Ramblings from Retirement – Why Struggle?

Ramblings from Retirement – Why Struggle?
By Lee Hemen, Retired Pastor
March 23, 2021

Have you ever known someone who seems to constantly struggle in life? They struggled on the playground trying to find someone to play with, they struggled through Middle School and High School trying to fit in, and they struggled in college trying to find themselves. When they get a job they struggle with coworkers, bosses, and trying to get ahead. When they look for love they struggle trying to find the “right” one to love and they struggle raising their kids and being partnered in a marriage. And they certainly struggle with their relationship with God.

Esau was this kind of a person who struggled all through his life from his birth to his inheritance. We could make excuses for Esau and say that his twin brother Jacob was a grasping deceiver but we forget that we all make choices in life and perhaps this is where many of our struggles come from?

Esau was impulsive and knew he should have safeguarded his relationship with his father but he did not give a thought to the future and lived for the day instead. After returning home from hunting game to prepare a meal for his dying dad he learns the awful truth that his brother had tricked their father into giving him his rightful blessing.

When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me–me too, my father!” But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.” Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?” Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud. His father Isaac answered him, “Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness, away from the dew of heaven above. You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.” Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob. (Genesis 27:34-41 NIV)”

Now Esau makes threats and his brother flees for his life. Both learn tough lessons. Jacob learns what deceitfulness is all about from his future father-in-law. Esau marries “Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had” (Genesis 28:9 NIV), while Jacob heads to Haran to find a wife. His father-in-law Laban uses him and deceives him into first marrying Leah in order to finally marry Rachel whom he truly loved. Leah ends up having sons and Rachel remains barren. She then gives Jacob her maidservant Bilhah for sexual relations, and she gives birth to two sons. Leah gets mad and gives Jacob her maidservant Zilpah (Are you getting a picture here?) And back and forth and back and forth it goes until Rachel gives birth to Joseph who gets stuffed in a well because his brothers end up hating and are jealous of Joseph because he is spoiled by their parents. This is a whole other story. Jacob finally gets away from Laban with his wives and kids and heads back home. On the way there he meets his brother who at first is loaded for bear but they end up forgiving one another and Jacob does the right thing by Esau.

All of this to say that we often make our own struggles in life because of the choices we make. This was certainly true for Esau. We truly do not need to struggle in life because we have someone who is more than willing to take on our struggles and make them His own. Jesus related, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)” Why struggle, let Jesus struggle for you.

This article is copyrighted © 2021 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

Respond to God’s direction! — 2 Kings 8:1-2; 9:1-6, 10b-13

Respond to God’s direction! — 2 Kings 8:1-2; 9:1-6, 10b-13
By Pastor Lee Hemen
October 7, 2018

On March 23, 1775, the second Virginia convention met in Saint John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia. This convention moved that the colony be armed. In defense Patrick Henry spoke these passionate words: “Gentlemen may cry, ‘Peace! Peace!’ But there is no peace! The war is actually begun! … Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!” Patrick Henry expressed publicly the thoughts of many that God was concerned about what happened to the colonies. Because of the courageous decisions and actions of Henry and others, we enjoy freedom in our nation.

These verses are about how a Shunammite woman responded to a command from Elisha, how an unnamed prophet obeyed Elisha and carried out a dangerous mission, and how some military leaders made a courageous decision in the face of danger. These examples are designed to move believers to follow God’s direction. In fact we will discover that God offers us guidance and expects us to follow it. Let’s see how we can respond to God’s direction…

READ: 2 Kings 8:1-2; 9:1-6, 10b-13

God’s directions either come to us directly from Scripture or they are in harmony with Scripture and its teachings. Here we discover that…

I. Responding to God’s directions can involve making any of several choices! (2 Kings 8:1-2)

Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.” The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.

1. God is concerned about widows and orphans and other needy people. The woman and her son were the same woman and son whom he raised from the dead after he suffered sunstroke. God had promised this lady a boy and he had come through and now Elisha was watching over her family. Elisha told the woman to take her household and find a place outside Israel where she could stay during the next seven years. The prophet announced that the Lord had called for a seven-year famine in the land. Evidently the woman was now widowed. When Elisha instructed the woman and her family to leave Israel, they did as the Lord directed. They left their home, their farm, and their friends. They left Israel and stayed in the land of the Philistines for seven years. The direction Elisha gave the woman was in keeping with God’s will and plans. Believers need to be sure the direction they receive is God’s and is either directly from or is in harmony with the Scriptures, which reveal God’s will. We do not all of a sudden receive directions from God that are inconsistent with his will and ways. Sometimes God’s advice may seem difficult, hard, or impossible but when God gives us directions we must be willing to make the hard choices and follow him. Later events in the Shunammite woman’s life proved that God takes care of those who respond obediently to him. Has there been a time when God asked you to follow him, what did you do? Was it difficult to follow his desire for your life? Often when we follow the plan of God it can be difficult just like it was for this woman and her son to pick up and leave their home, farm, and family and go to a foreign place. But she was willing to do so. Responding to God’s directions can involve making any of several choices!

EXAMPLE: While the woman was away, the state had taken control of her property. Without a husband to reclaim it when the family returned, she went to the king. In the providence of God, the king was talking to Gehazi, Elisha’s former servant, about how Elisha raised this woman’s young son from the dead. While the king and the prophet’s former servant were discussing that event, the woman and her son came before the king. When Gehazi identified her, the king ordered an official to give the woman back everything that belonged to her plus any income derived from her land while she was gone. God honored her obedient response to Elisha by working out the problem that her obedience cost her even though it was seven years later. God honors obedience, though that does not always happen immediately. Responding to God’s directions can involve making any of several choices!

A second choice about God’s direction concerns making a courageous response. Some responses involve possible dangerous consequences. In those situations we discover that…

II. Responding to God’s directions calls for us to be courageous in obeying him! (2 Kings 9:1-6)

The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead. When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run; don’t delay!” So the young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead. When he arrived, he found the army officers sitting together. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said. “For which of us?” asked Jehu. “For you, commander,” he replied. Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu’s head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel.

1. One of the “sons of the prophets” responded to Elisha’s instruction with admirable courage. He was to complete the charge God gave to Elijah by anointing Jehu as king of Israel. Jehu was to reestablish God’s rule over the Northern Kingdom. He was also to bring the judgment that God had told Elijah to prophesy on the house of Ahab and Jezebel for their sins against Naboth, the Lord’s prophets, and Israel’s people. His three commands to the unnamed prophet were to “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead.” He was to go, run, and anoint! Elisha tells him, “Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run; don’t delay!” Can you imagine doing something like this nowadays? If the messenger wanted to live he needed to get Jehu alone. Ahab or Jezebel would surely have had him killed for delivering the anointing of God that threatened their power. The prophet was to leave that inner room immediately and flee. He was not to wait around for anything. His mission was urgent and potentially dangerous. The young prophet promptly obeyed Elisha, going to Ramoth Gilead as instructed. Whatever anxious thoughts this young man may have had about this mission and journeying to the scene of the war, he disregarded. Jehu was consulting with his officers. Possibly, they were discussing military strategy for the war. Jehu left his officers and went into the house where they could be alone. Once inside that inner room, the prophet poured the oil on Jehu’s head. Then he delivered the message from God. He promptly and courageously responded in obedience to God’s direction through Elisha. Responding to God’s directions calls for us to be courageous in obeying him!

EXAMPLE: Obeying God’s direction to us often requires courage on our part. The prophet’s mission to anoint Jehu as king was dangerous because Israel already had a king, Joram. Elisha was involving this young prophet in an action to replace Joram as Israel’s leader. If God had not instructed Elisha to anoint Jehu, this action would have been highly questionable. Elisha had to have courage for the same reasons the young prophet needed courage. Jehu also had to make a courageous response to accept God’s anointing him to be king with Joram still alive. Sometimes God’s direction may involve personal danger. We should respond to God’s directions immediately, in a courageous manner, and with trust in the Lord. Responding to God’s directions calls for us to be courageous in obeying him!

A third kind of response to God’s direction is doing so publicly. Elisha and the prophet had both made public responses. Believers know about public responses because they generally begin their Christian lives making some kind of public response to Christ’s invitation to salvation. We learn that…

III. Responding to God’s call may mean doing so publicly! (2 Kings 9:10-13)

As for Jezebel, dogs will devour her on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.’“ Then he opened the door and ran. When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?” “You know the man and the sort of things he says,” Jehu replied. “That’s not true!” they said. “Tell us.” Jehu said, “Here is what he told me: ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’“ They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”

1. We also discover God also had a task for Jehu. The Lord’s message revealed that Jehu was to destroy Ahab’s house and avenge the deaths of the Lord’s prophets and his servants who Jezebel had killed. Jehu was to destroy every descendant of Ahab and bring about the death of Jezebel. After delivering such a frightful and important message, the young prophet opened the door and ran like the wind, just as Elisha instructed. When the prophet left, Jehu’s officers asked if everything was all right. They wondered why a crazy person, a madman, had come to him. Jehu was evasive at first and answered their questions by reminding them that they knew about prophets, how they behaved, and what kinds of things prophets said. They could have had various reasons for calling the prophet a crazy person. The Hebrew word means “mad” and was used in a derogatory sense. Prophets often wore unusual clothing and spoke weird things concerning God. And this “madman” prophet had made a mad dash into and then out of their camp. The officers refused to be put off. They said, “That’s not true!” Those three words translate one Hebrew word that means “lie.” The officers did not know what the prophet had said, so they demanded, “Tell us!” Answering them, Jehu first said that the prophet had declared his message was what the Lord says. His message was from the Lord through Elisha and then through the young prophet as Elisha’s messenger. “I anoint you king over Israel.” The officers responded quickly. They expressed the decision of their hearts by what they did. Each person threw his garment under Jehu on the steps where he was standing. Then, they blew the trumpet for all to hear and shouted “Jehu is king!” Their public actions contained meaningful symbolism. One’s garment or outer cloak was a symbol of power and personality. Through their actions, the officers were showing their personal agreement with Jehu’s becoming king and their willingness to take necessary action so he could begin his reign. Responding to God’s call may mean doing so publicly!

EXAMPLE: When God gives a direction, he wants those to whom he speaks to be prepared to respond in an appropriate, visible manner. The officers’ response was visible. Everyone around them saw and heard what they did and said. Their response was appropriate. Placing their cloaks under Jehu and blowing the trumpet were appropriate ways to indicate publicly their response to Jehu as the new king. Responding to God’s call may mean doing so publicly!

Conclusion:

Responding to God’s directions can involve making any of several choices! Responding to God’s directions calls for us to be courageous in obeying him! Responding to God’s call may mean doing so publicly!
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This article is copyrighted © 2018 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

Do You Think You Are Unaccountable? – Isaiah 17:1-3, 7-9; 18:1-7

Do You Think You Are Unaccountable? – Isaiah 17:1-3, 7-9; 18:1-7
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 2, 2014 AM

There are many in our day think they are unaccountable to anyone for what they say or do. This is simply misguided. Our choices affect not only our lives but the lives of others as well. Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks found this to be true much to his chagrin and the embarrassment of his teammates. Sherman made some wild comments following the NFC Championship Game in the heat of the moment and now is the focus instead of his team. When God’s people decide to circumnavigate God’s command, others, like family or friends, will be affected by our ungodly choices.

Some folks are continually sorry for the outcome of their actions, but their sorrow never leads them to change their lives. They blame others, family, society, income, education, physical or emotional disabilities. God’s people need to take responsibility for their lives. God wants to work in His people’s lives to transform them into a faithful followers, and this is what the church should be a part of helping folks to do. Let me ask, “Do you think you are unaccountable?” Let’s see what Isaiah teaches us…

READ: Isaiah 17:1-3, 7-9; 18:1-7

Isaiah prophesied against foreign nations primarily for the benefit of Judah. Judah trusted more in military alliances than in God’s protection. In fact, they seemed more willing to worship the false gods of other nations than God Himself. Isaiah hoped if his people knew God would destroy the faithless nations on whom they depended and feared, Judah might return to God. Babylon, Assyria, Israel to the north, Cush, and Egypt would all be destroyed. Isaiah teaches us whether great or small, even…

I. The Powerful Are Accountable! (Isaiah 17:1-3)
1. Like the prophecy to King Ahaz, Isaiah’s prophecy regarding Damascus (Syria’s capital) dates to 734 B.C. The two major roads connecting Mesopotamia to Egypt (the Via Maris or coastal road and the King’s Highway or interior road) both passed through Damascus. The strategic location of Damascus enabled the city to exercise influence far beyond its size. Isaiah’s prophecy of the complete destruction of Damascus came true remarkably quickly. In 732 B.C. the Assyrians captured Damascus, carrying many of its inhabitants into exile. For most of Old Testament history, Israel and Damascus experienced an uneasy relationship. One or the other dominated the other. Isaiah proclaimed God would create peace between the two nations, not by healing old wounds but by destroying both lands! “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites.” The folks who had aligned themselves with Damascus, Moabites and others would be “deserted and left to flocks” all the way from the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) to Damascus! Their fortified cities would disappear and the royal court would be gone! Isaiah sarcastically compared the remnant of Damascus after its destruction to the faded splendor of Israel after its destruction. Assyria conquered Damascus in 732 B.C. and Israel ten years later, reducing both kingdoms to mere shadows of their former greatness. Those who think they are powerful and important today are so much dust tomorrow! Isaiah’s inclusion of Israel in his prophecies against foreign nations implied their rebellion against God had placed the nation among those who had never known God! Syria and Israel trusted in their power instead of God. God holds us accountable for our lives and our decisions! Isaiah teaches us that the powerful are accountable!
EXAMPLE: We see people like Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus using their fame and ungodly actions in order to gain financially and have greater personal recognition. Then there are those in politics who think they can continually fool people by promising them what they want to hear but not following through with their promises. The Bible teaches us that even the powerful are accountable to God!

Both Syria and Israel trusted in their power, believing they had no accountability before God. Their power did not exempt them and could not save them from God’s judgment. If we think position in the community or in church exempts us from accountability to God, we are mistaken. God holds us accountable for our lives and our decisions. In fact, Isaiah teaches us…

II. The Privileged Are Accountable! (Isaiah 17:7-9)
1. God’s people had turned away from Him to such a degree that the designation of God as the “Holy One of Israel” emphasized the great separation between God and His people. God is pure, but they were sinful. Israel had rejected its “Maker”. As Creator, God had made all things and all peoples, but He also had made Israel, His people, into a nation (Exodus 19:4-6). Israel had forgotten its birthright! God’s judgment of Israel had a positive goal. God hoped in difficult times His people would look to Him rather than to false gods. They had fallen so much that they had begun to stare intently at false gods, things, and the works of their own hands to save them instead of the Living God! Isaiah reminds them, “They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.” God desired Israel to focus on Him and experience life, but accomplishing His goal required the drastic measure of punishing Israel for its rebellion. God will do the same in the life of Christians who continually reject His teaching and instead depend upon themselves and the ungodly world to live their lives! This is why over and over Scripture reminds us that God will not be mocked. God’s judgment would accomplish His goal. Israel would turn from false gods and to the true God. Israel had altars to many false gods, choosing to worship what they made rather than their Maker. “In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation.” Asherah and her husband El served as their highest gods, with Asherah being the important fertility goddess. Asherah supposedly gave birth to 70 gods, including Baal, who demanded child sacrifice! Worship sites often featured Asherah groves or poles erected at high places. God’s punishment would prove Asherah had no power to provide life. God had chosen the Israelites to be His special people, but as the years passed both Israel and Judah abandoned their faith in God. In response, God sent judgment to punish His people for their sin. Their privilege did not remove their accountability before God. Chillingly, in the following verse we read, “You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.” This should remind us as believers; even the privileged are accountable to God!
EXAMPLE: There are believers who think that because they have placed their faith in Christ, they can live their lives on the edge of disobedience. There is no such thing as minor disobedience in God’s kingdom because if you are disobedient in what you consider minor things, you are still disobedient! Thinking we can do whatever we want in our personal lives without consequence is dangerous thinking. Jesus taught, “That men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37 NIV) and that, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14, 16 NIV) This should remind us as believers; even the privileged are accountable to God!

God sent judgment to punish His people for their sin but even more to encourage them to return to faith in Him. Being a member of the church today also does not exempt us from accountability before God. Having taken the name of Christ, we need to grow in faith and let our words and deeds match our commitment. Isaiah teaches us that…

III. All People Are Accountable! (Isaiah 18:1-7)
1. God says there will be “woe” to all people who ignore His promise. In fact, God tells His people to send, “swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers.” His people were to take His message to every corner of the world! Just as in all four gospels and the Book of Acts where we are commanded to “go therefore into all the earth”! God’s judgment would come and “All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it.” Cush wanted Judah to join them and promised help if Assyria attacked. When the Assyrians moved against Judah Cush quickly retreated, leaving Judah to suffer the consequences. Judah sinned by trusting in human alliances rather than God. Judah willingly went to the ends of the earth to secure help but refused to turn to God. Isaiah appealed to all people to notice the hand of God at work and to turn to Him. God told Isaiah, “I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place, like shimmering heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” Nothing escapes God, including any opportunity to call His people back to Himself. Even though we may not see action, God is at work watching and waiting. However, “before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives, and cut down and take away the spreading branches.” God would act before the fruit of their disobedience could fully form! “They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey and to the wild animals; the birds will feed on them all summer, the wild animals all winter!” Corpses would fill the fields and scavengers would enjoy a year-round feast because not enough people would remain to bury the dead! Where Israel failed, Cush would understand God’s actions as indicating His sovereignty over all people and their accountability to Him. Cush would journey to Jerusalem bringing a gift to God, “At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned.” Do you understand what God is telling Isaiah? Those who were not originally the chosen people would recognize God! They would understand all people are accountable to God!
EXAMPLE: As Sovereign Lord of the world, God justly holds all people, including Christians accountable. God does not excuse believers from accountability; but like a loving Father, He judges our rebellion and seeks to guide us along a better path. Accountability functions positively to lead us away from a destructive lifestyle separated from God so we can live for God, blessing others and guiding them to find faith and life in Christ.

Conclusion:

The powerful, the privileged, and all of us are accountable to God!
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This article is copyrighted © 2014 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.