The Word of the Lord Stands Forever: Happy Reformation Day 2021 (#162)

Published by Ben Stahl on October 27, 2021October 27, 2021

So the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “Let me now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.’ ”

And one of his servants answered and said, “Please, let several men take five of the remaining horses which are left in the city. Look, they may either become like all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; or indeed, I say, they may become like all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed; so let us send them and see.” 

Therefore they took two chariots with horses; and the king sent them in the direction of the Syrian army, saying, “Go and see.” And they went after them to the Jordan; and indeed all the road was full of garments and weapons which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned and told the king. Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord.

II Kings 7:12-16 NKJV

504 years ago when Martin Luther nailed the 95 thesis to the door at the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany he began it with this thesis: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

Reading through Luther’s thesis it is evident that Luther was only beginning to reform in his own life, but the seed of reformation was planted in the very first thesis: Reformation would come by a return to the Word of God.

All of the sins of life come from a rejection of the Word of God. If we don’t live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God, we fall into temptation (Luke 4:4). If we don’t hide the Word of God in our hearts, we will sin against God (Psalm 119:11). If we do not believe the Word of God, we will reject the God of the Word and surely perish (John 3:16,18).

From the beginning to the end of Scripture, throughout all the events of history recorded in Scripture, we are being called to recognize that the Word of God alone stands forever.

Hours before the lepers of Samaria arrived at the gate and called out to the servants, God had told the king through Elisha his prophet, “Tomorrow, about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel” (II Kings 7:1). When the report came that very night, the king had either forgotten or rejected the Word of God and thought he knew better than the lepers. Thanks be to God, like Naaman’s servants, the servants of the king were used to help the king partake of the good things the Lord had reserved for them.

The servants’ logic was like that of the lepers before them. What’s the worst that can happen? The horses die and we die anyway? Compared to starvation, the risk of five horses in exchange for the potential reward to eat and live was an easy decision. Through the logic of the servants the Lord would show the king His Word is truth. For the king replied to the servants, “Go and see.”

Why did God make the promise of the abundant food? Why did God give the time frame of “tomorrow”? Why did God provide all the food?

Surely the Lord is teaching us several things:

1. His mercy in saving us from our sins is entirely of free grace (Sola Gratia). Many of the people of Samaria were eating their children and dying of starvation. Few were looking to God, but God came to them who were unable to lift a hand to help themselves and showed mercy upon them by giving them food and sustenance in abundance. So the Lord saves those who were once dead in their trespasses to sin and makes them alive in Christ. This is entirely the work of God’s free grace.
   
   
2. His grace comes to us through His gift of faith (Sola Fide). Not all the people believed, but the servants believed the report. I suspect some of them had heard the word of God hours before through His servant Elisha and saw this being done exactly as it was – “according to the Word of God.” Not everyone who heard believed (the king and his servant who will soon be crushed to death) but to “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe on His name” (John 1:12).
   
   
3. God brought physical food to Samaria according to His Word, and He sent His Son Jesus Christ to be the living water and bread of life that all who believe might have life through Christ alone and never hunger and thirst spiritually again (Solus Christus). Many opponents of the Word of God teach salvation through works alone (Islam, Hinduism, Moralism), or they teach salvation by grace plus works (Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, Coptic) but these are false ways of salvation. The faith through which grace comes to the believer can and must be in Christ alone. He alone finished the work He came to do – even to save sinners from their sins. He alone prepared the place in Heaven for all who believe in His name. There is salvation in no other name and credit can be given to no one else, but Christ alone is the source, basis, and grounds of our salvation.
   
   
4. The salvation of souls from the pains of Hell forever, pictured in this account of Samaria, is by God’s grace alone through the instrument of faith alone, which faith is placed in Christ alone, as He is revealed in the Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura). God spoke and it came to pass. “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure (Isaiah 46:9-10). God promised food and He gave food. God promised salvation through a Savior (Genesis 3:15) and He brought Salvation, even the Savior Jesus Christ who saves His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Though every man be a liar, yet God is still true and His Word is truth (Romans 3:4). When God delivered Samaria He delivered according to His Word, and when He delivers you from death He does so according to His Word and through the Word made flesh.
   
   
5. The saving of Samaria and the salvation of souls by Christ according to His Word is for this reason alone – that God might be glorified (Soli Deo Gloria). Unlike at Mt. Carmel some years before, we see little in Samaria of God’s people rejoicing in the great work that He had done before their eyes in accordance with His Word. Those who have been saved by Christ, however, fall down before Him and worship Him for He has saved us from our sins (Luke 17:11-19). To this end the work of salvation is wrought by God that all glory in Heaven and in Earth might be given and directed to Him alone.

Reformation in Germany started over 500 years ago and in England nearly 700 years ago – through the Word of God. May the Lord strengthen us this Reformation Day and always to hear His word, love His Word, guard His Word, and do His Word.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever!

Isaiah 40:8

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