Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20030720.htm

1 AND 2 KINGS: ENJOYING GOD'S BLESSINGS IN AN APOSTATE ERA
Part XVII: Blessing In Leaning On God Instead Of Our Own Inner Resources For Courageous Leadership
(1 Kings 16:15-20 with 1 Samuel 16:13; 17:4-11, 40-53)
  1. Introduction
    1. Scripture reveals human leaders need to be "courageous" in their oversight, a fact revealing motivation is needed to live above the fear of failure in their oversight, cf. Joshua 1:1-2, 6-7.
    2. However, attaining such courage comes from the leader's gaining assurances of GOD'S supply to help him rather than seeking it from within , for he can always eventually face a foe that is greater than he is!
    3. This truth is illustrated by contrasting the rulership of the hapless Zimri with king David as follows:
  2. Blessing In Leaning On God Instead Of Our Own Inner Resources For Courageous Leadership.
    1. God had told the people of Israel that their inner courage and enabling to handle their foes was directly based upon the degree to which they heeded His Word:
      1. God had promised Israel that He would bless her in conflicts if she obeyed Him, cf. Deut. 28:1-2, 7, 10.
      2. Yet, were she to disobey Him, God would cause her to be fearfully defeated before her foes, 28:15, 25.
    2. Accordingly, we can illustrate the contrast of cursing and blessing on these issues of courage and enabling in the respective rules of Zimri and David (as follows):
      1. Because he ruled by his own inner resources in sin, Zimri lacked the courage and enabling of God to handle his surpassing foes, and so ended up committing suicide, 1 Kings 16:15-20:
        1. When Zimri assassinated Baasha of the Northern Kingdom of Israel to rule in his place, he kept on wickedly promoting the false idol worship Jeroboam had established, 1 Kings 16:8-10, 19.
        2. Accordingly, he ruled only one WEEK before committing suicide when threatened by an overwhelming opponent who sought to destroy his rule and take his life: (a) Zimri seized power when the armies of Israel were engaged in the siege of Gibbethon in Philistia, 1 Kings 16:15. (b) When Israel and its army heard of Zimri's seizure of the throne, they refused to accept Zimri's power, but crowned the army general, Omri instead, 1 Kings 16:16. (c) Omri thus advanced with the nation's forces to besiege Tirzah where Zimri ruled to topple his reign, 1 Kings 16:17. (d) Instead of acting valiantly in the face of these foes, Zimri committed suicide, seeking to do as much damage as possible by burning down the palace over his head, 1 Kings 16:18.
      2. In contrast, David faced an overwhelming foe with adequate courage and power as he rested in God's will and equipping; thus, he acted valiantly and gained a great victory, 1 Samuel 16:13; 17:4-11, 40-53:
        1. David was anointed by Samuel under God's leadership to rule the people of God, 1 Samuel 16:13a.
        2. In that anointing event, the Holy Spirit came upon him, equipping David with the courage, wisdom and power to lead the people of God as their king, 1 Samuel 16:13b.
        3. Armed with the Spirit's enabling, and doing the will of God, David faced humanly overwhelming opposition but overcame it valiantly by faith in God's enabling and will: (a) David's nation was once intimidated by a giant and experienced warrior in Goliath, 1 Samuel 17:4-11, 33. (b) However, in dependence on the promise of God in Deuteronomy 28:1-2 with 7, when a lion and then a bear had opposed his divine assignment to honor his father by shepherding his father's sheep (Ex. 20:12a), God had fulfilled His promise to let David live long (Ex. 20:12b) by equipping him to slay these far superior foes, 1 Sam. 17:34-35. (c) Based on this precedent, David attacked Goliath who had defied the armies of God in faith that God would again bless his efforts against this foe of his as Goliath was the foe of His God and nation, 1 Sam. 17:36-37. (d) Thus aware that his conflict with Goliath was actually God's battle, David courageously faced Goliath in the power and equipping of God; he thus killed Goliath and saw God give the Philistines into Israel's hands in victory, 1 Sam. 17:42-53.
Lesson: Zimri committed suicide from facing overwhelming foes by SINFULLY implementing his OWN agenda and relying on his OWN resources; however, David defeated great opposition by RIGHTLY relying on GOD'S WORD and SPIRIT for the power and confidence to do GOD'S WILL.

Application: For the courage, confidence and blessing we NEED in OVERSIGHT, (1) may we AVOID trying to fulfill (a) our OWN agenda (b) in our OWN power and motivation and (2) RATHER (a) heed GOD'S BIBLICAL agenda FOR us (b) in HIS Holy Spirit's equipping and motivatin g power!