Anyone not acquainted with the mistakes of history is doomed to repeat those mistakes.

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview January 23, 2011 "Sick of Greed?" Background: 2 Kings 1:1-5:27 Lesson: 2 Kings 5:14-16, 20-22, Motivation: Paul wrote to the Corinthians concerning the story of the Exodus "Now these things become our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted." (1 Cor. 10:6). Often, we can understand God's Word more clearly when we see it in the history of real people. Anyone not acquainted with the mistakes of history is doomed to repeat those mistakes. I. Misdirected Prayer (1:1-18) Ahaziah followed his father Ahab as king of Israel. Because he did not acknowledge the Lord God, he was punished with Moab's rebellion and a fall that eventually killed him (1-2). In a time of need, he turned to a false god. Believer's Study Bible, p. 505: 1:2 &q uot;baal-zebub meant lord of flies,' a derisive pun on the god's real name Baal-Zebul,' which meant Baal the prince,' or lord of life.' Ekron was one of the five chief cities of the Philistines (Amos 1:8; Zeph. 2:4; Zech. 9:5)." Elijah is introduced in verse 8 and provides the bridge between I and II Kings. The three groups of soldiers can represent the way people respond to God's message. Imperious and demanding, the first two groups wanted God's messenger to follow men's orders (Matt. 15:1-9) and were destroyed by fire (remember: the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel could not call down fire) (9-12). The third group of soldiers pleaded for mercy showing proper respect for God and were spared (13-15). Ahaziah, however, died as predicted and was replaced by Ahab's second son, Jehoram, also known as Joram (16-18) (II Kings 8:16, 25, 28-29; 9:14-29; II Chron. 22:5-7). II. Miraculous Succession (2:1-25) A. Signs of a Call - This passage provides evidences of Elisha's divine call: 1 / 17

2 1. Desire: Three times Elijah tested Elisha by commanding him to stay (2:2, 4, 6) each time Elisha persevered. 2. Equipping: (2:9) Elisha asked for a double portion; being the spiritual first-born of Elijah involved special power along with special persecution. God is looking today for Christian leaders willing to take on the mantle of service. Believer's Study Bible, p. 206: 2:9 "The request of Elisha was undoubtedly based upon Deut. 21:17, and meant that he wanted to be the spiritual heir of Elijah. Elijah himself, under God's command, had named Elisha as his successor for carrying on the prophetic word (I Kin. 19:16-21). Elisha's request may also indicate his recognition of the enormous task that lay before him, his great admiration of Elijah, and his awareness of his own limitations. If he was to fill Elijah's shoes, it would take an extra portion of God's enablement. Elijah realized that the request was not within his power, but was in the domain of God, and he left its fulfillment in His hands." (2 Chron. 16:9) 3. Results: (2:14) Whom God calls, He empowers. Elisha was the acknowledged successor to Elijah because he had the same power. Believer's Study Bible, p.206: 2:13-24 "Elisha's prophetic authority and power were immediately demonstrated by three miraculous episodes: (1) the dividing of the Jordon (vv. 13, 14; cf. v. 8); (2) the purifying of the waters (vv ; cf. Ex. 15:23-25); and (3) judgment on the mocking youths (vv. 23, 24; cf. I Kin. 20:36)". When a class member begins to feel called to vocational Christian service, share these three evidences with him/her. (Jos. 1:5, 8-9; Ex. 3) B. Supernatural Translation - Believer's Study Bible, p. 506: 2:11 "Elijah, like Enoch (cf. Gen. 5:24), did not taste death. The fiery phenomenon was some type of theophany through which Elijah was translated immediately into the heavenly realm" (cf. Rev. 11) 2 / 17

3 C. Elisha's Succession to Prophetic Ministry (2: 13-18) The Dividing of the Jordon: (8, 13, 14) God's power and "the spirit of Elijah" (15) were evident in Elisha. God had previously demonstrated His power in the parting of the Red Sea (Ex. 15) and in the parting of the Jordon (Josh 3). The Purifying of the Waters: (19-23) This demonstration of God's power remembers Moses' purification miracle in Ex. 15: A Needed Miracle - "the water is bad, and the ground barren" (19) God's people are to do good works (Titus 3:14); the community where we live should be better for our lives. Living Water International provides a wonderful ministry of providing pure water in barren places. 2. A Shared Miracle "bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it" (20) What could so little salt do for such a big problem? Yet, God tries our faith and asks for a response. Had they not obeyed, would they have been granted pure water? Certainly not. (Mark 10:27) 3. A Portrayed Miracle "Then he went out to the source of the water and cast in the salt there " (21) Noting that he cast the salt into the source, Matthew Henry writes: "Thus the way to reform men's lives is to renew their hearts; let those be seasoned with the salt of grace, for out of them are the issues of life. Make the tree good and the fruit will be good. Purify the heart and that will cleanse the hands" ( Matthew Henry's Commentary, vol. II, p ) (Col. 4:6; Ps. 24:3-5) 4. A Miracle of God "Thus says the Lord! I have healed this water; from it there 3 / 17

4 shall be no more death and barrenness. So the water remains healed to this day..." (21-22) Elisha left no doubt that the glory for the miracle belonged to God. It's a great picture of the miracle that He accomplishes in the life of each Believer: a. He changes us at the source. b. He changes us from death to life. c. He changes us forever. D. Elijah's Curse on the Young Men (2:23-25) Believer's Study Bible, p. 507: 2:23, 24 "The incident is typical of Israel's attitude toward the prophets of God (cf. 2 Chron. 36:16). The designation baldhead' may have been simply a term of scorn (Isa. 3:17, 24), or a derogatory name for prophets, who may have characteristically shaved a portion of their hair. The taunt Go up' is probably not a reference to Elijah's ascension, which occurred near Jericho. They may have meant go away.' The verb is used in this way in 2 Kin. 12: 18 (cf. also Num. 16:24, 27; 2 Sam. 2:27). Dwelling at a center of apostate calf-worship (I Kin. 12:26-33; 13:1-5; 2 Kin. 23:15-20), the people could expect few kind words from a prophet of Yahweh. One must consider the wickedness which must have prevailed throughout Bethel, as is exhibited when the adolescents in their ridicule insulted even the prophet of God. Thus, this incident was an attack upon the Lord Himself. Elisha's response to it was not ill-temper or revenge, but judgment (cf. I Kin. 20:36). The youths' ( na'ar, Heb.) were certainly of a morally responsible age. God's power is used to judge sin. children' in the KJV is a Hebrew word (na'ar) which denotes youths who know exactly what they were doing. Coming from a center of idol worship, the youth were directly challenging God's messenger, thus challenging His authority in their town." 4 / 17

5 III. Messy Rebellion (3:1-27) A. Desperate Direction "Alas!..." (10) 1. A Son's Rebellion "And he did evil in the sight of the Lord" (2) Believer's Study Bible, p. 507: 3:2 "Although Jehoram removed some Baal images from Samaria, and ended the blatant Baal cult of his parents, he did not ban the syncretistic calf worship instituted by Jeroboam. Later, his successor Jehu found it necessary to slay the prophets of Baal" (10:19-28). 2. A Servant's Revolt "But it happened when Ahab died, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel" (5) Believer's Study Bible, p. 507: 3:5 "This rebellion of Moab against Israel, whom Moab had served as vassal at least since Omri's reign, is recorded also on the famous Moabite Stone found near the Arnon River by a German missionary in Mesha, king of Moab, wrote there that he was able to refuse to pay the tribute imposed by Omri." 3. A Soldier's Resolve "... Which way shall we go up? And he answered, "By way of the wilderness of Edom" (8) Joining forces with the king of Judah, Jehoram chose to avoid a frontal assault; linking up with the king of Edom, they invaded Moab through the wilderness of Edom. 4. A Sovereign's Regret "And the king of Israel said, "Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hands of Moab". (10) After seven days in the wilderness, the army ran out of water. With animals and men facing dehydration, the three armies allied with Israel faced death in the desert. 5 / 17

6 B. Digging Ditches (9-20) 1. Direct Your Prayers "But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?" (11) a. Realize your need b. Recognize your source (Call the right prophet - to whom do you turn) c. Render your plea 2. Dig the Ditches "Thus says the Lord: Make this valley full of ditches" (16) a. Declare your obedience (one decision - Jesus is Lord) - Soldiers thought it was a stupid order. b. Determine your orders - 1) Salvation 2) Baptism 3) Church Membership 4) Place of Service - SS, EE, Ministry 5) Marriage 6) Tithing. c. Dig with optimism. 3. Deny the Enemy "You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain, yet the valley shall be filled with water so that you, your cattle and your animals may drink" (17). 6 / 17

7 a. Resist Distraction - good is the worst enemy of best. b. Resist Discouragement - workers, scoffers, quitters. c. Resist Defeat (Rom. 8:28). d. Resist Disbelief (John 8:32). 4. Depend on God "And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand" (18) a. Focused Faith - We can do all the right things but without the filling of the Lord, we're left with dry, dusty ditches. b. Exclusive Faith - They received blessing only to the extent that they dug the ditches/received no other water. c. Urgent Faith - Had less than 24 hours - we must die daily (Luke 9:23). "Now it happened in the morning when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water" (20) C. Divine Defeat "Israel rose up and attacked the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they entered their land, killing the Moabites" (24) Although God promised total victory (19), Israel's invasion ended in retreat (27). 7 / 17

8 IV. Multiplied Provisions (4:1-44) A. Provision for a Widow's Family The miracle of the oil continues the theme of God's provision from Chapter 3. Whereas in the previous chapter God filled ditches with water, here he fills bottles with oil; notice the similarities: 1. A desperate need: "the creditor is coming..." (1) 2. A specific instruction: "borrow vessels from everywhere...not just a few." (3) God's provision was determined by the widow's obedience. 3. A generous provision: "Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel", and he said to her, "There is not another vessel, so the oil ceased" (6) B. Provision for a Prophet Often as I was growing up we would entertain visiting preachers in our home. Our guest room came to be called the "prophet's chamber" in reference to this passage. Showing kindness to God's anointed brings God's blessings: "Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there" (10) 1. Relationship: The Shunammite woman provided food and lodging especially for Elisha so that his ministry could spread. "Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?" (13) 8 / 17

9 2. Restoration: When she didn't ask for what a king could do, Elisha provided what only God could do. Their family line was miraculously restored. Stronger than an army, more valuable than riches, is a right relationship with God! (16-17) C. Provision for Life The woman's faith had grown to the point that she made no preparation for a funeral. (21) When the crisis came (20), she made haste to the man of God (24). D. Relief for Hungry People (4:38-44) God provides for physical needs. In the instance of the pottage, Elisha took what was bad and made it good, perhaps foreshadowing the change He can make in our lives. Beginning in verse 42 we see a prophetic glimpse of the miracles Jesus will do with loaves and fishes. Where Elisha fed 100, Jesus will feed 5,000 men along with women and children. Believers Study Bible, p. 510: 4:42-44 "Offerings consisting of the firstfruits of the harvest properly belonged to the priests and Levites (Deut. 18:1-6). That such offerings should be given to the sons of the prophets demonstrates the respected place they occupied among the God-fearing people in Israel. This miracle may be compared with those of Jesus in Matt. 14: 13-21; 15:32-39." V. Misunderstood Motives (5:1-27) A. Leprosy and Restoration of Naaman (1-16) Subtitle: Seven Ducks in a Muddy River; notice the characterizations: 1. The Cast a. Naaman: "Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria...a leper" (1) #1 military leader in Syria, 2) held in high esteem by Ben-Haded, 3) victorious in battle, 4) mighty warrior, 5) leprous, and 6) proud. 9 / 17

10 b. A little maid: "And the Syrians had gone out on raids and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman's wife" (2) Taken captive and held as a slave, she could have wished evil on Naaman; instead, she returned good for evil. (Matt. 5:44) Believer's Study Bible, p. 511: 5:2 "The little maid exhibited rare courage and compassion for her captors. Though suffering separation from land and kin, she was not bitter, but attempted to bestow kindness rather than retaliation" (cf. Matt. 5:44). c. Elisha: "... Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel" (8) Elisha used this as an opportunity to glorify God. d. Naaman's Servants: "My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more when he says to you wash and be clean". (13) Braved Naaman's fury for his master's own good; the essential conflict is faith vs. works. Naaman symbolized sinful man who wants to provide his own salvation. 2. The Conflict a. Inability of Man: "Am I God to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy?" (7) 1. Naaman could not heal himself (1) 2. The King of Syria could not heal him (5) 10 / 17

11 3. The King of Israel could not heal him (7) 4. Wealth could not buy his healing (5, 16) Isa. 55:1-3; 3 John 2 (spiritual health) b. In hospitality of Elisha "And Elisha sent a messenger to him..." (10) J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible, vol. 2, p. 312: "Naaman was from a great kingdom in the north. In fact, his nation was at that time bearing down upon the nation Israel. Syria had already gained victories over Israel, and Naaman expected the red carpet to be rolled out for him. And what happened? Elisha told him to go and wash in Jordan River seven times! Of course this hurt the pride of Naaman. Elisha actually received this man rudely. In fact, Elisha did not receive him at all---he did not even go to the door to receive him. You would think the prophet would bow and scrape to this great captain of the hosts of Syria. Instead, Elisha sent his servant to tell Naaman to go and wash seven times in the Jordan River. Do you think Naaman is going to accept this advice?" c. The Irritation of Naaman "But Naaman becomes furious, and went away and said, "Indeed I said to myself, "He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and heal the leprosy"...so he turned and went away in a rage" (11-12) Even Christians are sometimes irritated with God when He doesn't do things the way they imagined He would. Believer's Study Bible, p. 511: 5:13 "Naaman's reluctance to accept God's remedy, whatever his reason, is symptomatic of the determination of mankind to secure its own spiritual healing, even though all such efforts have proven futile. Only when Naaman finally submitted to God's remedy did he find the available healing." 11 / 17

12 3. The Conclusion "So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean" (14) The cleansing of leprosy is a clear picture of saving faith (Luke 17:14). Notice the element s of saving faith: a. Knowledge - The first step is to process the facts. Naaman's first reaction was on a logical basis: the rivers in Syria were much better (12). In order to be saved, people today must accept the "offense of the cross" as God's chosen means of salvation (I Cor. 1:18; Rom. 10:13-14) b. Assent - The next step in saving faith is to agree with the facts. Basically, Naaman's servants convinced him to swallow his pride and give God's way a chance. c. Trust - Knowledge plus assent will not save. There must be an 18" journey from head to one's heart. Faith is an action word; it requires a transfer of trust from oneself to God. When Naaman realized that wealth, power, and position would do him no good, he stepped into the Jordan River and began to dip. Was he still skeptical? Did he examine his skin after each dip to see if the leprosy was going away? Probably the answer is yes to both questions; however, the transfer of trust is evident by his obedience. He did as the man of God commanded and was saved. B. Greed of Gehazi (17-24) 1. God "... please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering of sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord" (17) Believer's Study Bible, p. 511: 5:17 "Naaman regarded the soil from the prophet's land as holy and wanted to use it to build an altar to 12 / 17

13 Yahweh in Syria. This showed heathen ignorance, but it also showed Naaman's sincerity in seeking God." (John 4:19-26; John 18:2) The extent of Naaman's conversion is shown by his seeking the exemption of his official duties (18). The sincerity of this pagan is a reminder of the value of our public witness. Believer's Study Bible, p. 511: 5:18 "The manner and occasion in which mention is made of Rimmon' suggest that was the principal deity worshiped by the Syrians in the time of Naaman. He appears in extra biblical texts as Ramanu or Ramman, identified with Hadad, the god of thunder and storm" (cf. Zech. 12:11). 2. Greed "... I will run after him and take something from him" (2a) the bible has much to say about the pitfalls of greed. God lists it as one of His ten commandments (Ex. 20:17). Paul writes that covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5). We studied in I Tim.; "Now godliness with contentment is great gain...but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (6:6, 9-10). 3. Guile a. Lies "... My master has sent me, saying Indeed just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments" (22) Gehazi couldn't stand the fact that all that wealth was headed back to Syria, Israel's enemy. 13 / 17

14 1. He lied to himself "I deserve it." 2. He lied about his master "My master has sent me." 3. He lied to Naaman "Please give them..." b. Duplicity "Please take two talents" (23) The sin of Gehazi; takes on a particularly despicable appearance when one sees him taking advantage of Naaman's new-found faith. Cons prey on the gullible and trusting. Yet we read in Titus "to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men" (3:2). Jesus, "Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away" (Matthew 5:40). Naaman was acting from the best motivations of a changed life; Gehazi was using his association with a man of God to steal. Quite a contrast! (Matt. 6:1-8) c. Ignorance "When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house... " (24) Gehazi used Naaman's servants to carry the silver and garments until he was within eyesight of Elisha. He then carried the parcels himself so as not to attract attention His actions demonstrate ignorance of the omniscience of God. C. Pronouncement of Judgment (25-27) "Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever" (27) 1. His Alibi "Your servant did not go anywhere" (25) When faced with an 14 / 17

15 implied accusation, Gehazi had an unsupportable lie. It would have been easy to verify that the servant had been absent for a time. 2. His Accusation "Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back his chariot to meet you?" (26) Elisha's heart was fixed on ministry; Gehazi's heart was fixed on material gain. Not only had the servant acted dishonesty toward Elisha and Naaman, he had also violated a trust with God. 3. His Abasement "And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow" (27) Believer's Study Bible, p. 512: 5:26 "Gehazi discovered the truth that nothing is hidden from an omniscient God. Elisha's expression here indicates that he knew well the materialistic bent of his servant. The two talents of silver Gehazi obtained were scarcely worth the tragic results of his materialism (v27) Application 1. Man's way leads to death. (Prov. 14:12) 2. God's way leads to life. (Rom. 6:23) 3. Transferring trust from self to God requires saving faith, knowledge, assent, and trust. (Eph. 2:8-9) Leader Pack Item 13: Poster: Lesson Outline; Item 14: Handout: Thoughts of a Profit Biblical Illustrator: p. 51 "The Moabite Stone: It's Biblical and Historical 15 / 17

16 Significance" Notes: **You may access David's Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: y.org/ ; Dates: 2011: 1/18-3/8 - LivingProof Bible Study; 1/19-5/11 - Midlink & Meal; 1/21 - Summit Celebrates; 1/23 - BAPOTS Celebration; 1/23 - Parent Commitment; 1/28 - Midnight Madness SBS Training; 1/30 - Milestones "Heart Connections"; 1/30 - Curtis Jones preaching 3 services; 2/4-5 - Charles Lowrey Marriage Seminar; 2/5 - Senior Adult Banquet; 2/6 - FBA Day in Sunday Services; 2/6 - No eve. svc. or eve. SBS; 2/11 - Parents Night Out; 2/12 - KHCB 20 th Anniversary Conf. & Concert; 2/13 - New Sun. PM Sched. begins; 2/ Senior Adult Revival; 2/ Family Ski Retreat to Copper Mountain; 2/19 - Men Pray Events; 2/20 - New Member Orientation; 2/27 - Parent Commitment. 16 / 17

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