Title: HOPE—AND GOD’S WORD

Focus: Put your hope in Jesus and the Word of God.

Function: To move people to find hope and draw comfort from Jesus’ resurrection and gift of eternal life.

Texts: I Kings 13:1-34; II Kings 23:14-18

 

INTRODUCTION

            On July 10, 1584 Prince William of Orange died at the hand of an assassin. William of Orange is the father or founder of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. When you travel to the New Church in the City of Delft, you can visit his grave, which has become the family grave of the House of Orange. Holland’s kings and queens are buried in the family grave of Prince William of Orange.

Legend has it that when the Prince died, his dog waited for him to come home. But his master had died. The dog refused all food offered to him. And the dog died. The canine was buried together with his master. So, if you should open the coffin of the prince, you should find the bones of the royal Prince of Holland next to the bones of his beloved loyal dog. Is it not amazing how a royal tomb can captivate our imagination by telling its story throughout the generations?

 

Of course, you don’t need a royal tomb to encounter telling words and pictures and stories. Periodically I will walk through a cemetery and simply read the writings on the tombstones. Often, I pick up words of hope and deep faith: Here are a few: “Safe in the arms of Jesus;” “Sown in hope;” “Turned to Dust, but Alive in Christ.”  Tombstones and graves are telling places.

 

We do well to pay attention to the Scriptures this afternoon, because the story of the disobedient man of God and this seemingly wily prophet of Bethel leads us to their tomb. And when we listen carefully and let their story penetrate our hearts and minds, we will hear whispering words of comfort and hope: Put your hope in the Word of God and in Josiah, that is, in Jesus.

 

SETTING THE STAGE

            As we crawl under the skin of this strange story in the Bible, I want to say a few things about burials and bones and the “power” of bones.

 

            When Sarah, the wife of Abraham died centuries ago, Abraham and Sarah did not own a square inch of property. Though God had promised them the land of Canaan as their inheritance, Abraham and Sarah had no claim on the land. But when Sarah died, Abraham negotiated with the Hittites and paid a huge price for a “field in Machpelah near Mamre.” Abraham bought both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field. And then the Bible says: (Gen. 23:19) “Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan.”

 

            Do you know why Abraham bought that land for Sarah as a burial plot? It was Abraham’s way of claiming his promised inheritance. Abraham  staked his faith in the promise of God by burying Sarah in land that has Abraham’s name on it. In death, Sarah (and later, Abraham as well) wait for God to give his inheritance—the renewed creation—to Abraham and Sarah and their seed. Even today, they wait for the resurrection from the dead.

 

            Just before Joseph died in Egypt, he called his brothers and he said to them (Gen. 50:24) “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” And so, years later, when Moses and the Israelites left Egypt for the promised land of Canaan, Joseph’s bones came with them. And these bones were buried in Shechem, where Joseph had inherited a plot of land from his father, Jacob.

 

            For the Israelites, to be buried in the promised land, to be buried together with one’s family members or extended family is a sign of hope and expectation—a sign of faith that foreshadows resurrection and eternal life. Together with one’s tribe or clansmen or family members, the Israelites would die in hope, would enter the realm of the dead with a sense of togetherness in death as well as in life.

 

            Now, go back to the story. When the Spirit of God fell upon the old prophet of Bethel, the Spirit prophesied to the man of God saying:  (vs. 22) “You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where (God) told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.” God’s punishment for the man of God is limited to this man’s sudden death and particularly his burial place—he will not wait for the resurrection of the just together with his family members. Rather, God has something else in mind for him.

 

            In the Bible we learn that human bones have “power.” That is, they have the power to desecrate or make unclean a person or place (cf. Numbers 19:16). Places that are considered sacred by people become unclean when skulls and skeletons cover these grounds. When King Josiah destroys these altars and places of idol worship, he digs up human bones, burns them on the altars and spreads the ashes on the ground where idol worshipers and priests bow down. In that way, King Josiah makes a powerful statement to all the people in his kingdom: these places of idol worship are unclean. Do not worship in these places of idolatry! Rather, put your hope in Josiah—in Jesus and the Word of God!

 

GLIMMERS OF HOPE

            Tell me, do you think the old prophet of Bethel is a scoundrel? Do you think that he is different from the average Christian you know? Do you think that he falls into the category of a “false” prophet, perhaps? He is capable of lying, that’s for sure. But so are you and I. And though he lied to the man of God using therefore an instrument from the toolbox of the devil, this old prophet also spoke the word of God, when the Spirit of God fell upon him and pronounced God’s judgment upon the disobedient man of God. No, he is not a false prophet, because the word that he spoke came true!

 

            Oh yes, it’s easy to judge him and dismiss him off hand. It’s tempting to condemn him to hell and damnation. But this story in the Scriptures does not permit us to do so. We must put on the glasses of grace and love and take note of some redeeming factors in this old prophet of Bethel:

 

·        God’s Spirit used him: In spite of his weaknesses and failures and sin of lying, this old prophet is an instrument in God’s hand to teach God’s people a powerful truth and to instill in God’s people a wondrous hope. If God does not give up on this scoundrel of a preacher, neither should we. Also,

 

·        The old prophet honors the man of God by giving him his own tomb. When Zacchaeus, the tax collector known for ripping off his countrymen, encountered the grace of Jesus, he repented and sought to restore all those whom he had defrauded. So it is here: stung deeply by the man of God’s sudden death by this lion, the old prophet realized his part in the death of his colleague; and thus he repented and offered him his very own grave, saying in essence: if he can’t wait for the resurrection in his family’s tomb, then he may do so in my tomb.

Another redeeming factor in the old prophet is

 

·        His confirmation of the prophetic word of God proclaimed by this fiery preacher from Judah. When they buried the man of God, the old prophet said to his sons: (vs. 32) “…the message he declared by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.” The old preacher of Bethel says “Yes!” to that Word. And thus he invites us also to say “Yes!” to God’s Word. Clearly, these are some redeeming factors that should soften our harsh opinion of this old prophet.

In fact, this entire dramatic event is changing the old prophet into a new man. He is waking up and he is assuming the posture of a passionate prophet of God. But there is not much time left anymore for him. He is old. How can he still make a difference as a prophet of God and make up for his failures to be a true shepherd of God’s people in Bethel all these years?

 

Take a look at these signs of hope: As they bury the man of God, the old prophet gives his last will or testament to his sons saying, (vs. 31) “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. For the message he declared by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.” The old prophet, then, wants to tell the whole community that he is in agreement with the prophetic word foretold by this man of God to Israel and King Jeroboam. The old prophet may not have much time left to preach sermons to his people in Bethel. But that’s ok. He will see to it that by his burial together with this man of God, the message will ring out: Put your hope in the Word of God and look for the coming renewal offered by Josiah, offered by Jesus.

 

It’s like he is saying to his sons: You know, for a long time I’ve failed to trumpet the word of God in this community. In life, I failed. But I will repent today, and from now on—especially after my life is over—I will declare God’s word from the grave. When you bury me, lay my bones beside his bones. For we are in agreement: God’s Word will come true! Look for the coming of Josiah, the King who will bring about renewal.

 

Here is the astonishing outcome of his last will or testament: For 100 years, with their bones lying together in the tomb, this old prophet together with the man of God proclaimed to the people in their region the Word of God. Did you notice? When King Josiah comes in that region 100 years after this story and prophetic announcement of God’s Word on Israel, he asks the people there: (II Kings 23:17) “What is that tombstone I see?” The men of the city said, ‘It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it.” Ah, their tomb rang forth the Word of God for one hundred years. And the people in Josiah’s days remembered the story and saw the Word of God come true with their own eyes.

 

Congregation, this strange story with its twists and turns, comes to us with a message. It calls us to flee from idolatry and to take God’s Word seriously. Yes, it also calls us to put our hope in God’s gracious Word and in Jesus.

Consider the following:

·        What God promises and prophesies in his Word comes true: For example, the man of God said to King Jeroboam standing by the altar of idolatry (and thus to all Israel):  (vs. 2) “O altar, altar! This is what the Lord says, ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places, who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’” Josiah did come; and he did clean up the area (at least temporarily) from blatant idolatry. He did what was right in the eyes of God. And God’s favor was with him. Put your hope, then, in the Word of God. It’s firm; it’s trustworthy; and it remains forever true. Put your hope also in Jesus.

Yes, you heard it correctly: “Jesus.”  You see,

 

·        King Josiah is a shadow of the Redeemer King who would come forth from the house of David. His Hebrew name “Josiah” is spelled with the same consonants as “Jesus.” And in his actions of destroying false gods who kept the people of God in bondage, King Josiah points forward to Jesus who has delivered us from the power of sin and death. When King Josiah cleaned up the idolatry in Judah and Israel, we see the Spirit of Jesus at work. That Spirit would become visible in the flesh when Christ was born in Bethlehem. And just as King Josiah fulfilled the prophetic Word of God that brought hope to Israel, so Jesus’ fulfillment of God’s Word brings hope to us today. You say, “Pastor, what do you mean?”  Well, consider this:

 

·        In Christ Jesus we have hope for the future. You see, the Bible teaches clearly that whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved, shall be forgiven from sins, and shall receive eternal life. The man of God and the old prophet of Bethel both proclaimed God’s Word of deliverance and hope. They both died in that hope, waiting for Josiah, for Jesus to come, waiting for the resurrection of the just to come.

What does Scripture say? Anyone who comes to faith in Christ Jesus has died with him, has been raised from the dead, and is now seated with Jesus in the heavenly places. In other words, anyone who believes in Jesus Christ shares in this new orientation—a life that is dead to sin, self and Satan, and alive to Christ, love, and obedience. As Paul says (Romans 6:3ff): “…all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with (Christ) like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.” You see, there is our hope—there! In Christ! Put your hope in Jesus Christ. For he is our life! Jesus is our Redeemer King foreshadowed and foretold by God’s prophets and prophetic word.

 

            Oh, we find so much hope in God’s Word and in God’s Son, the Lord Jesus! Take a look at that tomb of these two prophets once more, and then remember these words of the apostle Paul, speaking to Christians everywhere and through all the ages: (I Cor. 15:35, 41-44)

            “But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” Paul then explains the resurrection of the body and he says: “The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.” Then Paul goes on and he says, “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body (a body governed completely by the Spirit of Christ).”

 

            When King Josiah saw the tomb of these two prophets—the one young and fiery, but flawed by disobedience; the other old and weak, and flawed by lying and failing to do his work—their bones lying side by side in the tomb, King Josiah said: (II Kings 23:18) “’Leave it alone. Don’t let anyone disturb his bones.’ So they spared his bones and those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.”

 

            There will come a day when Jesus sees our bones, our graves. That Jesus—that Redeemer King—will not leave our graves alone. He will raise us from the dead, and clothe us with immortal, glorified bodies. This is the good news foretold in God’s Word. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ foreshadowed in his death and resurrection. And this is the hope of all God’s people.

 

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.