A Widow and a Would-be King

Are impossible to overcome without intervention from God market down.

You cannot handle temptation alone. All right, the birth currently in whatever spacing you is not uncommon for mankind, but implicated. If you submit to God, he will provide a way of humidity below their that is that you write that intersection in your life where you have to make a decision and you say Lord I want to do your well will mark the door. There's nothing very spiritual looking about hurling yourself the warning maybe saving a life star nature to weather the storms of life silently. But that's exactly what God wants us to do. Sometimes today on wisdom for the heart Stephen Dave. He returns to his series on the life of Elisha Waring second Kings eight where we encounter a widow who experienced severe tribulation from her life. An example will see that obedience is learned through patience and patience is only born through trials. Stay with us for this message.

Called a widow and I would turn your attention the book of second Kings in chapter 8 story of a widow in the would be king stories.

Actually the story here in chapter 8 is really a thinkable chapter 4 where Elisha you may remember, if you are with us was invited to stay with this. You know my couple where they receive what we called you to my hospitality a couple who love the Lord God of Israel, and they wanted to extend hospitality to Elisha whenever he came through town and so eventually as we study. They even built a room for him on the roof that was like combination with any and every cultural advantage that they could afford.

Evidently, according to this SQL.

This woman husband died. He is alone with her son and household end up Elisha knowing that a famine was coming her way. Commanded that she and her son and family leave, go to the area of the Philistines in order to survive the famine. And so, where the author picked up that story picking up that conversation in review verse one chapter pick it up there now Elisha literally had spoken to the woman the path son. He had restored the life thing arise and go with your household and sojourn wherever you can. Sojourn for the Lord is called for a famine and it shall even come on the land for seven years so the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God, and she went with her household and sojourn in the land of the Philistine seven years and it came about at the end of seven years that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines. She went out to appeal to the king for her house for field that the king was talking with Hayes I the servant of the man of God saying please relate to me all the great things that Elisha met with the stuff there because you've been with us in the study that verse probably raises your mind line you remember the story of Hayes. I who in chapter 5 is reckoned with the leprosy of Naaman and he ceases to be the servant of the man of God. The question is now have to be referred to years later as a licensed server in question admired me down for some time as I read more opinions than I care to share with you but of all of the things that I researched to thoughts or possibilities seem to make the most sense.

Opinion number one says that basically this is not occurring in chronological order. And certainly Jeremiah and and Ezra later.

Second Chronicles did not put things in chronological order. Much like if you ever read the Gospels, maybe even somewhat confused as the Synoptics never really in strict chronological order gave us the stories of Christ's life.

So here. This was occurring earlier than the incident with Nathan of the problem that the raises in my mind is the current seven years after the raising of this you might son that poses a problem of all of the other opinions. I think the second opinion made the most sense on voting for. You can just disagree be wrong, but it's based on the fact that his eyes roll was one of the most prominent role in an Israel time, the servant of the man of God could inherit the role as the man of God. In fact it happened already with Elisha. He had been the servant of the man of God and he now became the leading prophet is okay as I was in staff I believe to inherit the role with Elisha with home to be with his king in heaven. So I happen to believe that this title is as much a title as it is a role title that was thick with Hayes I in the eyes of the people and their memories as long as he lives. There are other titles that have stuck as well. I give you illustration such as Rahab the harlot long after she left that profession.

She was still referred to as the harlot in centuries later in the in the New Testament we hear her referred to as Rahab the harlot of much to her chagrin on shore we have in our own culture, the idea of one particular role in that is the president long after that man has left his office. Whether we believe he is deserving or not we still referred to him as Mr. Pres., stick.

I happen to believe that they get Hayes. I was known as being the servant of the man of God, even though it was in the past 10 long as he lived here in the king's court. He still referred to as that title even though he is long since left the position. Verse five and it came about as he was relating to the king how he roared to life.

That is Elisha the one who was dead, called the woman, who thought he had restored the life appealed to the king for her house and for her field and get Hayes. I said, my lord the king.

This is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life the king asked the woman she related to the king appointed for her a certain officer say restore all that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land, even until now that's interesting. Not only give her back the land but give her all the wages of the produce from her property over the previous seven years.

Give that to her. One lump sum as well. Now it at first, review I is easy to overlook the tough times that this woman endured were given the silver lining in all view and it is easy to forget storm that is just swept through her life and I fear that if we don't take time to look at doormen really can appreciate God's solution.

Well, I want to suggest to you that the sequel to her biography really gives us some modern-day challenges to truth about tough time and all related to her life as we work through this.

If you have notes and you care to follow along here. The first truth number one God most clearly works in the lives of those who are willing to accept the penalties of obedience that I know the word penalty doesn't sound really spiritual and and preachers are both the no use words like penalties for obedience. But that's where we happen to live.

Don't overlook the fact that her obedience to the prophet brought the penalty of obedience. That is, it brought doormen brought tough difficult time. Don't overlook the fact that the obedience to the prophet would thrust her into the unknown.

Would you look again at verse one is Elisha speak to her arise and go with your household and sojourn notice.

This wherever you can. Thanks a lot at the big house he never gives her a forwarding address.

He never said that was a man. How would you leave here you go 5 miles and turn left and forewarned her right there somebody there waiting for you know is what you leave here with your son and go whatever you can wherever you can find a place to survive with their so by obeying that means stepping into the unknown. It means leaving her home. It means leaving her family.

That means leaving her network means turning her back. Perhaps forever on the state that she and her husband, who is now dead had enjoyed had built with their own hands. It meant going to a strange land that would never be inviting to this God fear or she will eventually land in the area of the Philistines rule in their fertile region. He will survive, but it would be an inhospitable place for her to survive. How do you raise this question in my mind as I studied how you determine the providence of God in your life, what is it in your life that has to occur before you say wow God is really at work in my life. Triumphant time… And yet this woman had God at work in her life even though her times were now difficult, challenging me give you another truth that really rephrases the first one is a different way and at this the solutions of God are most often asked. By those willing to trust him with a difficult future trip was when when this would obey the prophet she abandoned any and all hope of a secure future. Go live wherever you can. And there was never a promise and then seven years later you can come back and I'll restore your home and seven years wages of all that your land produces will who will go the seven your vacation. She had no guarantee she was then in effect, as it were by obedience to the prophet giving God the permission to make her life difficult for Verdun that had ever been right in the middle of it.

Struggling with how God is at work in your life.

Or maybe it seems that is not in at work at all, but you're surrounded by difficult, challenging, oppressive kind where you had to reach the conclusion either.

I am going to say Lord of forgiveness or Lord you have from a human standpoint. My permission to make my life and now seven years later, here comes this woman with nothing but then prayer. Whoever hope of having her home return for state given back to her again.

There's a woman home cherished all the memories of her husband built up, I imagine. Maybe she went back she undoubtedly thought standing there but we drove back she wasn't invited back.

I'm sure the people, and there were rather intimidated that she had arrived back in the land and afraid. She stake her claim or perhaps there were squatters on the property and they did know her but I doubt she was able to go in and rummage through things and walk through.

But from a distance. She looked at the Leo state and in the home and if you can see outlining that a state that upper room that she and her husband had made the prophet of God, and maybe her mind was filled with the memories of dinner conversations and and and happy times. The room where her son was restored to life and all of that and and now there is in a prayer that that she ever get it back. See she had been willing to entrust a difficult future God and in the only hope that she had personally talked to the king. The highest judge in the land and maybe he would be unique. Maybe he would give rather than grasp the youngest son of Ahab and Jezebel.

He had seen his father ripped from Naboth the vineyard that he coveted, why would this son ever giveaway Robert generally remotest you notice the timing of God is the solution quickly. Just as he's walking past the palace guard in the courtroom the king the stake her claim to tell her story to Hayes I is in the middle of telling the story of this woman look back at verse five. Again, and it came about is as you Hayes. I was relating to the king how Elisha had restored life. The one was dead the whole lock. The woman whose son he had restored life appealed to the king for Houston for her field and get Hayes. I said my love are okay.

This is the woman. This is the son whom Elisha restored to life and why where we were just talking about you begin your story. Good night.

What a coincidence that in your life did it just so happened that the wayward Israelite king who cared little about God and less the prophet of God was suddenly struck with a desire to hear the life story of Elisha. I like to hear about my enemy come in and tell me his whole story, that a coincidence was it a coincidence that the get Hayes I the man who knew more about Elisha was the one invited into the king's court room that day to tell the story that I just so happen on the day to get Hayes. I arise at this woman comes the maker. Please before the king did it just so happened that you came in just after get Hayes. I was finishing the story about her and her silent, and it just so happened that she arrived without a court representative which was the custom of that day and the only man aside from Elisha who could be her representative and validate her claim to the estate and tell the king keep saying the truth. There, at that moment for those who are willing to wait on the Lord there.

There is no such thing as a coincidence well that the chapter moves on in them. I don't mean to twist her thoughts, but I want to take these two stories together. This is a story of temptation and is hidden secret. It it goes well with the story. We just finished there was a woman who succeeded now a man bailed you look at verse seven gives us some insight into the power of temptation that we need today for seven then Elisha came to Damascus now then hey dad, king of a ROM with sick and it was told him, saying the man of God is come here and the king said hazy I'll take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God and inquire of the Lord by him saying will I recover from the sickness always fascinates me by the waiter. The people who have denied God throughout their whole lives on their bed call for the man of God still happens today so hazy all verse nine went to meet him and took a gift in his hand, and even every good thing of the masses. 40 camels load load became the foreman said your son Ben hey dad, I imagine.

Elisha chuckled I thought that king of a ROM sent me to you say will I recover from the second. Then Elisha said to them, go say to him you shall surely recover.

But the Lord has shown me that he will certainly die now. It's one thing to have one problem passes to deal with in the sermons.

Nothing that to use the second at first glance, the verses troublesome to me. You probably should read it seems then Elisha told hazy all the report ally you're going to get well okay, when in fact the king was going to die.

Is Elisha telling him to lie. Well, as we work through this. I think you'll find the answers. I did verse 11 and he need to write in the margin of your Bible hear the word Elisha he and he that is Elisha fixed his gaze steadily on him until he that is Hayes L with the that is quite a clue Elisha delivers his prophecy about the king's recovery.

He will recover from this illness going to die from it, but he will die unexpectedly. He never says how the king will die, but after saying that the hazy oath he stares at him, he just did. He looks at his eyes locked on with hazy open and is as if the prophet is reading this all of this man and and reading the intentions of his heart and after a long space of time with the prophet of God is simply looking at hazy.

The Bible tells us that hazy deal with the shame meant maybe he had to look away babies double defeated and and and you know was distracted by the birds are art with older something he he could not keep looking at the prophet of God that tells you that he was hiding that no one knew suddenly in verse 11, of all things Elisha begins the week with a C Elisha just breaks down crying in front of this man what's going on. Verse 12 Hazel said, why does my Lord, weep, and he answered, because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel are stronghold, you will set on fire. The young man you will kill with the sword and their little ones will – in pieces, and their women with child.

You will recall that Jesus said what is your servant was but a dog he should do this great Elisha answered. Here's the key to understanding the Lord has shown me that you will be king over Elisha never said hazy all you're going to murder the king and take his brother but he did say hazy off the king is going to recover from his illness but he is going to die and then he stares at him until Hazel becomes ashamed Elijah, our Elisha was reading the heart of this man, who was at that very moment, feigning loyalty to the king, but in his heart he was planning a coup with.

He was feigning love and concern over the over king was sick and yet he was thinking. It is hard now was the time to take the throne from this week.

Man now is the time to kill him, be rid of him now is the time for me to grasp.

Elisha had read the intentions of the heart, respecting in the came about on the morrow, that is, he couldn't hardly wait 24 hour that he hazy took the cover and dipped it in water and spread it.

The king's face so that he died in his deal became king. This is a clever assassination.

The word cover in my translation is literally the word Mac bear, which means to intertwine. It means woven many that I read believed it was a reference to the missed even that that was held in place around the bed of a sick person to keep away the acting does flies of the book. According to historians that I read it was a common practice in that they didn't dip the net before retiring in water than anything that would cool the air around the person's life on their what unbelievable treachery. Consider the steps downward for this man who was at one point in time, loyal. He had risen through the ranks as the confident of the king.

He was he was faithful he was trustworthy and now his wife intersected with a man who can read his heart. Now his steps would not just be one or two gradually, but now he will go down that slippery slope into dishonesty and and the terrible immorality. If you look at the steps once he meets the prophet instead of repenting when the prophet pulled the mask off his hardy he defends it he says hello you think I am a dog I would would take the lives of innocent people go back to the king and delivers have a method with his own bare hands. Take the life of the king you run into the rest of second Kings.

We will discover Elisha's prophecy come true. As hazy a becomes the most brutal and of Israel today. There is a progression toward ungodliness. There is a progression toward godliness.

I have given you in your notes. Five steps that have been adapted from mayors commentary on James you want to carefully study through them sometime but I want you to notice the right-hand side the steps to making the godly choice when facing temptation. Step number one actively resist under divine influence step number two.

The impulse has been tempted visualizes the aspects of sin where if you fail in sin, you will begin visualizing whatever that sin will do for you whatever you will be able to get touch, taste, or feel step number three if you would be godly. The will identifies with the conscience.

Still, small voice and refuses to proceed. Step number four the virtuous choice is committed, there are two true that I want to share with you. Truth number one presence of temptation is inevitable spite of fellowship with God.

Maybe that's the surprising part, but it's never a matter of if the matter of wind doesn't matter if you have had your quiet time.

If you are sharing your faith. If you are a testimony and work. You do not you cannot ever avoid the present temptation.

Hazel recoiled with horror at the thought that he would fall to the temptation of doing brutal things.

He said who do you think I am some dog that I would do that well. He had not been that way, but he became that way. It started with a thought.

I'd like to be king, and that it involved the seat than a life of deception.

Ultimately, murder true for unbelievers is also true for believers.

That's why Paul wrote that we are to be aware we are to be careful we are to take heed. While we stand lest we fall.

The point of that is at the very point where you believe you are the strongest beware at the point where you are standing. Be careful because that is the point of attack and what you think you would never be capable of doing at that point that's where you will be attacked. Truth number two. The power of temptation is impossible to overcome without intervention of God market down. You cannot handle temptation alone. It demands intervention from God. Paul writes in first Corinthians. Whatever spacing you is is not uncommon for mankind is not unique to you but implication if you submit to God, he will provide a way of escaping you medieval American that is if you reset intersected in your life where you have to make a decision between your will and your conscience and the impulse and you say Lord I want to do your well will mark a door with emergency escape and there and there's nothing really dignified about running for. There's nothing very spiritual looking about this just hurling yourself coordinate, maybe saving her life cried out for the grace, power, intervention of God, you will discover those time when you recognize like the hymn writer prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.

Here's my harder to conceal its helical exports above. At moments like that when you recognize your weakness, lien, entirely God will find him to be a seal to those who trust you will find to be us wrong. Those who are willing to run their thanks for joining us today we run the this is the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey, in addition to these broadcasts. We also have some print resources including a monthly magazine.

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Stephen will conclude this series from the life of Elisha on tomorrow's broadcast. Join us then right here on wisdom for the hearts