Preserving Power For God's People

Preserving Power For God?s People

Text: Ps.34: 7; I John 4: 4b; II Kings 6: 15-16

Intro: The biblical accounts of God?s miracles performed through Elijah and Elisha are some of the most extraordinary and exciting found in the pages of God?s Word. The account under consideration today, Elisha and the Syrian army, is no exception. Throughout this account, one theme comes through loud and clear: God is able to preserve His people by His power.

In First and Second Kings, God sought to prove to Israel His willingness to preserve and protect them. There was however one significant requirement: They must turn from their idolatry and serve Jehovah God alone. But as was so often true of the nation of Israel, they ignored God?s message. And though judgment loomed precariously in their future, God, in love and mercy, continued to try to draw Israel to Himself.

There are two wonderful lessons to be learned in this passage being considered today. In addition to the lesson of God?s ability to preserve and protect His people, mentioned above, there is also the lesson of learning to see our circumstances through the eyes of the Spirit, not the eyes of the flesh. Elisha had learned both lessons, and as a result, saw God do great things.

It?s my prayer today that we will learn to view all of life from God?s point of view, while at the same time wholly depending upon God?s preserving power.

Theme: God?s preserving power became evident through:

I. A DREADED ENEMY

A. The Intended Trap By Israel?s Enemy.

II Kings 6: 8 ?Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.?

NOTE: [1] Wouldn?t it be wonderful if we had no enemies in life? One man once commented on that.

A reporter was interviewing an old man on his 100th birthday. ?What are you most proud of?? he asked.

?Well,? said the man, ?I don?t have an enemy in the world.?

?What a beautiful thought! How inspirational!? said the reporter.

?Yep,? added the centenarian, ?outlived every last one of them.?

Source Unknown.

Syria was determined that Israel wouldn?t outlive them. They were using every tactic they could to destroy them.

[2] According to II Kings 5: 5-6, Syria and Israel were already at war. One part of Syria?s war strategy was to set ambushes or traps for Israel?s army, hoping to catch them by surprise. The words ??shall be my camp? actually carry the idea of ?we shall set an ambush? (Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison, Editors, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; pg. 346).

B. The Intended Trap By Syria Exposed.

1. God told Elisha about the enemy?s secret.

II Kings 6: 9 ?And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.

10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once or twice.?

NOTE: [1] In verse 9, the context basically renders the words ?come down? as ?concealed? (Ibid, pg. 346). In other words, a trap or ambush had been set.

[2] The strategy of the Syrian army spoken of here is also typical of the devil. The Bible says, ?Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:? (I Pet.5: 8). He likes nothing better than catching the child of God off guard and vulnerable. That?s as good a reason as any for paying attention to what the preacher gives you from God?s Word. He may give you ammunition with which to fight the enemy, or that which will make you aware of the devil?s ambush. The king of Israel was wise enough to listen to God?s prophet, and was delivered from disaster numerous times. The Apostle Paul said, ??For we are not ignorant of his devices,? and neither should we (II Cor.2: 11).

[3] Cotton Mather once said, ?That there is a devil is a thing doubted by none but such as are under the influence of the Devil? (Cotton Mather). Stay on your guard.

2. The Syrian king feared that he had a traitorous soldier.

II Kings 6: 11 ?Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?

12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.?