A Father’s Hope A Father’s Hope Father’s Day, 2011 By Pastor Dan Kennedy © June 19, 2011 www.pastorkennedy.com (On the website above, click the link to “recent message notes” to view this message online.) Has there ever been a time in your life when facing a serious problem, that God profoundly moved - beyond any human ability, to give a positive outcome? God’s ability goes beyond overwhelming problems with solutions, which cannot often be explained and outcomes in ways that are seldom expected. We live in a day when many of our movies and media depict super people overcoming impossible odds with a display of supernatural power. The whole world clamors for such entertainment and power, especially when they themselves are facing impossible odds. Whether we recognize it or not, everyone needs strength beyond him or herself, to survive in this broken world. The world evidences this need continually through their depiction and lust for supernatural endowment; the god-fearing father reveals his faith, through his reliance on God. Today we are looking at Three Unexpected and Overwhelming Problems illustrated in 2 Kings, chapters 6 and 7, with unanticipated supernatural conclusions. I trust these will be examples for Fathers today, when we face humanly insurmountable difficulties. Faith in an All-Powerful God gives inexplicable and supernatural outcomes, to those who rely on Him. We have choices to make every day. Some choices seem very rational and can place our reliance directly on our own ability and our own power rather than in reliance upon God. Jesus Christ Himself, when facing the greatest trial of His life, in the Garden of Gethsemane, although crying to His Father to “let this cup pass from me”, completed His prayer by praying, “not my will by Thy will be done.” God expects godly fathers to trust in Him…not in themselves A father who trusts in God lives by a different standard than one who is godless. We yield to the “will of God” (just as Jesus did to His Father in the garden), rather than to our “own understanding” (Prov. 3:5,6). The same is true for kings who profess to be godly. In the following passage, King Asa, although known to be a god-fearing king - who had trusted the Lord at previous times, when faced with an adversarial confrontation of another enemy, thought his best course of action was to find his own way of deliverance, with gold and silver. Being a godly king, his priority was to look to God’s deliverance rather than from his ability to purchase deliverance from a godless army. Let’s look at the scripture narrative and see what happened. 2 Chronicles 16:1–9 16 In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa took silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the Lord and the king’s house and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, 3 “There is a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 4 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and let his work cease. 6 Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah. 7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. 8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” Fathers, we need to be discerning not to follow the directions of our own solutions, leaving God out of the equation. May we as human fathers seeking God, lead our families, by calling on the Lord and casting ourselves fully on Him for the working out of the will of God for our lives. Today, let’s look at three problems which fathers may face – as seen in 2 Kings 6-7. 1. A Father’s Problem of Unprovoked Loss 2. A Father’s Problem of Potential Personal Harm 3. A Father’s Problem of Facing Mortal Danger 2 Kings 6: 1 The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live.” And he said, “Go.” 3 Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?” “I will,” Elisha replied. 4 And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh, my lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!” 6 The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 7 “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it. 1. A Father’s Problem of Unprovoked Loss • The Worthy project of a working servant • An Accident – a serious loss of something that was not his own… An Unexpected Conclusion to the Anxious Cry of Faith • The Cry declared a specific need. • The Cry was directed to one who sought God for empowerment. • The Outcome could have never been imagined! “Reach out your hand…” Father’s today can face a huge dilemma when critical things happen at work threatening his livelihood: if they lose their job, or a serious accident happens, etc. May the godly father cry out to the Lord for help and wisdom in seeking a resolution to extreme problems of unprovoked loss. God’s answer may come in a way never before imagined! 2. A Father’s Problem of Potential Personal Harm A father has been given, by God, the position of leadership in his own home, and can often hold variable positions of authority in his workplace or community. Whenever one accepts a roll of leadership, there is always the opportunity for personal attack – by either a family member or those seeking to assume authority involved in his position. This is true in the life of Elisha, the Prophet of God. God gave him the power to understand the movements of the Syrian king who was seeking to destroy Israel’s king and army. As Elisha responded to what God had given him to do, under the authority entrusted to him, Elisha became a direct target for the King of Syria. • The War 2 Kings 6:8 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.” • The Warnings 9 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” 10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. • The Wrath 11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?” 12 “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.” • The Attack 13 “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” 14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. A Supernatural View reveals Undefeatable Allies • The Human Military Solution – We will silence the Prophet of God by force. • The Anxiety of the Servant – “We are surrounded! What do we do?” • The Spiritual Revelation that defies tangible possibilities – “O Lord, open his eyes!” (There is more hope available to the Believing Father than the world can ever begin to see.) 2 Kings 6:15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked. 16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike these people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked. 19 Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria. 20 After they entered the city, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria. 21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?” 22 “Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” 23 So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory. May the Godly father’s eyes be opened to see more than the world could ever see… that which God can clearly see! May these fathers go forward to reap the eternal reward of the righteous! Some problems become so serious that there is no other alternative for survival than a direct intervention by God. This is the case in the next Biblical example. 3. A Father’s Problem of Facing Mortal Danger Sometimes the problems that dads have to deal with are beyond words. What happens when whole families are struggling for survival during critical times of trauma – such as tragic accidents, direct involvement in war, or other major dilemmas, bringing horrendous pressure on families in life or death situations? Dealing with Horrendous Suffering - During a Siege of War 2 Kings 6:24 Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. 25 There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods (or dove’s dung - ESV) for five shekels. For reference: Joseph was sold by his brothers for twenty shekels of silver and Jesus was sold, by Judas, for thirty pieces of silver. 26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord the king!” 27 The king replied, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?” 28 Then he asked her, “What’s the matter?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’ 29 So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him.” 30 When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and there, underneath, he had sackcloth on his body. 31 He said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!” 32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Don’t you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?” 33 While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” Facing “Practical Cynicism” 2 Kings 7 Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah (5 quarts) of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs (10 quarts) of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” 2 The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!” The Improbable Rise of Unexpected Deliverance God delivers His Children beyond their ability to imagine – so we put our trust in Him! Psalm 91:14–16 14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.” • A God-inspired Idea given to Improbable and “Unexceptable” Men 2 Kings 7:3 Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.” 5 At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, not a man was there… • A God-initiated delusion 6 for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” 7 So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives. • A God-blessed revelation 8 The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp and entered one of the tents. They ate and drank, and carried away silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also. 9 Then they said to each other, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.” 10 So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, “We went into the Aramean camp and not a man was there—not a sound of anyone—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were.” 11 The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace. 12 The king got up in the night and said to his officers, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, ‘They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.’ ” 13 One of his officers answered, “Have some men take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their plight will be like that of all the Israelites left here—yes, they will only be like all these Israelites who are doomed. So let us send them to find out what happened.” 14 So they selected two chariots with their horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army. He commanded the drivers, “Go and find out what has happened.” 15 They followed them as far as the Jordan, and they found the whole road strewn with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown away in their headlong flight. So the messengers returned and reported to the king. 16 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a seah (5 quarts) of flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs (10 quarts) of barley sold for a shekel, as the Lord had said. • The outcome of a faithless man 17 Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to his house. 18 It happened as the man of God had said to the king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah (5 quarts) of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs (10 quarts) of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” 19 The officer had said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” The man of God had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” 20 And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died. Conclusion I pray that God will give today’s fathers, who are seeking Him, the ability to trust Him: When fathers are faced with the serious times of unprovoked loss – at work, at home, or abroad. Through the attacks which are directed against fathers for potential personal harm. Through Overwhelming Problems of fathers Facing Mortal Danger which can never be resolved without the supernatural intervention of God! Although we as fathers are most often inclined to “figure out the answer” to a problem on our own – relying only on our own resources, may we continually seek discernment from our Heavenly Father. May fathers seek God’s wisdom, understanding, and provision, for the direction we should be pursuing and the answers we must be finding in these critical days! “Oh God, hear our cry as fathers, for Your help, wisdom and protection, for those who look to us for answers and help! In Jesus’ Name, amen.”