Broken Vessels: Prophets, Part III

Welcome! We are coming close to the end of our series entitled Broken Vessels, where we have looked at the lives of a number of Old Testament characters and seen how, far from perfect though they were, God used them to accomplish His purposes. We are in a series-within-a-series on prophets, focusing in on a period in Israel’s history where Elijah, Elisha, and other prophets tried to get wicked kings and people who had forsaken God to return to their Creator, to the One who wanted to be their Savior and Shepherd.

Last week we focused in on the latter half of Elijah’s life, and what we saw wasn’t very pretty. Something happened to Elijah after God’s fire miraculously consumed the altar and offering that he set out in the presence of false prophets and of the people, and after it miraculously began to rain again after more than 3 years of what appears to be total drought. I have two theories about what happened to Elijah – internally, in his head and heart. These are not mutually exclusive – it is possible that both were true, and indeed, this is what I think. It is also possible that neither were true, but I share them so you can consider them.

My first theory is that Elijah assumed something was going to happen after God consumed the altar, something that didn’t happen. If you remember, after the fire of the Lord burned up the sacrifice, the wood, even the stones and the soil and the water, the people fell down in worship and cried, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” Elijah assumed that this meant true repentance in Israel – that the king and the people as one would forsake their false gods and rededicate themselves to the Lord. It is clear to me that Elijah loved his people – the way he took out the twelve stones, naming the tribes, instructing the people – Elijah loved his people as a father loves his children, so wanting them to live for the Lord. But what happened? Essentially, nothing of permanence. The next thing Elijah knew, Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife, sent word that she would kill him within 24 hours. This is not how it was supposed to go! God’s people were supposed to repent! It was supposed to be a rebirth of God’s people loving and serving their God.

I will tell you that, from personal experience, experiencing radical disappointment in people can be incredibly painful, even as painful as the loss of a loved one. The result can be full-blown grief, and healing can take a long time. If you have experienced this, you understand. For me, facing the fear of experiencing these emotions again was something I had to go through before I could say “yes” to becoming a pastor. I never received any assurance that I would not go through it again, but by God’s grace my faith grew to the point that it was enough for me to know that I would not go through it alone, but with God sustaining me. I actually think that, like many hard and painful things, there is even a kind of privilege in going through them – in this case, we get to have smallest taste of what it must be like for God. We cannot even begin to understand the depth of love He has for us, and therefore, we cannot even begin to understand the depths of pain that He experiences when His creation chooses to turn from Him despite His wooing, His signs, His messages to us.

My second theory is based on Romans 11:2-3.

God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me" – Romans 11:2-3

This refers to the situation after Elijah fled – a long way – and God asked him what he was doing there. God tried to get a better answer out of him by a combination of a powerful wind, and earthquake, and fire, and then a gentle whisper.

I think Elijah was mad at his people, mad at the king and Jezebel, mad at everyone. Why didn’t they repent? Well, forget it, then. God, just strike them all down! I’m done with them. Look, they’ve killed all the good guys (this wasn’t quite true, by the way), and they have torn down your altars – they don’t worship you at all (this also wasn’t quite true). Just wipe them out! I think there was a message in God’s response with the powerful wind, and in the earthquake, and in the fire – not just the message that He is God, and that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom – but that God still loves His people, broken and lost and sinful and evil and wicked though they are. The passage says the Lord was not in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire. That’s what Elijah wanted, I think, for God to use those kinds of things against the people. The Lord was in the gentle whisper.

If I am right, Elijah is not the only prophet who felt like this. Obviously, Jonah comes to mind. He also finished poorly; at least, the book of Jonah does not present a good ending. He couldn’t stand the fact that just because Nineveh repented, God relented. Another prophet that went through something like this was Habakkuk, who said,

Why do You make me look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. – Hab. 1:3

What about Moses? Recall that the Israelites in the desert complained for the umpteenth time about their situation, this time complaining yet again that Moses should have never brought them out of Egypt because they were temporarily out of water. Moses finally just got furious at these guys, and

He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" – Numbers 20:10

Moses then disregarded the Lord’s specific instructions and struck the rock forcefully with his staff. Water did come out, but God told Moses this was sin, and as a result he would not himself enter the Promised Land. Moses and Elijah may have more in common than you would think.

Now, just for a moment, think about Jesus’ transfiguration. Who is there with Jesus? Moses and Elijah. In the past, when I thought about this event, I think I felt a lot like Peter probably felt, just awestruck and amazed at who Jesus was. Here He was, with the two greatest prophets ever, Moses and Elijah, and yet, far greater than them.

I don’t think I will ever again be able to think about this scene quite like this. Now, I think about it from Moses’ and Elijah’s point of view. From God’s perfect standards, and even perhaps somewhat from human standards, these men were both failures. They didn’t finish well. Elijah, probably, significantly worse than Moses, but hear me out. What are they doing here with Jesus? They don’t belong here at all! But this is a testimony of God’s grace! Do you get this? They were broken vessels, and here they were, on Jesus’ left and right. There was Peter, the so-called “Rock,” called that by Jesus. Peter was a broken vessel – he completely denied the Lord! We, you and me, are broken vessels. I know you know about the broken part. But as we get close to wrapping up this series, I want you to get that we are broken vessels. We are vessels of the King! We are His dishes, and cups, and spoons. Yes, we are cracked. Yes, we are rusty. Yes, we leak. But the King is going to use them! This is our Lord! He knows us. He knows far more than we do how broken we really are. But that doesn’t change His love for us. It doesn’t change His plan for us. My prayer for this whole series is that we would really get this. Don’t be like Elijah and run away. Don’t let your disappointment with unsaved people, or your disappointment with saved people, or your disappointment with Fred and me become an excuse to disengage with God. God speaks to us in a gentle whisper. There will be justice. But there is mercy, because of Christ. We cannot hope to find repentance in others until there is really brokenness in us. Simply acknowledging what we are in and of ourselves to God and asking Him to use us and heal us and fix us – this is how we can finish well.

Now, I want to continue with our narrative on the events of Ahab’s reign. In I Kings 20, a period of time after the events of Elijah we have talked about took place, Ben-Hadad king of Aram attacked Samaria in Israel. After King Ahab and Ben-Hadad basically talked trash to each other for a while through messengers (it is kind of funny), the attack was about to start, when an unnamed prophet came to wicked Ahab and said that God would help them defeat Ben-Hadad and his army so that Ahab would know that God is the Lord. Israel routed the Arameans and the prophet came back and told Ahab to strengthen their positions because Ben-Hadad would attack again in the spring. The Arameans thought that the Lord was a god of the hills, so God routed them in a valley. Ben-Hadad fled to the city of Aphek and hid in an inner room. Inexplicably, King Ahab made a peace treaty with Ben-Hadad and let him go free. A prophet came to Ahab and explained that because he didn’t obey the Lord,

Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people. – I Kings. 20:42

Verse 43 describes the king as sullen and angry. This seems to be par for the course with him. In I Kings 21, we have another incident with Ahab. A man named Naboth had a vineyard close to Ahab’s palace in Samaria. Ahab made a reasonable sounding request –

Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard, or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth. – I Kings 21:2

But Naboth did not want to sell. It was the inheritance of his fathers. This made Ahab, yes, you guessed it, sullen and angry. It even says that he stayed in bed sulking and refused to eat! I this the king, or a 5-year-old child? If it were a child, the words we might use are “spoiled brat.” We might use those words here, too. Ahab told Jezebel about it, and she took matters into her own hands. She wrote letters in the king’s name setting into motion a scheme in which Naboth was falsely accused that he had cursed both God and king. He was then stoned to death. The hypocrisy here is shocking by any standard – if anyone in the kingdom cursed God – if not in name, then in deed – it was Ahab and Jezebel. This brings us to I Kings 21:17.

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!'" – I Kings 21:17-19

So this time, Elijah did carry out the Lord’s instructions.

Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. 'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.' – I Kings 21:20-22

If you recall, this is exactly what happened to the families of Jeroboam and Baasha.

"And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country.'" – I Kings 21:23-24

So how do you think Ahab responded? Sullen and angry? Not this time! Are you ready for a surprise?

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son." – I Kings 21:27-29

Never “write someone off” who you think will never turn to the Lord. There was no king who had been more wicked than Ahab. If you had known me in my atheist days, you would have been tempted to write me off. And what about God’s response? Are you surprised? Never underestimate the grace of God. Now, you might say that is not grace at all, because his family will still die, but you will see that they also will deserve it. It is certainly grace to Ahab.

Now in I Kings 22 it is three years later, and the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, went down to see Ahab. On our sheet of kings, Jehoshaphat is described as “good.” Ahab asked Jehoshaphat if he would help him to take back some territory taken by the king of Aram. Jehoshaphat said he would certainly supply whatever was needed, but that Ahab should first seek the counsel of the Lord. Ahab reveals that he has not completely repented, as he brings together 400 prophets, none of whom serves the Lord. He asks them if they should go to war, and all 400 say yes, that the Lord will give them victory. But Jehoshaphat is not satisfied (and rightly so). I’m not sure how he knew, but he knew that none of them served the Lord. This may be because of whatever rituals they did, or how they prayed, or something like this, but he knew. So Jehoshaphat asks if there is not a prophet of the Lord they can consult. I suspect he bit his lip not saying what he really wanted to say, something like, What in the world are you doing, man?

The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king should not say that," Jehoshaphat replied. – I Kings 22:8

So Micaiah was summoned. It looks like a reappearance of the 5-year old Ahab, doesn’t it? Jehoshaphat and Ahab are more like father and young son than equals here.

When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand." The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?" – I Kings 22:15-16

Micaiah appears to be a prophet with an “attitude.” It is difficult to communicate sarcasm in the written word, but I don’t know how else this can be interpreted. I suspect Micaiah used a tone of voice that imitated and mocked the 400 false prophets, and did it so obviously that the king and everyone else knew it was a mocking sarcasm.

Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'" The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?" – I Kings 22:17-18

Now, I’m not sure exactly what blaspheming the Holy Spirit is, but I suspect this is close. Ahab is acting like this is all a big joke, that consulting God is a foolish waste of time. He wasn’t going to ask anyone, but just attack, until Jehoshaphat made him. Then, he went with prophets who obviously didn’t serve the real Lord.

Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?' "One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, 'I will entice him.' – I Kings 22:19-21

 "'By what means?' the Lord asked. "'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. "'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the Lord. 'Go and do it.' So now the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you." – I Kings 22:22-23

 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. "Which way did the spirit from the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?" he asked. Micaiah replied, "You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room." – I Kings 22:24-25

The king of Israel then ordered, "Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king's son and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.'" Micaiah declared, "If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Mark my words, all you people!" – I Kings 22:26-28

To quote from Hebrews, “The world was not worthy of them.” Micaiah’s words are the words of God. Striking Micaiah, putting him in jail with only bread and water, is doing this to the Lord. In fact, the whole scene reminds me powerfully of a similar scene with Jesus, who was also struck and mocked. If you recall, some of them said, “Prophecy to us, Christ. Who hit you?” It is in exactly the same spirit as what is happening here.

So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. – I Kings 22:29-30

Hm… I think perhaps Ahab is not so sure about Micaiah’s prophecy. Because of his pride, I think, he is unwilling to actually heed Micaiah’s advice, but he does seem to be unusually prudent. After all, 400 prophets have just told him it will be fine! I am a little surprised that Jehoshaphat is going along with all this, but perhaps he is doing this because he fears Ahab. I don’t know about you, but I would fear offending a king with nearly unlimited power who acts like a spoiled brat 5-year-old. Also, there was nothing in the prophecy of Micaiah against Jehoshaphat. Still, if the spoiled-brat king makes you the other king dress up conspicuously so that the bad guys can clearly see you while he dresses in disguise, might not you complain about it? Now, let’s look at how this plays out.

Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel." When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, "Surely this is the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat cried out, the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel and stopped pursuing him. – I Kings 22:31-33

If the king of Aram had known this was the king of Judah, he might have responded differently. There is such irony here! The one in kingly robes is spared because he isn’t believed to be the king, yet he actually is king.

But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, "Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I've been wounded." All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died. – I Kings 22:34-35

 
As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: "Every man to his town; everyone to his land!" So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the Lord had declared. – I Kings 22:36-38

And so the words of the prophet were fulfilled, and Ahab is dead. Replacing him was his son, Ahaziah, who also “did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” The Bible doesn’t have a lot to say about him, but what it says is not good.

Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, "Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury." – II Kings 1:2

The passage goes on to say that an angel went to Elijah and told him to give Ahaziah’s messengers a message. Elijah obeyed. The messengers were met by Elijah before they made it to Ekron, and then they returned to the king. When asked why they came back, they said the following.

"A man came to meet us," they replied. "And he said to us, 'Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, "This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending men to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!"'" – II Kings 1:6

Did Ahaziah repent, even partially, as his father had once before him? No. Ahaziah dies in his rebellion. He does not have a son, so his brother Jehoram, becomes the next king of Israel. Now, let’s pick up the narrative in II Kings 2, where we see a fascinating interaction between Elijah and Elisha.

Now, to understand this, I think we need to understand how Elijah was viewed. Despite his failings, among other prophets of the Lord he was considered the greatest of them all. Through him God had made it cease to rain; through him pronouncements had been made on kings; through him the showdown between God and the so-called god Baal took place. And Elijah, it seems, had worked with other prophets, even made schools of them in various cities.

Elijah’s right hand man was Elisha. The calling of Elisha was one of the things the Lord told Elijah to do – perhaps the only one Elijah did even partly. As we have said, Elijah was a broken vessel. But he did seek out and find Elisha, and symbolically putting his mantle on him, called him to follow him. Elisha did this, only asking to say goodbye to his family and taking care of a few loose ends before going.

Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?" "Yes, I know," Elisha replied, "but do not speak of it." – II Kings 2:2-3

 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho." And he replied, "As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho. The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?" "Yes, I know," he replied, "but do not speak of it." – II Kings 2:4-5

 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan." And he replied, "As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on. Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. – II Kings 2:6-7

So what in the world is going on? Why is Elijah trying to get rid of Elisha? My understanding of this is that this is a test for Elisha. Elisha knows that this is Elijah’s last day, either because Elijah has told him or because the Lord Himself has. Perhaps he doesn’t know the details – is there danger? Could they both be attacked and killed? With this uncertainty, someone else might have agreed to stay behind. I am reminded that Elijah when he fled from Jezebel did leave his servant behind then and went on alone. This time, though, Elisha will not leave him alone. If this theory is right, Elisha is refusing to make the mistake that Elijah did. Fear will not drive him to flee. God will not have to ask Elisha, “What are you doing here?”

As a testing, this explains the other prophet’s questions of Elisha. Their questions may really be asking Elisha, “Why are you still going on with this guy? Don’t you know he will be gone today?” Perhaps they were even asking Elisha to stay with them. But Elisha will hear none of it. He is following his master.

Elisha was actually tested in many ways: his sincerity was tested, his will was tested, his faith was tested, even his patience (through the repetition of the temptations). But Elisha has two more tests to come.

Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?" "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied. – II Kings 2:8-9

Do you understand the magnitude of the test Elisha had just passed? Just like Solomon had once been tested, Elisha could have asked for anything: wealth, power, prestige, women – but Elisha asked for God’s spirit, in a double dose. Elisha’s heart was right with God.

"You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not." – II Kings 2:10

To Elijah’s credit and understanding, he leaves the answer of this really to God. It will be up to God whether Elisha can see him.

As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. – II Kings 2:11-12

If you read this carefully, it doesn’t say that Elijah went to heaven in the chariot of fire, although this is possible. The chariot and horses divided them so that Elisha could not follow. Elisha did see Elijah, and so Elijah’s final prophecy, coming true as had the others, meant that Elisha would indeed have what he had asked for. He tore his clothes in the custom of the times as a sign of mourning. This was a hard moment – Elijah was truly a father to him. Now he was alone.

He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. – II Kings 2:13-14

This was Elisha’s final test on this day, a test of faith. He is on the wrong side of the water. Does he have faith? Does he really believe God will work through him? He does, and God delivers. Elisha is now truly a prophet who has taken Elijah’s mantle. He has passed the test.

In closing, I think we forget that God tests us. Do you believe God tests you? Jesus certainly tested the disciples. Remember Peter walking on water – and then sinking? God tests our faith, because it is through testing that it is strengthened and proven.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. – James 1:2-4

Recall how I started this message. Elijah failed a test, the test of dealing with disappointment when things don’t work out the way you had hoped or thought. Moses failed a test, the test of patience among a stubborn and impatient people. And yet, there they were, witnesses to the transfiguration of Jesus, in positions of the highest honor. Even when you fail a test, you don’t fail. God uses it to grow you, if you will let him. Testing is one of the primary ways God mends broken vessels. Are you letting God test you? Are you aware of how He is testing you? Are you learning from His tests? Are you learning to submit to his gentle whisper of love?