Untitled Sermon (10)

2 Kings 6:24–25 KJV 1900

24 And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.

2 Kings 7:1–3 KJV 1900

1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. 2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. 3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

UNTIL

The story that leads to our text as we read in 2 Kings chapter 7 verses 17 through 20 actually begins all the way back in 2 kings chapter 6 vs. 24. And if I were you, I would underline, highlight, put stars next to 2 Kings chapter 7 from verse number 1 all the way to verse number 20...whatever I had to do to make jump it off the page and slap you in the face every time you come anywhere near that portion of scripture. Because this is more than just a 4,000 year old history lesson. This is a template for the miraculous fulfilment of the promises of God.

For example, the 2 Kings chapter 7 the prophet says, Hear ye, the word of the Lord, thus saith the Lord…and then he delivers the promise of wheat and barley. You just take the promises that God has spoken over your life…your family…this church…this community…our world…and you place those promises in there…Just make 2 Kings chapter 7 relevant to what the Word of the Lord has spoken in your life!

But before we can move into the Chapter 7, fulfilling of the promise, we need to first deal with the chapter 6 dilemma…because you can’t highlight chapter 7 without underlining the connected portions of chapter 6.

Verse 24 and 25 while only two verse, a few sentences, 61 words in total…within the vault of these two verses there is more continuance of time and duration of history recorded that in the following 28 verses combined. From chapter 6 vs. 26 through the end of chapter 7, the totality takes place within the span of 24 hours.

lets read...

2 kings 6:24

And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

to beseige is to surround..it is a military strategy of constriction…to ensure that nothing comes in and nothing comes out. The entire Syrian army comes against the capital city of Samaria…and constricts the city…cutting off their supplies.

Read 2 kings 6:25

And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until...

Commentaries suppose and suggest that this besieging of Sarmaria could have been a time period of anywhere from multiplied months to even a couple of year.

The strategy of the king of Syria…and I think it relevant to share that his name, Ben-Hadad…Ben means son…but Hadad means noise…some variations of that name could mean thunder…or a loud noise…KING NOISE!!

But KING NOISE that was focused upon the destruction of the city of Damascus and its inhabitants was an until strategy!

and by the way…within the city were citizens, the king and the prophet.

But the enemy had a CONSTRICTING strategy with an UNTIL outlook.

Can i tell you today, that while I am not hear to give glory to the devil…to give him more credit than he deserves…To give more credence to the noise that the enemy is making…but we are up against a patient adversary.

the King of Syria besieged them until the economy was destroyed. Until their was no food left within the city. 2 Kings 6:25 tells us that he besieged the city UNTIL the city was in a famine condition!

3 perils of a famine:

Perverted appetite - IN 2 kings 6, look at the menu…dove’s dung…donkey heads and their own children. In what world and one what planet does that sound like a valid menu?

Treasure Trash - In the time of famine, the economy was out of order. How do you pay 80 pieces of silver for a donkeys head? and 5 pieces of silver for dove’s dung?

Under normal circumstances those are items that you would discard as trash…even be repulsed by…but in a time of famine, they are exchanging silver for trash.

3. long-term decisions from a short-term perspective.

In 24 hours the famine will be over and what seemed like a right decision, to boil her own child from a short-term perspective is soon going to be revealed as a foolish choice in the long-run.

How much guilt…How much remorse…How many sleepless nights because of long-term decisions made from short-term perspective.

and the enemy will besiege your world until...

He’s not too upset about your Sunday shout and your new convert dance....if over time, he can bring you to a place of famine…where your appetite is perverted, you begin to treasure trash and you make long-term decisions from a short-term perspective

Until…Until…Until!!!

Too often his determination for our destruction is greater than our determination for our deliverance.

All of the noise of the enemy begins to constrict...

think of the attack of the boa constrictor…wrapping itself around its prey…cutting off supplies of blood and oxygen...

One video i watched, the scientist demonstrated…and we are supposed to trust scientists? This guy willingly allowed a boa constrictor around his neck!! And every time he would breath out, that serpent would increase the pressure. Another research project revealed that while they do cut off oxygen, what truly kills the prey is the cessation of blood flow…It’s not a bite…a strike…its a constricting process.

A constricting strategy and an UNTIL outlook are in fact the approach of the enemy.

The enemy is in no hurry for your destruction…for my destruction.

And we find that while the NOISE had an until outlook, the king of Syria…the two times that we find him speak in chapter 6 both times His statements begin with an “IF”....vs. 27 to the women that cries out for the kings help…his response…IF the Lord do not help thee...

vs. 31 God do so and more also to me, IF the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat stand on him this day.

Allow me a little liberty with context this morning to reveal to you the danger of warring against an enemy with an UNTIL outlook when you are with an “IF” mentality!

Its never been more vital than it is right now, to flip the script on the enemy...

It’s time for the church…for every family…for every man, woman, boy, girl…every young adult, every teenager, every child to serve notice to the devil that you’ve got an UNTIl in your spirit.

Job 14:13-14

O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave,

That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past,

That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

I wish that all of this struggle would just pass over. I wish this trail would move on....I would really really like to not be going through what I’m going through.

14  If a man die, shall he live again?

All the days of my appointed time will I wait,

Till my change come.

Luke 24:49

49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

1 thessalonians 5:16 ..

16Rejoice evermore.- Worship without ceasing…praise without ceasing. Thats an UNTIL!! It’s an easy to get an IF and THEN outlook…If this happens…I’ll rejoice…rejoice evermore…rejoice UNTIL!!!

17 Pray without ceasing. - That’s an UNTIL!! Get rid of that IF and THEN prayer…Daniel said I’m going to pray UNTIL and God shut the mouth of the lions!!

18 In every thing give thanks: - Thats an until…No more IF and THEN thanksgiving...

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Pastor…how can I flip the script of the enemy when he is constricting my worship…constricting my praise…shutting off my source....shutting off my supplies…How can you fault the king of Israel for having an IF outlook when the King NOISE has shut off my supply route and my escape route...

have bro. Roberts read starting at 2 kings 7:1

Accentuate vs. 1 — Here ye the What?

Thus saith what??

The only way that we can flip the script on King NOISE is the same way that it happened in 2 Kings chapter 7!!

Read 2 kings 7:1 The Elisha said Hear the word of the Lord;

2 kings 7:3…a few leprous men said one to another....Why sit we here UNTIL we die.

I don’t know if you caught that…but the only way to flip the script on the enemy is through the Word of the Lord!

It may look like I’m surrounded…like you have all of my sources shut off…like there is no way in and there is no way out…but while those things are my supplies…they aren’t my source...

End with Psalms 121

Psalm 121 KJV 1900

A Song of degrees. 1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, From whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is thy keeper: The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in From this time forth, and even for evermore.