King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Thursday, July 01, 2021
Chapters: II Kings 1-4
Message: The Faithful And Few
Hello My Friend,
I started to watch this program from the 90’s, and it actually mocked Christianity. It got me thinking that while Christianity seems to be on a steady decline, religion sure has been on an incline, including evolution and atheism. I believe the reason Christianity has been on a decline is not because less people believe in God, rather the fact that there are too many false religions disguising themselves under the title “Christian” that they run from Christ. Religion is not the same as worshiping God, and while God does set some ground rules, religion goes beyond that and enforces rules that make it impossible for anyone to get saved, and Jesus calls them out for who they are, [Matthew 23:13,15,23 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.]
[Proselyte; A new convert to some religion or religious sect, or to some particular opinion, system or party.] A proselyte is an example of someone who followed the Jewish religion then turned to Christianity, but what Jesus is talking about here are those who believe in God and follow false religion, and that includes what we know as Catholicism, Mormonism, and Islamism. Why? They know the truth about Christ, yet make up their own religion and that makes them the worst of all because what they are actually doing is sending people to hell. The Book of II Kings contains twenty-five chapters, the author is Jeremiah and it was written to Israel. The timeline for these events took place approximately between 896 BC to 588 BC. The purpose of the book was to record how God dealt with Israel before the coming of Christ. What we are to learn from the book is that God is sovereign over all nations, blessing the obedient, punishing the disobedient, and merciful to those who love Him, [2 Kings 17:36 But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
When Jeroboam created those golden calves he did it under the fear that the people would go to Jerusalem to worship God and stay there. While what he should have done was build an altar or something as there were plenty of Levites around, he created his own religion and that is what led to not only his downfall, but Israel as well as it opened the door for any religion to come in, which is how Baal worship had become the country’s religion when Ahab reigned. After Ahab died Baal worship was pretty much removed from the kingdom, but they still refused to worship God, yet with each and every new king, God still encouraged them to return to Him. When the new king, Ahaziah fell and became severely ill, it was not God he prayed to, it was Baalzebub.
[2 Kings 1:2-4,7-8 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. 3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? 4 Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. 7 And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? 8 And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.]
[And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.] You might as well be inquiring of Satan if you are following a religion that tells you anything other than believing the Gospel of Christ is the one and only thing that will save your soul. No one stands out more that a faithful, God fearing, saved and born again Christian. They know us by name, and can describe every detail about us. And for that reason that makes us makes us the most wanted, especially when they discover that we have a direct connection with Christ Himself. Ahaziah, actually sent for Elijah, not to kill him, but to find out what if what he said was true, he sent for him with an army three times, the first two times, fire came down from heaven and killed them all.
[2 Kings 1:9-13 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. 10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. 11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. 12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. 13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.]
[and came and fell on his knees before Elijah,] Sooner or later, all are going to realize that every knee will bow to Christ, that no one gets to God unless it is through Christ, and unless they repent and turn to Christ they will be devoured by the fire, only it will be in hell, [Isaiah 45:22-24 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. 24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.]
God was mindful to make sure that whether we knew Christ as the Angel of the LORD or the Son of God in the flesh, that salvation only came through Him. If you truly belong to Christ then you will not be ashamed to proclaim Him as your Saviour. Elijah spent a lot of time in the Northern Kingdom, God used him to preach and teach His truths to a nation that barely knew Him. The were only two men to ascend up to heaven alive apart from Jesus, one was Enoch, and the other is Elijah. Elijah even knew where God was going to take him up.
[2 Kings 2:3,6-10 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. 8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. 9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.]
[Thou hast asked a hard thing:] This reminds me of what Jesus said when some of the disciples wanted to know if they could sit at the left and right of Him in His kingdom, [Matthew 20:22-23 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.] While millions of people do get saved, the truth is, God only entrusts His Word to a select few. Do you know why? Many Christians see the amazing blessings that happen in the lives of men and women that God uses in His ministry and want what they have. However, they fail to realize that it is a life of total dedication to God, and that is where many fail as they want the best of both worlds. Those who are truly dedicated will not only do great things for God, they will see God do great things through them. As Elijah and Elisha was walking together something incredible happened.
[2 Kings 2:11-14 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. 13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; 14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.]
[there appeared a chariot of fire,] I can only imagine what a sight that would have been, and no one else being able to see it no doubt. This actually gives me a perfect picture of when we are on our way to be with Jesus forever, maybe not of being picked up by a tornado, but the chariot of fire coming down to get us. Of course, we can all dream of the day that when God brings us home and hope that it is a pleasant experience, but what is more important right now is what we do with the short amount of time that God has given us. The second we dedicate our lives to Christ we ought to on fire for serving Him, but we also need to be mindful of those who we might say, are unlearned and not so believing as we are. Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle and did not waste any time, those prophets that watched everything met up with him.
[2 Kings 2:15-18 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. 17 And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. 18 And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?]
[And when they urged him till he was ashamed,] You see, these young men, would not believe that God had taken Elijah up in the tornado. It was actually because of their disbelief they did not see the ascension even though it happened right there. They insisted he was somewhere, talking Elisha into letting them search for him. You know, they tried this with Jesus after He resurrected, and even went as far as saying that the disciples took His body when the Roman soldiers fell asleep, [Matthew 28:12-13.] The reason religion is worse than those who do not believe is because they pick and choose what they want to believe. While much of our faith in Christ does come as we see the blessings, even more comes when we believe by faith, [John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.]
Elisha asked for a double portion of spirit and he got it, God did not waste any time using him to show the e king of Israel and two other kings that He is merciful to His faithful. After Ahaziah died his brother Jehoram reigned because Ahaziah had no sons, once again, Moab comes against them, he enlists the help of king Jehoshaphat in Judah and the king of Edom, of all people.
[2 Kings 3:5,7-11 But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses. 8 And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom. 9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them. 10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab! 11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.]
[to deliver them into the hand of Moab!] Jehoram immediately thought that all this was an act of God to get them all killed, but then Jehoshaphat, as the Godly man that he was, decided they needed answers from God, he enquirers for a man of God and that is whey someone pointed them to Elisha.
[2 Kings 3:14-18 And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. 15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. 16 And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts. 18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.]
[were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat] Do you understand now why God has not placed complete judgment on all the entire country? While we are getting fewer by the day, there are still many God fearing faithful Christians out there preaching the Gospel. I live in Orlando, you might as well call it sin city, and there must be a church or some kind of other religious building on every street, but not all of them preach the truth. However, I have also seen more Independent Baptist Churches here than I have ever seen in Florida, and they are not afraid to preach the Gospel, which I believe is the only reason why this city is protected, [2 Corinthians 4:13-15 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.]
[Make this valley full of ditches.] “Ditches? We are digging our own graves!” I am sure thoughts like these were racing through the minds of these kings as they were digging holes in the ground. Nevertheless, they did, and the next morning they were filled with water to sustain them and their cattle. Interestingly enough, when Moab looked down into the valley that water looked like blood, they thought that the kings killed each other, and when they went down to take the army, Israel defeated them.
[2 Kings 3:20-24 And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. 21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border. 22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood: 23 And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. 24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.]
[and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:] Do you know what God sees when He looks at His people? He sees the blood of His Son upon their souls. How awesome is it that we have the all powerful, all mighty God to defend and protect us? How incredible is it that we get to speak to Him and talk with Him, and He listens to us? We ought to feel pretty blessed. As I was praying this morning I was not feeling up to it and just kept telling God how tired I was of all the affliction I was facing. Do you know what He said to me? “Things could be worse.” And He is right. One day, we will never have to suffer, we need to count each day as a blessing, being reminded that whatever we are going through someone else has it much worse, and in the end, it will all be worth it when we see Jesus, [1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.]
Jesus Christ Magnified: [2 Kings 1:3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for loving me so much that You were willing to come here Yourself in the flesh of man to become the sinless sacrifice I needed to be able to reach You. Not by our righteousness do we know You, but by our faith and acceptance in what Your Son did. Lord, lead me and guide me, help me to be a witness and a testimony to those who do not know You, open my ears to hear when You tell me to speak to someone about Jesus, and give me Your power and the boldness to speak the truth and not be offended or intimated by those who refuse to listen. Let me live every day of my life seeking Your will so that Your Light shines through me. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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