The Divine Crash

Today’s sermon is done, I’m exhausted, people seemed touched.  But most of all God was glorified.  You can listen to it at the bottom of this page or on my iTunes podcast.

Today’s scripture was 2 Kings 2:19-22 when Elisha went to Jericho and put salt in water that was “bad and making the land unproductive.” Suddenly the water is fine and it stays that way forever.

What do we do with this?

First we need to understand that Jericho was cursed.  After Joshua destroyed the town he cursed it.

Deuteronomy 28-29 is a list of curses that happen when people don’t follow God.

Deuteronomy 30 says that if you turn around and follow God everything will be given back.

So then the salt in the water is Elisha’s way of saying that curses were made to be broken

Salt in the water is Elisha’s way of speaking a new word into situations that seem inevitable.

Salt back in ancient Israel was a symbol of the covenant of God.

A covenant that says no matter who you are, what you’ve done or where you are going you can always turn back to God.

So then, salt in the water is Elisha’s way of saying that your history does not decide your future.

Jericho has a history full of curses, regrets, and weird things but through salt in water was changes all of that.

Your past only describes where you have been, who you were with, and how often you were there.  It does not decide your present or your future.

Some people read this or hear it an decide this is why they cannot believe the Bible.  Because they are so sophisticated and educated they cannot believe any of this.

Yet we say things like: “Just my luck” or “This always happens to me.”

Deep within our marrow we are just as superstitious and if we believe these things they will affect our life.  If we believe we are unloveable then we will respond to the world that way.

If you have believed that you are unloveable. Elisha says “Give me a new bowl with some salt, let me remind you what God is like.”

If you believe in a wrathful, vengence-filled God, Elisha says no.

When we come to the place where we believe we are totally depraved and people tell us “The Bible says I’m a sinner” Elisha responds “No, you are forgiven by God.”

You past does not decide your future.

Jesus comes in and starts most of his saying with “repent” or “Think a brand new way’

Jesus wants to entire into all of our superstitions and pre-modern thought and give us a brand new way of thinking

Sermon Audio

 

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