March 24, 2013
Scripture:
Let’s turn to Psalm 150. In the Old Testament, they could only exalt Him in person, majesty and work. This morning we turned not only to Psalm 113, but also to the New Testament. How precious it is when our praise can include what He has done on Calvary! We can be brought into wondrous relationship as His bride and be within the closest tie possible.
Hymn 201 - When we walk with the Lord
Prayer
2 Kings 4:38-44
We have had many exciting stories from 2 Kings 4. Today we will read its last two stories.
Our stories today are about God providing. Jehovah-Jireh is one of the Lord’s names. It means: the Lord will provide. God provided Jesus to pay the debt of our sin. Not only did He provide Jesus, but also He provides much grace for each day. In the book of Ephesians, we are told that God will provide all our needs. Out stories today are about God providing.
Elisha left Shunem and headed to Gilgal. Unfortunately, at this time there was a dearth in Gilgal. A dearth is just like a famine. Elisha was going to Gilgal to teach. When it came time to eat, Elisha asked his servant to warm up a pot of soup. Even though there was a famine, God had provide enough food for everyone there. When God provides, there is no shortage. It might seem strange to hear of a time when there is no food to eat, but we are very blessed to live in a country in which we can go to the store to buy food.
This reminds me of the story of Saint Patrick. Patrick was taken to Ireland as a slave. One night, as Patrick was sleeping, he had a dream telling him to go down to the dock and get on a ship that was heading back to England. When he awoke, he felt that the Lord had given him that dream. So, he headed down to the docks as the sun was just coming up. To his amazement, the very ship he dreamed about was at dock getting loaded up. He asked the captain if he could join the voyage. At first the captain didn’t want to take him, but he finally agreed. The ship’s crew didn’t believe in God and mocked Patrick’s faith. It was supposed to be a three-day voyage to England, but instead they came to a barren land. With little food left, they decided to stay there until they found some food. After a few days, the captain came to Patrick, telling him to prove that God cared for them. Patrick prayed and the Lord provided some wild pigs for them to eat. We can be thankful that God can truly provide for our every need.
Then, someone harvested some gourds and added them to a soup. These gourds were poisonous and made the soup deadly. Elisha once again was able to show the power of God. He said, “Add meal,” which speaks of Christ in His humanity. This time the soup was fine to eat. This might remind us of some people who add things to the Bible. However, the Bible doesn’t need anything added to it. It is has everything that we need for our daily lives.
During the same famine (probably around the same time) someone brought Elisha and his students loaves of bread and ears of corn. Just looking at the food, there didn’t seem to be enough for everybody. When someone told Elisha about this, he said that there would be extra food left over and this is exactly what happened.
It is precious to see how the Lord used Elisha to help provide during this time of famine!
Luke 22:19-38
One of the big issues fought over during the reformation was the issue of transubstantiation: the idea that during the Eucharist—the Catholic remembrance of the Lord—the bread turns into the actual body of Christ. The funny thing is that the Lord was sitting there handing the disciples the bread as He said “this is my body”, so how could it be the real thing? He meant it as an emblem!
It’s a great blessing—and a great responsibility—to be able to do what our Lord asks and remember Him. The emblems are so simple—bread and wine—and yet they show so much. This remembrance is like the Passover: instituted, and then passed on from generation to generation. Our Lord instituted it here before His death, and Paul re-instituted it in resurrection later on (and he got it directly from the Lord, even though he wasn’t here). It was instituted many years ago, but we still do it, and our Lord still presides over it. John 20:20 tells us, “Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.” We have a similar privilege each Lord’s day morning, and may our joy be fresh each week!
It is probable that verses 21-23 happened before verses 18-19, and that Judas left before the remembrance, as John has in his gospel. They were gathered around a table, which speaks of communion, yet a traitor was there. Judas was so involved in their ministry, and had such a pretence of being part of them, yet he was a traitor. This was part of the Lord’s various sufferings: seeing the weakness and failure of His own; of Judas, of Peter, and of all the disciples when they fled and left Him. Judas had some heavy consequences coming his way, even though his role had been pre-determined by God. Acts 2:22-23.
The disciples didn’t know who the traitor was, which shows you how well Judas could act. The eleven were stunned to find there was a traitor, but Judas wasn’t. Jesus knew who the traitor was, but He didn’t expel Judas. Judas could have changed his mind: he went out, he wasn’t sent out. He had seen all the Lord’s miracles, eaten and drunk with Him, and learned at His feet; but he still betrayed Him.
The words “as it was determined” make you realize that Jesus had a plan He was following. The Lord did things to fulfil that plan and He knew when His planned work was finished. He was in obedience to that plan, and accomplished everything it said. John 18:4 says, “Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth”. He knew all!
There was a strife among the disciples about who was the greatest. They were thinking of themselves, not knowing what was ahead for the Lord. Mary had already anointed Jesus for His burial, but the eleven had no clue what was going to happen.
At that point in history, the Jews were under one of the “Kings of the Gentiles”. A king rules a people, and receives that position because of his prominent station in life. If he is a good ruler, he is a benefactor of the people. It’s not this way in God’s kingdom; there it’s upside down. The lowest, those in the place of servants, are the greatest. Our Lord was One Who served. In Exodus 21, we get a picture of Him as the Hebrew servant. He was in a low place, had his ear bored through with an awl, and would serve forever. This should have been touching to those strivers!
Hymn 345 – Jesus loves the little children
Prayer