with me. He was very patient with me. He let me get close to him; he let me see first hand the love he had for his Lord, his family and for the people of his church. He still is a great friend and counselor to me today. I wonder if some young Christian will say some day about me that I was a great mentor to them. I hope so. Why don’t you find someone, maybe a new convert, maybe a kid on the bus; and pour your life into him. Now this is going to cost you some time and you might want to straighten yourself out first as you wouldn’t want to be the wrong kind of influence; but if you’re willing to do this, your life will continue to live on through the person you mentor after your gone.
And you young Christians: why don’t you find some older, spiritual saint of God, and latch on to him for a while, and take what he gives you and give it to the next generation.
“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)
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