DO NOT LIMIT THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL (PART 5): GOD WILL ASSIGN SOMEONE TO YOUR CASE!
1. 2 Kings 8:1 Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose and did according to the saying of the man of God, and she went with her household and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 It came to pass, at the end of seven years, that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went to make an appeal to the king for her house and for her land. 4 Then the king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done.” 5 Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son he had restored to life, appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now.”
2. Psalm 78: 41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
INTRO: DO NOT LIMIT THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL (PART 5) GOD WILL ASSIGN SOMEONE TO YOUR CASE.
Primary Content: In What Ways Do We Limit God? Why Do We Limit God? How Do We Take Off The Limits? The Results Of A Life Without Limiting God. Some Examples From The Bible & Our Own Lives. Quick Review: In Psalm 78, We Looked At How The Hebrews Limited Their God In The Wilderness - they saw all the miracles yet doubted God. In Mark 6, they refused to accept who Christ was because He was their homeboy thus He could not do many miracles there. In 1 Kings 20, they limited God by thinking that He was God of the mountains only and not also God of the valleys and plains - grave mistake. In 1 Samuel 28, we limit God by our surrender to fear as seen with King Saul and also 1 Kings 19 shows that fear resulting from threat makes us flee in fright as with the Prophet Elijah. Today in 2 Kings 8, we limit God when we allow financial or material hardships to create doubts about God’s ability to provide for us. Be a GIVER to the cause of Christ.
LIMIT: Limit is “a point or level beyond which something does not or may not extend or pass. This is a restriction on the size or amount of something permissible or possible. Some words synonymous with limit are restrict, put in check, restrain, freeze, regulate, control, etc. God’s problem is not with the atheist, agnostic, infidel – it is with His own people who limit Him.
TALKING ABOUT GENERATIONAL WEALTH
Generational Wealth, also called family wealth or multigenerational wealth which is wealth passed down from one generation to another, is very significant. Generational Wealth Is very Biblical. 2 Cor. 12:14 After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. Pro. 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous. Generational Wealth takes many forms which can be traditions, biology, good genes. But typically, when people talk about generational wealth, they mean financial wealth that can be passed down to the next generation. The concept is that we must live and leave something behind for our children so that they do not have to start from nothing like us.
FIVE (5) WAYS IN WHICH WE BUILD GENERATIONAL WEALTH.
1. Invest In Dividend-Paying Stocks. That means you are acquiring a portion of a company that that other people work for, and they are giving you a portion of their profits. Many rich people leave such assets like hotels and businesses to the next generation.
2. Invest In Real Estate. In the old days, you needed a lot of money to invest in real estate. But thanks to advances in technology, real estate investment is available to most of us. You can buy land and house without physical cash.
3. Lend Out Money At Percentage Interest. Lending out money is one of the oldest ways to earn passive income. It’s essentially renting out your money for other people to use, and the rent you charge is known as interest rate. Community banking is one of such options.
4. Train Them To Value Education & Virtuous Living: Knowledge and self-control.
5. Train Them To Value God: Matthew 6:33: Seek first the Kingdom of God…
God Wants Us To Preserve & Invest Wisely The Resources He’s Blessed Us With. Generational Wealth is reflected in Gen. 2:15 when God commands Adam to cultivate the ground. John 4 shows benefits of generational assets. Jesus met the Samaritan woman in the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. She was benefiting from the well Jacob built 12 generations back.
GOD’S ABILITY FOR WEALTH TRANSFERS. GOD IS GOOD AT MAKING RICH.
1. Abraham. Gen. 12 - famine struck the land, Abram (already rich) fled to Egypt. Pharaoh saw Sarah and took her to wife because Abraham said she was his sister. Pharaoh gave Abram sheep, oxen, servants, cattle, much wealth. Pharaoh discovered the truth & gave Sarah back but left the wealth with Abram. He went out of Egypt “rich in cattle, in silver, in gold” (Gen. 13:1-2).
2. Isaac. Gen. 26 - There was famine in the land and “Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.” Not only did Isaac inherit wealth from his father, but also received a great wealth transfer from Abimelech. Finally the Philistine told Isaac in Gen. 26:16 “Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we”. Abraham’s & Isaac’s wealth transfers took place in famine. God’s blessing is not dependent upon world’s conditions.
3. Jacob. Another great wealth transfer took place when God gave Jacob the wealth of Laban. Gen. 31:6-9 Jacob said, “Ye know that with all my power I have served your father. And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked. Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me”. Laban’s sons were upset with Isaac’s prosperity.
4. Joseph. Gen. 41:39-44. God gave his servant Joseph the wealth of Egypt, though a slave.
5. Israel. God promised Moses that when the Israelites came out of Egypt, they would leave with the wealth of the Egyptians: Exodus 3:19-22: “…And it shall come to pass, that, when leave Egypt, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians”
6. King Solomon. God not only gave Solomon the wealth of one nation, but of nations of the world: 1 Kgs, 10:23 King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.
7. You. Many believe that the Church is next in line for Wealth Transfer to further the Gospel - you! Pro. 13:22 “The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just”. Deut. 8:18 “Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish His Covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day”. His Covenant is the Gospel of Christ to the nations! God will give us the wealth of the sinners to support preaching of the Gospel to the world!
PRINCIPLES FROM SHUNEMITE WOMAN – GOD RESTITUTES WHEN WE INVEST IN HIM
1. Your Sacrificial Service Of God Can Initiate A Warning To You Before Disaster Strikes: Many individuals are warned in the Bible to flee before disaster strikes. Chief among them are: Jesus’ parents and this woman. God knows how to spare or shield the righteous from evil. There are times He allows us to go through. But there are times He warns us in order to avoid disaster. This woman’s hospitality toward the Man of God Elisha in 2 Kings 4 is still reaping results. Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. Psalm 57:1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. Isaiah 26:20 Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed. God instructs for safety.
2. God Can Hide You Among Your Enemies Until The Disaster Passes. At Elisha's instructions, the woman had left her home & gone to live in Philistine territory to avoid a 7 year famine (2 Kings 8:1-2). It was God’s means of protecting her. Ps. 91:4 He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. Ps. 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. In Ex. 1-2, God hid Moses among his enemies. In the Gospels, He hid Jesus among His enemies in Egypt. Ps. 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
3. A Heart Of Giving To God Always Reaps Returns In Future: Ps. 37:18 18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever. 19 In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. 25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing. (2 Kings 4: The Woman Is a Giver & recovers every time disaster struck.) 1 Tim. 6: 17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. E.g. Centurion & Servant (Lk. 7). King Hezekiah (2 Kg. 20).
4. God Will Cause An Unexpected Meeting To Become A Divine Appointment: E.g. How we got this facility – my work at City Hall. Right after, I stopped working there. This Woman’s generosity towards Elisha (2 Kings 4) caused God to set her up for an appointment. She first blessed Elisha: Then was blessed with a miracle child. Later, the son died and was raised from the dead by God’s Power. When the famine was over, she came back 7 years later and her house & land no longer belonged to her - either seized by the government or encroached on & forcibly taken. In her desperation, this lady and her son went to the King (2 Kings 8:3) hoping for redress. Little did she know that God had prepared a 'Divine Appointment' for her, not only by meeting the King, but also unexpectedly meeting Gehazi, Elisha's servant. When she entered & cried unto the King (8:5), he was at that very moment listening to Gehazi about all the things Elisha had done. That very moment, Gehazi was telling the King about how God, through Elisha, had raised this very same lady's son from the dead (8:5)! Talk about 'Divine Appointments'! Of the over 36 miracles Elisha did, the servant was on her case when she appeared on the scene. The shocked King was speechless. He then asked the lady whether this was true & she affirmed it (8:6). God knows when and how to initiate your miracle when you are a God Pleaser & God Giver. Examples of Divine Appointments: The Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17 – Elijah), The Samaritan Woman (John 4), Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10), Crippled at Gate Beautiful and Peter & John (Acts 3), Zacchaeus (Luke 19), Mordecai (Esther 6). Man Forgets But God Does Not. The Shunemite Woman had refused Elisha’s offer of a favor from the King in 2 Kings 4:13. She stated that she was contented being among her own people and grateful to God for the honor. Now God will favor her before the King especially at a moment when she will need the favor most. Listen, it is always good to expect from God when you give. But there are times when you give to God just because you are grateful. But God never forgets. He will restore for the appropriate moment. Galatians 4:4 But when the due season was fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law. Acts 1:7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.
5. When God Desires To Bless You, He Will Cause The Unnatural To Happen. Shakespeare says: “Unnatural deeds do breed unnatural cruelty.” God says: “All things work together for the good of those who love Him.” Whom will you believe? What could servant of a prophet & leper at that be doing in the palace of a king? We know that lepers then didn’t stay in the city, but in the bush and could not enter a palace. Then how can a servant be chatting with a king in the palace? Gehazi is not a prophet, but God wants to use him to introduce the woman and her son to the king. Probably the king would not have listened to the woman, or would not have accepted the woman’s story. But because God is the helper of the helpless and He has a way of networking in His own way, He made Gehazi not only to be at the palace at that moment, but to also say the right thing at the right time. Why would David, a shepherd, be brought to the palace? Why would Esther, a slave, be chosen as Queen? Revelation 3:9 Look at those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead. I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I love you. Isaiah 43:3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. 4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. God can initiate the unnatural for your sake. Ecc. 10:7 I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.
6. When God Desires To Bless You, He Will Assign Someone To Ensure That Your Blessing Comes. That means God intends to cut through the Bureaucratic Red Tape. The woman is a nobody, but when God favored her, King Jehoram ensured to appoint one of his chief noble to manage her blessings. This was not just an ordinary agent. God will send a person or angel of substance to manage your blessings. Giving can change situations. E.g. Ask Hezekiah. Ask Cornelius. Ask the Centurion. As David. Proverbs 18:16 A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men. Acts 18:10 God told Paul ‘Don’t fear, I have many people in this city.”
7. When God Desires Restoration, He Always Initiates Full Restitution. Pro. 6:30-31 People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. King Jehoram is so astonished that he immediately orders the woman’s building & lands restored to her, along with anything that’s been grown on the land within the 7 years the family was away. The King responds as if he realizes that he was holding someone down who has been blessed by God. The point is that the king does far more than she ever asked or imagined. He restores the years that the famine had eaten. The end result was that she not only got her house & land back, but also the income from the land for the past 7 years! Restoration is to get back measure for measure what was taken. Restitution is to get back measure for measure what was taken with more for the pains and sufferings endure. God ensures that the enemy pays back with interests. Without restitution, repentance is not complete! Luke 19:8 Then Zacchaeus said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." Exodus 22:1 "If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.’ Look, there are times for giving eye for eye and tooth for tooth - when justice is required. But where blessings & miracles are concerned, God takes into account the pains and suffering the victim went through. E.g. My jury trial. May God be your restitute you in full.
FINALLY: WHAT A GREAT GOD WE SERVE.
Here Was A Woman Who Served The Prophet Of God Faithfully. And the God of providence never forgot her. Jesus made a promise about faithful servants like her: Matt. 10:41-42 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. And so; God, in His goodness rewarded this woman who had faith in Him. He provided her with a son; and she trusted Him more. Then He provided the life of her son; and she trusted Him even more. Then He Preserved her in famine. Then He provided an inheritance for her son. Her Life Confirms The Promise Of God In:
1. Joel 2:25-26 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.
2. Jeremiah 30:17 For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’
3. Isaiah 61:7 Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.
4. Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
5. Example: Job 42:10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
6. Example: Ruth 4:15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”
7. Example: Daniel 1:20 As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.
PRAYER POINTS
1. May You Be A Giver To The Cause Of Christ: May your heart burn with passion to give.
2. May You Be A Reference Point. Job became a reference point for others. He was magnified the same way Joshua was magnified before Israel after crossing River Jordan.
3. May You Be Accepted. Job 42:9 “The Lord accepted Job”. It is the person that you accept that you listen to.
4. May Losses Stop In Your Life. Job suffered losses. After crying to God, He took him from losers list to multiplication group. The Shunammite woman got her house and land back, and also income from the land and house for the past 7 years.
5. May You Be Singled Out: Favor takes you from the back to the front.
6. May You Accumulate Treasures - and help others in Jesus Name.
7. May You Be Celebrated. All the brethren of Job came to celebrate him because of a turnaround.
FIVE (5) BLESSINGS OF THE GENEROUS.
Psalm 37:25-26 “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous, and lend freely; their children will be blessed. Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever…” 1) Their children will be blessed. 2) They will dwell in the land forever. 3) They are loved by God. 4) The Lord will not forsake His faithful ones. 5) They will be protected forever.
PRAYER OF INTERCESSION FOR FINANCIAL AND MATERIAL TURN-AROUNDS.
Dear God: I surrender my financial affairs and concerns about money to your Divine care and love. I ask that you remove my worries, anxieties, and fears about money, and replace them with faith. I know and trust that my debts will be paid and money will flow into my life. I release all negative thoughts about money and possessions, and know that prosperity is my true state. I commit to being grateful for all that I now have in my life. I learn to manage my finances wisely, seeking help where needed. And finally, I ask you to help me understand my purpose in life and to act on that purpose with courage and strength. Please help me use my skills and knowledge to be of service in the world.
