How to Set the Tone

Introduction

Tonight we continue our series on Elijah and Elisha. We began this series:

How God Sustains His People (1Ki. 17:1-6)

We saw the manner in which God mightily supplied the needs of Elijah in the midst of a drought in the land.

How God Uses His People (1Ki. 17:8-24)

We examined how God used the widow woman to supply Elijah’s need, as well as how Elijah supplied her need. Reminding us of Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

How the Fire Falls (1Ki. 18)

During a Feeble time w/ Depraved leadership & Divided people

God provided a Faithful man, who challenged his people; chastised false worship; Corrected the Basis of Worship; who had Confidence in God & Called upon the same

A Falling Fire

Came Powerfully; Sufficiently; Convincingly & Effectively.

How to Get Back in the Saddle

I. The Immorality of the Enemy (v1-4)

Unmistakable; Unconverted; Unsettling

II. The Indulgence of the LORD (v5-8)

Elijah Retreated; God allowed him Rest (v5-6b); God provided Refreshment for the Moment (v5b-6a); God gave Resources for the Journey (v7)

III. The Insight of the LORD (v9-12)

A Prophet Disheartened; God’s Power was Demonstrated; God’s Presence was Discovered

IV. The Instruction of the LORD (v13-18)

Get Back Where you Belong (v15a); Bless the Next Generation (v15b-16)

Be Encouraged

I Have a Plan (v17)

You are Not Alone (v18)

How to Have Peace Under Fire

I. The Reason for the Fire

For Following the Spirit’s Lead (v3); For Declaring the Word of the LORD (v4); For Having a Familiar a Description (v7-8)

II. The Right Way to Handle It

Be Situated Properly (v9b); Stand Fast in your Heritage (v10a); Stay Firm in Your Position (v9-12); Be Perceptive to the Spirit (v13-15)

III. The Rest of the Story

God Protected (v15); God’s Word was Proclaimed (v16); God’s Will was Performed (v17)

How to be Faithful in Times of Trouble

I. A Troubled Time

The Burden of Loss

The Opportunities it Presented;

Reviving of the Brethren; Remembering of the Past; The Resolve to Continue the Work

II. A Testimony of Faithfulness

Through the Pressures of the Known; Through the Pressures of the Unknown; Through the Voices of Discouragement

III. A Transformative Result

Because He was Faithful…

His Prayer was Answered; He Performed Miracles; He Proved His Calling

Tonight we’re going to examine two instances that seem to be completely separated one from another, but I think when we look at them, we can see a truth of God coming forth right at the onset of Elisha’s ministry

So tonight, we’re going to look at ‘How to Set the Tone’

The first of our two points is the Waters were Cured

I. The Waters were Cured

(Restoration)

A Pitiful Land (v19)

Remember where Elisha is at - Jericho. There’s a reason why the land was a wasteland.

If you go back to when Joshua led the COI across Jordan to take the land of Canaan. (Tell the story)

Jordan was divided; the Spies meet Rahab; The city has great (seemingly) impenetrable walls; God delivers Joshua’s instructions on how to take the city (marching around the city, shouting, blowing trumpets)

Joshua 6:20–21 “So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.”

But before that, notice what the Bible says: Joshua 6:17–18 “And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.”

Then at the conclusion: Joshua 6:26 “And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.”

God had cursed that city many years prior to this day - and the city was no more, until Ahab’s day 1 Kings 16:34 “In his days did Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.”

This land had been cursed by God and had been polluted by idolatry and a rejection of God’s Word. That’s why it was barren.

But what Jericho would learn is the lesson found in Job 5:18 “For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: He woundeth, and his hands make whole.”

A Pitiful Land

A Pristine Vessel and a Powerful Agent (v20)

Next we see a curious thing. Elisha asks for a new cruse, and he put salt in it. We’ll deal with these separately.

The first thing is the new cruse. It was not a corrupted vessel, one that was filled with impurities, but one that was new.

This represents Elijah - the man of God. The one whom God would use to cleanse that which was polluted.

Today, it represents the church - the ones who have been ‘born again - not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible’.

In order for the pollution of this world to be cleansed, it starts with a clean vessel.

Listen, I’ve said it before - the problems in our nation and our homes are not going to be fixed by some politician, but by God’s people. The battles before us are Spiritual, and it’s going to take born again believers to excise change in our land…

…but it’s not just the vessel… The vessel is what carried the salt to the water. The vessel didn’t clean the water, it simply took what could over to it!

Next we see the Powerful Agent - the Salt!

Throughout Scripture, salt is a symbol of incorruption:

Leviticus 2:13 “And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.”

Ezekiel 43:24 “And thou shalt offer them before the Lord, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the Lord.”

The Salt is picturesque of something that has the power to purify, keep from corruption - that is the Word of God, which is Jesus Christ!

So, you have a corrupted land under the Judgment of God.

You have a pure vessel (the church) which takes a powerful agent (Jesus / the Word) unto the corruption for it to be cleansed.

A Pristine Vessel & Powerful Agent

A Pronouncement Made (v21)

2 Kings 2:21 “And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.”

Elisha takes the salt in the new cruse and casts the salt in the water and makes a declaration - a past tense declaration.

He doesn’t say ‘I pray these waters be healed’, no he says ‘I HAVE HEALED these waters.

The reason is, is when lost men are joined unto Jesus, THEY ARE HEALED!

(Ill.) Some 26 years ago, I realized that I was a sinner in need of a Saviour. When I bowed my head and put my trust in the LORD, I WAS HEALED! When His Spirit came into me, I WAS HEALED.

Not I’m getting healed

Not I got my first dose of healing (Ill.) Pool water & maintenance

No, I WAS HEALED - COMPLETELY, TOTALLY & FULLY!

Now notice the rest: ‘there shall not be from thence any more death OR barren land’

The first 26 years of my life were filled with death and barrenness… but when Jesus came into my life, things changed! My barrenness turned to fruitfulness! My life became meaningful! I have purpose now whereas before I had none.

I’m telling you, JESUS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE!

A Pronouncement Made

A Purification Provided (v22)

Lastly, we see the lasting effects of the purification - ‘unto this day’.

I want to reiterate the point that once the salt bonded with the water, it was healed. It didn’t need a double dose.

This truth is born out under the doctrine ‘IF saved, always saved’.

WHEN we are saved, things changed. Jesus used the term ‘born again’.

IF we have been born again, we never need born again, again!

WHEN we are saved, we’re ‘sealed by the Spirit unto the day of Redemption’: Ephesians 1:13–14 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

In these verses we see the process:

We heard, we trusted, we were sealed

THEN we see the time frame ‘UNTIL THE REDEMPTION OF THE PURCHASED POSSESSION’.

We see a Purification Provided

We see the Waters were Cured. This speaks of the Redemption of God. The Truth that He is and willing to Heal and Save

II. The Mockers were Cursed

(Judgment)

This is the other aspect in speaking about how to set the tone…

We do have a God of Love who is willing to Redeem

That same God is a God of Judgment as well!

A Fallen City (v23a)

The Bible says that Elisha went on to Beth-el.

If you’ve been here on Wednesday’s you’re familiar with Beth-el. Beth-el was one of the cities that King Jeroboam had setup idols: 1 Kings 12:28–29 “Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan.”

Undoubtedly, this city had fallen to idolatry - they had been led astray by the northern Kings of Israel beginning with Jeroboam, and continuing on through to the present day (Ahab & Jehoram).

Notice, Elisha wasn’t even in the midst of the city pronouncing Judgment, he was outside the city, and this great group of heathens came out to where he was to follow & chastise him.

This city was a city given hold unto Idolatry

We see a Fallen City

A Faithless Generation (v23b)

(Ill.) This reminded me of just after Charlie Kirk’s death, there were two young men who went to a college campus (Cam Higby) on Fearless tour. They went to Tennessee State University - a historically black school to have debate. They setup a table and put topics up and offered for anyone to speak their thoughts on it. After taking down their signs & stealing them, with the crowd getting out of control - even for the officers there, they were run off campus that looked like this… (show video).

This is what I picture when I think of Elisha walking there in Beth-el. A crowd of people (the term young children can be misleading to you and I today). The word ‘child’ (def) A son or a daughter; a male or female descendant, in the first degree; the immediate progeny of parents; One weak in knowledge, experience, judgment or attainments; One who is the product of another; or whose principles and morals are the product of another.; The inhabitants of a country; (as the children of Seir)

So, I cannot guarantee their age, but what I do know is that they were old enough to know better!

But it was a wicked city, and they were the product thereof.

These people are deriding Elisha, making fun of him & mocking him.

They are saying ‘Go up’ speaking of how Elisha had ascended, they’re in essence saying ‘Go with him, we don’t want you here’.

They weren’t so much making fun of Elisha, but more so they were mocking His God! They had no fear of God at all! Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

It was a Faithless Generation

A Fury Unleashed (v24a)

Now we see the Judgment of the LORD come down.

He turned

He looked on them

He pronounced Judgment

It’s really interesting the way the LORD worded this, as it mirrors the Judgment of God.

God will turn to you

There will not be one soul that will escape the recompense of the LORD.

(Ill.) How many of you have been in a position - maybe in school - where you did NOT want to be called upon? You tried to slink down in your seat hoping you don’t get noticed?

Know that there will not be anyone who will be able to avoid the Judgment of God

God will cast His eyes upon you.

He will look upon the works of you hands

He will look upon the condition of your heart

He will examine you and if you have not Jesus He will say as He did to Bellshazzar: Daniel 5:27 “TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”

God will then pronounce Judgment upon you as well.

And make no mistake… Hebrews 10:31 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

We see a Fury Unleashed

A Future Altered (v24b)

Lastly, we see that 42 of them were mauled - it doesn’t say they were killed, but they were tore because of their ungodliness.

Can you imagine being one of them. Being one of those heathens Mocking God then seeing a big bear coming at you and tearing you up?

Every time after that looking at the scars of your disobedience that was left behind?

There’s many people who live in sin & mock God only to come unto the Judgment of God and experience the end of their sins that must live the rest of their lives looking at the scars left behind.

Their future was altered. Sin had cost them something.

Be sure - the Judgment of God is not something you want to endure.

Conclusion

The title of this message is ‘How to Set the Tone’. There is a balance to the ministry of God - We must preach Redemption - how God can heal & make better, but we cannot neglect the hard truth of the Judgment of a Holy God.