Kings Layer 2

Review

Kings is one book. The beginning is the building of the temple the end is it being torn down.

The middle is the jealousy of God. Jealousy is seeking an exclusive relationship. This depth of love is the only one God offers to Israel.

The kings (representatives) of Israel do not want an exclusive relationship with God. So they lose it, that’s what the tearing down of the temple represents.

Layer one: God’s hostile relationship with the 2 sub-kingdoms of Israel.

Layer two: the prophets revealing the heart and plan of God.

What is the role of a prophet

What do you think of? Seeing the future, healing, miracles, fire from heaven? All of those were means to an end. The purpose of a prophet is to speak for God. They are messengers from God.

Sometimes they speak through word. They can give parables, allegories, tell of dreams, or metaphors.

Sometimes they speak through deed. They do things that represent a spiritual reality.

Whenever the bible talks about a prophet, whether it’s what they said or did we should be asking the question - What is God communicating through the prophet?

Elijah and Elisha

Elijah was a prophet who did a ton of awesome stuff. Elisha came after him and was greater than him in every respect. We are going to focus on Elisha.

How we are going to interpret

I want to be upfront - this is an interpretation of these miracles. I think it’s a valid and God given interpretation, but when you’re dealing with prophets all you can do is interpret. If it’s from God it’s true and if it’s not then it’s false.

I want to start with the president of my interpretive style:

2 Kings 13:14–19 (NIV)

14 Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” 15 Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 16 “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” 18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19 The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”

Matthew 17:1–13 (NIV)

1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” 10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

We have Elisha explaining there is a deeper spiritual meaning to the things he is doing.

Matthew tells us that John the baptist was Elijah, which implies that Jesus is the greater prophet who comes after, and of course we know he’s the greatest prophet - the very word of God himself.

3. The miracles are not set in the story, they break the flow.

Elisha’s miracles

2 Kings 2:19–22 (NIV)

19 The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”

20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’ ” 22 And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

What is God communicating through the prophet?

The promise is not longer going to bear it’s blessing. God is going to create new vessels sprinkled with preservatives to restore and purify.

2 Kings 2:23–25 (NIV)

23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. 25 And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

What is God communicating through the prophet?

Guess how many kings Israel has in the book of kings… 43 but David is one of them - but he’s only recorded as the line so 42

The kings are going to despise the prophets and God is going to raise up enemies to devour them.

2 Kings 4:1–7 (NIV)

1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. (ancestors, maybe David, Solomon?) But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys (The 2 kingdoms Judah and Israel) as his slaves.” 2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” (A remnant)3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” 5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

What is God communicating through the prophet?

God’s provision is not gone. The promises are not empty. There is a remnant in Israel and that remnant will never fade. Then from that remnant not only will all debts be paid, but he will provide for every day of their life.

2 Kings 4:7–37 (NIV)

8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” (Made a place for God.)11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’ ” She replied, “I have a home among my own people.” 14 “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked. Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!” (She had given up hope)17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her. 18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 He said to his father, “My head! My head!” His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. (The blessing, the kingdom, the people)21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out. 22 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.” 23 “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.” “That’s all right,” she said. 24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’ ” “Everything is all right,” she said. 27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.” 28 “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?” 29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.” 30 But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her. 31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.” 32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. (He’s unclean, dead, and the man who represents God lays in his death bed and resurrects him.)35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. 36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” 37 She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.

What is God communicating through the prophet?

God’s gifts, his blessing, kingdom, people, creation itself was given and now it’s dying. But He is going to lay in the bed of death with His creation, face to face, and breath new life.

2 Kings 4:38 Elisha purifies the fruit of an unknown vine. (Cough: gentiles)

2 Kings 4:42 Elisha provides abundance out of a remnant.

2 Kings 5 A man from a foreign land is unclean and is not just healed but “cleansed”. In the river Jordan then proclaims there is no God but the one in Israel.

2 Kings 13:21 (NIV)

21 Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.

(Resurrection from the death of Elisha)

What was Elisha’s message? What did the kings think they were?

The kings had an adversarial relationship with God, so they had an adversarial relationship with the prophets. But the message that God was sending was all about salvation.

The promises aren’t bearing blessings anymore but God is going to create a new vessel and purify the fountain.

God is going to judge these kings.

There is a remnant in Israel that will never fade. From that remnant comes the provision for every debt and every day of life.

God is going to lay face to face with death and breath life back into His creation.

God is going to bring fruit from gentile nations.

Out of the remnant there will be abundance.

The foreigner will be cleansed of spiritual uncleanness.

And out of the death of The Man of God there will come Resurrection.

This is the gospel according to kings and it’s right there under the surface

Remember when a prophet is speaking or doing something always ask: What is God communicating through the prophet