Our Hope Rests In Our Sovereign God: 1 Kings #27
This is an exposition of 1 Kings 22:41-53. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 11, 2015.
Intro:
We live in a chaotic world. Often, trying to make sense of what is happening is an exercise in futility. It is difficult if not impossible to draw straight lines and connect things up. Things seem to be heading this way but then something unplanned, unexpected changes everything. Now things are heading over there. Yet, as Bible believing people, we know that at the end of the day it ends exactly were it was supposed to. We believe there is a master plan that orders all things. There is a meta-narrative that drives the individual stories. Of course that is what we mean when we say we believe in the sovereignty of God. In the words of the 1689 London Confession of Faith (early Baptist confession):
God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as thereby God is neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein; nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty of contingency of second causes taken away but rather established…
All of this to say that when we speak of the sovereignty of God we mean that we make choices and thus are responsible for our actions and yet God guides all things and His will is accomplished. This matters because the world often seems out of control. The well being and future of the kingdom often seems in jeopardy yet the kingdom marches on and history is moving to God’s determined end. The decision of the supreme court this past June and our rapidly changing culture understandably cause us to be concerned. We are fast gaining minority status where we once firmly held the majority. This past week a Baptist pastor in Louisville, Kentucky referred to the teaching that homosexuality is sinful as “spiritual abuse.” Politicians are falling all over themselves determined to show themselves affirming of gay, lesbian and transgendered causes. This week ABC family announced they were changing the name of their network so as to disassociate themselves from the notions of family friendly and wholesome entertainment because it’s no longer “good for business.” To be family friendly and wholesome is now a negative thing! What is the future of the church? What is to come of the kingdom of God? The future is what it always has been. The kingdom of God is on track and on schedule. Our hope isn’t based on the popularity of our message, the size of our congregations or our tax exempt status but rather on the power of our God. Our text this evening is found in the last chapter of 1 Kings.
Text: 1 Kings 22:41-53
Nine months ago we began a study of this book. We said then that the book of Kings (1 & 2 Kings) is part of the “former prophets” in the Hebrew Bible. It’s story runs from 970 down to 586 BC and the fall of the Jerusalem. Roughly 400 years of history packed into 50,000 words. That means the author or authors were very selective. This is a theological work. The writers have an agenda. They are writing with a purpose.
Throughout the emphasis has been on God’s covenant faithfulness in the face of Israel and Judah’s unfaithfulness. Because God is faithful He has preserved a people. He has kept His promise to David, assuring an everlasting kingdom. This last point is particularly important for this evening’s text and it serves to remind us that…
Thesis: As the people of God, whether we have godly, flawed leaders or blatantly defiant rulers, our hope rests in the sovereign, providential hand of our God.
This is, in many ways, a strange text.
It is certainly a strange way to conclude a book.
All we have is this somewhat disjointed summary of two rulers.
One commentator describe is as “floor sweepings.”
It seems like “throw away” material.
But I remind you – this is not the end of the book!
1 and 2 Kings is one book.
You can only get so much material on a scroll so it was divided but it’s one story.
But I’m not willing to “throw this away.”
I think there are two things worth noting and they are related to God’s providence. They serve to remind us that God is at work whether in and through a godly yet flawed leader or an utterly corrupt official. Thus we always have hope.
I want us to consider the two examples set before us in this text. Because we learn something from each of them.
- Jehoshaphat: the troubled reign of a godly yet flawed king. (22:41-50)
- Ahaziah: the short tragic reign of an utterly corrupt ruler. (22:51-53)