1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,000 Meet me in Second Kings chapter 4. 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,240 And before we unwrap this thrilling chapter together, I 3 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:09,760 want to briefly mention something in light of last 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:18,880 week's study. Before 1868, the Moabite people 5 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:25,480 were referenced through 1 main credible source, the Bible. 6 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:31,520 Apart from the Bible, there was no credible source to give any 7 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,040 idea about who the Moabite people were, even if they 8 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:38,160 existed. But something happened a few 100 9 00:00:38,160 --> 00:00:41,280 years ago. Again, as I mentioned, in 1868 10 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,640 there was a discovery that was made by Frederick Klein, who was 11 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,640 a missionary in the Middle East. He was traveling through Jordan 12 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,760 and in one particular place, D Bond Jordan, he discovered what 13 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,120 we know today to be the Moabite stone. 14 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:02,760 The Moabite stone is currently held in the Louvre Museum in 15 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,239 France. There are many replicas out 16 00:01:05,239 --> 00:01:08,280 there, but I bring this to your attention in light of our study 17 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:13,280 of Second Kings because what they found on this 4 foot stone 18 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:19,040 were 34 lines inscriptions that were very similar to ancient 19 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:24,800 Hebrew and the data found on that artifact is amazing. 20 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:30,360 First of all, it was an inscription that was authored by 21 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:35,880 Mesha, King of Moab. Does that name sound familiar to 22 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,240 you? They should. 23 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,240 Just in case it doesn't go to 2nd Kings chapter 3, let's jog 24 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:44,200 our memory here. Look at verse 4. 25 00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:48,480 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder and he laid or 26 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,160 excuse me, he had to deliver to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs 27 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:57,480 and the wool of 100,000 Rams. So Mesha king of Israel is 28 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,960 identified on this slab. But more than that, he describes 29 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:06,480 how Himash, which is the God of the Moabites and his name also 30 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,680 is found in the scriptures, was angry with the Moabites and so 31 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:15,600 he allowed check this out the people of Israel to subjugate 32 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,880 them. So you have the nation of Israel 33 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:24,320 found on this slab. Moreover, you have Yahweh, the 34 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:27,560 God of Israel mentioned on this stone. 35 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,440 And later you read how Mesha describes human sacrifices, 36 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,440 which is something that the Moabites practiced, and how at 37 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:42,400 some point Hemash was pleased to give the people of Moab liberty. 38 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:50,040 Moreover, you have many cities mentioned in and on the stone 39 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,520 cities that we find in our Bibles as well. 40 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,880 Do you know when the stone is believed to have been created? 41 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:02,160 850 BC? And so I bring that to your 42 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:08,000 attention to excite your faith that there are external things 43 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,160 that corroborate the Bible that support the Bible, archaeology 44 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:17,040 and history. King Omri, we studied him many 45 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,760 weeks ago, is also found on the Moabite stone. 46 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:23,000 And so before we even begin this chapter, let me remind you that 47 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,480 what you are holding in your hands is real. 48 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,360 It's history, it's fact, It's not fables, it's not fairy tale 49 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,760 real events. Real people are real God. 50 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:36,640 Let's come to 2nd Kings chapter 4. 51 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,080 Now with that being mentioned, if you're interested to review 52 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,320 that more, all you have to do is Google it and I'm sure that it 53 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:50,480 will excite you. We now resume the ministry, or 54 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,760 at least our close examination of the ministry of Elijah as the 55 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,240 record of miracles connected to him continues to increase in 56 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,040 this chapter. There are several supernatural 57 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,280 episodes that are found in this section, but this evening we're 58 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,120 going to take up our time to focus just on the first one. 59 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,520 The first one is found here in the 1st 7 verses of Second Kings 60 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:12,600 chapter 4. I want us to read it together. 61 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,399 Then collectively contemplate on the life altering treasures that 62 00:04:16,399 --> 00:04:18,160 it holds. Are you ready with me? 63 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:20,959 Second Kings chapter 4, beginning in verse one. 64 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:26,880 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elijah. 65 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,360 Your servant, my husband is dead, and you know that your 66 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:36,440 servant fear the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two 67 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,920 children to be his slaves. And Elijah said to her, What 68 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:44,080 shall I do for you? Tell me what have you in the 69 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,720 house? And she said, Your servant has 70 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:48,960 nothing in the house except a jar of oil. 71 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:54,000 Then he said, Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, 72 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:58,840 empty vessels and not too few. Then go in and shut the door 73 00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,040 behind yourself and your sons, and pour into all these vessels, 74 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,520 and when one is full set it aside. 75 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,680 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her 76 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:12,400 sons, and as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 77 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,800 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, Bring me 78 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,560 another vessel. And he said to her, There is not 79 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,800 another. Then the oil stopped flowing. 80 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:27,360 She came and told the man of God and he said, go sell the oil and 81 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:32,280 pay your debts and you and your sons can live on the rest. 82 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:37,520 Lord, we really, desperately, genuinely ask for your help. 83 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,680 To go through these texts apart from the power and the wisdom of 84 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:47,160 the Holy Spirit is foolish and we will not be fools tonight. 85 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:51,520 We ask for Your grace to be poured out on every mind, every 86 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:55,120 heart, so that we may benefit and experience all that you have 87 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,480 to say through these verses. We trust You and we give you 88 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:00,960 glory in advance for how this will impact us. 89 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,840 Give us ears to hear what the Spirit has to say to this 90 00:06:04,840 --> 00:06:07,200 church. In Jesus name we pray. 91 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:11,840 Amen. It's very tempting to go 92 00:06:11,840 --> 00:06:16,120 straight to this miracle and try to unpack the message behind it, 93 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:19,640 but when reading this the other night, I could not help but be 94 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:23,480 gripped by the characters that are involved in this story. 95 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:26,520 I wonder if you were moved by them as well. 96 00:06:27,280 --> 00:06:30,200 I want to highlight them to you briefly. 97 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:36,600 The first is the mention of a deceased husband who is 98 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,520 identified as one of the sons of the prophets. 99 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:47,280 The second being a widow. A widow who was approaching this 100 00:06:47,280 --> 00:06:49,880 man of God known as Elijah with a predicament. 101 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:55,200 And lastly Elijah who seems to be the main character of this 102 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:59,520 section of Second Kings. Elijah who was again approached 103 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,000 with this need and how he responds to it. 104 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:06,480 I truly believe that each of these individuals offer 105 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,280 something to us if we are willing to not rush and just 106 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:14,600 patiently meditate to see how what is included and connected 107 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,880 to them can indeed sanctify us. So I want us to do that. 108 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,320 I want us with the 1st 2 verses. Look at each of these 109 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:26,880 individuals separately and see what we can draw from what the 110 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,840 Scriptures provide us concerning them. 111 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:36,680 Let's deal with this man, this unnamed husband who is also a 112 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:41,400 father who's also enrolled in the sons of the prophets. 113 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,840 I want you to look at verse one, and I want to ask you, and you 114 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:47,200 are free to answer if there's anything that stands out to you 115 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:51,360 about this man whom this destitute widow speaks of. 116 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:53,760 Anything stands out to you from verse one. 117 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:57,480 I'm doing this because I want us to train to how to get 118 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,800 revelation from the Bible and it takes careful reading, 119 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,640 meditation, and asking questions if we're going to get any 120 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:05,160 answers. Anything stands out to you. 121 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:11,040 Yes. He was a servant that feared the 122 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:12,400 Lord. Very important. 123 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:19,440 Absolutely. Anything else he says your 124 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:21,120 servant or she says your servant. 125 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:23,800 The widow says to Elijah, he was your servant. 126 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,280 Good. Anything else? 127 00:08:32,340 --> 00:08:33,740 I get it. There's not much to work with, 128 00:08:33,740 --> 00:08:35,820 right? But I believe there is at least 129 00:08:35,820 --> 00:08:39,580 three things that we can learn from this individual. 130 00:08:39,659 --> 00:08:41,419 Three things, at least three things. 131 00:08:41,419 --> 00:08:44,940 The first thing is this. This man, whoever he was, he 132 00:08:44,940 --> 00:08:47,040 served the Lord. He served the Lord. 133 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:51,040 As we just heard, this widow speaks to Elijah and identifies 134 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:55,960 him as your servant. So evidently Elijah knew who 135 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,080 this man was, had a relationship with him, And that seems obvious 136 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,560 because the narrator tells us that he was one of the sons of 137 00:09:02,560 --> 00:09:04,400 the prophets. Now we learned not too long ago 138 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:05,800 who the sons of the prophets were. 139 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:09,680 They were a school, a band of men who were committed to 140 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:14,400 exercising and growing in their gifting, but also the study of 141 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,920 God's Word. And Elijah for the longest time 142 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:21,320 was the overseer of these prophets until Elijah took his 143 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:26,480 place as their leader. So we know that Elijah knew who 144 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,440 this man was. This woman is reminding Elijah 145 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,920 of that fact. But what blesses me about this 146 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,760 man that we don't know his name. We're not given reasons for his 147 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:40,640 death. I'm stirred, I'm certain, 148 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:44,920 because he was somebody who chose to serve the living God in 149 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:48,360 an age where the general population was apostate. 150 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:52,160 You got to remember the setting. This is an Israel. 151 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:57,640 There was only a remnant of true prophets, and the prophets of 152 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:00,720 Yahweh paid a high price not too long ago, right? 153 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,960 Many of them were slaughtered under the administration of 154 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:08,280 Jezebel. And yet you have this man who 155 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:14,040 was willing to give his life over to full time ministry when 156 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:18,160 there wasn't much reward with it, when the culture generally 157 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:22,560 bow down to false blasphemous gods, and at any second 158 00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:25,360 persecution could break out against the true servants of 159 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:28,920 God. And yet he he still chooses to 160 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:34,280 set himself apart to honor the true and living God. 161 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:38,080 And so we see here that he was willing to serve under 162 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:43,280 circumstances in an environment that was not favorable. 163 00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:48,160 That says something about this servant, which brings us to our 164 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:50,520 next point. He was not just a servant of the 165 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:52,400 Lord. He was a servant, as our sister 166 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,720 mentioned, who did what? He feared the Lord. 167 00:10:57,200 --> 00:10:59,600 Look at that phrase again, and you know that your servant 168 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:03,480 feared the Lord. The words of this wise widow 169 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:06,120 remind us that we should not assume that just because 170 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:11,560 somebody's a dedicated student of God's Word or a full time 171 00:11:11,560 --> 00:11:16,760 servant in his Kingdom, that he or she fears God. 172 00:11:18,680 --> 00:11:20,520 There's a distinction being made here, is there not? 173 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:23,920 Yes, He is your servant. But let me also add this, 174 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,280 There's a quality about his service, about his devotion to 175 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:28,880 the Lord. He feared the Lord. 176 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,920 It's possible for somebody to be active in the things of God, to 177 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:37,080 be knowledgeable in the things of God, and yet be void of the 178 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:40,320 fear of God. We're actually being plagued 179 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:42,840 with that kind of Christianity Today. 180 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:48,080 Not so with this man. And we've discussed much about 181 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:49,520 the fear of the Lord in this church. 182 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:51,680 Rightfully so. But let me bring up one 183 00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:55,920 important attribute that this fear produces in a Christian. 184 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,000 We find it in, I mean, there's many places to go, but this is 185 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,720 what was on my heart. We find it in Jehoshaphat's 186 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:08,000 instructions to the judges that he would raise up in Judah in 187 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,120 Second Chronicles 19. You can turn there if you'd 188 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,840 like, but I'm just quoted to you in Second Chronicles 19. 189 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:17,840 Seven. He gives these men instructions 190 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:21,000 and notice what he says in this powerful verse. 191 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:25,560 Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. 192 00:12:28,680 --> 00:12:33,200 Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the 193 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,560 Lord our God, or partiality, or taking bribes. 194 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:42,120 Do you catch it? Observe how being careful what 195 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,400 you do is closely associated with the fear of the Lord being 196 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:53,160 upon someone. When a person fears God, they go 197 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:55,000 from being careless to being careful. 198 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:02,080 Careful with their words, mindful of their actions, 199 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:05,920 cautious how they interact with the opposite sex. 200 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:13,600 Vigilant of his whereabouts, joyfully attentive about his 201 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:17,240 testimony before any audience, he finds himself standing 202 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:22,880 before, leading and dealing with an awareness of God's presence 203 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:27,440 at all times, even if he is all by himself. 204 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:31,520 Let the fear of the Lord be upon you. 205 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:37,800 Be careful what you do. People, even professing 206 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:38,960 Christians who don't fear God, they don't. 207 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:41,000 They don't care what they say, what language they use, how they 208 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,080 refer to God, how they represent God. 209 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:49,040 That's not that's not there. But when a person has this fear 210 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:52,680 on their lives, they are indeed very aware. 211 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:54,840 And this is not being legalistic. 212 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,680 It's not a being about somber. It's not being overly 213 00:13:57,680 --> 00:13:59,400 introspective. It's none of that. 214 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:02,880 It's it's a way of life that springs from a heart that is 215 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:06,840 absolutely and profoundly longing to please his or her 216 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:10,400 God. That's what it's motivated by, a 217 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:18,520 fierce love that walks step by step, conscious of their God and 218 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:20,680 wanting to do everything that ultimately pleases Him. 219 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,840 So we can imagine then that that we don't know much about this 220 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:26,360 man. The fact that he feared the Lord 221 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:29,320 says so much about him, says so much about him. 222 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:33,600 He was the real deal. It must have been a painful 223 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,880 thing for those who knew Him to know that he had passed on into 224 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,920 glory. So number one, we know that this 225 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:41,880 man's served the Lord. More than that, we know that he 226 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:44,000 feared the Lord. Let me add this We also know 227 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,080 that he suffered. He suffered for the Lord. 228 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,600 In what ways did he suffer? What's the obvious way? 229 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:55,000 He died? He died. 230 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,480 That's the first thing he died. We're not told how he died. 231 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:00,240 Was he sick? Was it sudden? 232 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,120 Was he the victim of collateral damage? 233 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,240 Was he subject to the folly of someone else? 234 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:08,560 We don't know. But what we can say with 235 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:12,800 confidence is that this is a reminder to all of us that 236 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,720 fearing the Lord does not exempt us from painful interruptions in 237 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:20,560 life. Here's another hint that just 238 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:24,600 because someone is suffering, even to the point of an untimely 239 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:28,800 death, does not necessarily mean that such a person lacked the 240 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,840 fear of the Lord or is not a true servant of God. 241 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:36,240 We have a tendency to equate suffering exclusively with sin. 242 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:38,720 That is not always the case, as we see here. 243 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:41,760 This was a man who served God. This is a man who feared God. 244 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:47,880 But this is a man who was taken supposedly early and just like 245 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:51,480 Elijah's departure into glory. We may not understand the ways 246 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:55,560 of God, especially with His graduations of some of His 247 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:58,120 servants into glory, but we have to trust Him. 248 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:02,440 Is there anything else to add about this man's suffering as he 249 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:04,640 served the Lord besides the fact that he died? 250 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:08,760 Say it again. Death. 251 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,640 Yes, besides death. That OK, good. 252 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:14,320 So happens when you stand up here. 253 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:15,800 Sometimes you can't make out the words. 254 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:22,720 Yes, not just death, but debt. Now we are not certain if this 255 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:28,600 debt accumulated while this man was alive or if it began after 256 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,480 he died, but we can say this, that he was not a wealthy man. 257 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,760 He did not leave a generous inheritance behind for his 258 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:39,080 family. So now his family is suffering, 259 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:43,720 suffering greatly. So again, let me go back to that 260 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:45,760 point. This man chose to serve the Lord 261 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:50,280 when there wasn't much pay, when there wasn't much reward or 262 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:52,880 assistance. Remember the land, though this 263 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:54,960 was the nation of Israel was generally Pagan. 264 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,080 And we've seen in our past studies how true prophets of 265 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:03,560 Lord were not treated the best. And I think that reflects even 266 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:05,560 here with this man's financial situation. 267 00:17:08,319 --> 00:17:09,920 It gets even more heartbreaking, right? 268 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,560 Because look at verse 2 again. And when Elijah asks her, what 269 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:15,839 do you have in your home? The only thing that she can 270 00:17:15,839 --> 00:17:19,599 claim to her name is what? A jar of oil? 271 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:24,319 Now here's what's interesting, and Pastor Bennett can confirm 272 00:17:24,319 --> 00:17:26,119 this. When you look at the Hebrew word 273 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:32,080 for jar, it's only found here in the Hebrew Scriptures and it 274 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:36,960 actually describes a flask. So we're not, we're not talking 275 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:41,080 about a bucket here. We're talking about a little 276 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,680 pouch of oil. This is probably what prophets 277 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,360 would carry with them when they were sent to anoint the king or 278 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:49,640 another prophet. We're talking about a little 279 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:57,440 pouch of oil. If that's not difficult enough, 280 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:00,520 we read of this creditor threatening this family. 281 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:04,280 In what way? She says my two children are 282 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:10,640 going to become slaves. What's wrong with this scenario? 283 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:15,160 Only until you understand the Law of Moses will this make 284 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:20,600 sense because there is a law that was given by God for those 285 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:25,240 who have incurred debt and how they should deal with that debt 286 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,480 and how the lender should treat such people who were in debt. 287 00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:32,560 So turn with me to Leviticus for you to see with your own eyes. 288 00:18:33,120 --> 00:18:36,200 Leviticus chapter 25 beginning in verse 39. 289 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:42,720 God gave instructions about those who owed money to another 290 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:46,760 and could not repay. Here's the law. 291 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:55,960 Leviticus chapter 2539 to 40. If your brother becomes poor 292 00:18:55,960 --> 00:19:00,600 beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him 293 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:05,600 serve as a slave. He shall be with you as a hired 294 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:09,240 worker and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until 295 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,920 the year of the jubilee. So knowing this now, with this 296 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:15,360 in view, what's wrong with the picture in Second Kings chapter 297 00:19:15,360 --> 00:19:19,600 4? This creditor was ready to take 298 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:25,520 the sons to make them what? Hired workers, slaves, slaves. 299 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:28,560 So what's this law about really? It's about those who could not 300 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:32,760 for whatever reason, pay back what they borrowed. 301 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,200 And if that was the case, they have to be employed. 302 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:41,160 They have to be employed and they have to cover their debts 303 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:46,280 before they were set free or until the year of jubilee came 304 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:50,960 around, whichever came first. But the instruction here for 305 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:55,360 those who did lend money was that they could not treat these 306 00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:58,520 individuals as degraded or permanent slaves. 307 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:01,920 They were to be treated with dignity and honor. 308 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:04,920 And when it was time for them to go, they had to let them go. 309 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:09,320 And so we we see this creditor who's now threatening to not 310 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:15,280 just take one son, both sons. And leave this widow all by 311 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,200 herself. So what I know about this 312 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,640 creditor is that he was not a man who feared God. 313 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:25,480 He did not honor the law of God, nor did he honor the situation 314 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,720 with the simple fact that this family had a father, had a 315 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:32,440 husband who was a prophet. He was a servant of the Lord. 316 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:37,240 He could care less. It's true today. 317 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:41,640 It was true back then that servants of God don't often 318 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:46,040 receive honor as they should, respect as they should. 319 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:49,800 You and I should prepare for that if we're going to serve 320 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:51,840 God. And the way to endure that kind 321 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:55,240 of treatment is to keep your eyes on a heavenly reward. 322 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:56,960 Keep your eyes on the judgement seat of Christ. 323 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:02,840 Keep your eyes on Jesus giving you the final praise and 324 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:07,520 blessing. So we learned a lot about this 325 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:09,360 man, but let me move on now to this widow. 326 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:12,880 Going back to verse one and connecting it to verse two, let 327 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,160 me ask this question again. Is there anything that stands 328 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:19,440 out to you about this woman? Anything? 329 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:28,440 Put yourself in her shoes. What temptations would there be? 330 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:32,120 What risk would there be for someone's faith if the more 331 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:34,560 they're one of the most prized possessions was taken from them? 332 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:40,880 Any idea? You know what stands out to me 333 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:42,400 about this woman? She wasn't bitter. 334 00:21:44,360 --> 00:21:46,800 She wasn't bitter against her husband. 335 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:48,800 She wasn't resentful towards God. 336 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:50,840 How do I know that? Because look how highly she 337 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:54,600 speaks of her husband and she is willing to still inquire of the 338 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:59,240 Lord. That's not the case for many 339 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,000 people. It's not hard to imagine how 340 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,600 some in her situation would approach the situation 341 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,480 differently. Coming to Elijah and saying your 342 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:11,360 servant, your servant is now dead. 343 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:13,320 He's not here. He's died. 344 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,440 And look at what serving God gets you. 345 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:24,640 Elijah, how does God do this? We're talking about a remnant of 346 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,880 prophets left in Israel, and God chooses to take one of them 347 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:29,320 early. Why doesn't he take one of the 348 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:34,800 wicked prophets instead? That sounds exaggerating. 349 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,400 No, it doesn't. That's very possible. 350 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,920 Nothing of the sort with this one, though it doesn't say it 351 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:44,960 explicitly. I believe with all my heart that 352 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:46,480 it wasn't just her husband who feared the Lord. 353 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:47,880 This woman feared the Lord as well. 354 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:55,400 Not just a woman who was free from bitterness, but there's 355 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:56,720 something else that she possessed. 356 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:59,880 What was it? Somebody said it. 357 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:02,400 Humility. Sure. 358 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:09,760 Humility expressed how? Faith, she knew where to run to 359 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:13,560 in her time of great distress in this tragedy, in this calamity, 360 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,560 in this situation that would change the trajectory of her 361 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:19,200 life. She went to the mouthpiece of 362 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:21,360 God, namely Elijah, who represented God. 363 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:27,680 So this woman believed God, and I have no doubt that she had a 364 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:31,120 grasp on the law of God, but I wonder if she had her mind. 365 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:36,520 I wonder if she understood and applied a particular law that 366 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:39,720 speaks to her situation. Go to Exodus 2222. 367 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:44,600 It's an easy reference. And notice what God says about 368 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:51,480 widows. Exodus 22 verse 22 to 23. 369 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:55,640 She would have had access to this. 370 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:57,080 She would have understood this. She probably might have 371 00:23:57,080 --> 00:24:01,200 memorized this. You shall not mistreat any widow 372 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,880 or fatherless child. Look what it says next. 373 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:09,520 If you do mistreat them and they cry out to me, I will surely 374 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:14,240 hear their cry. I wonder if she's acting upon 375 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:17,040 that promise. She's being mistreated. 376 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:20,560 She's being abused. She's surrounded by people who 377 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:23,840 don't honor God's law. So she goes to a man who does 378 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:28,720 honor God and she is crying out believing what that God's going 379 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:29,920 to hear. Isn't that what we're told in 380 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:31,840 Second Kings chapter 4 verse one? 381 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,240 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elijah. 382 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:37,840 She believes God's going to hear her. 383 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:41,520 She might have not understood why God allowed things to happen 384 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:43,800 the way they happened, but she still believed God was good. 385 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,840 God was still for her. Oh, this, this woman is 386 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:53,040 remarkable. So we learned something from 387 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,760 this unnamed deceased husband. We learned something from this 388 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:57,080 widow. We still have one more 389 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,080 character. We haven't passed verse 1 and 2 390 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:00,600 yet, but it's OK. There's no rush, right? 391 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,240 Look at Elisha in verse two. Let me ask you the same question 392 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:07,640 again. What stands out to you about 393 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:12,720 Elisha in this particular case? Look at how he responds to her. 394 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,400 That will be your clue. And Elisha said to her, what 395 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,000 shall I do for you? Tell me, what have you in the 396 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,400 house? Read carefully. 397 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:23,560 Read slowly. Anything stands out to you about 398 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:27,640 that. Let me put it this way. 399 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:31,720 Is he apathetic? Is he reluctant to help this 400 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:33,240 woman? No. 401 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,240 You sense urgency, Don't you? Read it again. 402 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:38,760 There's desperation in his voice. 403 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:41,080 What shall I do for you? Tell me. 404 00:25:42,360 --> 00:25:46,800 Whatever You in the house. So I see something about this 405 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:49,280 prophet in light of what we just learned in the previous chapter, 406 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:51,800 that he was somebody who was willing and eager to help a 407 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:55,920 single woman in private, not just kings on a national stage. 408 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:58,520 What what did we end with last week? 409 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:04,200 That Elisha was the vessel God used to deliver armies from a 410 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:07,800 foreign enemy, potentially defeating them. 411 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:12,720 And the same man who was willing to help kings was also willing 412 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,800 to help one that was easily overlooked. 413 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:20,680 You know, we have this notion if our service to God is not 414 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:24,600 public, if it doesn't reach out or contribute to the masses, 415 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:26,480 then it's not powerful or meaningful. 416 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:28,360 Nothing can be further from the truth. 417 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,720 Elijah did not dismiss the importance of representing God 418 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:36,760 before armies, but he also was willing to come to the aid of 419 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:45,040 somebody who was hurting, ignored, hidden, maybe even 420 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:48,600 despised. I just want to pause here and 421 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:52,440 actually exhort you and ask you a few questions. 422 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:56,760 Are you only willing to exercise your gifts with the knowledge 423 00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:58,880 that it will be honored or recognized somehow? 424 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:05,960 Are the people in your church that you may be looking over, 425 00:27:06,120 --> 00:27:13,240 looking past, dismissing because they don't have status, they 426 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:15,280 can't return aid to you in any way? 427 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:24,440 If so, crucify that concept quickly and be willing to go out 428 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:25,680 of your way. For those who are often 429 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,920 overlooked, let me ask you another question. 430 00:27:29,360 --> 00:27:31,320 I've asked this question many times in our study of the Old 431 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:33,720 Testament. Let's see who remembers who was 432 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:38,600 the first person in the Scriptures with the title Man of 433 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:42,240 God was given to good Moses and Deuteronomy. 434 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:46,240 It's the first time the title Man of God appears and is 435 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,240 attributed to a particular individual. 436 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,160 Now what you're going to discover in the next few 437 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:55,600 chapters of our study from 4 onward is that this title Man of 438 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:57,960 God is given to Elijah many times. 439 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:00,280 And here's what's even more exciting. 440 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:03,560 There is no other named individual in the Bible where 441 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,280 the title Man of God is given to more than Elijah. 442 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:11,560 Now why do I bring that up? Because that reference is 443 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:13,960 granted in this context. Look at verse seven. 444 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:18,840 Once more she came and told the man of God and he said, go sell 445 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:21,880 the oil and pay your debts and you and your sons can live on 446 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,080 the rest. So this title, Man of God is 447 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:28,760 applied to Elijah in the context of him willing to serve a 448 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:33,920 hurting family. What's your idea of a man of 449 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:35,240 God? Someone who preaches before 450 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:38,480 thousands, who travels and does conferences? 451 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:40,640 You know how the Bible describes a man of God? 452 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:45,560 Somebody was willing to come to the aid of a widow who could not 453 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,840 afford her next set of groceries. 454 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:53,680 That's a man of God, according to the Scriptures. 455 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:55,560 That's a woman of God according to the Scriptures. 456 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,400 It's not about grandeur. It's not about platform. 457 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:00,760 It's not about likes. It's not about follows. 458 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:05,480 We need to rediscover the beauty of serving people even when 459 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:10,720 nobody knows about it. He was a man of God. 460 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,320 Let's continue. Let's reread verse 3. 461 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:20,480 So Elijah asks, he inquires and he learns that her resources are 462 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:22,680 very scarce. So he gives her now divine 463 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,200 guidance in verse 3. Then he said, go outside, borrow 464 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:29,760 vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 465 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:33,320 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons 466 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:37,320 and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it 467 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:41,960 aside. Anything stands out to you about 468 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:44,280 these instructions? I mean, I'm not looking for 469 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:45,760 insight. Let's actually just break down 470 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:47,800 these instructions. What was she to do? 471 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:52,480 She was to borrow vessels. They were supposed to be empty. 472 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:54,520 And there's a very important point. 473 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:56,680 They were not supposed to be few. 474 00:29:57,320 --> 00:30:01,040 As many as she can get. OK, seems straightforward, but 475 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:05,840 put yourself in her shoes again and imagine what it would feel 476 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:08,960 like to hear those words in light of the predicament that 477 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,600 she's in. What is the main problem at hand 478 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:12,920 here? What's the issue that they're 479 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:14,800 trying to solve? We said it earlier, starts with 480 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:18,760 the letter D debt, OK? Her problem was that whether her 481 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:24,000 husband or her after her husband died, borrowed money and could 482 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:26,800 not pay it back. And imagine how you go to this 483 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:30,080 man of God for some help and the first instruction he gives you 484 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:32,680 to relieving you of this debt is what go borrow. 485 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,040 It's like actually that was that's what got me in trouble to 486 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:41,640 begin with. Now you're telling me to borrow 487 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:44,600 more. This is not a lesson that 488 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,080 permits those who are in debt to incur more debt. 489 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:52,640 It's actually a lesson about how sometimes the commands of God 490 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:56,400 are counter intuitive, or at least they seem 491 00:30:56,400 --> 00:31:00,760 counterintuitive. So what do we learn from here 492 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,800 that got us to be trusted at all times in all things, Especially 493 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:06,600 when your obedience involves people who may not understand 494 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,720 why you are doing what you are doing. 495 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:11,640 Wasn't that what was about to happen? 496 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:15,040 Because Elisha tells her, Yeah, go borrow vessels from where? 497 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:21,040 The nearest Home Depot? All your neighbors, not just a 498 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:25,520 couple, not just a few, go to all your neighbors. 499 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:31,800 Can you imagine going to every house on your street and around 500 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:36,800 the block, having a reputation of being in debt, borrowing and 501 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,560 not giving back, to ask people if you can borrow some of their 502 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:47,280 possessions? So this was a call to great 503 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:51,760 trust and faith and humility. You can imagine the potential 504 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:54,320 questions that these neighbors would ask. 505 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:58,280 You can imagine the potential fear of being rejected by some 506 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:00,120 of these neighbors. But it didn't matter. 507 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:06,320 And this is a reminder that when we obey God, we cannot allow 508 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:08,960 what people might say to us about us. 509 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:12,480 Doubt us. Question your motives. 510 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:19,200 All of that has to be dismissed. If God said it, you do it, and 511 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:22,360 don't try to have everybody understand why you're doing what 512 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:25,000 you were doing. Many people have been called 513 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,280 into the ministry, for example, and they don't get the support 514 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:29,160 of their family. They don't. 515 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:31,240 People don't understand that's OK. 516 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:37,080 Not just ministry for anything. Some people don't understand why 517 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:39,560 you're forgiving somebody who doesn't deserve forgiveness. 518 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:42,080 You obey God, doesn't matter what your neighbors say. 519 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:45,520 Some people don't understand why you come to church. 520 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:46,720 OK. Sunday. 521 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:51,480 Yeah, Friday. Who goes to Bible study on 522 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:53,480 Friday night? Well, they don't understand. 523 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:56,200 It's OK. You go to Bible study. 524 00:32:57,320 --> 00:32:59,040 That's what your heart's desire is, You know, That's what you 525 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:04,480 believe God is calling you to. So she was to obey despite 526 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:07,240 misunderstandings, questions about her motives or doubts with 527 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:10,480 her intentions. But there's one more thing about 528 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:12,320 these instructions. It was the last part about it. 529 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:15,840 Not that she was just supposed to go to all her neighbors, get 530 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:19,680 empty vessels, but what? Not too few of them. 531 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:26,760 Get as many as you can. So I'm imagining here that 532 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:29,960 Elisha is expecting her and her sons to get more than just a 533 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:35,600 couple of jars and pots each. I'm thinking they have to fill 534 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,920 their living room, their bedrooms, the garage. 535 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:43,040 There was a garage. So you know what that would 536 00:33:43,040 --> 00:33:47,720 require hard work? Knocking on doors, gathering 537 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:52,120 vessels, going back home, dropping off the vessels, going 538 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:54,520 back to get more from that one house and then go to the next. 539 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,760 I don't know how long this took, but I find it amazing that when 540 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:01,640 God was ready to provide for this woman, He called her to 541 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:06,480 participate in the process. We saw this back in Second Kings 542 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,239 Three with the three kings and their armies, that God was going 543 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:11,639 to meet their need, but He also asked him to do something in the 544 00:34:11,639 --> 00:34:14,880 process. And it's no different with this 545 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:15,280 widow. Why? 546 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:17,400 Because the same rule applies to all. 547 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:22,120 And what is that law that if you want to see God move, guess 548 00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:23,920 what? You must be willing to move. 549 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:30,320 God's power is designed to work alongside with our 550 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:33,400 participation. So listen whenever there's a 551 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:35,440 crisis, whenever there's a tragedy, whenever there's a 552 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,280 great need, you have to be willing to pray. 553 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:40,639 You have to be willing to praise. 554 00:34:40,639 --> 00:34:44,639 You have to be willing to plan. You have to be willing to seek. 555 00:34:44,639 --> 00:34:49,840 You have to be willing to send, must be willing to receive as 556 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:52,600 you wait on the Lord to come through and do what only He can 557 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:55,639 do. I actually want to challenge you 558 00:34:55,639 --> 00:34:58,640 to look at most miracles in the Bibles and realize that even in 559 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:02,840 the New Testament with Jesus, He calls for the participation of 560 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:05,240 those involved in the need that they are seeking Him for. 561 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:12,840 And we see it here. She was working and God was 562 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:15,680 going to come and work for her. Let's read verse 5. 563 00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:21,960 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her 564 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:26,560 sons, and as she poured, they brought the vessels to her. 565 00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:29,840 So an undisclosed period of time passes, and this woman and her 566 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:33,640 sons, they felt as though they had gathered enough vessels. 567 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:38,840 And their obedience continues to shine in this text because they 568 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:42,240 honor the latter portion of Elisha's instructions, which 569 00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:43,640 were what look back at verse four. 570 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:47,080 It wasn't just to gather them into, gather many of them, but 571 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:50,120 to go and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour 572 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:52,880 into all these vessels, and when one is full, set it aside. 573 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:56,000 Is there any idea why God wanted this to be a private matter? 574 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:01,000 We're not explicitly told, but let me give you one major 575 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:02,640 reason. I think it was to protect her. 576 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:06,320 Was she vulnerable? Very vulnerable. 577 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:08,840 Were there vultures around her? Yeah, we got a hint of it with 578 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:11,240 this creditor willing to take advantage of her. 579 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:13,920 So I believe in part of the reason why this was supposed to 580 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:18,600 be done with closed curtains and a closed door was so that she 581 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:21,160 wouldn't be taken advantage of as she was receiving from the 582 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:26,960 riches of heaven. But besides that, we may not be 583 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:30,040 getting a full explanation. There is one undeniable 584 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:33,720 observation about the fascinating ways of God in this 585 00:36:33,720 --> 00:36:35,920 situation. Here it is. 586 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:40,800 He does miracles behind closed doors. 587 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:49,200 I love to hear what God is doing in people that I know through 588 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:53,080 them for them. It moves me when I get a text or 589 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:56,520 when I meet somebody after the service or an e-mail, or even 590 00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:58,760 when I watch something on YouTube and I hear how somebody 591 00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:01,240 came to Christ or how somebody experienced a miracle. 592 00:37:01,240 --> 00:37:03,600 It always moves me. But when studying the Bible, 593 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:06,680 especially with miracles like this, I am encouraged and called 594 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:10,240 to be stirred about what God is doing without me knowing. 595 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:13,080 In other words, He's always moving. 596 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:20,920 I just like to envision it. Here you have a woman with her 597 00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:24,080 sons and they have a pouch of oil and they have these empty 598 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:26,240 jars surrounding. They can't even move an inch, 599 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:29,120 and they're just squeezing this oil out. 600 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:30,840 I mean, that's work in itself, right? 601 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:34,000 And then once one jar came to the brim with rich oil. 602 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:37,840 And listen, I believe God provided the riches of oil, just 603 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:40,440 like when Jesus provided the best wine in cana. 604 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:42,960 This wasn't cheap oil. This wasn't the good stuff. 605 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:47,960 And so she pours this out and then one son moves in, another 606 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:52,200 one brings an empty vessel. And all of that was taking place 607 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:58,200 while the neighbors cutting his grass while the others are doing 608 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:03,680 dishes. Nobody knew about it except for 609 00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:06,440 this small family and the prophet who gave them the 610 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:11,000 instructions. And with this exciting thought 611 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:16,000 comes another observation. While these instructions were 612 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:18,840 unique to a particular individual, the idea of God 613 00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:24,080 doing something special in seclusion is not uncommon for 614 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:26,120 you and I, you know, you might be sitting here thinking, I 615 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:28,840 would love to see God do something spectacular like that 616 00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:30,360 in my life. And I'm here to tell you, 617 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:32,920 though, this is again a unique instance. 618 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:38,800 You have a similar invitation. Say, what are you talking about? 619 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:43,960 I'm talking about what Jesus said about you and the privacy 620 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:47,480 of your own home. My mind went to Matthew 66. 621 00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:50,640 But when you pray, what are you supposed to do? 622 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:57,160 Go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who 623 00:38:57,160 --> 00:39:00,240 is in secret and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 624 00:39:00,240 --> 00:39:07,080 There are many things to take about from Jesus words here. 625 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:11,480 One of the things is that when the Lord sees you and I willing 626 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:17,840 to set time apart to leave distractions and agendas at the 627 00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:23,080 door and give Him your full attention, He will reward you. 628 00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:29,720 Let that be one of the incentives to get you planning 629 00:39:29,720 --> 00:39:32,520 and disciplined for that time with the Lord. 630 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:40,400 He will reward that. It moves the father to see his 631 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:44,640 child stepping into that bedroom, closing the door, 632 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:48,720 stepping into that car with nobody else, with no podcast 633 00:39:48,720 --> 00:39:56,480 playing and talking to him. He will reward you. 634 00:39:57,360 --> 00:39:59,920 He will pour something into your life. 635 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:02,880 Can I tell you one of the rewards? 636 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:06,720 I can say with great confidence and with complete boasting in 637 00:40:06,720 --> 00:40:09,960 the Lord that one of the rewards of that in my life is that He 638 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:18,560 has kept my heart soft toward Him, and He has opened my eyes 639 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:26,280 to treasures in His Word, and He has helped me solve situations 640 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:28,960 where I almost felt like Daniel and Daniel. 641 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:36,240 Chapter 2, where Revelation came in an emergency, hasn't happened 642 00:40:36,240 --> 00:40:38,800 much, but when it happened, it's enough to mark you forever. 643 00:40:41,720 --> 00:40:46,200 There are rewards that await us with our faith in private. 644 00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:50,680 If your only interaction with the Lord is public, you're 645 00:40:50,680 --> 00:40:53,880 missing out on many rewards. Many rewards. 646 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:59,800 But take this truth from Matthew 6/6 and believe that every time 647 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:02,880 you go in there, something is happening, whether you realize 648 00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:06,400 it or not. Famously, if somebody once said 649 00:41:06,720 --> 00:41:09,400 that prayers may not always change things that you're 650 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:14,120 praying for, but it's definitely changing you, that's what you 651 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:17,200 can always come out with. There might be delay. 652 00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:20,600 They're not, might be immediate answers or solutions or 653 00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:22,280 provisions. But one thing is for certain, 654 00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:26,400 you getting before the presence of God will not leave you the 655 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:29,240 same. You may not notice it. 656 00:41:29,240 --> 00:41:32,440 Just like Solomon's temple when they built it, they did not hear 657 00:41:32,440 --> 00:41:35,200 the sound of hammers clinging against stones. 658 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:37,560 It may not be immediately perceived, but you can believe 659 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:39,680 Matthew 6/6. He will reward you. 660 00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:45,680 So here's this woman with her two sons in the privacy of their 661 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:48,440 home, ready to experience a miracle. 662 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:51,200 And I'd like to believe that whenever I get before God, that 663 00:41:51,200 --> 00:41:53,320 privilege in itself is a miracle. 664 00:41:55,320 --> 00:42:00,160 I have an audience with the resurrected, ascended Jesus 665 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:03,720 Christ of Nazareth. If you want one thought that can 666 00:42:03,720 --> 00:42:05,840 recalibrate you while you're trying to pray, but you're 667 00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:09,920 thinking about your laundry, pause and remember that you are 668 00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:14,960 speaking to Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who died on the cross 669 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:18,480 for your sins, who existed and walked on this earth, who 670 00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:21,240 conquered death, who one day is coming back. 671 00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:24,040 But also in the meantime, promise if you ask in my name, 672 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:31,200 I'll answer it. That kind of revelation will 673 00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:34,280 make you less anxious about your homework that day and give some 674 00:42:34,280 --> 00:42:42,080 quality time before God. Let's continue in these final 675 00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:47,840 verses. Verse 6, when the vessels were 676 00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:52,160 full, she said to her son, bring me another vessel. 677 00:42:52,560 --> 00:42:54,560 And he said to her that there is not another. 678 00:42:55,720 --> 00:42:58,640 Then the oil stopped flowing. Oh, there's so much to say about 679 00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:00,920 this verse, but I want to connect it with verse 7. 680 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:08,720 Let me stop here and ask this. Imagine now in your excitement, 681 00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:12,640 I mean, you don't mind. You were ready to lose your sons 682 00:43:12,640 --> 00:43:14,360 to be slaves. And here you are pouring out of 683 00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:17,040 this pouch oil and you're not even looking. 684 00:43:17,200 --> 00:43:19,800 You're just mesmerized by this miracle. 685 00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:24,000 And you ask for another vessel, and your son says there's no 686 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:25,160 more. And you look and you see the 687 00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:29,040 glistening golden oil all around you. 688 00:43:29,680 --> 00:43:34,560 What thoughts would come to mind if you knew that in I can use 689 00:43:34,560 --> 00:43:42,480 this language, if you won the lottery, what what would happen? 690 00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:47,080 What plans, What dreams, what relief, what excitement? 691 00:43:47,080 --> 00:43:50,840 What, what would happen to you? Where would you go? 692 00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:56,360 Who would you call? What would be your next move? 693 00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:02,400 This woman is remarkable. You're saying why? 694 00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:06,240 Look what she does in verse 7. She came and told the man of 695 00:44:06,240 --> 00:44:11,680 God. In other words, she was such a 696 00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:13,840 careful listener when Elijah told her. 697 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:17,880 Go to all your neighbors, ask for empty vessels, don't get too 698 00:44:17,880 --> 00:44:21,520 few of them, and then go into the privacy of your home and 699 00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:23,120 pour into it. When it's full, you'll get 700 00:44:23,120 --> 00:44:24,400 another one. Fill it up. 701 00:44:25,560 --> 00:44:27,560 She understood that there was no instructions after that. 702 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:34,520 And So what does she do? She goes to the man of God who 703 00:44:34,520 --> 00:44:37,480 initially helped her and asked for further guidance. 704 00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:43,120 But here's the picture. It's very easy to cry out to God 705 00:44:43,160 --> 00:44:46,840 in your want. It's not common to cry out to 706 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:54,600 God when you got it. It's very easy to cry out to God 707 00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:57,480 when you're experiencing a season of poverty. 708 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:02,880 It's less common to come before God as she does before Elijah in 709 00:45:02,880 --> 00:45:08,680 your plenty. And This is why she's so 710 00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:13,080 inspiring, because she's now asking, what do I do with all of 711 00:45:13,080 --> 00:45:14,200 this? So here you are. 712 00:45:14,200 --> 00:45:17,160 You've been asking God for a house and He gave you the house. 713 00:45:17,160 --> 00:45:21,720 Now has your praying stopped? Here you are asking God for a 714 00:45:21,720 --> 00:45:24,000 spouse, and He and His goodness provides a spouse. 715 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:25,760 Have you stopped crying out to Him? 716 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:29,120 Here you are asking God for a job, and He provided you that 717 00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:31,040 job. Are you as eager and desperate 718 00:45:31,040 --> 00:45:33,200 to get before Him when you were looking for something that would 719 00:45:33,200 --> 00:45:35,080 help you and sustain you and provide for you? 720 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:43,840 This woman asks, she receives, but she doesn't stop asking and 721 00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:49,520 seeking her God. She's just as eager to know what 722 00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:55,840 to do in her prosperity as she was in her poverty. 723 00:45:58,000 --> 00:45:59,880 Unfortunately, that is not the case with many. 724 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:07,680 They get drunk almost with the excitement of even blessings. 725 00:46:08,320 --> 00:46:11,080 You remember how many lepers were healed by Jesus and the 726 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:13,800 gospel of Luke 10 of them, how many came back and gave thanks 727 00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:17,080 to Him? Consider that ratio. 728 00:46:20,520 --> 00:46:25,000 Make it a conviction early on that you will not just be 729 00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:28,080 intense in your prayers, but you'll be just as intense with 730 00:46:28,080 --> 00:46:33,800 your praise, not just in your supplication, but in your 731 00:46:33,800 --> 00:46:38,360 Thanksgiving, not just when you need something, but oh, come to 732 00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:40,040 God with whatever He has granted you. 733 00:46:40,040 --> 00:46:42,200 Say now what, Lord? Where do you want me to go from 734 00:46:42,200 --> 00:46:43,240 here? What do you want me to do with 735 00:46:43,240 --> 00:46:45,160 this? You've given it to me. 736 00:46:45,160 --> 00:46:47,320 You gave me this marriage. You gave me this kid, these 737 00:46:47,320 --> 00:46:49,320 kids. You gave me these blessings. 738 00:46:49,480 --> 00:46:54,160 What do you want from me, Lord? Now, aren't you moved by this 739 00:46:54,160 --> 00:46:55,960 woman? I'm moved by this woman. 740 00:46:56,880 --> 00:46:59,560 I'm moved by something else. As we close in a moment here, 741 00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:03,320 notice the instructions that Elijah gives her. 742 00:47:03,360 --> 00:47:08,240 Go sell the oil and pay your debts. 743 00:47:09,280 --> 00:47:12,280 That's a good principle. If you and I are in debt, it 744 00:47:12,280 --> 00:47:16,320 should be our duty as men and women of character of followers 745 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:19,800 of Jesus Christ. Romans 13/8 says no, Oh no one 746 00:47:19,800 --> 00:47:24,080 anything. So seek to deal with those debts 747 00:47:24,360 --> 00:47:26,840 as your duty. But notice what he says next. 748 00:47:26,840 --> 00:47:30,560 Go sell the oil and pay your debts and you and your sons can 749 00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:38,240 live on the rest. Connect us with her faithfulness 750 00:47:38,240 --> 00:47:40,280 and her obedience to the initial instructions. 751 00:47:41,760 --> 00:47:45,440 What if she had only taken a few vessels? 752 00:47:46,640 --> 00:47:50,200 Let's just imagine, what if she only had half a room full 753 00:47:50,200 --> 00:47:53,880 because she was getting tired? Or she's like, I don't want to 754 00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:58,080 do this anymore. She might have been able to 755 00:47:58,080 --> 00:48:02,760 cover her debts, but she might have lost the overflow. 756 00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:06,280 It's one thing to be saved from debt, but if you don't have 757 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:08,600 anything to help you and sustain you moving forward, and you can 758 00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:14,120 return back into debt. But she obeyed God to the extent 759 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:17,280 that she was able not just to escape this predicament, but 760 00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:20,760 stay out of it. What's the lesson here? 761 00:48:20,760 --> 00:48:24,560 The lesson is the importance about full obedience. 762 00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:31,200 Some people are satisfied with partial surrender to the Lord. 763 00:48:32,760 --> 00:48:37,320 Oh yes, they're out there or they reflect and they look at 764 00:48:37,320 --> 00:48:39,720 their lives and they, they comfort and soothe their 765 00:48:39,720 --> 00:48:41,640 conscience because they say, well, I'm obeying the Lord here, 766 00:48:41,640 --> 00:48:43,040 here, here. I know I'm not obeying the Lord 767 00:48:43,040 --> 00:48:44,520 here, but at least I'm doing something. 768 00:48:46,800 --> 00:48:50,200 You might feel like you are gaining something from such a 769 00:48:50,200 --> 00:48:54,880 mindset, but understand that you are robbing yourself of the full 770 00:48:54,880 --> 00:48:57,600 reward of obedience when there is not full obedience. 771 00:48:59,560 --> 00:49:01,080 Can I ask you something in closing? 772 00:49:02,160 --> 00:49:04,920 Is there any area in your life that you are aware of where you 773 00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:07,640 have not surrendered to the Lord, but you're comfortable 774 00:49:07,640 --> 00:49:10,880 because you're doing this and you're trusting Him here and 775 00:49:11,360 --> 00:49:17,320 you're obeying that part? You're missing out. 776 00:49:18,880 --> 00:49:23,000 You may not see it now, but just like this woman, you may realize 777 00:49:23,000 --> 00:49:24,920 it down the road. And I don't want you to realize 778 00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:28,040 it in that way. I want you to realize it in the 779 00:49:28,040 --> 00:49:31,120 positive that this is what obedience and complete surrender 780 00:49:31,120 --> 00:49:36,960 has brought me to. Is there anything, any area 781 00:49:38,280 --> 00:49:39,920 that's been nagging your conscience? 782 00:49:42,800 --> 00:49:47,920 Seek to obey Him fully. That is the only way to know 783 00:49:48,000 --> 00:49:55,280 complete blessing. More can be said, but let's 784 00:49:55,280 --> 00:49:59,520 close our Bibles and now turn to the Lord in prayer. 785 00:50:16,520 --> 00:50:22,040 Lord, we thank You that there is indeed a message behind every 786 00:50:22,040 --> 00:50:30,240 miracle recorded in Your Word. And at this time, Lord, we pause 787 00:50:30,240 --> 00:50:35,200 to reflect on these things and we ask that You would make them 788 00:50:35,200 --> 00:50:40,280 real to us. Show us where they apply and 789 00:50:40,280 --> 00:50:44,160 help us conform ourselves to complete obedience. 790 00:50:48,880 --> 00:50:50,680 Make us true men and women of God. 791 00:50:52,040 --> 00:50:55,320 Help us get a right understanding of what that means 792 00:50:55,320 --> 00:51:00,280 and how to live that out. Lord, we thank you for the Lord 793 00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:02,120 Jesus Christ who paid all our debt. 794 00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:06,240 And even in this miracle do we have a vignette of the gospel? 795 00:51:09,520 --> 00:51:12,320 We're under the law, we are in trouble, but you come and you 796 00:51:12,320 --> 00:51:17,200 rescue us from it. Lord, we pray that tonight you 797 00:51:17,200 --> 00:51:21,120 would receive our praise, our honour, our Thanksgiving, 798 00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:25,600 because your word is alive. And every week You never fail to 799 00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:28,920 speak to us. Thank you, O Lord, that history 800 00:51:28,920 --> 00:51:33,120 cannot but confirm that what we have before us is the truth. 801 00:51:35,560 --> 00:51:38,520 Thank you that we are in the truth now. 802 00:51:38,520 --> 00:51:42,000 Lord, help us live it. Help us discover more of it. 803 00:51:42,520 --> 00:51:46,120 Help us to enjoy it, to herald it, to declare it without shame. 804 00:51:46,840 --> 00:51:50,040 Help us to obey it when our neighbors may not understand it. 805 00:51:51,200 --> 00:51:53,680 And help us trust, O God, that you will honor us. 806 00:51:54,080 --> 00:51:59,400 Help us rediscover the joys of the secret place, closing that 807 00:51:59,400 --> 00:52:01,960 door, meeting with you and believing that there is a reward 808 00:52:01,960 --> 00:52:04,880 that awaits us. But we honor you tonight. 809 00:52:04,880 --> 00:52:09,280 We give you all the glory and all the praise, and we ask and 810 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:11,920 pray for these things in Jesus name, Amen. 811 00:52:12,320 --> 00:52:16,040 Amen. If the praise team can come up, 812 00:52:16,040 --> 00:52:29,830 please, I want to invite you to just 813 00:52:29,830 --> 00:52:32,110 take your time to seek the Lord this evening. 814 00:52:33,590 --> 00:52:35,590 And this is the purpose of these Bible studies, not just to 815 00:52:35,590 --> 00:52:39,190 accumulate knowledge and interesting connections in the 816 00:52:39,190 --> 00:52:41,750 Bible, but for the Word to connect with your heart. 817 00:52:42,070 --> 00:52:45,440 Ultimately, if you need to take some time before we even play, 818 00:52:45,440 --> 00:52:48,080 if we can just get even just a minute of gentle music to just 819 00:52:48,080 --> 00:52:51,880 focus our own hearts before the Lord, and then we'll stand and 820 00:52:51,880 --> 00:52:54,680 sing and give him praise, can we do that? 821 00:52:55,000 --> 00:52:56,640 Don't distract anybody to your left, to your right. 822 00:52:56,640 --> 00:52:59,800 Just meet with your God and we will close soon.