Sermon Tone Analysis

Elijah and Elisha 20.

Guess what I am going to talk about today.

You, got it: the story of Elisha.

We have been looking at this for some time now.

We have been consecutively going through the record of the Biblical record of this prophet.

Last time we were in 2 Kings chapter 4. But instead of continuing consecutively, today I am going to jump to 2 Kings chapter 8 [P].

God willing, we will go back to the intervening chapters; but chapter 8 contains an incident connected with what we looked at last time; because it features the Shunamite woman.

Read verse 1: [2 Kings 8:1 Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, …..] – the Bible itself connects it with the incident we looked at last time.

However, we need to be mindful that some time has moved on.

Not that the Biblical record is necessarily in consecutive order; for instance: we will see Gehazi in the presence of the king, which I doubt would be the case if he had leprosy, which he got in Chapter 5. [2 Kings 8:1–6 Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go with your household, and sojourn wherever you can sojourn; for יהוה has called for a famine, and it will even come on the land for seven years.” (the word of יהוה came through the mouth of His prophet, Elisha) So, the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God, (she obeyed, was submitted to God and His revealed will) and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

At the end of seven years, (just as the word of יהוה had said; because the word of יהוה is true – you can depend upon it) the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went out to appeal to the king for her house and for her field.

(presumably, in her long absence someone had taken over her property.

Murray, drives past a fallow field every time he visits his daughter.

If it is for a year, you notice it, 2 years you think it’s a bit weird; but after 7 years, you figure it is abandoned and that no one owns it.

Although it irks Murray to see a field left with nothing growing in it; he doesn’t go in and start planting potatoes in it.

Even more so in Israel – your land was your inheritance – we buy and sell it, but in their society, it was your allotment from יהוה.

It never passed out of your family – it was yours for perpetuity.

Even if you were so hard up that you had to sell it; it reverted to you in the year of jubilee.

It was yours forever.

No, you didn’t just go in and occupy another’s land) Now the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, (the king was a man called Jehoram, Ahab’s son), saying, “Please relate to me all the great things that Elisha has done.”

(Elisha was a man of renown.

Great miracles had been done by his hand.

It is a reflection of the godlessness of Jehoram, that he attributed the great things to Elisha, rather than to יהוה Himself) As he was relating to the king how he had restored to life the one who was dead, (he knew of the resurrection) behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and for her field (it just so happened that at that very moment, that the very woman they were talking about, walked in!

What a coincidence!

I don’t think so!).

And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.”

(did he? Elisha could no more restore life to a corpse than I could!

It was יהוה’s doing.

But both Gehazi and Jehoram refused to acknowledge the obvious!

There are many around like that today.

The intricate miracle of life, reproduction in a myriad of different organisms all around us.

Patently obvious evidence of a great Designer and Creator; Yet people refuse to acknowledge the obvious!

It just happened!)

When the king asked the woman, she related it to him (the king checked out Gehazi’s story; he had an independent eye-witness to the resurrection, to corroborate the story – he had no excuse for not believing).

So, the king appointed for her a certain officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers (that was her right, her due, justice) and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land even until now.”

(that was goodness, grace; she had no legal claim to it – and this was from a godless king who did not fear יהוה.

I don’t think that we put this down to the goodness of Jehoram; but to the goodness of יהוה!

Praise His Name! [P] God provides for His own! Hallelujah!

Here was this woman who honoured יהוה, she welcomed His servant, provided Elisha with meals, accommodation, made a special place for him, she obeyed when He told her to leave the country.

Yet, it seems, she lost her land.

Things had not turned out well, she had to go to the king to try and get her land back again.

Notice, she didn’t exploit her relationship with Elisha for him to appeal to the king (as he had offered to do for her in 2 Kings 4:13).

Israel was in a godless state; yet this woman sought and honoured God.

There is a verse in: [P] [1 Samuel 2:30 Now יהוה declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for those who honour Me I will honour, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed.]

She honoured God and God is no man’s debtor.

[P] [Psalm 84:11–12 For יהוה God is a sun and shield; יהוה gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O יהוה of armies, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!]

You can, if you are not careful, develop a theology that says if you serve God, you will prosper.

People can, and have; turned it into a slot machine God theology: give to God and He will give back to you, you know: “good measure pressed down will be given to you”.

People have turned God’s precious and magnificent promises into a recipe to make things go well, a recipe for prosperity.

They claim [P] [Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.]

I can find pretty pictures for these verses because people love them and gravitate to them.

But it wasn’t a blanket statement, it was a personal blessing that Paul imparted to the Philippians in response to their generous support of him.

This perverting God’s generosity into a self-orientated selfish theology where I manipulate God and His promises so that I get rich, is a reflection of an unregenerate heart that still lives for self.

Jesus calls for His followers to deny self, take up their cross and follow Him; yet, they turn Christianity into a means of acquiring wealth!

We are not to be like those seeking material prosperity; Jesus said: [Matthew 6:8 “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

[P] Matthew 6:32-33 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.]

This woman was not out to manipulate God into getting rich that was not her motive.

There are wonderful promises about God providing, but He is not a slot machine!

He cannot be manipulated to our own ends!

Rather, GOD IS GOOD!

He is generous!

He cares for us: [P] [Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?]

He provides, not because He is a slot machine, not because He can be manipulated into giving us what we want, not because we deserve it, not as a reward for our faithful service.

He gives because He wants to, He decides to – because HE IS GOOD! [P] Can we count on God being good?

Most assuredly!

Can we count on Him caring for us?

Most assuredly!

Can we count on Him providing for us?

On the basis of His Word: most assuredly!

But let us be careful against twisting His precious and magnificent promises into a doctrine whereby we control God!

Because in absolute contrast, this passage demonstrates that it is God who is in control!

Now, Jehoram was not a good king, I don’t think this returning of her property we can put down to his good heart.

No, I think that we see something rather more wonderful here.

We see [P] God in control!

Hallelujah!

Look in verse 1, Elisha told the woman that there would be a famine – He not only knew that there was going to be a famine, but also how long it would be.

God knows!

But read the verse, it wasn’t that there was going to be a famine but: “יהוה has called for a famine!” – יהוה called for it, ordained it, made it happen, ordered it!

He is in control!

Furthermore: “it will even come on the land for seven years.” – “it will come”: what יהוה calls for happens!

יהוה is in control!

Look in verse 4; Jehoram says, “Please relate to me all the great things that Elisha has done.”

Why did he ask Gehazi to do that?

Was it a whim?

Or is [P] [Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of יהוה; He turns it wherever He will.]

What did Gehazi decide to relate?

He just so happened to be telling the story of the raising of the Shunamite’s son.

So, יהוה controlled the king and Gehazi, or at least knew what they were saying; and He also controlled the Shunamite; because, at just that very moment, she came to the king to present her case.

This ain’t chance!

This is יהוה in control!

If we write a novel, we determine what happens; there can be amazing coincidences, things happen just so – because we are authoring it.

That is how it is with God!

Only He is the Author of human history, He determines all that is taking place!

It wasn’t coincidence; it what may sister calls Godcidence.

Now, as I have said, Jehoram wasn’t a good king; you could not even guarantee justice from him; but he not only gave justice, restoring her land; he also gave all that the land produced while she was gone: 7 years of production!

That is goodness – the goodness of Jehoram?

Or was יהוה directing his heart like a channel of water?

God is in control, directing events, arranging details so that things work for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.