We obser\u00adve the dif\u00adfe\u00adrent beha\u00adviour of two kings who find them\u00adsel\u00adves in an almost hope\u00adl\u00adess situa\u00adti\u00adon. Can we learn some\u00adthing from them?<\/p>\n
We have pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly all expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced moments and situa\u00adtions in which we hard\u00adly knew what to do. It was exas\u00adpe\u00adra\u00adting. For some, such moments only last a short time, but for you they last a long time. You have a big\u00adger pro\u00adblem \u2013 and others com\u00adplain about litt\u00adle things. Some expe\u00adri\u00adence God\u2019s help, but you don\u2019t, alt\u00adhough you are clo\u00adser to God than many others! I find it inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading that we meet peo\u00adp\u00adle in the Bible again and again who sud\u00adden\u00adly bump into some\u00adthing in life and look for a way out, unsettled. \tList peo\u00adp\u00adle from the Bible who were sud\u00adden\u00adly in a hope\u00adl\u00adess situation. We obser\u00adve the dif\u00adfe\u00adrent beha\u00adviour of two kings who find them\u00adsel\u00adves in an almost hope\u00adl\u00adess situa\u00adti\u00adon. Can we learn any\u00adthing from them? We have pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly all expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced moments and situa\u00adtions in which we hard\u00adly knew what to do. It was exas\u00adpe\u00adra\u00adting. For some, such moments only last a short time, but for you they last a long time\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7523,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[35],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-bernhard-hohl","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7517","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nToday I would like to con\u00adtrast two kings from the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel who both had to deal with hope\u00adl\u00adess situa\u00adtions in a war\u00adli\u00adke conflict.
\nKing Jehos\u00adha\u00adphat of Judah (Isra\u00adel was divi\u00added into two regi\u00adons at the time: the sou\u00adthern king\u00addom of Judah and the nor\u00adt\u00adhern king\u00addom of Isra\u00adel). One day, Jehos\u00adha\u00adphat is threa\u00adten\u00aded by two and a half huge armies: the Moa\u00adbi\u00adtes and Ammo\u00adni\u00adtes and a third, smal\u00adler army of Edo\u00admi\u00adtes. \u00abA gre\u00adat multi\u00adtu\u00adde is coming towards us,\u00bb Jehos\u00adha\u00adphat is told. He is over\u00adco\u00adme with fear. And right\u00adly so, becau\u00adse his smal\u00adler army would have no chan\u00adce against this migh\u00adty supe\u00adri\u00ador force!
\nWe under\u00adstand the fears when God\u2019s child\u00adren are at the end of their tether in a see\u00admingly hope\u00adl\u00adess situa\u00adti\u00adon. Fear can\u00adnot sim\u00adply be sup\u00adpres\u00adsed. What does King Jehos\u00adha\u00adphat do in his fear? He prays! A recom\u00admen\u00added solu\u00adti\u00adon, espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly on this day of pray\u00ader! His next step is also worth imi\u00adta\u00adting: he needs com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty and has a fast pro\u00adclai\u00admed throug\u00adhout Judah. He seeks help. \u00abPeo\u00adp\u00adle flo\u00adcked from all the cities of the land to seek the Lord, inclu\u00adding all the cities of Judah\u00bb (2 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 20:4 NLB<\/span>). Jehos\u00adha\u00adphat wants to seek God with them. HE<\/span> should tell them what to do. Only HE<\/span> can help us in this extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adry emer\u00adgen\u00adcy situation.
\nThis is the best thing that can hap\u00adpen to you in your time of need: having peo\u00adp\u00adle at your side who seek God with you, who turn to God. That is worth its weight in gold! In the new fore\u00adcourt in the house of the LORD<\/span>, Jehos\u00adha\u00adphat stands befo\u00adre the peo\u00adp\u00adle who have arri\u00adved and prays a long pray\u00ader, which he con\u00adcludes with the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing con\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon: \u00abWe our\u00adsel\u00adves can do not\u00adhing against this huge army that is coming against us. We see no way out, but we trust in you\u00bb (2 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 20:12 Hfa). We also need to hear the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing sen\u00adtence: \u00abAll the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Judah, with every man, woman and child, stood befo\u00adre the LORD<\/span>\u00bb (2 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 20:13 NLB<\/span>). Amazing!
\nChan\u00adge of sce\u00adne: We are deal\u00ading with the second king in distress: King Jor\u00adam of the nor\u00adt\u00adhern king\u00addom of Isra\u00adel. Ben Hadad, the king of the Ara\u00adme\u00adans, mar\u00adches up to Sama\u00adria, the capi\u00adtal of the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes, with his huge army and besie\u00adges it. Sama\u00adria is now encir\u00adcled for weeks or even lon\u00adger. The hun\u00adger is get\u00adting worse and food is get\u00adting more expen\u00adsi\u00adve! In 2 Kings 6 we read that a donkey\u2019s head cost 80 pie\u00adces of sil\u00adver, even though the\u00adre is not much meat on it! And a handful of dove dung (which means some\u00adthing bare\u00adly edi\u00adble) cost 5 pie\u00adces of sil\u00adver. When King Jor\u00adam is once again on the loo\u00adkout on the city wall, he is shou\u00adted at by a woman: \u00abHelp me, my lord and king!\u00bb The king repli\u00ades: \u00abIf the LORD<\/span> won\u2019t help you, what can I do? I have neither food nor wine\u00bb (2 Kings 6:27 NLB<\/span>). When the king hears from the woman that she and ano\u00adther woman have alre\u00ada\u00addy beco\u00adme can\u00adni\u00adbals from hun\u00adger, King Jor\u00adam tears his robe and shouts: \u00abGod will kill me if I don\u2019t have Eli\u00adsha son of Shaphat behea\u00added today\u00bb (2 Kings 6:31 NLB<\/span>).
\nWe obser\u00adve the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing about King Jor\u00adam in the impas\u00adse: He is no lon\u00adger hims\u00adelf. He tears his clo\u00adthes and shows hims\u00adelf in a sack\u00adcloth underg\u00adar\u00adment. He can no lon\u00adger be king. He shirks respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. He aban\u00addons the woman. He is mad\u00adly angry with God. And becau\u00adse he can\u00adnot punish God so easi\u00adly, Eli\u00adsha, the pro\u00adphet, has to take the fall. He utters the worst cur\u00adse a per\u00adson can utter: \u00abGod will con\u00addemn me if I don\u2019t cut Elisha\u2019s head off today.\u00bb
\nWhat do you do when you have a grudge against God? Can\u00adcel your church atten\u00addance? Throw the Bible into the was\u00adte paper? Take your anger out on others? King Jor\u00adam actual\u00adly goes to Eli\u00adsha with an offi\u00adcer. As you do in ten\u00adse moments, you chan\u00adge the subject!
\nBack to King Jehos\u00adha\u00adphat of Judah. In the midd\u00adle of the com\u00admu\u00adnal pray\u00ader time in the temp\u00adle cour\u00adty\u00adard, the Spi\u00adrit of God speaks to the Levi\u00adte Jaha\u00adziel. He recei\u00adves a mes\u00adsa\u00adge for the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Judah: \u00abLis\u00adten, King Jehos\u00adha\u00adphat and also you peo\u00adp\u00adle of Judah and inha\u00adbi\u00adtants of Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. Thus says the LORD<\/span> to you: Do not be afraid and do not lose heart in the face of this huge army, for it is not you who are fight\u00ading this batt\u00adle, but God\u00bb (2 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 20:15 NLB<\/span>). In other words: \u00abAll you have to do is be the\u00adre and watch. Do not be afraid. The Lord is with you.\u00bb They kne\u00adel down and wor\u00adship God tog\u00ade\u00adther! A group of Levi\u00adtes sings loud songs of prai\u00adse. Sin\u00adging and dres\u00adsed in fes\u00adti\u00adve clo\u00adthes, the group of Levi\u00adtes mar\u00adches into batt\u00adle the next mor\u00adning at the head of the army. \u00abGive thanks to the LORD<\/span>, for his favour endu\u00adres fore\u00adver\u00bb (2 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 20:21 NLB<\/span>) they sing con\u00adti\u00adnuous\u00adly. The war, which was not a war, is quick\u00adly recoun\u00adted: First the Ammo\u00adni\u00adtes and Moa\u00adbi\u00adtes get into a row with the third army of the Edo\u00admi\u00adtes and bash each other\u2019s heads in. Then the same thing hap\u00adpens bet\u00adween the Ammo\u00adni\u00adtes and Moa\u00adbi\u00adtes. They mur\u00adder each other \u2013 until the\u00adre is no one left. The\u00adre is only one thing left for the Judeans to do: coll\u00adect boo\u00adty. They get so much of it that it takes them three days to dis\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adte it! The joy is immense. They go home to Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem rejoi\u00adcing and praising.
\nKing Jor\u00adam of Isra\u00adel is on his way to Eli\u00adsha to take his anger out on him. Eli\u00adsha is sit\u00adting at home with the elders of the city and pro\u00adphe\u00adsies to them that the king, tog\u00ade\u00adther with an offi\u00adcer, will soon come to kill him. As soon as he says this, Jor\u00adam is the\u00adre and grum\u00adbles: \u00abThe LORD<\/span> has brought this dis\u00adas\u00adter upon us! Why should I hope in the LORD<\/span> any lon\u00adger?\u00bb (2 Kings 6:33 NLB<\/span>). Why, why\u2026 Why does he ask Eli\u00adsha and not put the ques\u00adti\u00adon to God, e.g. like the Kora\u00adhi\u00adtes in Psalm 42: \u00abWhy have you for\u00adsa\u00adken me and why must ever\u00ady\u00adthing be so dark around me and I suf\u00adfer under the vio\u00adlence of my enemies\u00bb (Psalm 42:10 NLB<\/span>). Eli\u00adsha brings light into this dark\u00adness with a pro\u00adphe\u00adtic word: \u00abHear the word of the LORD<\/span>! Thus says the LORD<\/span>: \u00abBy this time tomor\u00adrow, five kilos of wheat flour or ten kilos of bar\u00adley grain can be bought for a pie\u00adce of sil\u00adver at the gate of Sama\u00adria\u00bb (2 Kings 7:1 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe offi\u00adcer accom\u00adpany\u00ading the king doubts, \u00abThat\u2019s impos\u00adsi\u00adble, even if the Lord were to make win\u00addows into the sky!\u00bb Elisha\u2019s ans\u00adwer: \u00abYou will see it with your own eyes, but you won\u2019t eat any more of it!\u00bb What hap\u00adpens next beg\u00adins with four lepers who are forced to stay out\u00adside the city gate. One of them asks: \u00abShould we just stay here until we die? Or do we go into the city and die the\u00adre becau\u00adse of the fami\u00adne? But we could also go to the Ara\u00adme\u00adan camp. If they let us live, we stay ali\u00adve. If they kill us, we die the\u00adre. At night\u00adfall they make their way to the Ara\u00adme\u00adan camp and rea\u00adli\u00adse that the army camp is com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly deser\u00adted. How did this hap\u00adpen? God used his inge\u00adnious sound sys\u00adtem to spread the noi\u00adse of war so that all the Ara\u00adme\u00adans wit\u00adhout excep\u00adti\u00adon could hear it. They then thought that Isra\u00adel had recei\u00adved rein\u00adforce\u00adments from at least two sides, from the Egyp\u00adti\u00adans and the Hit\u00adti\u00adtes. They are frigh\u00adten\u00aded and run off head\u00adlong, lea\u00adving ever\u00ady\u00adthing whe\u00adre it is. The four lepers go into the first tent and start by fil\u00adling their bel\u00adlies. The four of them have a leper par\u00adty! Then they coll\u00adect sil\u00adver, gold and clo\u00adthes, hide them in their accom\u00admo\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon and go to the next tent. Befo\u00adre they get the\u00adre, they say to them\u00adsel\u00adves: \u00abCome on, the others need to know this too. We\u2019ll go into town and tell everyone\u00bb.
\nThe night watch\u00admen wake the king and inform ever\u00adyo\u00adne. But Jor\u00adam doubts: It\u2019s a trap! The Ara\u00adme\u00adans are wai\u00adting in hiding until we lea\u00adve the city and then they can sur\u00adpri\u00adse us. The king sends two wagons with hor\u00adses to scout, but in vain: no Ara\u00adme\u00adans far and wide! Now the peo\u00adp\u00adle are unstoppable. At the city gate the\u00adre is such a crush that the king\u2019s offi\u00adcer is tramp\u00adled to death, just as Eli\u00adsha had pro\u00admi\u00adsed him. Full and enri\u00adched, the peo\u00adp\u00adle return and inde\u00aded: In the gate of Sama\u00adria, five kilos of wheat flour could be bought for one sil\u00adver pie\u00adce, or ten kilos of bar\u00adley grains for the same price!
\nPeo\u00adp\u00adle in a hope\u00adl\u00adess situa\u00adti\u00adon. Two kings in a hope\u00adl\u00adess situa\u00adti\u00adon, one prays, belie\u00adves and does some\u00adthing. The other gives up, does not\u00adhing; stands com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly hel\u00adp\u00adless on the city wall and has not\u00adhing to say. Jor\u00adam star\u00adted well as king and des\u00adtroy\u00aded the temp\u00adle and altar of Baal. But he remain\u00aded atta\u00adched to other gods and did many things that did not plea\u00adse God. Two kings who could not be more dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, but both reign among the divi\u00added peo\u00adp\u00adle of God. Two kings who, tog\u00ade\u00adther with their sub\u00adjects, are extras in two extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adry wars! Two kings who expe\u00adri\u00adence God\u2019s grace and mer\u00adcy in a mar\u00advell\u00adous way. Give thanks to the Lord, for his mer\u00adcy endu\u00adres fore\u00adver! Should we say that one deser\u00adved it and the other recei\u00adved it unde\u00adser\u00adved\u00adly? That would be a stu\u00adpid, com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly fal\u00adse state\u00adment. No mat\u00adter how good you are, how hard you try or how hard you try to be a decent per\u00adson. As far as fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus is con\u00adcer\u00adned, you can\u2019t earn any\u00adthing. You can\u2019t do enough good deeds to tip the sca\u00adles in your favour. You can\u2019t earn his help in hope\u00adl\u00adess situa\u00adtions. Have you ever expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced that God has shown you a way out of a hope\u00adl\u00adess situa\u00adti\u00adon? Ope\u00adned a door for you that you never expec\u00adted? Wit\u00adhout you having pray\u00aded for it? Or the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte: you pray\u00aded yours\u00adelf hoar\u00adse, but God did\u00adn\u2019t show you a solu\u00adti\u00adon. But in hind\u00adsight, you can gra\u00adteful\u00adly say that God spo\u00adke to you through this trial.
\n\u00abMy thoughts, says the LORD<\/span>, are not mea\u00adsu\u00adred by your thoughts, nor my pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties by your pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties. As high as the hea\u00advens are abo\u00adve the earth, so far do my thoughts reach bey\u00adond any\u00adthing you can ima\u00adgi\u00adne, and so far do my pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adties sur\u00adpass any\u00adthing you think pos\u00adsi\u00adble\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 55:8\u20139 GNB<\/span>).
\nAmen
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Luke 15:11\u201332<\/p>\n
\n\tHow can you deal with fears that rob you of sleep? (Expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces)
\n\tWhat do you find more or less easy in a dif\u00adfi\u00adcult situa\u00adti\u00adon? Ran\u00adked from 1 \u2013 3: being clo\u00adse to God \/ pray\u00ading \/ sha\u00adring hard\u00adship with others
\n\tHave you ever been angry with God? How did that mani\u00adfest its\u00adelf for you?
\n\tWhat does it do to you that the \u00abunspi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal\u00bb Jor\u00adam expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces the same help from God as the \u00abpious\u00bb Jehoshaphat?
\n\tWhy are obser\u00adving and com\u00adpa\u00adring among us Chris\u00adti\u00adans some\u00adti\u00admes so clingy?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"