ST. PAUL SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP

"Be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ." (I Corinthians 11:1)

(With Frank Eiklor, Christopher Lucey, Walter and Cecilia Contreras)

WINNERS AND LOSERS

(THE BOOK OF 2 KINGS-PART 1)

LESSON 50 Part 1

INTRODUCTION

Remember the saying that those who refuse to learn from history are condemned to repeat it?

That warning applies to biblical history as well as to the secular.

Paul urged the Corinthian Christians to apply to their lives the lessons of the Old Testament. "Now all these things happened to them for examples: and they are written for our admonition…" (see 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11). Paul warns that those who are too proud, lazy or foolish to learn from those who pleased God and won, and those who disobeyed the Lord and lost, will be in danger of a terrible fall (see 1 Corinthians 10:12,13).

Let's continue our study of winners and losers-this time beginning in 2 Kings. We will eventually travel all the way through the Old Testament.

WHEN CHILDREN MUST CHOOSE

2 KINGS

1:1-4 A son of an evil king chooses to walk in the steps of his father rather than turn around, and pays the same price for sin (note: vv 7, 8 Ahaziah knew Elijah's reputation and life, but ignored him).

2:1-14 Elisha an example of a faithful disciple who determined to be like

his master.

2:23, 24 Tragic example of little children whose mocking of God's servant

cost them their lives (42 kids dead). Was their mockery against Elisha a reflection of their parent's examples?!

3:1-3, 13, 14 Example of a man who rejected the "cold" (Rev. 3:16) of his evil

parents but still chose to be "lukewarm" and felt God's stinging rebuke through Elisha.

3:7, 10, 11 Jehoshaphat-Example of a man loved by God but with a dangerous habit of committing himself to paths of action before

seeking God's will, rather than the other way around (he did the

same with Ahab).

4:1-10, 13, 16, 30, 36 Two special women are examples of faith and love.

5:1-3 A little maid-nameless-an example of God using the "foolish"

and "weak" to effect world evangelism.

CRUSHED PRIDE

5:5-18 Naaman-an example of how pride must be crushed before God's grace and power can be experienced.

5:15, 16, 20, 25-27 Elisha and Gehazi-Examples of two hearts-one emptied of

Greed, the other filled with it.

6:15-17, 22, 23 Elisha and Gehazi-Examples of living in the world of the spiritual versus walking in the flesh. (Note also how kindness worked better than killing.)

7:1, 2, 16, 17 Example-One of the world's "wise men" challenges the word

of God-and fulfills it with his death.

FOUR LEPERS LEAVE A LESSON

7:3-9 Example-Four lepers teach us not to withhold God's good news.

8:16-18, 26, 27 Example-Take a stand against evil behavior of in-laws or else

surrender to it and become identified with them.

9:30-37 Jezebel-God's example of how His wheels of justice sometimes

grind slowly, but leave nothing except dust. (See also 10:6, 7, 16-

28).

10:16, 28-31 Example of how a man's zeal for God can turn to arrogance.

11:1-3, 12-18, 20 Example of a power-mad, conspiring woman destroyed by the Lord (vv 4, 17 Jehoiada-how God plus one equals a majority).

(TO BE CONTINUED)