Dr. R. G. Lee, 1886-1978, Biography –
http://www.swordofthelord.com/biographies/LeeRG.htm .

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“Payday Someday” | Dr. Jonathan Akin

I grew up listening to sermons by Adrian Rogers who was the longtime pastor of Bellevue Church in Memphis. In fact, since 1927 only four pastors have led Bellevue and I have had the opportunity to hear all four speak (Robert G. Lee [1927-1960], Ramsey Pollard [1960-1972], Adrian Rogers [1972-2005], Steve Gaines [2005- present]). I actually got to hear Dr. Lee preach this sermon in 1975 at Bellevue and I attended his funeral also at Bellevue. Above is the complete sermon and below is a portion of the transcript.

Dr. Lee originally published the following message in 1926. It is said that he developed it following the suggestion of a deacon at a prayer meeting in 1919 and that he preached it at least once a year at his home church. All total, it is related that he preached the message 1,275 times.

Dr. Robert G. Lee was the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee for thirty-two years. During his lifetime he was a strong leader in the Southern Baptist Convention, known as a preacher’s preacher, and was highly respected among his peers. This sermon has been accepted as a classic by all that have heard and read it, and through its message, the Lord still speaks to mankind. We at Carl Graham Ministries hope you get a blessing from this message written by the prince of preachers.

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Part 4 of transcript:

Am Alarming Appearance

“The word of the Lord came to Elijah.”

Thebrief journey from Samaria to Jezreel is over. The restlessly prancing and easily panting horses are brought to a stop outside the gate to the vineyard. Strong hands of ready servants hold the fiery horses by the bits; the hands of servants open the gates; the bodies of the obedient servants bow courteously as Ahab enters the vineyard. Naboth is dead, and the coveted vineyard is now Ahab’s through the “gentle scheming” of the queen of his house.

Perhaps Ahab, as he walks through the garden, sees Naboth’s footprints in the soil. Or he sees Naboth’s pruning hook among the vines. Perhaps in a corner of the vineyard is a seat where Naboth and his sons rested after the day’s toil, or a well where sparkling water for the vines in time of drought.

And even then, out yonder somewhere God is talking to Elijah, his prophet whom we introduced to you a bit ago. And this is the record: “And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 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. 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!” (I Kings 21:17-19)

And while Ahab strolls among the vines that Naboth tended, what is it that appears? Snarling wild beasts? No! Black clouds full of threatening storm? No, not that. Flaming lightning which dazzled him? No! War chariots of his ancient enemies rumbling along the road? No! An oncoming flood sweeping things before it? No, not a flood. A tornado goring the earth? No. A huge serpent threatening to encircle him and crush his bones in its deadly coils? No, not a serpent. What then? What alarmed Ahab so? Let us follow him and see.

As Ahab went walking through the rows of vines, he begins to plan how he will have that vineyard arranged by his royal gardener–how flowers will be here and vegetables yonder and herbs there. As he converses with himself, suddenly a shadow falls across his path.

Quick as a flash Ahab whirls on his heels, and there, before him, stands Elijah, prophet of the living God. Elijah’s cheeks are swarthy; his eye is keen and piercing; like coals of fire, his eyes burn with righteous indignation in their sockets; his bosom heaves; his head is held high. His only weapon is a staff; his only robe a sheepskin and a leather girdle about his loins.

To Ahab there is an eternity of agony in the few moments they stand thus, face to face, eye to eye, soul to soul! “And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?” (I Kings 21:20) His voice is hoarse, like the cry of a hunted animal. He trembles like a hunted stag before the mouths of fierce hounds. Suddenly his face goes white. His lips quiver.

And Elijah, without a tremor in his voice, his eyes burning their way into Ahab’s guilty soul, answered, “I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.” Then, with every word a thunderbolt, and every sentence a withering denunciation Elijah continued: “God told me to ask you this, Hast thou killed and also taken possession? Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs lick thy blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. Behold I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity…. And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger and made Israel to sin!”

And then, plying other words mercilessly like a terrible scourge to the cringing Ahab, Elijah said “And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel! Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat.”

And with these words making Ahab to cower as one cowers and recoils from a hissing adder, Elijah went his way.

Payday Someday

Yes, the evil spoken by Elijah did come. Payday came as certainly as the night followed the day. Let us note how it came, and when.

Consider how it came to Ahab! God spoke, and God said that the king’s life was forfeited, and the lives of all that could succeed him on the throne, whatever their age. The destruction that had fallen on the preceding dynasties of Jeroboam and Baasha would fall upon Ahab’s. They were not even to have decent burial, God said. Those that died in the city the dogs should eat, God said. Those that died in the field, the buzzards should eat, God said. Queen Jezebel herself, sometime, somewhere was to be a feast for dogs, God said.

Ahab entered into league with Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. In disguise, Ahab entered the battle against his old Syrian enemies. At Ramoth-Gilead a random arrow mortally wounded him, so that his chariot was filled with blood. (I Kings 22:34-35) And they took his body to Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armor, according unto the word of the Lord which he spake (I King 22:38) God said it–and it was done.

So did Ahaziah, Ahab’s son, and Joram meet violent deaths. We know. Now consider Jezebel, and when her payday came. We learn as we think of her death that “the stag followed by hungry hounds with open mouths is far more happy than the woman who is pursued by her sins, that the bird taken in the fowler’s net and laboring to escape is far more happy than she who has woven about herself a web of deception, that yon eagle beating against brass bars is far happier than the woman whose sin stares at her from dark rooms at midnight, and that the wild animal caught and suffering in the jaws of a steel trap is far happier than he who carries a guilty conscience in his bosom!”

“And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it.” Pause. Who is Jehu? He is the one who, twenty years before the events of this chapter from which we quote, rode down with Ahab to take Naboth’s vineyard, the one who throughout those twenty years never forgot those withering words of terrible denunciation, which Elijah spoke.

And who is Jezebel? Oh! The very same one who wrote the letters and had Naboth put to death. And what is Jezreel? The place where Naboth had his vineyard and where Naboth died, his life pounded out by stones in the hands of ruffians.

“And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace who slew his master?”

Pause again just here. “Had Zimri peace who slew his master?” No, “there is no peace saith my God to the wicked.” “And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? Who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses; and he trode her under foot.

And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter. And they went to bury, but they found no more than her skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands. Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel!” (I Kings 9:30-36)

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“This is the word of the Lord which he spake by his servant Elijah!” Yes, and from this we learn the power and certainty of God in carrying out his own retributive providence that men might know that His justice slumbereth not. Even though the mill of God grinds slowly, it grinds to powder; “and though his judgments have leaden heels, they have iron hands.”

When I see Ahab fall in his chariot and when I see the dogs eating Jezebel by the walls of Jezreel, I say, as the Scripture saith, “O, that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments; then had thy peace been like a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea!” And as I remember that the gains of ungodliness are weighted with the curse of God, I ask you, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?” And your labor for that which satisfieth not?”

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