II KINGS 3:1-27 - DIGGING YOUR WAY UP FROM THE BOTTOM

INTRODUCTION:

The angels Told Lot and his wife to flee and not look back. As the fire was falling on Sodom Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of stone.

At the battle of AI when they hid the accursed thing - God said there was sin in the camp and they could not win the battle until the sin was dealt with.......God said there is sin in the camp.

Esau came in hungry after a bad hunt and told Jacob give me some pottage and I will sell you my birthright and afterwards even though he repented with many tears he could not come a place of repentance.

Samson got up as he did so many times before and wist not that the Spirit of the Lord had left him. His enemies captured him, put out his eyes, and made him gird at a mill like a slave.

How often we read about the people of God and how they take for granted the blessings of the Lord. How they drift aimlessly from God and don't even realize they have gone to far until trouble strikes or sorrow hits.

These are examples for us and we read them with curiosity and think how could they do such things when they have seen the miracles of God and received his blessings. But then it happens to us! We find ourselves in their shoes. How is it that we are on the bottom and need to dig our way out.

V1-3 - WHEN WE FORGET WHO WE ARE

YAHWEH IS EXALTED

JEHORAM (Jih hoh' ruhm) Personal name meaning, "Yahweh is exalted." Alternate form of Joram. See Joram.

JORAM (Joh' ruhm) Personal name meaning, "Yahweh is exalted." Name of a king of Israel (849-843 B.C.) Joram of Israel came to the throne at the death of his brother, who was also named Ahaziah. He led a coalition with Judah and Edom, advised by Elisha, to defeat Moab.

V4-8 - WHEN WE FORGET WHO GOD IS

YAHWEH JUDGED

JEHOSHAPHAT (Jih hahsh' uh fat) Personal name meaning, "Yahweh judged" or "Yahweh established the right." 1. Son and successor of Asa as king of Judah (1 Kings 15:24). He occupied the throne for twenty-five years (873-848 B.C.). The biblical record of his reign is contained in the final chapters of 1 Kings and in 2 Chronicles 17-20. He was an able ruler and a faithful worshiper of Yahweh (1 Kings 22:43). Nevertheless, he did one thing that ultimately proved to be disastrous: he made an alliance with Ahab, king of Israel. The immediate result was beneficial to both kingdoms. Years of conflict between them came to an end, and both kingdoms were strengthened. But, the alliance involved a marriage between Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram and Ahab's daughter Athaliah. Athaliah's influence in Judah finally proved to be horrific. See Athaliah; Israel; Chronology of Biblical Period; Micaiah.

DESCENDANTS OF ESAU

EDOM (ee' duhm) The area southeast and southwest of the Dead Sea, on opposite sides of the Arabah, was known as Edom in biblical times and was the home of the Edomites. The name "Edom" derives from a Semitic root which means "red" or "ruddy" and characterizes the red sandstone terrain of much of the area in question.

Buseireh would have been the center of Edomite population and is situated on the ruins of ancient Bozrah, the capital of Edom. Note that the modern name, "Buseireh," preserves memory of the ancient one, "Bozrah."

V9-10 - WHEN WE FORGET WHAT WE BELIEVE

A - ALL THREE KINGS WENT TOGETHER WITH A COMPASS OF MAN RATHER THAN A COVENANT WITH GOD.

B - ALL THREE KINGS EITHER THOUGHT THEY HAD ENOUGH WATER OR FAILED TO UNDERSTAND THE JOURNEY

C - JOHORAM HAD THE TESTIMONY OF DOUBT AND DEFEAT

WE HAVE SEEN THE THREE STEPS OF LEAVING THE POWER OF GOD BEHIND BUT THEN THERE ARE THE THREE STEPS OF RETURNING TO GOD AND ALLOWING GOD TO BE OUR SOURCE AND REDEEMER

V11-13 - WHEN WE REMEMBER TO SEEK GOD

A - WHERE IS THE PROPHET WHO WILL TAKE US TO GOD

B - GOD HAS PROVIDED THE PROPHET AND GOD WILL GIVE THE WORD

C - ELISHA IS HERE AND HE POURED WATER ON THE HANDS OF ELIJAH - (Needed Water)

D - THEY WENT DOWN TO HIM - Elisha was just as thirsty as they were but he was waiting on them to call on God before he prayed.

E - Jehoshaphat was inquiring, Edom was silent, and Johoram gave testimony of doubt again(V13)

V15-18 - WHEN WE WORSHIP WHILE WE ARE STILL IN DISTRESS

A - BRING ME A MINSTREL - Minstrels were used during times of grief and mourning

Everyone who heard the minstrel must have thought this is all we need - funeral music before we die

B - THE HAND OF THE LORD CAME UPON ELISHA

The unrehearsed, unexpected, and undeserved move of the Holy Ghost

C - THUS SAITH THE LORD - MAKE THIS VALLEY FULL OF DITCHES -

Feel the dust while you are thirsty so you can appreciate the water when it comes

D - YOU WILL NOT SEE THE WIND OR THE RAIN BUT YOUR VALLEYS WILL BE FILLED

Sometimes we have to have God come to our valleys mysteriously or supernaturally. The Spirit does not need a natural entrance into our situation. The Holy Ghost does not need an army to meet your need. God has all the resources we can ever use and all we need is for God to show up in the ditches or valleys we have dug ourselves into.

E - BUT GOD WILL ALSO DELIVER YOU FROM YOUR ENEMIES (V18)

A - NATURAL BLESSINGS ARE A LIGHT THING TO THE LORD HE WILL DELIVER YOU FROM YOUR ENEMIES

V19 - 27 - WHEN GOD'S WORD COMES TO PASS FOR OUR GOOD

A - GOD SAID SMITE EVERY CITY, FELL EVERY TREE, STOP ALL THE WELLS, MAR EVERY GOOD PIECE OF LAND

God wants you to break away from everything that had you bound and do not go back to where he brought you from

B - IN THE MORNING AFTER THE MEAT OFFERING GOD MOVED AND THE DITCHES WERE FILLED WITH WATER

C - MOABITES SAW IT AS RED AS BLOOD AND SAID THIS IS BLOOD

D - THE ISRAELITES ROSE UP AND SMOTE THE MOABITES

CONCLUSION:

WE MAY WALK OUR WAY INTO VALLEYS, AND GOD MAY REQUIRE US TO DIG DITCHES, BUT THANK GOD HE CAN ALWAYS BRING THE WATER TO A THIRSTY SOUL.