What Should We Do? Worship
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And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’
But now bring me a musician.” Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
For the past few weeks we have been talking about finding God’s will and what to do when you are not sure.
Today I would like to put some flesh on the bones and look at an example of those who were in the valley desperation
Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.
And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like his father and mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made.
Nevertheless he persisted in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.
Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheepbreeder, and he regularly paid the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams.
But it happened, when Ahab died, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
So King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel.
Then he went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” And he said, “I will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
Then he said, “Which way shall we go up?” And he answered, “By way of the Wilderness of Edom.”
2 Kings 3:1-
We find Jehoram the son of Ahab king over Israel and Jehoshaphat King over Judah
We find Jehoram the son of Ahab king over Israel and Jehoshaphat King over Judah
One a godless man another a man of God
It so happens that the King of Moab has been paying tribute to Ahab but now that he is dead it is time to change the terms of the contract
Jehoram calls for the country to unite because of a national security threat Jehoshaphat agrees
2 Kings 3:9-
So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them.
After drawing up the battle plans, gathering the troops and setting of on the journey of war they have no water!
Here they are in the middle of the desert, blazing sun, desolate landscape with thousands of troops about to take on the army of the enemy, and no water!
Not a good situation - here we see the opposite responses of the leaders
And the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?” So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”
But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?” So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”
And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
The situation is desperate - the need for water is life-sustaining - the godless see death and destruction but the Godly see an opportunity for God!
When you are in a dry and weary land where do look for water? Do you allow the reality of the situation to overwhelm you or do you press in and seek for God’s Word?
In verse 12 the kings go and seek out the Word of God
As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.
O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.
Now I don’t want you to miss this…access to to God is conditional
And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you.
Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you.
And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
You see our access to the Father is conditional also
Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?
Ezk
Even in the midst of great trail Jehoram still refused to take responsibility for the mess he created! His words reveal it all “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
The first steps to hearing God’s voice in the midst of the wilderness is acknowledgement of your need for Him!
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
You see our access to the Father is conditional also…it is through the Son
It was because of Jehoshaphat and relationship to God that Elisha seeks a word for God for the kings
2 Kings 3:15
For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’
2 Kings 3:
But now bring me a musician.” Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
WHAT? The soldiers are weak and suffering, the enemy is at the door, and you want mood music?
Look what it says: “then it happened when the musicians played”
How many know the God centered, anointed worship music changes the atmosphere and we are moved from the natural plane to the supernatural realm of the Spirit of God!
Singing is not just something that we do to fill the space between service start time and everyone showing for the message!
Music is designed to take us to the realm of the Spirit which has been hijacked by the kingdom of darkness!
Elisha’s first response wasn’t to order a geological study of the region, seek support from perhaps a close ally, or even order a few thousand cases of water on-line - he begins to worship and change his focus from the problem to the problem solver
After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.
Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.
And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you.
Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
Praise is like fingernails on a chalkboard to the enemy and his cohorts
We need to remember that when we are in the valley God wants us not simply to GO through but to GROW through!
And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
It is not for God’s knowledge that we go through the wilderness but rather so that WE can know what is really in us!
Next week we will pick it up at verse 16
And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’