There is a lot to learn from 2 Kings 6:8-23
The first things that caught my attention was the
protection, unseen, that was around Elisha. If God protected Elisha then you
know we are protected now. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. But
there is more than just that once instance of protection. Let me go step by
step on what the Lord revealed to me.
I have learned that the Lord will use this to help others
but that He also ALWAYS has something He is trying to teach me too. So before I
start let’s agree in prayer
Dear Lord, I ask that you open our
eyes to the Truth You are trying to show us in these passages.
That if it’s encouragement you are
sending, we accept it and give you praise and thanksgiving; standing on Your
promises.
If it’s conviction, then help us to
set our pride down, repent and begin to draw on the Truth You are giving us so
we can move forward and see our prayers answered for protection.
In Jesus Name, Amen
The king of
Aram was at war with Israel, he made plans to surround them and kill them but
time after time they were warned. Elisha heard the Lord and warned the king of
Israel every time, saving them.
So here’s
the first thing I see – Elisha knew the Lord so well that he could go boldly
before the king of Israel and tell him what the Lord had to say. Elisha was so
connected to the Lord that the king always believed him and made the changes
that were needed to keep his land and his people safe.
Therefore,
Elisha’s life, the way he acted, dressed, spent his time must have shown his
commitment to the Lord. The king knew he could trust what Elisha had to say, he
was trustworthy. I don’t imagine Elisha went to wild parties, had premarital
sex, cussed up a storm, stole, disrespected elders and those in leadership positions,
walked in pride, lied, etc.
I have to
admit that there are times I get too busy or have the radio or TV on while I’m
cleaning or on the web. Now there is nothing wrong with this as I usually have
Christian radio or TV on BUT when I have it on all the time I’m not leaving
room to hear from God. He wants to talk to me (to you) about things. He wants
to give me people and things to pray about. There are many things He will give
me IF I’m listening. Can you imagine God telling one of us about an impending
attack on our family, neighborhood or something bigger and we are too busy to
hear him.
Okay, the
next thing.
Now the king
of Aram decides to get Elisha. He sends horses and chariots and a ‘strong force’
to get Elisha. And notice, they ‘went by night’ to surround the city.
Let me ask
you, when you are doing something you should not be doing isn't it usually in
the ‘dark’? That dark could be another city where no one knows you, a bar on
the other side of town, even in your own home with the curtains drawn. Evil
dwells in darkness, where no light has come in. It is easier for the enemy to
sneak up on you in the darkness. This is another reason I need to know God,
really know who He is, and to obey Him. Because when that darkness tries to
come in you want His light to expose it so you have the victory over the
darkness, the harm that is trying to come against you, your family, and your
country.
Okay, so ‘the
servant of the man of God’ saw this army with horses and chariots around the ‘city’. Doesn't say Elisha’s home, it says ‘the city’. So many people could have gotten
hurt or killed while they went to get this one man.
The
servant asked Elisha what they should
do, he was afraid.
Now notice
what Elisha tells his servant and what he prays:
“Don’t be afraid….those who are
with us are more than those who are with them”
Now remember
a ‘strong force’ was sent by the king of Aram, but Elisha was unmoved, he knew
he had the best protection. I believe Elisha was concerned for his servant and
wanted to see the fear leave him so Elisha prayed – ‘open his eyes, Lord, so
that he may see’. Elisha wanted his servant to see what he saw.
Now let me
ask this. How close must Elisha have been to God to SEE the unseen in our
world? Do you think Elisha was like we are today and spent most of his time in
front of a TV, playing video games, sleeping, eating, whatever your distraction
is (I know they didn’t have TV’s, video games, etc. back then but there were other distractions).
I want to
know how to see God’s protection, His angels, chariots and horses! Now I’m ahead
of myself…..
So after
Elisha prayed for his servant to see, God opened the servant’s eyes and he saw ‘the
hills full of horses and chariots of FIRE all around Elisha.
This ‘mighty
force’ had an added element – FIRE and it was not burning up the horses or
chariots. What power!!
I believe it
was because of Elisha’s faith that he was able to know, see and pray for his
servant to see this. A faith so strong he could see the unseen in this world.
He did not fear! I would not fear if I saw this kind of protection around me,
my family, and my country. And you know what, I believe that same protection is
here for me, for us; if we would just believe and grow in our faith. What if we
would listen to the Lord and take the time to sit at His feet instead of giving
in to our fleshly desires? Believe me, I’m guilty here and I want to change.
Now don’t
get me wrong I’m not saying we have to do this ALL day and night, that would be
silly as we do have responsibilities that the Lord has given us – provide for
our family, provide for the orphans and widows, we need a place to live and a
car to drive or bus money – so yes we have to work BUT what we need to ask
ourselves, what I have to ask myself – once I am done with my 8 hour day, once
the weekend is here, etc. What am I doing with that time? Oh and you can spend
time with God at work and hear from Him there too – every task you have to do
you can quietly give it to the Lord, asking Him to give you wisdom and to bless
the work of your hands…..you just can’t sit down and close your eyes all day!
Okay, so
back to when you are not at work. This is what I have been guilty of – I come
home and decide it’s all about me now. I have children and a husband I need to
feed and spend time with, that is something I LOVED doing and it almost always
included time in the Word or taking walks and talking about God in what we
would see in nature BUT then once the kids were in bed I wanted to do what I
wanted to do – give in to my flesh and eat popcorn or candy and watch TV ALL
night until I could no longer hold my eyes open…..too tired for prayer or Bible
reading or study. Or I would want to go out on the town and drink or go to a
game and drink, not intending to drink too much…….I could give a lot of
examples, some good and some not so good…..but my point is I put God last when
he should have been first and I would have received my refreshment, my peace
and my protection from Him. I may have seen those unseen forces by now!
Okay, moving
on again J
Elisha
prayed to the Lord to blind the army and God answered Elisha’s prayer. With
confidence in the Lord, with faith in God’s protection; Elisha walked up to
this ‘mighty force’, this army sent to capture him and basically told them they
were in the wrong place but he would lead them to the man they were looking
for.
Can you
believe this!
So they
allowed him to lead them and once they entered the city Elisha asked the Lord
to open their eyes. What a shock it must have been to have their eyes opened
and find they were inside Samaria with the king of Israel and Elisha.
Another
great lesson follows, at least for me.
This army
came to capture Elisha which would have probably led to his life imprisonment
or death. But when the king of Israel asked Elisha; ‘Shall I kill them, my
father? Shall I kill them?’
(Okay, I don’t
know why the king of Israel called Elisha ‘my father’. Anyone have any
revelation on that?)
Elisha
responded with, ‘Do not kill them……set food and water before them so that they
may eat and drink and then go back to their master.’ WOW Elisha is responding with forgiveness,
mercy and love, sounds like the Father.
He had good
reason to have them killed or imprisoned but Elisha’s heart was right before
the Lord. Elisha KNEW the Lord and His ways, knew what the Father wanted.
Because of the way Elisha responded to this army the ‘bands from Aram stopped
raiding Israel’s territory.’ Can you say WOW again!!
Like I said,
so many things to see and learn from these passages but this last one really
blew me away and talked to me.
Elisha
reached out to them in kindness, spared their lives, and trusted God for His
protection. Elisha did not call them names or talk bad about them to the king,
no he treated them like he would a friend. He had the king of Israel give them
a ‘great feast’ and then sent them home to their master. Because of this king
Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
Maybe we
should stop and think about some of our actions (I know I need to) because most
of what happens to us individually is very tiny compared to an army coming
against us. What do you think would happen if we treated those we see as our
enemies, be those in our own families, in our churches, in our work place, etc…..if
we started treating them as God commands us to; with forgiveness, mercy, love,
compassion……so they see God is on our side, He protects us, He lives in us and
because of that we can love and forgive as He does.
Put all this
together and I begin to wonder how the tables would turn and the US would be
spared from future attacks.
We do have
an unseen army that God has sent to protect us. We do have a God that will answer
our prayers according to His Word. BUT we need to KNOW Him, to know what His
Word says, to study it, pray about it, and listen to God to give us revelation.
We need to be in unity in the church. How can we have denominational fights and not
live any differently than the world? That’s not faith. We need to be able to
talk to each other, study the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us
without having these big disagreements. We need to get a handle on the scandals
taking place in the churches, for Pastors to stop looking at preaching as a ‘job
with a paycheck.’ I could go on and on but I won’t.
It is time
for me to pray and listen to the Lord more on this because I desire to have the
faith that Elisha had, one where I can see the unseen and know I/we are
protected. To know I can pray and see the prayers answered and can be as
forgiving to my enemies, sending them back where they came from amazed at the
hospitality they received and then seeing peace cover the home, the land, how
amazing would that be? Could people deny there is a God then? Where did we lose
it? I want it back, how about you?
