2Ki 8:1-6 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”

[Study Aired October 13, 2022]

2Ki 8:1  Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years. 
2Ki 8:2  And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.
2Ki 8:3  And it came to pass at the seven years’ end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land. 
2Ki 8:4  And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. 
2Ki 8:5  And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. 
2Ki 8:6  And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

There are five verses in the KJV bible that use the terminology “be not deceived” and one which reads a little differently “let not him that is deceived trust in vanity” found in Job 15:31. This man who is deceived is speaking of the wicked man of perdition within me who must be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming so that I stop trusting in this vain flesh that cannot inherit the kingdom of God (Job 15:20, 2Th 2:8).

Everything in this life is passing and vain in that regard; everything within me as Christ told us (Mar 10:18), and therefore it must be our lifelong labor in the Lord to be about our Father’s business which involves examining ourselves and dying daily to our vain flesh so we can discern God’s will and not be deceived by other lying spirits that try to compel us to live to the flesh and not the will of God (Ecc 1:14, Ecc 2:17, 1Jn 4:1, Rom 8:13, 1Jn 2:16-17).

Mar 10:18  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

Ecc 1:14  I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecc 2:17  Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 

Rom 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. [1Co 15:10, 1Co 15:58]

OUR HOPE

1Co 15:10  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord [Col 1:27].

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: [that’s the vanity part!] but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. [Php 2:12-13] [“forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.“]

This section of Kings shows us how feeble and weak flesh is, and how only by the grace through faith process to which God’s elect are called (Eph 2:8) will we stop being controlled by our flesh which does not have the ability to stop sowing in a negative way that leads to spiritual death (Pro 14:12). Our hope is that the Lord is constantly intervening on our behalf to that end so we can be set free from the bondage of sin through repentance and be given the ability to see the need to die daily (Heb 7:25, Rom 2:4, 1Co 15:31).

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Pro 14:12  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Heb 7:25  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

The hope of our calling is all centered around the truth that Christ is greater than our weak flesh and higher than all powers and principalities against which we wrestle (Eph 1:21, Eph 6:12), and He will bring us to see our utter hopelessness in this weak flesh and then deliver us so that in the end, we will be able to become the merciful kings and priests we are becoming who understand it is the Lord alone who can build the spiritual house and deliver us from our own wretchedness. The result is that the elect will be used to do the same thing for the rest of God’s creation in time (Rom 7:24-25, Oba 1:21).

Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. One of the main characters in this section of the book of Kings is wicked Hazeal  (god has seen – PNB) whom God has seen and created to be destroyed. He typifies for us the man of perdition who must be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming within us (Pro 16:4). This story is a strong admonition to God’s elect as well to take heed “that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them” as Hazeal did in worshiping himself.

2Ki 8:9 so (god has seen) went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of (sack of blood), forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, thy son (lot caster’s son) king of (highlands) hath sent me to thee, saying, shall I recover of this disease? [PNB-kjv]

Deu 11:16 take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;

Christ put the idea of deception for us in perspective with this statement, “And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name [Mat 22:14], saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.” (Mat 24:24, 1Pe 2:9)

We can be deceived in many ways, but one of the hardest ways to detect being deceived is how we can easily harbor personal sin. So, we are admonished and told that God is not mocked (Gal 6:7) and that those whom He is receiving and loving in this age are not going to be able to harbor those sins indefinitely.  They will be sought out and destroyed by our Father, and that is good news for God’s elect in this age (Heb 12:6, Joh 4:23-24, Joh 8:36).

1Co 6:9 know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of god? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

1Co 15:33 be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Gal 6:7 be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

2Ki 8:1  Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.

This woman, whose son Elisha has previously healed, represents the elect church, and the son being restored represents God’s words being purified as the day star has now risen in our hearts and minds through the more sure word of prophecy (2Pe 1:19), enabling us to worship Him in spirit and truth.

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Elisha telling her “and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn” is like Christ telling us “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (1Jn 4:17). Elisha forewarns the woman of the complete physical famine that will come upon the world which represents Christ forewarning the church (Amo 3:7) that the whole stay of bread and water is taken away from the world today and prophesied to also wax worse and worse before our Lord returns (Isa 3:1, 2Ti 3:13).

Amo 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. 

Isa 3:1  For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, 

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

The key to spiritual survival in these lean spiritual years is to lay up store of God’s word and be content with such things as we have, learning to patiently possess our souls through every stage of our sojourn in the Lord, including our coming to see ourselves as completely falling seven times in the wilderness of Babylon out of which we are coming (Php 4:11, Rom 8:14-16, Luk 21:19, Pro 24:16). Joseph also typifies the church, in that regard, laying up store during the seven years of plenty as the woman did who was given supernatural provision typifying the spiritual readiness she needed so she could now heed the advice of the prophet who has warned her of things to come (Gen 41:47-57).

Php 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 
Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Gen 41:47  And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. 
Gen 41:48  And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, [“In your patience possess ye your souls” (Rom 2:7)] which were in the land of Egypt [where we have our evil experience to humble us thereby (Ecc 1:13 CLV)], and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 

Rom 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 

Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.

Gen 41:53  And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
Gen 41:54  And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
Gen 41:55  And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
Gen 41:56  And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:57  And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands. [Rev 11:15]

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

2Ki 8:2  And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.
2Ki 8:3  And it came to pass at the seven years’ end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.

This journey of the woman is clearly a type and shadow of how God’s elect must completely [7] go into Babylon, “the land of the Philistines seven years“, and then ‘come out of her my people’ (Rev 18:4). When we come to that point of coming “out of the land of the Philistines” then we “cry unto the king for her house and for her land“. This cry symbolizes our acknowledging that we’ve been taken advantage of by Babylon, and we “cry unto the king for her house and for her land“. We are as the prodigal son who comes to his senses and realizes he had nothing in Babylon, or in this case nothing in the land of the Philistines where there was no stay of bread or water, all reflecting the carnal heart within us which God is destroying so He can make a new creation that now has the mind of Christ (Isa 3:1, Luk 15:16-17).

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Isa 3:1  For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,

Luk 15:16  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
Luk 15:17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

2Ki 8:4  And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. 
2Ki 8:5  And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.
2Ki 8:6  And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

The “king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done”. Naturally he wants to ask this question, because the king represents Babylon who is only interested in seeking after a sign in the flesh (Mat 12:39), and what greater sign can there be than to hear of this resurrection of a dead child (Luk 16:30-31).

Mat 12:39  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

Luk 16:30  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 
Luk 16:31  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. [Rev 20:6]

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Notice that it is exactly at this point, when Gehazi is telling the king about this physical resurrection, that the request of the woman is brought to his attention, which is her desire “for her house and for her land” from the king to be restored. Again, this woman is like the prodigal son coming out of the bondage of sin and seeing the need to restore her first love which is represented by “her house and for her land“.

When we come out of Babylon, our ways start to please the Lord and He makes our enemies to be at peace with us (Pro 16:7). Such was the case here with this woman who represents the body of Christ coming out of Babylon and her request is being granted to her from someone who is really an enemy of the cross (Php 3:18) who is caught up in signs and wonders and not able to understand that spiritual restoration is all that matters (Luk 11:28-29).

Luk 11:28  But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
Luk 11:29  And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

Regardless of the fact that the king typifies one who is spiritually blind, he is still used to bless the woman as Babylon blesses us and serves us in their unbelief (Rom 11:31-32): “And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.

Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

This first section of chapter 8 of 2 Kings (2Ki8:1-6) represents more of the positive sowing that is happening by way of this woman who represents the body of Christ. In the verses ahead we will see the negative tares that will be sown and used according to the counsel of God’s own will via king Hazael (Eph 1:11). Lord willing, we will always remember that these things were written for our sake upon whom the end of the ages is come (1Co 10:11).

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.