The Lord is my helper
2Kings 6:8-15
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.
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 nor twice.
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 shew 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.
13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
Help: To give assistance to; aid. 2. To contribute to the furtherance of; promote. 3. To give relief to. 4. To ease; relieve.
Help: mentioned 117 times in the Bible
First mentioned:
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Thought it interesting that the last verse in the Bible was the following.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
-thought about it this way: the first time help was mentioned had to do with man’s wife….
But after she was around for 4,000 years plus, The book of Hebrews was written, and the Last time HELP is mentioned… man is turning To God.
Man and wife were shopping at the mall… he was fairly bored, until he saw a beautiful young lady walk by, and found himself staring at her. Without even looking up, his wife asked, “Was the look really worth all the trouble that you are now in?” This man needed help!
We have oodles of books and videos on “Self-Helps”
Learn to fix your car yourself.
Learn the techniques of self-relaxation…. Not too hard to do… just close your eyes and go to sleep.
BUT we have become to DEPENDENT on SELF which is nothing more than being just TOO INDEPENDENT.
Abraham Lincoln, when asked if he thought God was on our side, said…
Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side. My great concern is to be on God’s side. –
• It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ! - Patrick Henry
This nation of ours was founded upon the Principle of Dependence upon God!!! In God we Trust!!!
Too often, we get our eyes on the problem instead of on the promise!!!
Here in our text, 2Kings 6 the King of Syria strategically makes his plan to attack Israel at a certain place.
Gets his military in place… waits for the Israelites to arrive….has planned this great ambush… and they never Show up…
So he plans it again in another place… same thing.
King of Syria is angered…calls his servants together….”Which on of you is for the King of Israel?”
Which one of you are a traitor?
Answer: vs. 12 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.
God had already begun to send HELP to his people through the prophet Elisha.
Elisha had notified the King of Israel of the plot against him, and therefore diverted the battle.
AND so.. the King of Syria commands his army to find Elisha and bring him back.
Word comes that he is in Dothan.
14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
Amazing how quickly we lose sight of God, and begin to fear MAN.
Think about it: Many Christians are so worried about what people will think about them, and therefore, refuse to take a stand for God…
-can’t hardly get them to pray in public
-can’t hardly get them to look like Christians
-can’t hardly get them to carry a Bible.
-they read everything else under the sun in public,
but don’t let them be seen with God’s word.!!!
They are asked, “Are you a Christian?”
Oh, well, ah, yes, but I’m not those kind that push my religion on other people. I’m an undercover Christian
Oh, so you’re not fulfilling the great commission Then.
And if you’re not obeying the Great commission,… Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Then, you are rebelling,
1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Conclusion is found in 1John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
LISTEN: If you are fearing MAN, you’d better get it prayed through!!!
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Here in our text: the servant of Elisha, who no doubt also knew the same God Elisha knew, got his eyes off of God, and upon the circumstances around him…
ISN’T it amazing how we sing…
“I know the Lord will make a way for me.”
“I love Him too much to fail him now.”
“I’m going through, yes I’m going through…
I’ll take the cross whatever others do…”
BUT when the fiery trial comes… we throw up our hands
In despair and in distress and almost quit!
One night years ago at Wendy’s, a man spilled his soda on his tray as he set it down. He threw up his hands And loudly exclaimed, “I give up” and walked away.
WHY are Christians so easy to give up? Because for the most part they only PRAY and ask God for help when it comes down to the nitty gritty!!!
Listen church: I’m here to tell you this great truth tonight!!!
GOD will work for you, as long as you are Working for God!!!
BIBLE and VERSE???
Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
Lev. 26:27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;
28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
1 Samuel 12:14 If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:
1 Samuel 12:15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.
Malachi 2:2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.
BUT for those that are Serving God…
Such as Elisha and his servant…
2Kings 6: 15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
There is more with us, than are with them!!!
Christmas Eve, 1875. Ira Sankey, the famous songwriter who served with evangelist D. L. Moody, was traveling on a Delaware River steamboat. Since his name and picture had appeared in newspapers across the countries, many of the passengers recognized him.
Some of them asked him to sing one of his own hymns, but Sankey resisted, saying that he preferred to sing one of William Bradbury’s: Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us.
One of the stanzas began, We are Thine; do Thou befriend us. Be the Guardian of our way. . . . Savior like a Shepherd lead us.
When he finished, a man stepped up to him and asked, "Did you serve in the Union Army?" Sankey replied that he had. "Can you remember if you were doing picket duty on a particular moonlit night in 1862?" Sankey replied that he was sure he was. "I was on duty that night too," the man said, "in the Confederate Army. I saw you in the moonlight, standing at your post. I raised my rifle to take aim; and at that moment you began to sing. It was the same hymn you just sang here tonight. The words hurt my heart. I thought of my mother; how she had sung that hymn to me so many times. She died when I was still a boy, and I turned from her Shepherd. That night I couldn’t shoot you. I laid my rifle down; my arms dropped limp at my sides. Now tonight, after twelve years, that song has opened that old wound in my heart. Can you help me find peace?" Sankey put his arm around the man who had once been his enemy in war, and gently introduced him to their Shepherd.
(Taken from:http://www.westminsterpres.com/sermons/print/
sermonp_06-01-03.htm)
Elisha prayed that God would smite the Syrian army with blindness, and God did…. And then Elisha led them to the Israelites, where they were fed, let go, and
The Bible tells us… that 2Kings 6:23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
WHY did this come about?
16 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
David said, Psalms 121
1 <> I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
THIS servant looked up to the mountains… to the hills, and saw his help.
I know some of you have been praying about certain things for a long while… Don’t give up. THE LORD IS OUR HELPER.
Some of you are facing certain trials and tribulation… THE LORD IS OUR HELPER
