All right. If. We'll be looking
at. Continuing our series in the
life of Elijah, though this particular lesson doesn't have much anything
about Elijah in it. In fact, we won't run into Elijah again
until second Kings. But I didn't want to miss this.
This is from First Kings. Chapter 22. And. We're going to be looking at
the death of Elijah. Excuse me the death of Ahab.
So. I'm going to. I'm bringing up the video online
so I can. Look from time to time. All right, let's begin with prayer. Our gracious Father, thank you
for this evening. Thank you that we have a nice,
comfortable place in which to meet, that we can open your book
and learn things from it. Lord, show us something of yourself
this evening. Maybe something we've seen before,
but apply it more powerfully, or maybe some light we have not
seen before. Lord, we depend entirely on you.
In ourselves, we are nothing. But you are able to teach the
ignorant. You are able to mold the hearts
of anyone whom you desire to. So, Lord, touch our hearts this
evening. Touch them with grace. Strengthen
us with grace. And we pray this in the name
of Christ. Amen. Now it's written in Hebrews chapter
nine, verse 27. It is appointed unto man once
to die. And after that, the judgment.
This truth is inscribed on our hearts in as much as the law
has been written on our hearts. Paul said that. Not just to the
Jews, the Gentiles. Now the first part when he says
the law he was there he was primarily speaking of human relations.
But they had a good deal of knowledge of God even that's that's natural
to man. Now it being natural knowledge
it's not saving knowledge but nonetheless they there is enough
there that they're without excuse but the law says the soul that
sins it shall die. and we see a similar statement
made in the New Testament the wages of sin is death when Adam
sinned death passed upon all because all sin and that's what
Roman says and that's actually the way it says it most of your
translation say death passed upon all for all have sinned
as though that death passed on us because of our own sin but
the way Paul wrote it was in Adam all died because in Adam
all sinned and so we're all under death but God
is just and he judges each man according to his own conduct
now death passed on everyone we know that and we we experienced
spiritual death in Adam and eventually we'll experience physical death
But what we quoted earlier from the Old Testament the soul that
sins it shall die. That was actually the Lord's
response when Israel said the fathers eat the sour grapes and
the children's teeth are set on edge. In other words they're
saying we're being punished for our father's sin. He said all
right the soul that sins it shall die because we're equally guilty
in ourselves aren't we. If Adam Adam hadn't sinned our
own personal conduct would bring us under judgment. The law also
said curse it is everyone who does not do everything written
in the law continually. Now it takes work for people
to come up with these forms of religion that pose a God that
can accept what we do even though it's imperfect natural knowledge
of God. We realize he's perfect and because
he's perfect he can't accept anything less than perfect. That's
why it says for all sin once again referring to Adam sin for
all sin but then goes and fall present tense fall short of the
glory of God. But it was you know what that
means is our sinfulness comes from the fact we're not as good
as God. Remember several times when I was a national not here
Henry say Henry to actually God doesn't require the best you
can do he requires the best he can do. So we all fall short
of that glory and we know then. That judgment is due do unto
us this awakens our conscience since conscience to know that
if we do face judgment based on our conduct we shall perish. And that's the main reason people
fear death. Death is what we have all been
appointed to. We could. Put it this way death
is what we have all been sentenced to. But when it says it's appointed
and a man wants to die we can also take that to mean that we
have an appointment with death. That is that God has set the
time of our death. And after that we face judgment.
God has determined all things including the time of our birth
and the time and manner of our death. Now we don't know when
we're going to die. You know we got statistics. But
most of the people around here beat the statistics pretty good.
You know I think that is like 76 for men and 78 for women. That's probably in the United
States. And most folks around here live longer than that. But even so and another 10 years
it's still not a big thing but we don't know the exact time.
and yet God does he doesn't know it because he foresaw it he knows
the time of our death because he said it he determined when
we be conceived he determined when we be born in fact It's
in Psalm one thirty nine sixteen it says your eyes saw my unformed
body all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be. Of course we realize it happened
before the world began. But it's sufficient to know it
happened before we began. We came in to this world. And the only thing you know for
sure of someone born into this world is that someday they're
going to die. That's you. Now. In First Kings chapter twenty
two. It tells us about Ahab's appointment
with death. An appointment that he kept.
Despite doing everything he could. To avoid it. The story is simple. Ahab's father Omri. had lost
the city of Ramath Gilead to Ben Hadad so a have decided it
was time to retake it now there's possibly to Ben Hadad some commentators
say no it's all one some say it was to a father and son or
grandfather and grandson but one of them took the city of
Ramath Gilead and the Ben Hadad now in charge of the Arameans
might be another been hated you know his son or his grandson
nonetheless we saw just a couple of chapters ago that a have defeated
been hated the Lord gave him that victory and and now three
years has passed and they have saying you know We beat a guy
three years ago. How come we haven't gone up and
taken back the city. That either he or his father
or grandfather took from us. So they have decides he's going
to take that city. Now Jehoshaphat the king of Judah. Had gone to visit a hat now Jehoshaphat
was known as one of the good kings of Judah wasn't perfect
but he was he worshipped the Lord personally and. he did much to read the land
of Judah of the idolatry there well when he was visiting a have
a have asked him if he would help in getting the city of rain
with Gilead back from the Arameans Jehoshaphat said that Judah and
Israel were as one and Judah would help Israel now the Lord
rebuke Jehoshaphat later rebuke him for helping a have He said
Why are you helping the Lord's enemies I think you find that
in the account in Second Chronicles. Here it doesn't you know doesn't
say anything about it but you can see here that that Jehoshaphat. While he airs with regard to
God his attitude humanly speaking is right he's saying Israel's
our brothers. even though they're out of pocket
even though for the most part they've acted like enemies toward
us nonetheless they're brothers we are one and so he basically
said yes I'll help you he said but first we must inquire of
the Lord now in response to this a had called for some pagan prophets
and every one of them said go for the Lord will give it into
the king's hand mean he'll give the city into the king's hand.
Now it's important to note that Joshua fat had advised seeking
the counsel of the Lord meaning Jehovah. If you were looking
at your English Bibles you'd see Lord in all capitals but
the pagan prophets responded saying the Lord will give it
to your hand. and in our English translations
the O.R.D. are lowercase indicating it's
not the name of Jehovah there. It's just the standard word Lord.
Adonai. So they called on these, not
they, but Ahab called on these pagan prophets. They were not
the Lord's prophets. And when they gave answer, they
didn't answer in the Lord's name or in Jehovah's name. They just
said the Lord, whoever he is. He has said that you'll take
the city. So Jehoshaphat asked in verse
seven Is there not a prophet of Jehovah here whom we can inquire
of. Now I can't touch on everything
in this story but in that summit in there a prophet of the Lord
here. This is Israel. You know this is the nation of
Israel. These are the descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. These
are descendants of those who stood there and saw God descend
on Mount Sinai. And here's all these prophets
and not a one of them speaks for Jehovah and Joshua. You know
out of all these problems around here can you find one. And you
know sometimes we wonder you know got a friend that lives
in a large metropolitan area. I'm in excess of a million people
he can't find a church. Now that doesn't mean for sure
that there's not one there. Because you know but he certainly
has wanted to find one and he's tried a lot of them. Is there
not a prophet of the Lord. Well they have answered there
was only one a man named Micaiah whose name means who is like
y'all or who is like Jehovah. Ahab said he didn't like that
prophet. He said, I don't like him because he never says anything
good about me. Now, I don't think Ahab was saying,
he always insults me. I think he said, his prophecies
are never about something good happening to me. But the other
one I'm sure was true, too. He never said to Ahab, you're
a pretty good guy, but this isn't going to work out. So a messenger
was dispatched to get Micaiah. As they were returning to the
king, the messenger advised Micaiah that he should prophesy like
all the other prophets had been prophesying and just tell Ahab
that all would be well. So that's what Micaiah did. But
Ahab knew that Micaiah was not being truthful. Because he said,
how many times do I have to make you swear to tell me the truth?
what you've heard from the Lord. Now why wouldn't Micaiah think
that that was from the Lord. I'm sure why did they have think
Micaiah was lying. Because he knew that he stood
opposed to the Lord and the no prophet of the Lord was going
to bring him a positive message. Now imagine knowing that and
not doing anything about it. See here's a man who is rebellious
against God. He must believe that that God
exists or he wouldn't care what any one of his prophets said. And so he knows that anything
that prophet says if it's the truth it's going to be against
him. Well how did he handle that before he changed prophets. It
would have been wiser to change gods wouldn't it. Begin serving
the God that's against you. And seek his mercy and forget
these other gods. Well anyway. He insisted Micaiah tell him
the truth so Micaiah told him that he had seen a vision of
all of Israel scattered like so many sheep and the Lord said
these people have no master let each one go home in peace. Well I'm saying that they didn't
have a master meant the king was dead. Well Ahab's response to this
was not to tremble you know the Lord's in the scriptures that
it says the Lord is with those and he gets several characteristic
but then the last one I believe was who tremble at his word. You know one of the things that
bothers me about modern religion contemporary popular religion
is how flippant they are about everything. I mean we don't have
to get up you know when we preach or something and try to make
everything seem dolorous and difficult and sorrowful but they
are talking about you know they're preaching about things that are
hardly important in the grand scheme of things and some of
them their messages are more about joking around they're more
about getting the people to like them even if they have little
snippets of truth here and there But nobody trembles at his word.
Nobody goes away from a service deeply moved. And why should
they? Nothing deeply moving has been
said. But Ahab heard that word and his
response to Jehovaphat was, well, didn't I tell you? He never says
anything good about me. Micaiah went on to say that God had sought
out someone who would entice Ahab into the battle so as to
be killed. And one of those spirits around
the throne of God stepped forward and said that he would go and
be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab's prophets. The Lord
told that spirit to go and to do that and assured that spirit
that his efforts would be successful. So. Ahab has Micaiah. Imprisoned. And. Put on a diet of bread and water.
And. Micaiah says makes this statement. He says. That excuse me. That if Ahab returns in peace. than the Lord has not spoken
through him. This seems odd. It seems like,
you know, I guess it's all here. I thought some of my notes were
missing. That's why I'm stumbling a little bit. Okay. Well, Ahab devised a plan. Since I have is the only one
that been had had actually once killed. That's all he's interested
just wants to get rid of a. That's what he told his arm is
don't chase anybody but I have. So he's going to go into battle
in disguise. But Joe Hosha fat is going to
go wearing his royal robes. Now when I read that I thought
I didn't very smart on the part of Joe Hosh fat. You're making
yourself into a target. Why did he consent to that. I honestly don't know. But that's
how they went into battle. During the battle the battle
the Arameans do begin to pursue Jehoshaphat thinking he's a hat.
But once Jehoshaphat cries out they realize he is not a have
and they quit pursuing him. That's what been a dad said don't
pursue anybody but I had. Someone in the Aramean army just
drew his bow and without aiming or anything just let fly an arrow
and that arrow found a joint in a Habs armor and winning and
he was mortally wounded they propped him up in his chariot
with him facing the battle but by the end of the day he'd bled
out and he was gone and near the end of the day Israel saw that they were defeated
and all of them went home to their own towns and houses they took a Habs chariot to a
bath in Samaria to wash it out interestingly enough interestingly
enough it says it's a bath where the prostitutes made now I assume
that it wasn't just your run of the mill prostitutes that
they were talking about the prostitutes who worked in the temples of
the pagan gods because it doesn't just say you know this is where
prostitutes we go to bed it's the prostitutes and so a Habs
chariot is cleaned out his blood washed out of it in the very
place that was symbolizing stood as a rather remarkable symbol
of his rebellion against God. And as they're washing out that
chariot, the dogs come up and begin licking up the blood that
they're washing out. And that was in fulfillment of
what Elijah said would happen. Now there are many lessons that
could be taught from this story. There are no overt pictures of
Christ, at least none that I could find. But we are taught several
things. The immutability of God's will.
what God says is going to happen will happen the importance and
power of his word and the certainty that apart from grace your sins
will always find you out but I put all of that under one
thing here's the big lesson there is no escape from God period There's absolutely no way to
get away from him. You can get away from me. Sometimes. Most of the time. But you can't
get away from God. And let's note a few statements
that stand out. They have said he did not like the prophet of
the Lord because that prophet never said anything good about
a hat. It's never wise to pick a preacher based on whether his
message is comfortable or comforting. I've heard that people say that,
you know, I like that preacher because when he preaches, I just
feel so good. Well, the Lord did say, comfort
ye, comfort ye my people, but not all the time. Now, the preacher,
you know, when I'm preaching, I'm not up there deciding how
the word's going to affect you. I mean I've had those thoughts
go through my mind you know I think I need to preach a real serious when
you know that kind of added. But really I know you just preach
the word and it'll do what it's supposed to do. But sometimes
the word of God is going to be uncomfortable. Because it's going
to find. In us something that needs to
change. So we're not this we are to look
for or pick a preacher based on whether his message is comfortable
or comforting. But that's what most people do.
They go from church to church until they find one that they
enjoy. In 2 Timothy 4 verse 3, it says,
for the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires,
they will gather around them a great number of teachers to
say what their itching ears want to hear. And there are plenty
of prophets for profit. and you put enough money in their
hands they'll say anything they want or what most likely happens
they figure out ahead of time what the people want know if
they say that they can get money and I stand in utter amazement
that people will send these people any money at all you would think
that even human wisdom would point out these guys are charlatans
but no such as the blindness of the human heart They will
go after anyone that says things that give them natural hope.
But such false prophets and the people who follow them are doomed
to destruction. They say but it's not the people's
fault. Yes it is. The Lord said my prophets
lie and the people love to have it so. Why do they follow these
false prophets precisely because they're false. their heart is
full of lies and they go find someone who will tell them the
lies that are in their heart the Lord said the Pharisees you
don't believe me because my word is not in you now that's funny
he was just there given the word yes before we ever hear the word
God's got to put the word in our hearts and then we respond
to it So that doesn't make sense doesn't have to something God's
doing but our word his word had no place in them and therefore
when they would hear that word it's not what they wanted to
hear the word that had a place in their hearts was the word
of self-righteousness the word of work salvation therefore when
somebody would speak like that it would resonate with them but
he came boy his message didn't resonate sound doctrine is the
foundation of a helpful and useful ministry now there are other
things that are helpful but there's no reason for anybody to enter
the ministry or for us to sit under a ministry that does not
begin with sound doctrine with truth the only warranted and
reliable test of a preacher is whether his message is the Lord's
Now that's the only one that you can apply that is that that
the scriptures give you a warrant to apply to them and it's the
only one that's reliable. Now I know that for a while some
godless man can preach the truth and they'll look like the real
thing but now I realize my life doesn't span all the centuries
but what time I've had watching preachers Eventually as it says
your sins will find you out and generally speaking phonies out
themselves because it's awfully hard to
stay with a message that you do not believe personally takes
a lot of discipline and eventually they slip and you see them just
bit by bit before long they're sounding like everybody else.
personality, preaching style, the level of formal education,
fleshly credentials, they are worthless apart from the truth.
Such natural gifts accomplish nothing good without the truth,
and quite frankly, the truth has no need of them. Now, that
doesn't mean that those who preach the gospel should be uncaring
about their relationship with others. says speak the truth
yes but speak the truth in love and none of us have perfect personalities
but somebody who's going to take up the preacher of the gospel
ought to do what he can to be perceived and related to as a
kind and gentle person our Lord was known that way nonetheless
there have been some awful rough characters that God has you to
preach the truth particularly those who come into a day like
Elijah did of almost total darkness like John the Baptist like Rolf
Barnard like some others through time Martin Luther he was like
a stick of dynamite and they're needed at that time but all or
the day to day most of the day to day ministry into the saints
of God has been carried out by men who didn't have rough edges
who were known to be compassionate and not beat on the sheep. How
can the truth be identified? Well first there's got to be
admitted that there is such a thing as truth. Now you think that
would be a difficult or mean that that would be a simple thing
and I don't know if it's always been the case but I know in our
day they put a big question mark on whether there even is such
a thing as truth and they'll say well that's your truth. I
beg your pardon it's either you know truth is something outside
of us. It's something outside of us that we need to get in
us but truth doesn't come from within truth comes from without. You know. The. The issues of our day and I realize
we aren't an issue oriented church in terms of social issues but
you take for example the social issue and moral issue of homosexuality. Well if you say homosexuality
is wrong. Well that's your truth. I beg
your pardon. That would be God's truth. and
it continues being God's truth whether or not you believe it.
My cousin put up an interesting post on Facebook. It's got two
identical pictures of Earth which is the Africa side of it but
it says pictures of the earth before and after your opinion. And men take their opinion for
truth. Now, truth is always according
to the scriptures. They say, well, how do you know
the scriptures are true? We take that as a given. Now, I think
there is good evidence of the truth of them. Nonetheless, we
start with the scriptures. The Lord Jesus, while he was
praying to his father, said, sanctify them through your truth
or through the truth. Your word is truth. I like it he didn't say your
word is true he said your word is the truth truth will always
exalt the God of truth for everything good God is to
be praised actually for all things because all things are good because
he's the one that brings them to pass not all things are pleasant
but all things Eventually will be shown that that was the right
thing to do. But truth will always exalt God
and truth will always a base. If someone if you listen to someone
preach. And they're bragging on you. Now I'm not talking about just
in a normal thing you know I tell folks you know they ask about
our church I said that we got some fine folks at the church
you know and I'm just talking on a human level there but when it comes
to God and man God is all good man is no good and we don't help
ourselves by listening to someone who denies either one of them
truth will always turn men from looking to themselves to calling
on God And that's why these bellybutton gazers Christian bellybutton
gaze always looking in. If they're always looking in
is that because a preacher is telling them that's what they
need to do. And I've heard a few messages in this area when I've
gone to funerals. You know some people preach the
truth but they stop short of really getting to it. Some people
get there and then they keep going and mess it up that way.
And there's. I've heard several times. Preachers
and they have preached. You know if they had just stopped. Halfway through the message it
had been a good one. Because they talk about God's grace salvation
by God and then they'll say. But. Has God done a work of grace
in your heart. What has that done now. They've
taken a good message and then just turned it right back to
the people. God never told us to do that. We're to see God's
work of grace on Calvary. That's what we're supposed to
look at. So. Every message that comes
from God. We'll have a person look away
from himself. And under God. Here's another
lesson. God uses error. This may sound
strange. However all men have a destiny
and God arranges all things in order for a man to reach his
destiny. God sent a lying spirit to Ahab yet God himself did not
lie in doing so. How is that? Well because he
also sent the truth by one of his prophets. He sent the lie
by false prophets. He sent the truth by his prophet.
But also when he sent a line spirit now that that spirit from
God you know that went out and to entice a have been the battle
he said I'll put a line spirit in these or I'll be a line spirit
in his profits. Now there was nothing sinful
about that. Why well we just saw this this
past Sunday first Peter two eight they mean unbelievers stumble
because they disobey the message which is also what they were
destined for now some people go berserk you know you said
they were destined unbelief yes but it's not as though such men
wanted the truth and God withheld it from them They were like they
were trying to believe. No they didn't want the truth.
They'd already proven that what they have wanted was a lie. So God gave him what he wanted.
Isn't that obvious. Because he called for pagan prophets
and only under duress when he called for Micaiah and when Micaiah
spoke to him he didn't pay any attention to what he said. God
doesn't know us the truth. We're already. believing the
lie if he simply confirms it for us that it sends a message
that that we in our sinfulness will take as confirmation that's
not him they hated the truth so God left them to their hatred
he said you love air here have it And you know that's an important
lesson people always think of judgment in terms of God depriving
us of what we want. The worst judgment all is God
giving us what we want. What does it say in Romans one.
He gave them over to vile affections. Why. Because that's what they
wanted. Gave them over to this gave them over that. In other
words God didn't make them that so to speak. He just allowed
them to be what they were. He didn't restrain them. In a have we have a prime example
of the stubbornness of the natural human heart. He had seen the
works of the Lord at Mount Carmel and witnessed the slaughter of
the false prophets. He had benefited from the Lord's
goodness when he defended the defeated been hated. He'd also
experienced a little bit of the power of the word of God when
Elijah pronounced that curse and remember it says he abased
himself and sat in sackcloth and fasted. All that happens and what's he
doing. He proves he has no heart for the Lord nor any inclination
to hear his word. Instead he ignores God's word
imprisons the Lord's spokesman and does what he wanted to do
all along. Indeed as Paul described the
very that you know the final end of a slide into depravity. There was no fear of God before
Ahab's eyes. Do you remember what that one
thief said when the Lord opened his eyes to the truth he looked
at the other thief and he said. Don't you fear God. Evidently
the other thief didn't. And the first that that thief
you know the one that eventually repented he didn't fear God when
they first crucify him the fear of the Lord came on him. Well
no amount of human carefulness can counter man the purpose of
God. Ahab hid from men and was able
to protect himself from men by that means. But it was not men. But the Lord who was after him.
He would use men. And I know that the men. wanted
to get him but they had to deal with that what he couldn't deal
with was this the Lord was seeking him to kill him and no one can
hide from or escape from the Lord some archer whose name is
not mentioned who had no idea about the curse
of God on a and who might not have even been
any good at archery. Just some slob in Ben Hadad's
army. He got drafted, didn't have a
choice. But he drew back on his bow and
just let the arrow fly. I realize in an old warfare you
know they would set up the archers and the archers won't aim for
anybody in particular. You know they were they were
doing this way up in the air and it was just you know like little
missiles being fired and you assume you if you fire off about
three thousand all at once somebody somebody going to get hit. But
anyway this guy just it says at a venture or randomly shot
he had not chosen a target there was no aim or purpose in what
he did but he was an agent of the Lord and the Lord guided
his random actions to bring about his intended purpose it is likely
that the archer never knew that he was the one who had brought
down the key you know that those bows can
shoot awfully far you know those long bows and you know you know
and then you're ducking and you know because there's probably
arrows come in the other direction too he didn't realize in large part he was the one that
won the day doesn't matter what that man knew didn't matter what
he was thinking he was in the hand of the Lord and the Lord
guided his shot and it went exactly where God intended and it makes
a point in the Scripture at the intersection of his armor. Now
that's what people would aim for if they could see a target
and they were that good. But even then it's hard to hit
because armor was made to protect not to expose. I was going to
say that arrow found the one weak spot. God knew where that
weak spot was and directed the arrow there. Ahab failed to grasp who the
true enemy was. And for that his strategy failed
because it was insufficient to deal with his real enemy. God. He thought that bin Haydad and
his army was the problem. Bin Haydad and his army was simply
the agent of the Lord. It was the Lord that was his
problem. And you can't hide from him. You can't hide from him
in your morality. You can't hide from him in your
religion. You can't hide from him by keeping your sins private. There is no privacy with the
Lord. Man looks on the outward appearance and it's not that
hard to regulate your outward appearance. The Lord looks on
the heart and he sees right in there. He knows everything you've
done. He knows the things you would
have done if you thought you could get away with it. He knows
the desires and the intents of the heart. And if he sets his
arrow on you. You're gone. There's nothing
you can do. To stop it. But that doesn't
mean. That we're without hope. For
while there is no escape. From the Lord just as in Noah's
day there was no escape from the flood. Noah didn't escape
the flood he went right through it. But he went through it in
the ark. And that's what saved him. And
we can't escape God. But when he came for us. We were
in Christ. And Christ. Took the arrow. And we survived. Not by escaping. We went through it. In Christ. So we take this story of Ahab
as a cautionary tale. Don't ever think that you can
escape the Lord. Death is coming. God's already
set the day. And no matter how much you've
tried to avoid him in this life, you will meet him then. And as
Henry used to say, you won't meet him as you want him to be. You will meet him as he really
is. All right. May the Lord be honored
with that.