“God’s Prophet”
August 26, 2012
2 Kings 6:8-23
“Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”
The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
“None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
“Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.
After they entered the city, Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?”
Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
I love this story! I love the idea of God’s invisible army encamped around God’s people. I love how God reveals Himself and how He works with His people. Through this prophet – we see God’s Protection; God’s Provision; and God’s Plan.
Let’s take a little closer look and see if we might find something that God can teach us from this event.
First of all, we see God’s protection. One of my favorite verses says,
“For the LORD God is a... shield” (Psalm 84:11)
I think it is important to understand that we are under God’s Protection. There is nothing ---NOTHING--- we have to fear. The New Testament says,
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13
Temptation, trials, tribulation – you name it! We don’t have to fear it. As Paul said, “If God is for us – who can be against us?!” As Children of God – we are under God’s protection. I love the many ways God protects. In this Scripture we see God protecting His children by warning them of danger in advance. He would whisper to His Prophet where the enemy was headed – and time and again they were protected. I think God does that for us sometimes. We may call it an impression or a ‘feeling’ but we are given a warning to not take the road we normally would or do something we were going to normally do. God still warns us through the Holy Spirit. We need to listen to that still small voice. We need to heed the impressions the Spirit makes on our hearts. As God’s people would listen to the voice of the prophet and obey – so we need to live in a spiritual place where we can stay in tune with that still small voice of God.
Then God protected by placing an army of angels all around His people. Aren’t you glad the Bible records this? Let’s look at it again.
“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Do you get the picture here? Elisha’s helper got up early in the morning and saw the city was surrounded by the enemy. It looked pretty bleak. It looked pretty devastating. It looked hopeless through human eyes. But most humans can only see the physical. Elisha prayed for God to open his servant’s eyes and God did. And the servant looked and saw the hills FULL of horses and chariots of fire all around them.
WOW! I wonder sometimes what we would see if our spiritual eyes were opened. I wonder how many times we have been protected by that invisible army. I know of one time in my life that God opened my eyes to see His protection. It happened August 17, 1959 at 11:37 pm. My dad was working in the woods near Yellowstone Park. We were living in a cabin nearby when an earthquake of between 7.3 and 7.5 hit. I remember getting up and seeing the ground move like water on a lake. It was pretty scary. The quake caused a huge landslide that killed over two dozen people. They couldn’t tell for sure how many were buried by the mud and landslides.
Eventually we all went back to bed. A short time later I woke up to see a huge man standing over my bed. It scared this 11 year old boy so much that I covered my head too frightened to look or speak – even tho Dad was just across the room. Later I came to believe that it was a protecting angel watching over me. The next day we saw where a huge boulder the size of a car had hit the solo tree behind us and instead of crashing through the cabin – had passed harmlessly by. Coincidence? I don’t think so. God has an invisible army protecting us. In Job we read,
“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?” Job 1:9-10
God protects His beloved Children. He will allow nothing in our lives that we can’t handle with His help. But the key is “with HIS help”. We need to stay behind that hedge of protection. We need to stay under that umbrella of protection. Knowing what I know – I would be scared to death to venture out from His protecting hand.
God has protected through warnings; through an invisible army, through earthquake; through hornets; through a talking donkey; through floods and probably through many other ways as well. And He will protect you and your family as long as you keep your hand in His. If you want – you can withdraw from Him – but to do so is to remove yourself from His protection. Don’t do it!
Secondly, we see God Provision. In this story of Elisha and the chariots of fire we see that God’s people had enough to even throw a feast for their enemies. But something went wrong. The people drifted from God and in this same chapter we see that the people suffered a famine so sever that some of them resorted to cannibalism. How horrible to see a people so quickly turn from the Lord. But when they sought the Lord - the Lord quickly and miraculously provided for them. God, through the prophet, promised them abundance. And it happened just as Elisha said it would. All, from the least to the greatest, had more than enough, with the exception of the one guy who doubted. Listen.
“It happened as the man of God had said to the king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” 2 Kings 7:18
In other words, flour and barley and food were so plentiful that it was almost valueless. God not only provides for His children but He provides abundantly. I think God was teaching this even to the king of Aram. God could have had this army slaughtered, but for some reason He chose not to. Instead He had them generously fed. He turned those enemies into friends through generosity. Jesus said,
“Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38
It doesn’t pay to be stingy, does it? I want you to know that God DELIGHTS in providing for you. He WANTS to bless you. He LONGS to give to you generously. But there is a spiritual law we need to be aware of. The Bible says,
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
Galatians 6:7
The generous man or woman of God will be GENEROUSLY provided for. The generous man or woman of God will be ABUNDANTLY provided for. The generous man or woman of God will be EXCESSIVELY provided for.
Now, I am not a ‘prosperity preacher’ who greedily manipulates God for his or her own purposes – but I do believe in this spiritual law and I do believe we have a generous loving God who delights in blessing His children. God is a God who protects and God is a God who provides.
God is also a God, thirdly, who has a plan. His Word says,
“And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.” Deut 26:18-19
You may be thinking “That’s for the Jews – not me!” But listen:
“For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too” Romans 3:28-29
“For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
1 Corinthians 12:13
God has a plan – and it is wonderful. It is personal. He gives us a glimpse of it in the Scripture. David said,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16
“all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Can you imagine that? God knows all about us. He knows what will happen to us every day! And through it all – He is working His wonderful plan. He has plans to bless us – not harm us. He has plans to prosper us – not leave us in poverty. He has plans to give us hope – not leave us hopeless and helpless. He has plans to give us a wonderful future – not leave us in the sin and destruction of the past or the terror of the future. We have a FUTURE! It is good! All we need to do is to stay close to His side – and He will protect us; He will provide for us; and the plans He has for us will come to pass.
But there is a kicker here. There is a condition to His blessings. In Isaiah He says it very plainly. He says,
“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land;
but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
God is willing, ready and able to protect us, provide for us and work out His plans for us – but He needs one thing from us. He needs our permission. Jesus said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
Revelation 3:20
I want you to know that nothing you will face can defeat you – with God by your side. Nothing in the past; nothing in the future can prevent God’s plan from being carried out – IF you are willing and obedient. I want you to know that –with your permission – God will, 1. Protect you from every threat and danger. God will, 2. Provide for your every need GENEROUSLY; God will, 3. Bring His awesome plan for your life to pass. The key is ‘our permission’. God will not violate our free will. But He will bless – if we allow Him to. Would you surrender your will to Him and give Him permission to be Lord of your life.
SONG
