<“Elisha: Miraculous Power of God
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A Sermon by Dr. Bob Griffin, Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church
I. MIRACLES IN THE WILDERNESS
A. LESSONS OF THE WATER
>1. INTENTIONAL SIN
II Kg 3:1-3 In the 18th year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria. He reigned twelve years. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and mother, for he tore down the idol of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless, he adhered to the sin of Jeroboam who caused Israel to sin, not departing from it.
>2. INSUFFICIENT PLANNING
II Kg 3:4-5 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he had to deliver to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
II Kg 3:6-10 So King Jehoram marched out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. He sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to battle against Moab?” And he said, “I will go. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
Then he said, “By which way shall we march?” Jehoram answered, “By the way of the wilderness of Edom.” So the king of Israel joined the king of Judah and the king of Edom. When their circuitous march took seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals. Jehoram cried “Alas! The LORD has called the three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” (I Kg 22:41-43; 15:9-16Prov 14:12; Jer 10:23; Ps 33:16-18)
>3. INSISTENT PLEA
II Kg 3:11-12 And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?” Then one of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.” Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the LORD is with him.” So the three kings went to him.
II Kg 3:13 And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No; it’s YHWH who has led us into this trouble.”
II Kg 3:14-15 Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. But now bring me a musician.” And when the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him. (Ps 66:18; Prov 28:9)
>4. INTERCEDING PROMISE
II Kg 3:16-20 And he said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ For thus says the LORD, ‘You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals.’
This is easy for the LORD. He will also give the Moabites into your hand, and you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree and stop up all springs of water and ruin every good piece of land with stones.”
The next morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came from the direction of Edom, till the country was filled with water. (Jas 2:26)
B. LESSONS OF THE BLOOD
>1. INTERNAL DIVISION
II Kg 3:21-23 When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to battle against them, all who were able to put on armor, from the youngest to the oldest, were called out and were drawn up at the border. And when they rose early in the morning and the sun shone on the water, the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. They reasoned, “This blood indicates the kings have surely fought together and struck one another down. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!”
>2. INVISIBLE ENEMY
II Kg 3:24 But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites jumped up to kill the Moabites, till they fled before them. And they went forward, striking the Moabites as they went.
C. LESSONS OF THE BATTLE
>1. INEFFECTIVE ENCOUNTER
II Kg 3:25-26 They overthrew the cities, and on every good piece of land every man threw a stone until it was covered. They stopped every spring of water and felled all the good trees, leaving only the walled capital at Kir-hareseth. The advance troops surrounded and attacked the city. When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he gathered 700 swordsmen to break through the lines held by the king of Edom, but failed.
(Zech 4:6, 10)
>2. INCOMPLETE VICTORY
II Kg 3:27 So he took his eldest son (the crown prince) and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. All of Israel was grieved, broke off the siege and returned to their own homes.
II. MIRACLES IN THE SCHOOL
A. LESSONS OF THE STEW
>1. INCIDENTAL NEED
II Kg 4:38 Elisha returned to Gilgal when there was a [seven year] famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew for them.” (II Kg 8:1-3)
>2. INEDIBLE FOOD
II Kg 4:39-40 One of them went into the wild to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were. They poured out some for the men to eat, but while they were eating, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.
>3. INAUSPICIOUS SOLUTION
II Kg 4:41 He said, “Then bring flour.” And he threw it into the pot and said, “Pour some out for the men that they may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot.
B. LESSONS OF THE BREAD
>1. INSPIRING FAITHFULNESS
II Kg 4:42 A man from Baal-shalishah, brought the man of God bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh grain in his sack. (Lev 23:20; Num 18:13; Deut 18:4-5; Heb 6:10-11)
>2. INADEQUATE PROVISION
II Kg 4:43 And Elisha said, “Give to the men that they may eat.” But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says YHWH, ‘They shall eat and have some left.'” (Rom 8:28; Mk 6:34)
>3. INFINITE RESOURCES
II Kg 4:44 So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of YHWH.