UNBELIEF

Rev. Peter Tuchyna

2 Kings 6 , 2 Kings 7

In those two chapters is a description of very tragic circumstances, which Israel experienced because of rebellion and self will as the result of their unbelief. They were subdued by their enemy to such a degree, that some were consuming their own children because of hunger.

There is a saying that if you would like to be victorious, you need to know your enemy. Many good people missed their destiny in life as they were ”derailed” from the ”Rail track” and the consequences are catastrophic.

Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” We are very familiar with tragic scenes, when the car leaves the road and plunges at high speed into the trees or a ditch. Many drivers and passengers were killed as a result that their car lost “grip” and the vehicle left the road (way).

As we enter into hospital we can look at people who’s bodies are twisted, some are missing limbs, some are paraplegic and some lost their sound mind. Many will never recover from their physical predicament.

What about things, which are not temporal but pertain to all eternity?

Even more souls lost their eternal life because they were “derailed” from the way, which is Jesus and the consequences are catastrophic for the rest of their eternity.

Would you know who or what is the greatest enemy of every believer? Some would guess that Satan is. Lord Jesus gave us power and authority to deal with him.

The chief enemy of every believer is doubt – unbelief. It is a condition of the heart and will of men. We are tempted to unbelief, but we cannot have unbelief in our heart without our consent – our will.

Unbelief is a sin.

Jesus said: he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he believeth not on the Son of God.

In the beginning Satan whispered doubt into Eve’s ear…. “hath God said so?” Are you sure? By doubting the Word of God Adam and Eve sinned.

If a man would not have a problem with unbelief, there would be no sleeping in God’s house, no careless hearers, no going away and straight away forgetting what manner of man we are.

In the days of Noah for 120 years was the ark build and the Word of God preached:

“ A flood is coming to deluge the earth.” What caused people to ignore the warning? Unbelief!

We can imagine, what took place when God opened the heavens and rain came like Niagara Falls upon the earth.

Why did only Noah and his family escape the flood? Because of the unbelief of others.

When Israel was delivered from Egypt there were approx. 1.5 million souls. The bones and carcases of all of them but 2 are buried in the sand of the wilderness. What was the cause that only two entered the promised land and the rest of people sojourned instead of 40 days for 40 years and died indeed in wilderness never seeing the Promised land of God? Their unbelief!

Because of the nature of unbelief – it is a horrendous sin.

One wise man may deliver a whole city. One man may be the means of safety to a thousand others. The holy ones are the salt of the earth and are a light placed on the hill. Without the godly as the salt the race would be utterly destroyed.

In the city of Samaria, there was one righteous man, Elisha. The servant and the prophet of God.

The king was a sinner, who despised God. Jehoram walked in the ways of his father Ahab and he worshiped false gods. The people of Samaria followed him. For that reason god allowed the enemy to subdue Israel. In such evil, unclean and rebellious society, Elisha, who was one-grain of the salt, preserved the entire city.

The one warrior for God was the means of deliverance.

For Elisha’s sake the Lord gave a promise that the very next day the food, which could not be obtained at any price will be available at the cheapest price.

We can imagine the joy and the excitement when people heard it. They knew that the Elisha was a prophet of the Lord. He had divine credentials. All his past prophecies had being fulfilled.

But there was someone full of disbelief. “If the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?”

His sin was the fact, that after those words were uttered by the prophet on God’s behalf, he refused to believe it.

1) He was aware of the defeat of Moab by the intervention of God.

2) He knew of the resurrection of the Shunamite’s son.

3) He knew that Elisha revealed Benhadad’s secret and caused the entire army to be blind.

4) He saw the Syrian army taken by Elisha and brought into the heart of Samaria.

5) Surely he heard the story of the poor woman and the oil, which never ran out after the prophet’s intervention.

6) Who did not hear the story, how the leper Naman was healed of his leprosy, when the prophet commanded him to be immersed in the river Jordan?

Therefore God pronounced judgement upon him. “Thou shall see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.”

His sin was unbelief. He doubted the promise of God. It was a mistrust of God’s character and his power.

The Lord allowed us to experience many mighty things, where He proved himself to us. We also heard of many more great deeds He performed in the past.

But when you doubt God’s provision with a new challenge in your life you are in danger to sin against God with the sin of unbelief.

Let’s be wise and learn from the history of Israel. It is possible to be delivered from Egypt and not to enter into promised land.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”. Rom 8:14