August 17th, 2006
Hope Study – Edition #4: Eyes with a Vision
2nd Kings 6:8-17
Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”
The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” 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.
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?”
“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.”
“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.” Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
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.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
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.
This is the scripture we talked about last night at midweek. The phrase “what shall we do” is used six times in the bible. Twice in 1st Samuel in regards to the Ark, once in Song of Solomon in reference to a woman being ready for her husband, once in the scripture above, and then twice in the book of Acts.
Acts 2:36-41
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Acts 21:17-26
When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”
The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.
In all three of these verses, the question is asked “What Shall We Do?” And in each place, the answer is sound. Acts 21, the answer is quite amazing. You have to look for it in depth (at least I did, maybe others it just pops right out) but I had to dig to get this one. Paul had to purify himself according to their customs. This is important because he became “like them” to save them. His vision is to do the will of God, and to do that, he would not let anything stand in his way, whether it be harmless customs and lifestyles that don’t conflict in God’s way, doing something that may please a group of people so that he can reach that people, or whatever petty barrier, Paul changed his dynamic to help others. That was the vision of Paul.
1st Corinthians 9:19-23
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
1st Corinthians 9:20 became:
ghin'-om-ahee
A prolonged and middle form of a primary verb; to cause to be (“gen” -erate), that is, (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literally, figuratively, intensively, etc.): - arise be assembled, be (come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, be done, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.
1st Corinthians 9:22 some:
tis
An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object: - a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, -thing, -what), (+ that no-) thing, what (-soever), X wherewith, whom [-soever], whose ([-soever]).
Paul did this… he performed, he required himself to be like others so that he MIGHT save one. That was his vision. What is my vision?
Peter was asked the question, “What shall we do?” His vision is to help others fulfill the promise of God. Not just in baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit, but not living a life full of corruption. His vision was not just the talk, but the WALK. What does it mean to save myself from a corrupt generation?
Acts 2:40 corrupt:
skol-ee-os'
Warped, that is, winding; figuratively perverse: - crooked, froward, untoward.
Corrupt (adj.):
Hope Study – Edition #4: Eyes with a Vision
2nd Kings 6:8-17
Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”
The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” 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.
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?”
“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.”
“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.” Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
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.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
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.
This is the scripture we talked about last night at midweek. The phrase “what shall we do” is used six times in the bible. Twice in 1st Samuel in regards to the Ark, once in Song of Solomon in reference to a woman being ready for her husband, once in the scripture above, and then twice in the book of Acts.
Acts 2:36-41
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Acts 21:17-26
When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”
The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.
In all three of these verses, the question is asked “What Shall We Do?” And in each place, the answer is sound. Acts 21, the answer is quite amazing. You have to look for it in depth (at least I did, maybe others it just pops right out) but I had to dig to get this one. Paul had to purify himself according to their customs. This is important because he became “like them” to save them. His vision is to do the will of God, and to do that, he would not let anything stand in his way, whether it be harmless customs and lifestyles that don’t conflict in God’s way, doing something that may please a group of people so that he can reach that people, or whatever petty barrier, Paul changed his dynamic to help others. That was the vision of Paul.
1st Corinthians 9:19-23
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
1st Corinthians 9:20 became:
ghin'-om-ahee
A prolonged and middle form of a primary verb; to cause to be (“gen” -erate), that is, (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literally, figuratively, intensively, etc.): - arise be assembled, be (come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, be done, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.
1st Corinthians 9:22 some:
tis
An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object: - a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, -thing, -what), (+ that no-) thing, what (-soever), X wherewith, whom [-soever], whose ([-soever]).
Paul did this… he performed, he required himself to be like others so that he MIGHT save one. That was his vision. What is my vision?
Peter was asked the question, “What shall we do?” His vision is to help others fulfill the promise of God. Not just in baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit, but not living a life full of corruption. His vision was not just the talk, but the WALK. What does it mean to save myself from a corrupt generation?
Acts 2:40 corrupt:
skol-ee-os'
Warped, that is, winding; figuratively perverse: - crooked, froward, untoward.
Corrupt (adj.):
- Marked by immorality and perversion; depraved.
- Venal; dishonest.
- Tainted; putrid.
Froward (adj.):
- Stubbornly contrary and disobedient; obstinate.
Acts 2:40 save:
sode'-zo
To save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): - heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.
I felt that to understand what corrupt was in the Greek, I needed to also get a better understanding of the word “save”. If I am saved from corruption, I am delivered from it. In other words, I am not doing dishonest things. And that can go from stealing a pack of 25 cent gum from the local corner store to speeding on the highway to cheating on taxes. It is all dishonest. Am I a froward person? Am I stubbornly disobedient? Do I plead with people who are like this, who are froward and stubborn? Is that my vision, the vision of Peter?
And then there is Elisha. He was asked “What shall we do?” Elisha prayed to have his eyes opened. What shall we do… it’s a question of vision. In a time of despair, it can be a reflection about lack of faith.
Esther 4:12-14
When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”
What shall I do? Am I asking the question deep enough? And who knows but God that I have come about my situation for such a time as this?
Isaiah 6:6-8
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Mike said that he thought he needed a new vision. And what if we all get a new vision… God opens my eyes. God opens your eyes. And then what? The is a time, the time is now. God has prepared me and you to do great things. He is asking, “Whom shall I send?” The question then remains, am I bold enough; do I have the zeal, to say “Send me”?
Johnny Out.
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