The Chariots and Horsemen of Israel
                                  2 Kings 13: 14-19

Setting of Story:
- Kingdom of Israel had been divided, Israel to the North and Judah to the South.
- They each had there own kings.
-  King of Israel is Joash/Yehoash
-  Syria to the North East had been beating Israel to a pulp on a regular basis.
-  Why? Because Israel had become polytheistic.
-   God had allowed this to wake them up.

1. Joash the king of Israel hears that Elisha is dying.
2. Elisha had prophesied in Israel between 60-65 years.
3. His name was a household name.
4. His stories of miracles, deliverances , and revelations were well known.
5. Joash was afraid that God's power in Israel would vanish with Elisha when he died.

        God wants to use Elisha to teach Joash an important lesson.

I. Joash's Fear Expressed to Elisha

2Ki 13:14 Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. "My father! My father!" he cried. "The chariots and horsemen of Israel!"

A. What does Yehoash mean by this statement?

 65 years before this day, Elisha had said those very words when Elijah was taken in
 a fiery chariot.

2Ki 2:11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.  12 Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart.

Another reference to angelic horses and Chariots

2Ki 6:10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.  11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?"  12 "None of us, my lord the king," said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom."  13 "Go, find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him." The report came back: "He is in Dothan."  14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.  15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.  16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."  17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

These stories were well known to Yehoash

Both of these passages help us to understand what Yehoash was feeling.

1. Elisha didn't want Elijah to leave, he needed him - he had been his mentor - Israel needed him.
2.  Joash knew Israel needed the super-natural help that seemed to surround Elisha.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITHOUT YOU ELSIHA?

II. God Wants to Teach Joash an Important Lesson through Elisha the Prophet

2Ki 13:15 Elisha said, "Get a bow and some arrows," and he did so. 16 "Take the bow in your hands," he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king's hands.

Elisha Hands on the kings Hands:

- This was a moment of God's whisper
-  Listen closely, I've got something to teach you.
-  This is an opportunity to learn something.

WE NEED TO LISTEN FOR THESE TIMES
Listen for God's voice:
- In what you read.
- In what you watch on TV.
- In the voice of your children.
- Voice of the high and the lowly.
- This was Joash's time 
- God was presenting an opportunity

III. God Paints a Prophetic Picture with a Bow and Arrows

2Ki 13:17 "Open the east window," he said, and he opened it. "Shoot!" Elisha said, and he shot. "The LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!" Elisha declared. "You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek." 18 Then he said, "Take the arrows," and the king took them. Elisha told him, "Strike the ground." He struck it three times and stopped.  19 The man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times."

1st command of Elisha
Open Window to the East and Shoot

1. Arameans were the Syrians and had taken cities in the east of Israel.

"I went to the enemies camp and I took back what he stole from me."

1. It was a well known custom to declare war by the shooting of an arrow towards enemy territory.
2. GOD IS SAYING: STAND UP AND FIGHT!
3. Joash had been in a "What are we going to do? Mind set

God wanted him to be more like David

When confronted by Goliath the giant David says:

1Sa 17: 45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

1Sa 17:48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.

2nd command of Elisha
Take the arrows and strike the ground

Most Hebrew scholars agree that the Hebrew text indicates shooting the arrows into the ground.  Not just pounding the ground with arrows.

Yehoash only shot 3 arrows into the ground

This angered Elisha!

Shooting three arrows now meant he would only have three victories over the Syrians.

This is exactly what happened:

2Ki 13:25 Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered the Israelite towns. (NIV)

IV. Spiritual Principles Illustrated in the Story of Joash/Yehoash and Elisha.

Principal One: God Responds to Total Dependence

- Why did Joash only shoot 3 arrows?   He wanted to be able to defend himself.

- Passionate faith in God's word would have caused him to empty his quiver.

- If you know God has said GO, there is no plan B.

Pr 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Zec 4:6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.

1. God was looking for a sold out heart
2. He didn't find that in Joash
3. Had he found it - there would have been no end to what Joash could have accomplished for Israel.

Principal Two: God Desires Partnership with Man

The first arrow represented:
- Declaration of war
- Promise of victory over the Syrians

The additional arrows represented:
- The first arrow represented God's promise to take care of things beyond our reach.

- The second arrows represented man's responsibility to partner with God and work
   on those things within his reach.

TO NOT HAVE A "GO AHEAD AND DO IT GOD" ATTITUDE

1. Arms crossed waiting on God
2. God is waiting on them to get up and get going
3. God helps those who help themselves is not a scripture - but in many cases is true.

Moses was one of the most blessed and used of God man to ever walk the earth.
- Here is what it says of Moses:

Ex 40:16 Moses did everything just as the LORD commanded him.

In Ephesians:
Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
 14 Stand firm then…

Question to ask ourselves in the midst of struggle:  Have I done everything I know to do?

Joash's incomplete obedience indicated he was unwilling to really partner with God and do all he could.

Therefore God's partnership with him was limited.

God will help you to do what is within your reach - we trust Him to do what is outside our reach

Principal Three: When God reveals an open door we must not hesitate

Yehoash stood at the door to the greatest opportunity of his life.

2Ki 13:19 The man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times."

- God is pleased with immediate trust and obedience.

-  The children of Israel were being trained in immediate obedience in the wilderness.

 Ex 40:36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out;  37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out-- until the day it lifted.  38 So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels. Moses didn't say, "OK, towards the end of the month we will probably be heading out."

He said: "Pack it up - it's time to go Now!

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Hesitation to God's word is a statement of lack of trust.

On the border of Canaan:

1. God said Go - I'll give it to you!
2. They said no - were scared
3. God shares His heart with Moses:

Nu 14:11 The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?

Nu 14:23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.

God said OK - another 40 years in the wilderness

1. They said OK wait a minute, we'll go:

Nu 14:40 Early the next morning they went up toward the high hill country. "We have sinned," they said. "We will go up to the place the LORD promised."  41 But Moses said, "Why are you disobeying the LORD's command? This will not succeed! 42 Do not go up, because the LORD is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,  43 for the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the LORD, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword."  44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the LORD's covenant moved from the camp.  45 Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah. 

Lack of obedience to God's word showed contempt for God.  (Dishonor - hate)

King Yehoash had an opportunity to enter into a new season of victory at Elisha's word.

But he hesitated - Didn't jump in with both feet.
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Conclusion:

God wanted to use Yehoash

1. Wanted to move his trust from God's man to God himself
2.  Wanted to teach him the reward of total dependence on God. (Joash missed it)
3.  Wanted to get 100% out of Yehoash, and give him 100% of Himself  (He
      missed that too)
4.   God gave Yehoash an open door that would have given him victories beyond his wildest imaginations

Yehoash Hesitated: and settled for 3 victories and mediocrity.