HOW TO TURN AN UPSIDE-DOWN WORLD BACK UP RIGHT

Mike Blume
January 26, 2003 am-pm

2 Kings 6:5-9  But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.  (6)  And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.  (7)  Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.  (8)  Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.  (9)  And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

We spoke last week about how this event at the Jordan is a representation of the place we come to in the Spirit where we enter into the TRUE life of the Spirit.
  • I kept asking you if you were coming to your Jordan, where you're serious about serving God.
  • ...if you came to DO SOMETHING.
  • Who wants to make a difference for God, because God made a difference for you?
  • You are the ones who are at Jordan, or perhaps already past it and on into the promised land!
  • You crossed the border!
  • You broke the flesh barrier!
Recall that Israel crossed Jordan to enter the Promised land.

Recall that when they did cross Jordan, all the older doubters were passed away in death and buried?

So when you cross Jordan you cross the doubting barrier of your own flesh!
  • And you finally BELIEVE GOD!
Do you know what "truly believing God" means?
  • When Abraham believed that God would raise up millions of children from his son, and yet God told him to slay his son, Abraham figured God would have to raise him back from the dead, because God said Isaac would be the start of millions of others.
  • AND THAT IS FAITH!
In other words, BELIEVING GOD means that no matter HOW CONTRARY things appear to make whatever God said seem IMPOSSIBLE because of it, what God said WILL STILL BE TRUE!

Notice that after Elisha cast the tree/stick, which represents the CROSS, into the Jordan barrier before the promised land, that something immediately happened.

2 Kings 6:8  Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

It reminds me of the time Moses smote the rock and God gave water from a dry, solid rock to quench the thirst of Israel as they walked through a dry desert towards the Promised land, after leaving Egypt.
  • For we read something frightening happened immediately after Moses made the water flow.
Exodus 17:6-8  Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.  (7)  And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?  (8)  Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

It was not only when Elisha threw the tree into the Jordan and the axe swam that this occurred.
  • It was after that, AND the student reached out and PICKED THE AXE HEAD UP, that the king of Syria stirred up.
  • We as students need to start acting upon faith and picking up what God wants us to use to work with.
Now, we know very well that an axe head being picked up by a student means nothing more to the king of Syria than a bird laying a purple and blue egg in Alaska!
  • But the manner in which the Bible is written can often give us some great insight by noticing that it may not be a coincidence that God mentions the Syrians' battles after this event.
  • It ACTUALLY meant nothing in THAT DAY.
  • But there is a message we can glean from it.
Spiritually speaking, when you deal with the impossible at the JORDAN DEMARCATION POINT in your life as a Christian, and pass the flesh barrier where you can believe God for the impossible, YOU ARE GOING TO STIR THE DEVIL UP!

When YOU TAKE what God supernaturally gives to you, hell is threatened.

You are going to start to turn things that are upside-down by the works of the devil, and turn them upside-right!

This world is upside-down!

But its not going to get better by Christians who will not get serious with God and never cross the Jordan of their flesh barrier!

Doubters do not cross Jordan!

Doubters help society in NO WAY for God.

God told the doubters to stay in the wilderness and die there.
  • They did not believe God would give them the promised land.
  • So God said they would die outside of it, and the youth would enter in after their deaths.
But only those who cross the flesh barrier of doubtfulness, and break through with the cross, will enter in and start to fix things up!

Hell is then threatened.
  • It wants to keep things upsidedown!
  • It won't sit there and watch you influence the world with your goodness!
  • But the same God who worked so wonderfully with you at this barrier point, is still there with you no matter what the circumstance looks like!
  • And He is with you TO CHANGE YOUR WORLD AROUND YOU !
Be not weary in well doing, NOR FEARFUL!

This message is for our church to go forth and realize that God wants us to affect our CITY!!

As Moses struck the rock with the rod and water gushed out, Elisha threw the tree into the Jordan and the axe head swam.

Both represent the point where we APPLY THE TRUTHS OF THE CROSS TO OUR NEEDS TO DO GOD'S WORK, and get out of this rut of just attending church and being nice little christians, who affect nothing around them.

The rod and the tree both speak of the CROSS!

Go ahead in full force faith, believing that God's work on the cross equipped you with all you'll need to do His will.

You see, when you cross the flesh barrier, you have FAITH!
  • Flesh cannot hinder you very much any more.
  • You breached it.
  • You threw the cross at its unbelief and at it's hindering doubt.
  • You dealt with the flesh and put it in its place!
  • You not only got over worrying about people's opinions, as we spoke about last week, but you went even further and got over worrying about impossible situations!
  • Now, you'll go further and start assaulting hell and changing your world around you ONE HEART AT A TIME!
  • After you cross your flesh barrier, when you see an impossible situation, you don't let it concern you!
  • You believe more in God, than that impossible situation.
But you say, "You cannot deny there is a God, amen.  But you cannot deny this situation is impossible either!"
  • I agree that both are real!
But, I still believe God MORE than the impossible situation!
  • In other words, heaven and earth and all its physical possibilities or impossibilities will pass away.
  • But God's WORD will NOT pass away!
  • In other words, THE IMPOSSIBILITY IS NOT ETERNAL.
  • IT CAN CHANGE!
  • But God's Word is fixed and solid and will not change!
GOD'S WORD said Abraham would have millions of children.
  • And what LOOKS and APPEARS impossible is POSSIBLE with God.
If you cannot believe that, then you need to look in the dictionary again and find the definition of "GOD!"
  • God is "God!"
  • That goes part and parcel with the thought that NOTHING is impossible for Him!
Fill yourself up with the things of the world all the time, and you will struggle to believe that.
  • But start feeding your spirit with the things of the Word of God, and prayer and you will find it easy to believe!
  • Its all according to what you spend your time upon!
Things start to go topsy-turvy after that axe swimming issue, as if the axe head that swam was not strange, itself!

But things were actually backwards to begin with, and God had to fix them up!

Israel was God's people.
  • Syrians were pains in their necks!
  • God's people should be victorious!
So, the king of Syria stirs up and plots to attack the northern kingdom of Israel at certain vantage points.
  • The devil is not going to sit and watch some whippersnapper named Elisha begin to change things!
  • God tells Elisha of the enemy's plans, and Elisha warns the king of Israel.
2 Kings 6:10  And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

The king of Syria suspects that a spy is amongst his men.
  • One speaks up and reports that Israel has a prophet of God who hears from the God who can know what the king thinks in his private bed chamber!
  • So they set out to capture Elisha and get rid of this tattler.
---------------------------

Here is where things go upsideright! again!

2 Kings 6:14  Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

Dothan was where Elisha was, and Syria surrounded this little town with armies!

God's people should not be surrounded by armies!

The armies should be surrounded!

2 Kings 6:15  And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

Elisha is told and says....

2 Kings 6:16-17  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.  (17)  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

You know, we do not even read that Elisha actually saw all those angels.
  • God does not have to show you angels if you already believe they're there anyway!
  • That is faith!
So Elisha prays for the young man to see more than what he already saw naturally.
  • And the young man outnumbered by armies could sees ANGELS outnumbering the armies!
  • He already saw the physical things around him, including the enemy armies.
  • But now he could see MORE!
  • A single man against armies sees more than he ever saw before!
On the other hand, contrasted with that...

2 Kings 6:18  And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

The armies who outnumbered the single man, saw less than they could already see!
  • They were made BLIND!
  • But we find out that this blindness was limited.
  • They were not stone blind.
  • We know that because we read:
2 Kings 6:19  And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

So its as though they are blinded to the degree where everything is blurry and they cannot even tell that the man who came to lead them was the Elisha they came to capture.

Impossible situations are changing.

And whereas the armies surrounded Elisha, we then read...

2 Kings 6:20  And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

...they find themselves led right in to the midst of Samaria, and were surrounded themselves this time!

God can turn the tables on the devil if you will learn to relax and believe!

Don't give up hope when things are physically impossible!
  • Hope beyond the impossible!
  • You're across JORDAN NOW!
  • You dealt with the flesh and its unbelief!
  • Leave it behind!
  • Don't pick it back up now, and start doubting!
  • You've come this far by faith, now keep on going!
The king of Israel sees this and wonders if he should destroy them.
  • Elisha says, "Nahh.  Would you destroy enemies that are already captured and defeated?"
  • Church, the devil is already defeated!
  • Do not think you have to defeat him!
When that army surrounded Dothan, Elisha's faith knew they were already defeated!
  • Before they were stuck blind.
  • Before they were led to the midst of Samaria!
We need to get the concept that the devil is defeated.
  • We do not need to win any war.
  • Jesus already won the war.
  • TREAT THE DEVIL LIKE A DEFEATED ENEMY!
  • Tell him to scram!
2 Kings 6:21-22  And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?  (22)  And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

Elisha changed Israel's concept of Syria.
  • They're not to be defeated.
  • They're ALREADY DEFEATED!
  • Treat them like that.
However way you think about your enemy, is going to matter a whole lot in the long run.
  • If you think the war was not won on the cross, then when the devil rises against you, you will feel doomed!
  • But the truth is that the Lord fought the battle on the cross and won!
  • And from that standpoint, you will look at the devil confront you and tell him to get back down below you where he belongs!
  • AND THERE IS FAITH IN "THEM THERE" WORDS!
Some parents have no more bite in their bark when they speak to their children that their words mean nothing.
  • But other parents speak and their children jump.
The devil knows when you know!
  • The devil senses it when you know your place in Christ!
  • He can tell when you know who you are!
So we have a mere student having his eyes opened to see the situation more clearly and look at angels!

And an army being blinded to see the situation more unclear, and hardly see anything common!

And you have an army surrounding a single prophet in a town, only to be surrounded in a little city by the hand of that little prophet!

CONTRAST!

AN UPSIDEDOWN WORLD!

After this, Syria really gets stirred.

You've made a fool of the devil!
  • He is angry.
  • But fear not!
  • God is still with you no matter how angry the devil gets.
  • And the devil is still defeated!
2 Kings 6:24-25  And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.  (25)  And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.

Besieging is SURROUNDING AND CUTTING OFF ALL SUPPLIES FROM GETTING IN.

It is not destroying.
  • It's more like starving them to death.
  • And famine hit so severely that people were buying ass's heads for 80 pieces of silver for food!
  • Dove's dung was being purchased at five pieces of silver.
  • It was like Germany after World War I where a barrel of money was required to buy a single loaf of bread!
  • FAMINE!
  • SHORTAGE!
But God is going to turn things back up right!

2 Kings 7:1  Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

Elisha said God is going to turn this situation upside-down, and whereas you've seen people sell donkey's heads for 80- pieces of silver, you'll be seeing them sell fine flour for a single shekel - ONE PIECE of silver!
  • That meant abundance of food!
  • So much food that fine flour would be only one piece of silver!
2 Kings 7:2  Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

A LORD who was so close to the KING, who would have been involved in the safety and concerns of the city of Samaria, upon whose hand the KING'S leaned, doubted and mocked saying that even if God opened up the windows of heaven, what Elisha said could never happen IN ONE DAY!

He doubted, and Elisha said that as a result of his unbelief he would see it come to pass but NEVER ENJOY IT!

He was responsible for the city's concerns, and the welfare of the people!
  • He was a "lord."
  • He had the best of homes in the city.
  • He was a leader.
  • People looked up to him.
  • "High on the hog."
  • And we also read a seemingly insignificant statement about him -- the king leaned on his hand.
  • The king happened to stand by him leaning on his hand.
  • Why mention that?
  • There is a reason.
  • Every phrase in the Bible is significant!
  • And he could not even at least APPEAR confident before the people, and outright doubted God's care.
MEANWHILE...

So opposite to a LORD upon whose shoulder the KING LEANED HIS HAND UPON, were Four lepers!

2 Kings 7:3  And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

Normally they had to live OUTSIDE the city as castaways, because their leprosy was contagious.
  • Should they be touched, the leprosy would spread.
  • And rather than LORDS of society, they were beyond the lowly and dwelt outside of society!
  • No nice place in the city -- these men lived outside the city altogether!
  • The king leaned on the lord's hand.
  • But this doubting lord, whom the king, himself (!), touched, was outdone in God's eyes by four lepers, whom none would touch, let alone the king!
And they were at the gate to be as safe as possible, by coming as close as they could to the city away from the surrounding Syrian army without getting into the city!

But these men had ENOUGH FAITH, whereas the Lord doubted, without even hearing a MAN OF GOD SPEAK GOD'S PROMISE, that they said that if they stayed there they would die. 
  • If they entered the city they would die.
  • So they might as well chance it and walk right into the enemy camp outside, and perhaps be taken as slaves to be able to eat food anyway.
  • They might be killed, but they're going to do anyway.
  • At least they could TRY SOMETHING!
They never heard a PROPHET OF GOD SPEAK, as the lord did!

They were outcasts!

They were untouchables, in contrast to the KING touching the Lord.

Walked upon , so to speak!

But they had enough faith!

Reminds me of the uppity, self-righteous elder who thinks he's so close to the pastor and has served God so long that he knows all about everything!
  • But cannot even believe God's word when the going gets tough, and a mere leprous group of peasants took a step of faith without even hearing the preacher encourage them!
God looks not on the outward, friend!
  • He looks on the INWARD!
And as they walk towards the Syrian camp, God supernaturally caused the noise of armies marching to hit the camps.
  • And the Syrians thought Samaria hired the Hittites and the Egyptian armies to come to their rescue, and dropped everything they had and fled.
  • And we learn that they left in such fear that they threw away any bit of food they had for the long haul during the siege, and dropped gold and silver everywhere as they ran!
  • They left what they had, and dropped what they carried as they ran!
The lepers faith expected them to at least be taken as slaves to eat bread and drink water.
  • But God does above what we can even ask or think!
  • The lepers walked into troves of wealth and food, and feasting!
The lepers consider the great news and feel they should tell Samaria.
  • The lord should have marched in in bold and brave regalia!
  • And take the good news to the city!
  • But four cast-down lepers were used by God instead!
And just as the prophet said, the next day at that same time when the king was so worried about famine, Samaria got so much food and wealth from the abandoned camps of Syria, that fine flour was sold for one single piece of silver!

2 Kings 7:16  And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

And remember the untouchable lepers were at the gate, who had a bit of faith, while the lord whose hand the king touched had doubted?

2 Kings 7:17  And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

Untouchable Lepers, walked upon, so to speak, by society, are at a gate have faith and LIVE despite death...

This "touchable" Lord is slain AT THE SAME GATE, and actually trodden upon and killed.

Everyone faced the same situations in Samaria that day!
  • But some outcast lepers, whom people pretty-well walked upon, as far as their status in society went as outcasts, who were actually a threat to society, became the SAVIOURS OF THAT SOCIETY.
  • They come walking into the city fat from eating, and clothed in glorious robes of wealth, while everyone around is starving and staring at them.
  • Imagine the sight!
  • LEPERS!
  • And the lord, who should have helped the city, doubted, and HE WAS TRAMPLED UNDER by the city due to his unbelief at the very gate where the lepers believed!
  • UPSIDEDOWN!
  • Totally reversed!
  • Tables completely turned around!
God looked at those lepers as true lords!

Praise God!

And that Lord was actually the threat to the city because he could not even believe God!
  • People who cannot believe should not lead!
  • Israel was God's PEOPLE!
  • Her leaders should be believers!
  • But sometimes God has to take the ones who are considered outcasts by carnal people, and make them the lords!
In a world where everything seems unfair, and where truly spiritual people are not recognized, while carnal people seem to get by and are falsely impressing people in a show, GOD CAN PUT THINGS BACK IN ORDER IF SOMEONE WILL CROSS THE JORDAN AND GET PAST THE FLESH BARRIER AND BELIEVE GOD!

Stop complaining about the situation and start crossing your JORDAN!

Like Old Jerusalem with hypocrites leading the worship, in areas and regions that are overridden with the works of the devil, cities have churches and preachers in lime light who are crooks and liars.
  • And the real church needs to get stirred up and believe God in sincerity without hypocrisy.
  • And start changing the spiritual status of their cities!
  • And see the TRUE CHURCH rise in status to be seen to GLORIFY GOD.
  • We will glorify God and turn the limelight onto Him when God uses us and men try to put us in the spotlight!
You can influence your city and your home and your life, if you will cross your Jordan and take a step of faith!