2 Samuel 23:9-12 He’s not distracted that his hand is cramped onto the sword. This is not the time for quitting.
9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.
11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.
Last week Naboth’s stood his ground and refused to give up the inheritance received from his fathers. This inheritance connected to God’s promises was important enough for Naboth to die for. Everything battle you face in life is not worth dying for, but Eleanor, Shammah and Naboth knew when it was time.
Romans 8:37
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Ahab and Jezebel’s approach symptomatic... the serpent deceives. The dragon takes by force. Ahab asked permission. The initial approach was not to take but to entice Naboth to yield. Satan cannot take whatever he wants. 3 problems people have spiritually:
Unsaved and blindly walking towards the edge of eternal destruction. Through the word
Say, “I love God,” but have no desire to know Him.
Know His word, just disobey—not that big a deal
Snake and a plan
Underestimated is the exercise of free will and the trickery of Satan. Satan slithers w/ his traps and tricks into position. His venom paralyzes. He wraps, squeezes and his constriction wraps and entraps. Once the trap is set it’s never as easy to get out [Psalm 91]. One last thing to say about the free will, deception and the strike. A snake repeatedly flicks its tongue many times before it ever sinks its fangs. It’s sensing both the prey and the environment. It’s sensing and adjusting as needed.
Like a snake, Satan hides his real intent until he’s ready to strike. He hides in the shadows watching our responses to situations and circumstances. Satan will put people and situations in our path to position us for the strike.
A Rat and a grape
Believer’s are not supposed to be vulnerable prey. They have access to the truth. He has the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit gives discernment. The more a person yields to the Holy Spirit and focuses on God’s truth, the more discernment they receive. The more a person yields and focuses on what life has brought, the more distracted they become—the more vulnerable they are.
Examples:
Two single adults. Both desire companionship. Both love God. It starts innocent. It starts as a friendship. It starts slow. Talking turns to texting, and before you know it texting turns to kissing. And well from there not much more needs to be said. How dare you preacher. I’m an adult, and I am allowed to kiss or make out with someone if I want to! Yes, you can do what you want with your free will. That’s the point. He flicked his tongue, sensed you were ready for a nibble, the paths converged…
There are a lot of people who want a new life. Tired of drugs, tired of men or vice versa, just looking for fellowship—need some good social companionship. They seek out fellowship with other believers, and end up in a church full of false doctrine. You think demons of lust are bad? You don’t want to get caught up in doctrines of devils. That serpent will slowly constrict the life out of you.
Jezebel and Ahab are types of spiritual darkness infiltrating the kingdom of God. Adam allowed the serpent into the garden, Ahab allowed Jezebel into the kingdom and Christian’s, have been known to allow darkness into their lives:
But Paul warned
KJV Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.
NASB Ephesians 4:27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.
NIV Ephesians 4:27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
Eleazer the son of Dodo and Shammah were examples of God’s people taking a stand against darkness, not giving into it:
Ephesians 6:10-11
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:13
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
NASB Ephesians 5:8-14 a teenage girl whispers to her friend about what her and her boyfriend did 2 nights ago
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
Sometimes we feel too weak to stand
David’s men came to serve him before he was given His crown. When they first arrived, they looked weak and pitiful:
1 Samuel 22:1-2
1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. 2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
Think about that. They were distressed and in debt. David wasn’t on the throne yet, but he was the rightful king and they came to serve him. After spending time serving him, this is how a couple of these men were described:
Eleazer’s hand grew weary in the battle, but his hand clung to his sword. Paul learned in (2 Cor 12:9) “In my weakness, His strength is made perfect.
God’s word tells us not to grow weary in well doing when everyone else ran away, in fear, God helped Eleazer grip the sword tighter.
Why you want to fight over a patch of peas Shammah? Because these peas don’t belong to the Philistines. This pea patch belongs to God, He gave it to us and the people of God don’t give up their inheritance to the devil.
If New Testament Christian’s would spend more time learning what the scriptures say, so they could believe what God says about them instead of what the world says, they, too, would become kingdom warriors:
This thing we’re seeing with Israel is big. This thing with America is big. The vineyard was big, the pea patch was big, but you do understand that there is something bigger, than the conflict in Israel and what we’re experiencing in America? The snake is flicking his tongue and he’s trying to gain an angle on people’s souls, and more than anything he wants the souls of God’s people:
Luke 17:21
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Satan wants the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God is in God’s people and people think that they’re ready, and I so hope that we are.
But just as the devil offered Adam and Eve a lie, he offers people lies today and wants them to trade their eternal inheritance for something temporary. He tried to do that to Jesus also:
Luke 4:6-8
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Satan told Jesus that the kingdoms and their glory were delivered to him, and that now, he can give them to whomever he wills. Who do you reckon gave Satan the kingdoms?
Adam yielded his authority to Satan, as a result, Satan has power on earth.
Deliver- to surrender or yield.
God gave it to Adam, but Adam traded his authority to Satan for a lie.
Jesus doesn’t yield to Satan or His friend’s:
Luke 4:8
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Matthew 16:23
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
There is no time to get snared in Satan’s traps
Both Peter and Satan were trying to get Jesus to focus on temporary kingdoms. You might get caught up in temporary problems, but Jesus said that the offense is a trap, the trap is a temporary promise, and he’s telling Satan to get behind him. What is the trap in front of you?
Jesus came from heaven to earth to give us back our power and our inheritance, so that He can resume His plan of filling the earth with His glory.
Inheritance from God
Satan wants to steal what God has given you. In Christ, God has given us great power and an inheritance, and its important that we understand what we have in Christ:
Ephesians 1:17-19
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.
Throughout the Bible, the people that failed God and received a bad testimony from the scriptures are those, who didn’t care about God’s word, didn’t believe God’s word or were somehow deceived related to God’s word.
Adam, was deceived & delivered his power to Satan
Esau didn’t care & sold his birthright for a bowl of lentils
The 10 spies didn’t believe and said they were grasshoppers in the eyes of the giants
Israel cowered in fear and unbelief as Goliath ridiculed God’s people
The prodigal son spent his inheritance on prostitutes and pig slop
Adam failed but Jesus said, “It is written Satan”
Esau sold out but Jacob wrestled with God until finally his name was changed to Israel
The 10 grasshoppers died on the other side of Jordan but Joshua and Caleb crossed over and killed giants
Israel cowered. But then David showed up and sunk a rock in Goliath’s head and fed his flesh to the birds.
The prodigal woke up one day, lost his taste for pig slop and prostitutes and said I’m going home to serve my father and there, unexpectedly, received again his authority with a ring and a robe
Satan tries to convince us that he has something better.
Better wife
Better husband
Better job
Better car
Lies and distractions he uses to get an entry and keep us away from our purpose for God’s kingdom. There are 2 questions that must be asked before making the deal:
How will this affect my eternal inheritance or purpose?
Is this decision consistent with the written word of God
The more time that we spend w/ God, the more sensitive to His Spirit we should be, but if we are already distracted, [RAT w/ a grape] it’s easier for him to slip in and take something that doesn’t belong to him.
Conclusion
2 Kings 9:30-33 what does she think, she can seduce the new king? Isn’t that what the devil does though? Tries the same old tricks. How many times does he get the same person w/ the same thing time and again.
30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. 31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? 32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. 33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.
The serpent is still looking for an entry. Ahab wants the vineyard. If you won’t give in Jezebel is going to try to kill you to take it. Jesus refused to give up the kingdom of God for an earthly counterfeit. Naboth refused to sell the land. The Eunuch said, “Enough!” And threw her out of the window.
I can’t prove what I’m about to say, but it’s hard for me to believe that at least one of these eunuchs didn’t hear what Jezebel told Ahab her plan to set up Naboth. I believe they heard her wicked plan. I believe they heard the news that Naboth died standing up for the inheritance, and I believe that they were ready for a new king!
