Your Worship Changes Everything
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This book of 2 Kings is originally part of the Book of Kings. Meaning 1st and 2nd Kings was formally one book. The book of 1st and 2nd Kings is really an account of the Kings of Israel and in a real sense Judah. the beginning of the Book of Kings starts with King Solomon and then immediately begin to chronicle the divided Kingdoms. Meaning the Kingdoms of Israel and of Judah. There were 10 tribes that made up ISRAEL. They were named Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, and Zebulun—all sons or grandsons of Jacob. Judah consisted of Judah and Benjamin. Judah, by and large were the people who did right, for the most part and Israel were the problem children. Pretty much, the moment Solomon died, the children of Israel started to worship other gods and Judah remained true in their worship.
Chapter 13 chronicles some of the problems we find with the Kingdom of Israel. Verse 1 records:
2 Chr 13
Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.
In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.
This is background information for our text, but I do want you to take note of how the measure the reign of the Israeli King. He is measured against the King of Judah. Just take note of this. In verse 10 this will mean something to us. Now right away there is a problem.
He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he caused Israel to sin; he did not depart from them. The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, so that he gave them repeatedly into the hand of King Hazael of Aram, then into the hand of Ben-hadad son of Hazael.
The King, did what was evil and followed the sins of Jerobaom. The issue here is that he worshiped other Gods. Jeroboam, in order to prevent the people of Isreal from going back to Jerusalem and worshipping the true God, erect to Golden Calves. according the scriptures in , he reasoned that if the people were to go to the house of David and worship God, they would kill him. He said to the people, Jerusalem is too far. So we will worship these two gods. The same gods we brought up out of Egypt. He even had the nerve to set on in Bethel and the other in Dan. Bethel means the House of the Mighty God. Imagine, just to convince people, he is making Israel Great again, he convinces the people to not worship the truth, and the people of Israel did it. They did again under the reign of Jehoahaz. So the leader, by stressing the is no collusion between him and Jerobaom, caused Israel to sin.
So God was angry and he gave them over to rival Kings. Meaning, they in bondage because they worshiped false gods and angered the true and living God.
What does it feel like to be in captivity because of Bad Leaders?
Let’s unpack that for a minute. You are a slave to another nation, not because they were better then you, but because you worshiped the wrong gods. You are strong enough to fight for you freedom but your freedom is not an issue of strength but of judgement. You are controlled by another group of people that don’t look like you. Don’t like you, actually they hate you. They erect laws to hinder you. Last week, it was in the news that Jehoahaz in the white house sent out a decree that he plans to make a law that would encourage schools to stop considering race and end affirmative action in consideration for enrollment in universities. So this means, you can be qualified to get into college or university, but Jehoahaz wants to follow they ways of Jeroboam and go back to them conveniently excluding anyone who looks like you in any college or university.
Could it be that our current leaders are there because we refused, as a people, to turn to God? We have accepted the gods that have been erected for us as approved, state sponsored gods. The god of inclusion, the god of ‘it doesn’t matter’. How about the god of “it don’t take all that”. We know what the true and living God demands and we engage in this putrid false worship we have in America now. Could it be that we serve the god of ‘my vote don’t count’ and we are watching everyone worship these gods and behave as if we are helpless?
They are slaves because the refuse to worship God. Worship, or their lack thereof, changed their citizenship.
Worship, or their lack thereof, changed their citizenship
Who do I blame when I followed my leaders in this false Worship?
Do you not realize that we are culpable for the dire situation we find ourselves in. Racists have been emboldened by our King. Our King recently went to Europe and made an utter fool of himself. After that sorry display, 85% of Republicans still support him. What do you when have no one to blame for predicament but ourselves?
2 King 13:
But Jehoahaz entreated the Lord, and the Lord heeded him; for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. Therefore the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Arameans; and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly.
So the King prayed and even though he started this foolishness, God saw the suffering of the people and made a way of escape for the people. Things changed so much they were let go from captivity and were able to return to their homes. How amazing is our God? Because he sees your suffering. Your suffering is not unknown to God. That’s worth a shout right there. Even if I am not where I am supposed to be, God still sees my suffering. And when he sees it, it is reason enough to free me from it. Hang in there. God says, I am sending someone to rescue you. You will not have to suffer for the rest of your life.
But here is the thing:
2 Kings 13:
Nevertheless they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he caused Israel to sin, but walked in them; the sacred pole also remained in Samaria. So Jehoahaz was left with an army of not more than fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.
This is a problem we have today. You prayed to God to get you out of the mess you were in. He delivered you, he brought you out and when you got home, were you wanted to go, you turn your back on God again and go right back to the false gods. We do the same thing. Get delivered, then stop coming to church, because it does not look right going to church and drinking at the job. Your co-religionist at the job would not approve. Family would not approve. Your friends you used to get high with would not approve.
Now, because of your false worship, your ability to protect yourself has been decimated! Imagine, Israel is made up of ten tribes, and in this context that is millions of people and you have been left with an army of fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand footmen. That’s straight up sad. You used to run things from Egypt to Canaan, now look at you.
So Jehoahaz slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in Samaria; then his son Joash succeeded him.
2 Kings 13:10
In the thirty-seventh year of King Joash of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria; he reigned sixteen years.
Now see how they measure the reign of the Israeli Kings. Stability happens among the praisers!
King Joash does the same mess. Causes Israel to sin, and they go back in captivity because Gods allows rival Kings to concur them. Notice that in verse 12, as it was was done in verse 8, they make mention of the might of the King of Joash. This makes it clear that Israel did not become captives because the King was a poor leader, or because he could not fight, or was a coward, or had a bad strategy or because he was unlucky. They were slaves because they worshiped other gods.
The King dies in verse 13. But in verse 14-19, they writer takes us back in time to consider an event the we need to consider.
Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
The Prophet Elisha, was on his death bed. The King Joash, obviously revered him as a great man. This is evidence to two things, first the King came to him. One could posit that the Prophet was sick and that is why, but it is Kings summon, they do not make house calls. By virtue of the fact that God made him King. Secondly, the phrase, my father, my father. According to the scholars, Joash regarded Elisha as greater then him. This how the Prophet Elijah was addressed in . This spoke to the high esteem that he had for Elisha. It was said of Elisha, that not only was he a great Prophet but his deeds were so great in the military affairs of Israel, he gained such a reputation for mediating Yahweh’s participation in Israel’s war, they said of him, “when Elisha comes, Yahweh comes with him” . (IVP OT Commentary) He was revered as the true strength and protection of Israel.
So Prophet instructs the King.
Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows”; so he took a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow”; and he drew it. Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands.
2 Kings 13:15
Obeying the Prophet is an act of Worship. Why, because you come to the Prophet to receive a word from God. The instruction, “Take a bow and arrows”. The King obeyed. So far so good. He instructs him to draw the bow and then lays his hands on the Kings hand to impart. This then makes it clear, the strength of what is about to happen is not because of the strength of the bow, but because of the strength of God. Someone here needs to know, that what God is getting ready to do has nothing to do with your power. But it is the power of God. Here is the evidence:
Then he said, “Open the window eastward”; and he opened it. Elisha said, “Shoot”; and he shot. Then he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! For you shall fight the Arameans in Aphek until you have made an end of them.”
2 Kings 13:
Look at what transpired here. The King shot the arrow, but it is the LORD’s arrow of victory. You are the one opening your mouth to worship him, you are the one prostrating yourself in worship but what happens is the LORD! Your Worship is powerful! Your Victory is in Your Worship. But a problem arises.
He continued, “Take the arrows”; and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them”; he struck three times, and stopped. Then the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Aram until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Aram only three times.”
The King struck the ground three times. The scholars agree, this smiting, this in the NRSV, striking actually means he shoot the arrows on the ground. Now, remember in verse 15, the scripture tells us he a bow and arrows. Arrows, Plural. The text, in the original suggests many, certainly, because the Prophet got upset, it tells us had more than the three. The way the Prophet gets upset, suggests to me he had so many that three must have been a small amount compared to what was available. He is reminiscent of my wife saying to me she needs some money and I pull out a wad of one hundred dollar bills and look for the singles and give her two dollars. The mind would see a problem, almost as if I am saying to her, I do not want you to have what you asked for.
Could your worship, say to good, “I really don’t want what I’m asking for”?
How do ask God for something, engage in worship that will allow you to get out of your predicament and stop worshiping. Don’t you know that Your Worship Changes Everything?
You need to Worship like your life depended on it. Because it does!!!!
Another thing. The arrows represent Your Victory!!!!
Your Victory is In Your Worship!
Your Worship Changes Everything!!!