OTI-13

960306WE

I.                     A Servant of God finds the Sufficiency of the Spirit [4:1-7] as is portrayed in the Widow’s oil miracle.

A.                 IMPOSSIBLE DEBT: She had a humanly impossible situation [4:1] one only God can fix. So we are impossibly indebted to the lost world around us. Romans 1:14-15  I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.  That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. (NIV)

B.                 INEXHAUSTIBLE RESOURCES: Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit and as she poured into empty vessels the oil never ran out. So the Holy Spirit will flow out of us like rivers of water into empty dry and thirsting lives around us. John 7:38-39 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. (NIV)

C.                INCREDIBLE SUPPLY: The provision was for more than just the debt, it covered the daily supply also [4:7]

II.                   A Servant of God has GENUINE POWER [4:8-37] as demonstrated in the inability of Gehazi.

A.                 Gehazi had the position but no power [4:31]. The Lord could not use him because of a deceitful and greedy heart [5:25-27].

B.                 Elisha demonstrated true reliance upon God and was clothed with His power as he raised this child from the dead[1].

1.                  He went in with prayer to God alone. v33

2.                  He gave of himself to the ministry v. 34 as Paul said 1 Thessalonians 2:8  We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. (NIV)

III.                  A Servant of God declares the Gospel of a Humble and Contrite approach to God [5:1-27] as demonstrated in Naaman’s healing.

A.                 Naaman was a great, kind, loyal and brave human but was a leper [5:1]. Just like all of us sons and daughters of Adam are in the image of God but hopelessly lost.

B.                 Even a tiny spot of leprosy was enough to have absolute expulsion in God’s people James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. Romans 3:10  As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 3:23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;  6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)

C.                God made Naaman go through the most humbling 9 step path to receive his healing.

D.                Salvation often comes by similar means: an insignificant messenger, no good works or upright living can earn it, no washing in our own rivers of personal reform can take away the guilt of sin, only the 1 John 1:7   . . . and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (NIV)

IV.               A Servant of God must REPENT AND RETURN WHEN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT DEPARTS THEIR LIFE [6:1-7] as illustrated in the miracle of the restored ax head.

A.                 BEWARE: Christians can lose the cutting edge for ministry by quenching the Holy Spirit. This is caused by sin and disobedience, lack of separation, neglect of Bible Study, forgotten time in prayer, unexercised faith and so on. Ephesians 4:30-32 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  1 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; (NIV)

B.                 STOP: No work can proceed without the axehead. The self generated service does nothing more than chopping with an ax handle accomplishes in felling trees. John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (NIV)

C.                GO BACK: The prophets went back to where the axehead was lost [6:6]. We need to go back to where we lost the blessing and get it back!Revelation 2:5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (NIV)

V.                 A Servant of God IS AWARE OF GOD’S PROTECTION [6:8-23] as illustrated by the opening of the servants eyes and the blinding of the Syrian army.

A.                 Elisha lived with an awareness he was surrounded by God’s powerful army.

B.                 When God intervenes He renders our enemies Helpless [6:18], Hopeless [6:21] and Powerless [6:22-23].

VI.               A Servant of God SEES GOD IN ALL OF LIFE

A.                 God is the Lord of History — SERVE HIM!

1.                  He shaped Judah and Israel’s future.

2.                  He directed Naaman and Hazeel of Syria [5; 8:7-15].

B.                 God is Lord of the Universe — TRUST HIM!

1.                  His armies are present on earth though invisible [6:15-17].

C.                His resources are inexhaustible, draw upon them [4:1-7 oil; enemyarmy 19:35; etc.]. 

The Book of First Chronicles is a retelling of the history of God’s people from the vantage point of the TEMPLE and the Worship of the True God. This emphasizes their relationship to God. The first 9 chapters give 3,500 years of continuous human genealogical history. This is unparalleled in all the history of the world. The sacred line of redemption and promise is very important to God. And each individual had an opportunity to serve God. The three elements of a right relationship deal with their INWARD, OUTWARD and UPWARD response to God. They were to WORSHIP

[upwardly]

, they were to OBEY [inwardly], they were to BE GOD’S LOYAL PEOPLE

[outwardly]

. A general outline o the book could be: 

I.         The People of the Lord [1-9]

II.       The Anointed of the Lord [10-12]

III.      The Ark of the Lord [13-16]

IV.   The Covenant of the Lord [17-21]

V.     The Temple of the Lord [22-29] 

Now for the three elements of a right relationship illustrated in this book.

I.                     The Upward Relationship of WORSHIP

A.                 Scriptural Worship is Filled with JOY

1.                  FULL HEARTED JOY: First Chronicles 13:8 David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets. (NIV)

2.                  SHARED JOY: First Chronicles 15:16  David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals. (NIV)

3.                  GOD HONORING JOY: First Chronicles 29:22  They ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD that day. Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the LORD to be ruler and Zadok to be priest. (NIV)

4.                  See also 16:4-36.

B.                 Scriptural Worship is Filled with MUSIC

1.                  Notice the instruments in 13:8; 15:16, 28.

2.                  Note the emphasis on Musical Instruments: First  Chronicles 25:3,5,7  As for Jeduthun, from his sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six in all, under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied, using the harp in thanking and praising the LORD.  All these were sons of Heman the king’s seer. They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.  All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king.  Along with their relatives — all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD — they numbered 288. (NIV)

C.                Scriptural Worship is Filled with GOD’S PLAN

1.                  David learned God is Serious about Proper Worship: 1 Chronicles 15:2, 12-15 Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before him forever.”  He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.  It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.”  So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.  And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD. (NIV)

2.                  They Followed the Plan: 1 Chronicles 16:1, 40  They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God to present burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, in accordance with everything written in the Law of the LORD, which he had given Israel. (NIV)

3.                  They saw details as Important: 1 Chronicles 23:31  and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the LORD on Sabbaths and at New Moon festivals and at appointed feasts. They were to serve before the LORD regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them. (NIV)

4.                  They saw the Word as Non-Optional: 1 Chronicles 24:19  This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the LORD, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather Aaron, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him. (NIV)

D.                Scriptural Worship is Filled with HOLINESS

1.                  CONSECRATION IS NEEDED: 1 Chronicles 15:12-15  He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.  It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.”  So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.  And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD. (NIV)

2.                  PURIFICATION WAS PRACTICED: 1 Chronicles 23:28 The duty of the Levites was to help Aaron’s descendants in the service of the temple of the LORD: to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the house of God. (NIV)

3.                  WE ARE CALLED TO THE SAME: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;  you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (NIV)

E.                 Scriptural Worship is Filled with HUMILITY

1.                  GOD ALONE IS WORTHY: 1 Chronicles 16:29-30   ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.   Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. (NIV)

2.                  WE ARE UNWORTHY: 1 Chronicles 17:16-20  Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said:  “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?  And as if this were not enough in your sight, O God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men, O LORD God.  “What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant,  O LORD. For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises.  “There is no one like you, O LORD, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. (NIV)

3.                  GOD IS THE FOCUS: 1 Chronicles 29:10-19  David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.  Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.   Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.   Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.  “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.  We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.  O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.  I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.  O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.  And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, requirements and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.” (NIV)

II.                   The Inward Relationship of OBEDIENCE

A.                 Saul was removed because of Disobedience 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,  and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. (NIV)

B.                 Uzzah was killed for Irreverence 1 Chronicles 13:9-10 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled.  The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. (NIV)

C.                David is blessed for Obedience 1 Chronicles 14:10-14 so David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The LORD answered him, “Go, I will hand them over to you.”  So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand.” So that place was called Baal Perazim. 12 The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire. Once more the Philistines raided the valley;  so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, “Do not go straight up, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 1 Chronicles 22:13  Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. (NIV)

III.                  The Outward Relationship of LOYALTY

A.                 They were to TRUST GOD

1.                  HE KEEPS HIS WORD First Chronicles 11:2-3 In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD your God said to you, `You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.'”  When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the LORD had promised through Samuel. (NIV)

2.                  HE WINS ALL BATTLES First Chronicles 18:13 He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The LORD gave David victory everywhere he went. (NIV)

3.                  HE DETERMINES THE FUTURE First Chronicles 17:9-14 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning  and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies. “`I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you:  When your days are over and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.  I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor.  I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.'” (NIV)

B.                 They were to SERVE GOD

1.                  Service to His Glory First Chronicles 22:5  David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death. (NIV)

2.                  Service that Guards against Temptation I Chronicles 21:1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. (NIV)

3.                  Service that Sacrifices for Him I Chronicles 21:24  But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” (NIV)

4.                  Service from an undivided heart and willing heart. I Chronicles 28:9  “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. (NIV)


[1] There are seven miraculous resurrections recorded in the Scriptures other than Christ’s and those at His Resurrection and the unusual story about Elisha’s bones. These seven are: Elijah I Kings 17:22; Elisha II Kings 4:35; Christ Mark 5; Luke 7; John 11; Peter Acts 9 and Paul Acts 20.