Things Are Not Always What They Seem: 2 Kings #18
This is an exposition of 2 Kings 14:1-29. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, November 6, 2016.
Intro:
He was over an hour late, driving down a dirt road in an unfamiliar part of the state and he was furious. He only agreed to it because it was a relative of a beloved church member. There were a thousand other things he could be doing and should be doing but the faithful pastor was dutifully trying to find the rural cemetery. “Who gets buried out in the middle of nowhere anyway?” His eyes scan the horizon as he tries to figure out what he can say to the family being this late. He topped the hill and there it was. Everyone was already gone, obviously they had given up on the preacher. The two grave diggers had just filled in the last shovel of dirt and were about to load the backhoe when he pulled up. He hurried over and said, “I’m so sorry I’m late. I’m so embarrassed I’ve never been late for one of these. Would you mind if I just said a simple prayer?” The two men agreed and removed their hats. The preacher prayed. Got back in his car and drove away. One of the men said to the other, “I’ve been putting in septic tanks for 30 years and this is the first time a preacher has prayed over one.” Things are no alway what they seem. Have you learned that its dangerous to assume? How many times have you gotten in trouble because you thought you knew exactly what was going on only to discover you had no idea? Our text this evening is found in the 14th chapter of 2 Kings.
Text: 2 Kings 14:1-29
2 Kings can be confusing. There is all of this back and forth between Israel and Judah. There are names that have a couple of different spellings and both are used in the same text. There are kings from different kingdoms with the same name. You can get lost in all of that if you’re not paying attention. It is also very possible to get so focused on individual trees you fail to see the forest. Sometimes in these passages we get rocked to a sleep through the repetition of formulas. The writer uses the same formula in describing a king’s reign. There is a sameness to it and we nod approval without noticing the deficiencies noted. “So and so began to reign and he did as so and so before him and yada, yada, yada, he died and such and such took his place.” These are the sections we tend to “skim” in our daily bible readings. But there is much to gain in these passages if we slow down and ponder.
If we learn nothing else from our study of Kings, we must learn the necessity of a biblical faith and a solid grasp of God’s sovereignty.
We must note what it means to really, genuinely trust in God and what it means to say God is sovereign over all things. It is hard, at times, to accept that God is sovereign in the midst of all this intrigue, assassination and corruption. At times we are left wondering, “How in the world does this fit with God’s promise that a son of David will forever sit on the throne? How does this wicked king’s brutal elimination of that wicked king serve God’s purpose?” It helps when we remember, things are not always what they seem.
Understanding God is always in control and working all things together for His glory, I want to point out three principles from our text.
- A presumptive faith and an assumed assurance bring disastrous consequences. (14:1-14)
- Know that God’s Word gives stability and order to this chaotic world. (14:15-22)
- Beware of mistaking God’s pity for God’s endorsement. (14:23-29)