Hello my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
I have a question for us: How do you and I sense God’s unconditional love for us AND God’s apparent unlimited patience with you and me? Here’s another question: how do you and I sense God’s protection of us on a daily basis? Come with me again back to the northern kingdom of Israel about 840bc and the story found in 2 Kings 6 in the Bible.
Once again we’re following some of the exciting experiences of the man of God Elisha. This time Elisha finds himself involved in top secret, military intelligence surveillance! What you might ask, what is a prophet of God doing involving himself in military intelligence?
Well it appears the king of Aram (Syria) was doing things very similar to what is happening in our day. Aram was the bordering nation to Israel that we know today as Syria. Like other nations then and now which border Israel, Aram wanted Israel either conquered or destroyed but the king of Aram and his army were not powerful enough on their own to accomplish this feat, so instead Aram regularly attacked towns and villages in Israel, pillaged them and stole property and captives as slaves.
Does that sound very much like October 7th, 2023 and what Hamas terrorists did to villages and Kibbutz in southern Israel near the Gaza strip?
At that particular time in history the Aram soldiers were repeatedly shocked to find that the soldiers of Israel seemed to frequently be aware of their battle plans and strategic maneuvers, for they were always one step ahead and foiled the Aramean’s plans. Frustrated, the king of Aram concluded there must be a traitor among his military officers sending word to the king of Israel.
The record says: “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?” (2 Kings 6:11) Have you ever felt betrayed by friends or someone you trusted? It’s a painful, frustrating experience and I imagine you became suspicious of everyone around you and trusted no one, right? Perhaps it’s been years and you still struggle trusting people, maybe even trusting God?
The officers of the king of Aram were dedicated military men, faithful to their calling and their king. None of them would betray their country. But one of them knew something which evidently the king did not know.
The records says: “One of the officers replied, ‘None of us, my lord the king, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak, even in your bedroom!” (2 Kings 6:12) Now that’s outrageous isn’t it my friends? Of course this was 2800 years ago, long before wiretapping and all the modern eavesdropping technology we have today.
So what is your explanation? How could Elisha the prophet, no matter where he was geographically, at any moment in time, know what the king of Aram was saying, even though separated by many miles? Do you remember what the role of God’s prophets were in Israel? These were men of God whom God called to a very special relationship with God, so God could speak to these prophets and they would communicate God’s word to the people of Israel and/or their king.
It was a very important and sacred role, and wise kings highly respected and valued the words of the prophets of God. Clearly Elisha, and Elijah before him, were such men and by the power of His Holy Spirit, God spoke to these men, guiding and directing them, and telling them what they should tell the king and people of Israel.
Now let’s pause a few seconds and it’s important I ask… do you understand that the Holy Spirit of God has a very similar role in the life of EVERY Christian today?
Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would live within those who trusted in Jesus as their Savior (John 14:16,17); and the Holy Spirit would teach them and guide them in understanding truth (John 16:13); and the Holy Spirit would warn them when under temptation (1 Corinthians 10:12,13); and even give them specific direction in their lives so they could live in participation with God in accomplishing God’s purposes in their generation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)
Elisha the prophet was having this very experience as the Holy Spirit of God gave him understanding of what the king of Aram was saying and Elisha was then sending word to the king of Israel so he could make adjustments to avoid the attacks of Aram. Do you see how God was protecting His people Israel, even though their kings had been wicked men, turning Israel away from God? Do you see how God was proving Himself to the king of Aram and his soldiers, as being the only true, living, all powerful, all knowing God?
God was doing with Elisha & the kings of Aram and Israel exactly what God did with Moses and the Egyptian Pharaoh. God clarified His purpose in this way: “I have raised you up for this very purpose: that I might show you My power and that My name will be made known in all the world.” (Exodus 9:16)
Well, the king of Aram was not about to be defeated by an unarmed, non military man, even if he was supposedly a ‘man of God’ named Elisha, so the king’s orders were to find Elisha wherever he was. Then send a strong contingent of soldiers, capture Elisha and bring him to the king of Aram! Someone reported Elisha was last seen in the town of Dothan, so the soldiers went there! (2 Kings 6:13,14)
The record says it much better than I could tell it: “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots surrounded the city! ‘Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet of God answered, ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them!” (2 Kings 6:15,16)
I can easily see the servant’s head spinning around looking for these the prophet claimed were with them, and seeing no one the servant looked back at Elisha perhaps thinking maybe the prophet was beginning to have some mental lapse or was delusional? Can’t you see Elisha just smiling and pausing, waiting for the servant to see how hopeless their situation was when viewed with practical, logical, human eyes?
But Elisha, and all men of God, have the ability to look at any situation with eyes of supernatural faith in God and led by the Holy Spirit can see the potential, the possibilities with God IN the crisis! So pause again for a few seconds. How do you normally look at your life and especially difficult, complex, frightening situations…with normal, pessimistic, human eyes, or with eyes of great faith and hope in God?
Elisha finally spoke not to his frustrated servant but to God: “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Short, respectful, too the point, without fanfare and anything grandiose, simply a full faith request that God would enable the servant to see what could only be seen with spiritual eyes. “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!” (2 Kings 6:17)
Ok my friends, who can explain this? Was the servant hallucinating? Was God giving the servant a vision of something that was not there, or was the servant seeing what was there but invisible to normal, human eyes? As we’ll see in the next verses, the Bible clearly tells us the servant was seeing soldiers & chariots of fire which were all around them, but were invisible to normal human eyes! It’s a picture my friends of what life is like for you and me today, everyday, everywhere in the world. While our human eyes are amazing and we can see vivid color, great detail, both near and far, they are limited eyes and there is much, much more which our eyes cannot see!
What do I mean? We can only see what is visible to us where we are. We cannot see the other side of the world or outer space without assistance of technology or telescopes. We cannot see what is inside our bodies without the assistance of CT or X Ray or MRI or cameras inserted in our bodies. And we cannot, with our normal human eyes, see Spirit beings like holy angels or demonic evil spirits or the Holy Spirit or God Himself.
Seeing the spirit world requires spiritual eyesight and only God gives that and only miraculously in these human bodies with human eyes. But in our glorified, resurrected bodies, we will be able to see Spirit beings and even God!
Let’s pause here, standing beside Elisha and his prophet, seeing what they see. Has God ever given you the ability to see with miraculously opened, spiritual eyes? If God gave you that ability right now, what would you see as you looked around where you are at this moment? Ponder that my friends and let’s meet here tomorrow to see what God did next, and here’s a worship song to help us consider seeing our world with spiritual eyes:
Today’s Scripture: 2 Kings 6:8-17.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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