IN TUNE WITH GOD

“’Now, bring me a musician.’ While the musician played, the Lord's hand came on Elisha.” (2 Kings 3:15 HCSB)

Musical instruments need to be tuned. Time and use take their toll, and the result is the same keys or strings may be struck on different instruments, but will have a discordant sound. That’s not good for enjoying harmony.

Likewise, we can be out of tune spiritually. There can be no harmony with God until we get in tune with Him.  Are our thoughts, motives, and passions in alignment with His?

Elisha was a man in tune with God.  There are several lessons here for us today.

The first lesson concerns THE DROUGHT OF A WORD FROM THE LORD (v.1-10).

“So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out. After they had traveled their indirect route for seven days, they had no water for the army or their animals. Then the king of Israel said, ‘Oh no, the Lord has summoned three kings, only to hand them over to Moab.’" (v.9-10)

There would be a real need for actual water to satisfy the army’s thirst.  But, this drought reflected a spiritual drought—the lack of a Word from God.  There were hundreds of false prophets in Israel, but they needed to hear from a man of God.  Later, Jeremiah would condemn the Jews for turning to false religion and away from the Living God by using the analogy of water:

“For My people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jer.2:13 HCSB)

Ponder THE CAUSE OF THIS DROUGHT (v.1-3). 

“Joram son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria during the eighteenth year of Judah's King Jehoshaphat and reigned 12 years.  He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, but not like his father and mother, for he removed the sacred pillar of Baal his father had made.  Nevertheless, Joram clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. He did not turn away from them.”  (2 Kings 3:1-3 HCSB)

Joram wasn’t in tune with God.  While the text acknowledges that he wasn’t quite as off key as his perverse parents, Ahab and Jezebel, he was still an idolater. He didn’t hear from God, because he worshipped idols rather than the true and living God. The king’s gods were silent because they were dumb images without the capacity to speak.

Idolatry is such folly!  Why do people give themselves to that which can never help them? The things of this material world can never buy us love, bring lasting joy, provide peace, or offer lasting security. If we depend on the arm of flesh we can’t be lifted by the arm of God. If we listen to the wisdom of the world, we can’t receive the Word of the Lord.  That Word is what Joram needed, but he wasn’t in a condition to receive it.

So, the army faced THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS DROUGHT (v.4-10). 

“So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out. After they had traveled their indirect route for seven days, they had no water for the army or their animals. Then the king of Israel said, ‘Oh no, the Lord has summoned three kings, only to hand them over to Moab.’" (v.9-10)

The army found itself in a wilderness without water. They would become weak and be defeated.  Dehydration in the desert would doom them.

Isn’t that a picture of God’s army today? Here we are, a church of Christian soldiers, in the spiritual wasteland of this world.  We are weak and beaten down by the ferocious forces of hell. What’s the problem? 

The drought we are experiencing is a scarcity of the water of the Word of God. The heavens are shut up, the wells of wisdom are stopped up, and the river of the Spirit is dammed up. In this state we have no hope of victory.  The church has come to the empty cisterns of pragmatism and traditionalism and emotionalism—broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

A second lesson concerns THE DEMAND OF A WORD FROM THE LORD (v.11-19).

“But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Isn't there a prophet of the Lord here? Let's inquire of Yahweh through him.’” (v.11a)

“Elisha responded, ‘As the Lord of Hosts lives, I stand before Him. If I did not have respect for King Jehoshaphat of Judah, I would not look at you; I wouldn't take notice of you.  Now, bring me a musician.’  While the musician played, the Lord's hand came on Elisha.” (v.14-15)

Elisha was a man in tune with God.  As the music plays, the message is given, and as the message is received a miracle transpires.  This is what happens when we get in tune with God.  In these verses we see that there are three keys to remember to get in tune with God: desperation, association, and preparation.

The first key is DESPERATION  (v.11-13). 

“But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Isn't there a prophet of the Lord here? Let's inquire of Yahweh through him.’  One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, ‘Elisha son of Shaphat, who used to pour water on Elijah's hands, is here.’ Jehoshaphat affirmed, ‘The Lord's words are with him.’ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went to him. However, Elisha said to King [Joram] of Israel, ‘We have nothing in common. Go to the prophets of your father and your mother!’  But the king of Israel replied, ‘No, because it is the Lord who has summoned these three kings to hand them over to Moab.’” (v.11-13)

You know that the wicked King Joram had no desire to stoop to being a beggar by going hat in hand to Elisha.  Desperation drove him.

Perhaps our drought will elevate desire to the point of desperation. Maybe we will soon find conditions so critical that we will humble ourselves and seek the Lord.  It could be that we will then thirst for a Word from the Lord, cease digging broken cisterns, and return to the Fountain of Living Water.  It seems that when most afflicted, we’re most attentive.  

We must desire and demand a Word from the Lord!   What would happen in our churches tomorrow, if we would hear from men of God who had a message from God? There will always be someone in tune with God, if we take time to listen.  I’m not sure if we are thirsty enough—yet.

The next key to getting in tune with God is ASSOCIATION (v.14-15). 

“Elisha responded, ‘As the Lord of Hosts lives, I stand before Him. If I did not have respect for King Jehoshaphat of Judah, I would not look at you; I wouldn't take notice of you.  Now, bring me a musician.’  While the musician played, the Lord's hand came on Elisha.” (v.14-15)

Elisha did not answer because of the plea of Joram, but because of his association with Jehoshaphat.  The King of Israel was undeserving of a response, so Elisha did it for the King of Judah’s sake.  

We can cry out to God in faith that He will answer, not for our sake—we are undeserving, but for the sake of another—the King of kings—Jesus Christ!  We pray in His name.  It is our association with the Son that ushers us into the presence of the Father!  There is no other way to get in tune with God.

The third key to getting in tune with God is PREPARATION (v.16-19). 

“Then he said, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Dig ditch after ditch in this wadi.” For the Lord says, “You will not see wind or rain, but the wadi will be filled with water, and you will drink-you and your cattle and your animals.'” This is easy in the Lord's sight. He will also hand Moab over to you.  Then you must attack every fortified city and every choice city. You must cut down every good tree and stop up every spring of water. You must ruin every good piece of land with stones.’” (v.16-19)

This was a matter of faith. They were to prepare themselves to receive water although there was not a cloud in the sky—no stormy wind blowing or a clap of thunder in the distance. They were to dig a channel to receive the miracle God had for them.

We are to make our lives channels to receive the flow of truth and then God will send it. How do we prepare? We must dig into the Word and pray to the Lord. “This is easy in the Lord’s sight."   God still speaks and He speaks to those who are in tune with Him.

The third lesson shows us THE DELIVERANCE BY THE WORD OF THE LORD (v.20-27). 

“About the time for the grain offering the [next] morning, water suddenly came from the direction of Edom and filled the land.” (v.20)

Great things happen when we get in tune with God.

The people of God experienced THE VICTORY.

“All Moab had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. So all who could bear arms, from the youngest to the oldest, were summoned and took their stand at the border. When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and the Moabites saw that the water across from them was red like blood.  ‘This is blood!’ they exclaimed. ‘The kings have clashed swords and killed each other. So, to the spoil, Moab!’ However, when the Moabites came to Israel's camp, the Israelites attacked them, and they fled from them. So Israel went into the land and struck down the Moabites.” (v.21-24)

Not only was the water a source of strength for the people of God, it became a weapon to defeat the enemy!  The armies of Israel, Judah and Edom went from impending defeat to overwhelming victory!

That’s what happens when we get in tune with God. The Word of God is the powerful sword of the Spirit in our hands. God supplied the needs of His people. He has promised to bless His Word.  

“For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it [to do]. You will indeed go out with joy and be peacefully guided; the mountains and the hills will break into singing before you, and all the trees of the field will clap [their] hands.” (Isaiah 55:10-12 HCSB)

B.                Along with the victory, we experience THE GLORY. 

C.                 Everyone recognized that day that it was God who brought the victory and not man. God  works in such a way that He receives the glory.  He will not share His glory with another.

      
Our duty is to sow the seed of the Gospel in faith.  It is not a clever presentation or emotional manipulation that will yield the fruit of eternal life—but the powerful seed of the Word.  A church that draws crowds through gimmicks and compromise will have only that—a crowd and they’ll get the glory. But it is a stench in the nostrils of God. A church, however, that is built on the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God in the power of the Spirit will produce disciples and God will be glorified.
           
Let us personally get in tune with God. Let us lead our family to be in tune with God. Let us insist that the church be in tune with God!  Then we will have the victory and God will have the glory!