What Elisha’s prophets taught – alongside the law, salvation and the psalms of spiritual life, they taught God’s lessons from events, including the miracles of Elijah and Elisha. Here are examples of their sermons from miracles, including the siege of Samaria and its overthrow.
In 1 and 2 Kings we are considering lessons in faith: we move from the end of David’s life and the transition to Solomon and subsequent monarchs.
We could almost entitle these books: Will God Keep His Promise? Because even from the first chapter of the first book the great threat is the possibility (that is what is put before us) of the promise of God not being fulfilled, not being kept. And Solomon not succeeding David, his father, as king.
It was through Solomon that the line for the Messiah runs. The son promised to David, through whom will eventually come the great Descendant, the coming Messiah. The one through whom all the nations of the world would be blessed, as God promised to Abraham. But now there is a plot to usurp Solomon, for him to be executed, and for the vain, boastful, spoilt Adonijah to become king.
So the tension from the beginning of 1 Kings is: can the promise be fulfilled? Even in this seemingly impossible situation, with the failing of a dying, almost insensible old man as king, courtiers panicking, the danger of an armed coup, and the real possibility of things going radically wrong?
But 1 and 2 Kings are all about lessons in faith. Earthly so-called wisdom – resorting in desperation to the ungodly customs of the time – sees everyone trying to take matters into their own hands, to revive the king (who is seemingly not in his senses) using unwise methods. It is not the court of David at its best.
But God is sovereign. What He says will come to pass. And it does – in His time. Solomon does become king; the rebellion is overthrown and order is restored. There are so many lessons from the reign of Solomon and the following kings for us today.
Related Resources
Sermon Series: Spiritual Lessons – Elijah and Elisha
Dr Peter Masters Sermons on 1 and 2 Kings. An obscure prophet explodes on to the scene. Here are wonderful lessons and spiritual illustrations for God’s people, from two of the most notable prophets in the Word of God.
Series: Elijah – Elisha
Spiritual Lessons from Elijah 1 Kings 17.1-24 Bible Study – Wednesday PM November 23, 2011 Spiritual Lessons from Mount Carmel 1 Kings 18.1 Bible Study – Wednesday PM November 30, 2011 Elijah’s Vindication at Horeb 1 Kings 19 Bible Study – Wednesday PM December 7, 2011 The spiritual meaning behind Elijah’s withdrawal (not desertion!) from … Continued