IT WILL HAPPEN

Proverbs 14:11
 
11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
 
What happens when someone does wrong by you?  I know the natural response is to want to “get even” or to “make them pay”.

I think that’s what most of us feel when we’ve been hurt or cheated or let down by a friend or family member, an individual, a company or even by a government.  And for most of us, we don’t have the power to extract the revenge that we feel we so rightly deserve so we end up adding frustration to the hurt we already feel.  Unfortunately, there are a few that decide that nothing will stop them from getting that revenge and this often leads to violent acts completely out of proportion to the original wrong.

As Christians, we have another way.  Sure, we still get let down and hurt by people.  We still have that natural urge to get back at people.  But true followers of Jesus Christ not only don’t act on those natural urges, we put them completely out of mind.  Without Jesus, that wouldn’t be easy.  But He allows us to “turn the other cheek” by going to Him in prayer and leaving it with Him to deal with.
 
We remember that God sees the big picture.
 
He sees the end from the beginning.   Isaiah 46:10
 
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
 
Not only does God know the end from the beginning, He not only sees the Big Picture – he is in control of it.
 
That's the reason I can declare Proverbs 14:11 is certain, because God’s Word never fails.
 
THE CERTAINTY OF GOD’S WORD
 
Sometimes we let doubt creep in – we start to wonder if and when something that God has said either to us, or through preaching we’ve heard or through His written Word will ever happen.
 
More Certain Word
 
During the reign of King Joram a terrible time of famine struck Samaria as the result of a siege of Sa­maria by the Syrians.
 
Through the prophet Elisha, the Lord made a declaration:    II Kings 7:1
 
1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
 
3. Doubters put forth arguments as to why this could not possibly happen, but that did not prevent fulfill­ment.    II Kings 7:2
 
2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
 
What do you think?   Who was going to be right?  Elisha, a man speaking the words that God had promised or a man who thought he was smart, a man in a position of closeness to the King of the land?   Only one of them could be right.       II Peter 1:19
 
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed
 
THERE WAS A BIG PROBLEM IN SAMARIA
 
Trying to figure out the solution was not man’s job; if God declares something, it is certain to come to pass.
 
This story begins with the siege of Samaria by Ben-Hadad, King of Syria.
 
One of the tactics of siege warfare is to starve the residents of a city, forcing them to surrender.
 
II Kings 6:25
 
25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
 
When people doubt they often blame God, but aren’t willing to wait on Him and believe on Him.     II Kings 6:33
 
33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?
 
But faith declares: …………………… Just wait and see.
 
If the Word is from God, it will come to pass.
 
In God’s Time
 
Prices were guaranteed to drop by the following day and food would be plentiful because the Lord said so.
 
It is not man’s job to figure out how it will happen, but to wait expectantly on the One whose words are certain to come to pass.
 
The world will talk about Impossibilities
 
It is the impossible that provides the opportunity for a miracle.
 
The servant on whose arm the king leaned questioned the veracity of the prophet:
 
II Kings 7:2   As we read before
 
2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
 
He could not imagine that over the period of one night everything would change.
 
His worldview was missing one key factor—the God Factor.
 
We see and hear the Word of God and sometimes we can’t see how it could happen – but it will and we need to stand strong in that.
 
Luke 18:27   Jesus said
 
27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
 
A prophetic utterance had flowed through the lips of Elisha.
 
How it would come to pass would be up the Lord.
 
No one would have predicted that four outcasts living outside the gate of the City of Samaria would have played a role in the fulfillment of Elisha’s prophecy.
 
II Kings 7:3-4
 
3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
 
4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
 
The lepers decided they were going to die anyway so why not go and plead for mercy from the Syrians, maybe they would be given food.  When they got to the Syrian camp it was deserted and all the food and belongings of the Syrians had been left behind. 
 
The city had been under siege for a long time.
The lepers had been outside the gate for all that time.
Why did they finally choose that night to seek mercy from the Syrians?
God’s perfect plan and perfect timing!
 
Within twenty-four hours, the very words spoken by the prophet Elisha were fulfilled.
 
THE FATE OF THE WICKED
 
The Bible declares that in all Israel, there was never a king as wicked as Ahab.
 
I Kings 21:25
 
25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
 
His wife, Jezabel, urged him on.
 
AHAB WAS SELFISH
 
Ahab desired Naboth’s vineyard.     I Kings 21:2
 
2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
 
The offer seemed reasonable and fair.
 
The problem was, he was self-centered and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer.  Naboth didn't want to sell and said no to the king.
 
I Kings 21:4
 
4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
 
BEWARE OF THE INFLUENCE OF WICKED PEOPLE      I Kings 21:5-15
 
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?
 
6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
 
7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
 
8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
 
9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:
 
10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
 
11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.
 
12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
 
13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
 
14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
 
15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
 
IT IS A FACT—THE WICKED WILL BE DESTROYED
 
He who sees the end from the beginning doesn’t miss any details.
 
God just happened to have a prophet nearby to come and declare Ahab’s fate.
 
I Kings 21:17-19
 
17 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
 
18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
 
19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
 
Even if the wicked don’t receive their punishment today, tomorrow or next week, rest assured God does not forget.
 
Don’t worry about getting even; that’s not your job.     Romans 12:19
 
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
 
It may take a lifetime, but God’s Word is certain.
 
I Kings 22:37-38
 
37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
 
38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the Lord which he spake.
 
And don’t worry, Ahab’s wife Jezebel didn’t get away with her wicked ways.  Just as the Prophet Elijah had said, Jezebel met with a violent death.  She was thrown out of a window and her body splattered on the ground, she was trampled on by horses and by the time people came to gather her body to bury there wasn’t much left, the dogs had feasted on her remains.
 
WE HAVE AN ASSURANCE:   Remember the opening text   Proverbs 14:11
 
11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
 
REMEMBER JOSEPH’S DREAMS
 
Josephs' dreams seemed like complete fantasy.    Genesis 37:5
 
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
 
Genesis 37:9-11
 
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
 
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
 
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
 
What could these dreams mean, and how could they possibly be realised?
 
His wicked brothers desired to kill him, and fully intended to do so.
 
Reuben had enough sense to want to send him back to his father.
 
Judah came up with a plan to sell him into slavery.
 
This was a horrible experience for Joseph.   To be treated so badly – and by his own brothers.
 
If he survived this, Joseph would have plenty of reason and justification to get even.
 
Joseph’s story could have been one of shattered dreams.
 
He was sold to Potiphar.     Genesis 39:2-3
 
2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
 
3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
 
But to get Joseph where God wanted him would require more shattered dreams.
 
He would be falsely accused and sentenced to prison.     
 
Genesis 39:20-21
 
20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
 
21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
 
He helped someone in prison, but was forgotten.    Genesis 40:14
 
14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
 
Genesis 40:23
 
23 Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.
 
It may have seemed so unfair, but God sees the big picture.
 
The most difficult time for us is the time of waiting.
 
THE UPRIGHT WILL FLOURISH
 
Joseph’s time was coming.
 
The way God would bring His plan to pass was so unbelievable, when he met again with his brothers and his father they were speechless.
 
Just as Peter thought he was dreaming as he was being delivered from prison, Joseph must have felt the same when he was in prison.
 
We must cling to the promises of God.    Hebrews 13:5
 
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee
 
God sees the big picture.
 
Before Joseph was sold as a slave; before Joseph was falsely accused and sentenced; before he was for­gotten in prison; God saw him as a ruler in Egypt.   
 
Genesis 41:41
 
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
 
CONCLUSION
It is a guarantee that just as “the house of the wicked shall be overthrown” the  “tent of the righteous will flourish.”
 
We must stand fast on both of those promises and have faith in God and in His Word.
 
Hebrews 11:1
 
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.