0:00 Second Kings six verse eight. Let us just begin reading right away. Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants saying, at such and such a place shall be my camp. But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there. And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him.
0:30 Thus, he used to warn him so that he saved himself there more than once or twice. And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing. And he called his servants and said to them, will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, none my lord, oh king, but Elisha the prophet who is in Israel tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom. And he said, go and see where he is that I may send and seize him.
0:58 It was told him, behold, he is in Dothan. Lord, we ask as we've already prayed, but we pray again that you would guide us through this study and that there will be a special empowerment behind it. We need your help. We dare not assume that we can open your word, and expound it, and preach it, and hear it, thinking that we will be fruitful apart from your Spirit's help. So we ask that you would make this an impactful time, and that we would see Christ, and that we would receive your wisdom, and that we would walk out of here that much closer to him, and that much clearer in our understanding of who he is.
1:39 Lord, we long for you to help us, and we need you, And we commit it in the name of your son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. It would be a mistake to interpret this passage in isolation. And the reason why I say that is because this is not the first time that the Syrians have been mentioned in connection to Elisha's ministry. Do you recall the last time that we engaged with the Syrians when it came to Elisha's story?
2:10 Anybody know? You can answer it if you do know the answer. You gotta say it a little bit louder because I'm a little bit elevated and you're a little bit far if you're answering from the back. Naaman the Syrian in second Kings chapter five. And so this is not our introduction to the Syrians interacting with this mighty man of God.
2:33 And is understanding that background helpful to approaching this text? Absolutely. You're saying why? Read verse eight once more. Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants saying, at such and such a place shall be my camp.
2:50 What you and I discover in the opening verse of our study is the profound ingratitude, and the disregard of the king of Syria towards the people of Israel, and more importantly, the God of Israel. Why? Because this follows Naaman the Syrian who was the general of the army, who was healed miraculously, and returned back to Syria as a new man. And we have to remember that the king of Syria was well aware of Naaman's condition, and how he was helped by the God of Israel. Remember, it was Naaman who approached the king of Syria asking him permission to go to Israel to receive aid.
3:30 And the king of Syria himself wrote a letter and gave it to the king of Israel saying, receive Naaman my servant and help him. So how do we tie this together? Well evidently, the king of Syria was not too concerned about Naaman's healing and how that should change his perspective on the God of Israel. There was no lasting impression, if there was any impression at all. Right here in verse eight, we learned that he's ready to go to war.
3:59 Disappointing? Yes. Shocking? It shouldn't be. Because this is not unique to the king of Syria.
4:06 Throughout the old testament, do we not see it? In the gospel accounts, is it not there? In present day experiences, do we not have stories of this? Where people have tasted of the mercy of God, have been even bathed by his grace, and still are willing to war against him? To be called towards him, indifferent towards him?
4:29 There are various degrees to which a man can harden his heart. And I was reflecting on the king of Syria the other night and I was reminded of a passage that describes one of the severest forms of stubbornness a person can reach. It's interesting because this word in the Hebrew is only found in two places in all the old testament. It's found in Zechariah seven twelve. As the prophet was reflecting on the stubbornness of the people of the people of God, we're told there in Zechariah seven twelve, they made their hearts diamond hard.
5:05 Lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets. Therefore, great anger came from the Lord of hosts. They made their hearts, not hard, diamond hard. I was reflecting on that. Why would the word diamond be used until I looked into it and realized that diamonds are one of the most hard material, natural stones in our world.
5:31 So out of all the things that God could use as an adjective to describe the condition of the heart of the people of God at this time, he says, their hearts are not just rock hard, diamond hard. And who's responsible for that kind of state? It was the people. It says, they made their hearts diamond hard. They have allowed themselves through persistent rejection and resistance to God's word, God's power, God's mercy to the point where it was virtually impenetrable.
6:03 And so do not underestimate how a man or a woman's heart can become so stiff and calloused to the things of God despite what the Lord does for them. That's something that we see over and over in our old testament study. What man is capable of in their rejection of God, in their denial of God. But despite the strategic and heartless plots of the enemies of Israel, the people of God were a step ahead. Why?
6:31 Because we learned that Elisha was granted supernatural discernment from God. And it's quite humorous when you actually think about it because Elisha becomes the greatest intelligent agency for any nation in all of world history, single handedly. You have one man who didn't send any spies, who was in his own abode and received downloads from God, knowing exactly we've seen this more we've seen this more than once in our study of second Kings where he is referred to as the chariots and the horsemen of Israel. The chariots of Israel were ascribed as a title to this man. Why?
7:25 Because he was the true defense of the nation. His connection with God as a conduit of God, he was able to truly lead the people and protect the people. But this moment not only reflects God's omniscience, it also serves as a megaphone for his mercy. Why? Because who the king of Israel was at this time and the apostate condition of the nation of Israel.
7:50 They were spiritually sick and their leadership didn't help them by any means. Does anybody remember who the king of Israel is at this point? Go to second Kings three one, you get your answer. In second Kings three one we read, in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel and Samaria and he reigned twelve years. Jehoram the son of Ahab.
8:17 True, he was not as evil as his parents, but he was a compromiser. He worshiped idols. Be that as it may, God did not completely abandon his people. That's what you see here. That the Lord was still willing to offer guidance and warnings and through that, he was extending in steadfast invitation for the people to be reconciled to him over and over and over again.
8:43 And this might shock us, but Joram at this point, responds favorably. He actually does the right thing. So the word of the Lord comes to him, don't go there and he doesn't do it. And and we're told there that he doesn't do that just once or twice, but numerous times. So Jehoram, he he's not the best king.
9:03 He's actually one of the worst kings. That being said, he's still offering us some wisdom in our walk with the Lord at this at this point, this juncture. In what way? The main thing I want you to take away from this man is how his obedience was consistent. So he saved himself there more than once or twice.
9:22 Elisha's warnings were numerous, which required the king of Israel to trust him every single time. Understand this. It wouldn't be enough for the king of Israel to obey 10 times, and on the eleventh time, to have his own way. It would require him to submit and trust every single time. And if he didn't, he would put himself in extreme danger.
9:52 And I think here, there is some wisdom for our walk with Christ. If you and I wanna see God's favor and protection remain in our lives, then it would be good to view a single act of disobedience as a deadly threat. A single act of disobedience as a deadly threat. Listen, if you wanna be serious about holiness and the rewards of holiness, may I say something to you? You cannot convince yourself that you can even nibble for a moment on one transgression or stray away in a season of sin unscathed.
10:27 That would be no less foolish than Jehoram momentarily ignoring Elisha's directions. You would think that the king of Israel would be a fool to obey seven times, and on the eighth time, to depend on his own wisdom. To not trust the word of the Lord. And you and I are called to that same standard of dependency on God's word that in every place, with any person, at any time, I'm gonna trust God's word. I'm not gonna open myself to anything that can put me in danger.
10:57 If you and I see sin that way, we would know greater rewards. On the path of steadfast obedience is where we find the treasures of God's blessing and favor and continual shielding. Yeah. Praise God for his grace that when we do slip and when we fall, when we're convinced to do otherwise. But I'm talking about premeditated foolishness of knowing what God's word has to say about the matter and to just go the other way.
11:31 And I see the king of Israel here obeying and as long as he obeyed he was safe and it's no different for you and I. So this is what's so moving about this scene. Verse 10, the king of Israel was sent to the place about which the man of God told him, thus he used to warn him so that he was saved there more than once or twice. Verse 11, and the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing. And he called his servants and said to them, will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?
11:58 So look, this is beyond coincidence now. Once okay, twice okay, three times We're not told them the total amount of times but it was enough for the the king of Syria to be like, something's up here. We got a rat. There's a spy here. So he called in to all his servants and says, which of you here is an informant?
12:19 Here's what's so funny. Verse 12. And one of his servants said, unnamed. Right? An inferior individual said, none my lord, O king.
12:28 But Elisha the prophet who is in Israel tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom. Haven't you and I seen this consistently in our study of second Kings? Where you have a servant who has greater spiritual perception than somebody who is in a high and lofty position? Didn't we see that in second Kings chapter five? Where it was a slave girl from Israel who was kidnapped from our home that told Naaman the Syrian, I know somebody who can help you with your leprosy.
13:00 Was it not a servant of one of the kings when the coalition of kings, including the king of Judah and Israel went out to fight against the Moabites and they were wandering in the wilderness, they got lost. It was a servant who said, I know where we can find Elisha and he can help us. That you can't ignore that. It's a constant thing that appears in our study reminding you and I that to be lowly in the natural but rich in the spiritual is a greater advantage than those who are noble in this life but are deficient in the soul. Who cares about what people achieve in this life if they're bankrupt spiritually?
13:37 Be rich towards God. I was reading now my my own personal reading of Luke in Luke chapter 12. Where that man in that parable boasted about expanding his homes and retiring early and relaxing, and God calls that man a fool. Anybody is a fool who invests so much in this life but is bankrupt towards God. And that's why he said, such as a man who is not rich towards God.
13:59 It's possible to be rich in this life, but to be poor in the spirit. I'm not interested in that. I wanna be rich towards him no matter what it cost me in this life. But you know what I thought when I was reflecting on this? How did the Syrian servant know about Elisha in this way?
14:16 How? Now, we are not told, but I have an inclination to believe that it had to do something with Naaman the Syrian. This is just speculation, but I think it's a safe one that when Naaman returned, remember, he returned with a plan to not be ashamed of his devotion to Yahweh. He would make an altar. It would be public.
14:34 He was not afraid to declare that his allegiance would be to the true God. And I wonder if this servant heard the testimony of Naaman the Syrian. And it made an impression on him enough for for him to be familiar with the man of God and what God was able to do through a man. It's just a wonderful reminder of what our testimonies can do. So he says, listen, the prophet, he hears your conversation in your own bedroom.
15:02 Now you would think that would humble somebody. Right? You would think that would cause him to say, I must know which God is able to give this kind of ability to his people. What do you see? Verse 13.
15:14 And he said, go and see where he is that I may send and seize him. It was told him, behold, he is in Dothan. Hold on to that. Remember, we talked about this in previous studies that when a place appears, the name of a town or city or region appears in in your Bibles, do not disregard it, do not think it's just a historical, footnote. No.
15:39 Look at it and consider it. Meditate on it. So, I remember stumbling upon this dothan years ago and thought to myself, that's not a familiar place in the Bible. Now, we're not gonna explore this now. We're gonna come back to it in a moment.
15:52 We have to continue and you'll see why. But I just want to remind you of that discipline. Don't skip over names. Don't skip over cities and towns. And you'll see why.
16:02 This is just gonna be another example of why the discipline of seeking deeper things in the Word of God will reward you greatly. But let's come to verse 15. When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, alas, my master. What shall we do?
16:25 He said, do not be afraid for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. So, you have two men here. We have the servant of the man of God, that can't be Gehazi. Why? Because he's an outcast now.
16:44 He's crippled and riddled with leprosy. So this is someone who replaced him, at least temporarily. We have the servant of the man of God and we have Elisha with him. And I want you to realize that they were both standing in the same geographical location. They were both both facing the same threat and and you can even argue that Elisha was experiencing a greater danger than the servant because they were coming after him.
17:12 And lastly, they both served the same God. But there was one main difference and it was a very important difference. They had totally different outlooks. Totally different perspectives. Totally different revelations that were set before their vision.
17:34 The same surprise, the same challenge, the same difficulty, but two different viewpoints that caused them to interpret the situation so differently. And I wanna say it's the same for Christians today. That you can have two Christian college students, at the same school, with the same temptations, in the same crowd. One succumbing to the pulls of the world and another overcoming. Why?
18:04 Because they have two different understandings. You can have married couples. And if you do counseling with married couples long enough, you'll realize that their problems are not very unique. The strains are very similar. And yet, you can have some parties who are willing to, in faith and trust in God's wisdom, achieve reconciliation while others crumble.
18:29 You can have two very wealthy Christians, unusually successful in this life. One is able to live for eternity and not make mammon their God. And the other can be completely ensnared to the point of spiritual destruction. Why? Because of an understanding and not just an understanding, but a willingness to frame your outlook with that understanding.
18:54 You have the servant of God looking at the same thing and you have the man of God looking at the same thing. Two different conclusions. And the servant of God was visibly fearful, panicked. His eyes were widened as he woke up early that day ready to do his chores and his duties as an assistant to the prophet. And he looks out and he hears the distant rumblings and an unusual scene of the hills being littered with chariots.
19:23 Perhaps even at some times hearing the chants for Elisha's name and learning very quickly we're outnumbered here. And so he panics. And what's so moving is, right away we get a a striking contrast with the man of God who is calm with an otherworldly kind of tranquility. When he looks at the servant of God says, don't be afraid. I mean, it's impossible to read Elisha's response with any other kind of tone.
19:57 Don't be afraid. There are more with us than those that are before us. Now, I I'm thinking and I'm looking at this wondering how was this man able listen, you can't fake this. How was this man able to respond with such a serenity? A serenity that was able to not just help him, but help others.
20:22 And I'll tell you this, it was because of revelation that he possessed that was able to stabilize his heart. I I was looking at Elisha earlier today and his posture was a clear reflection of one of the greatest practical promises that you can find in the Old Testament. Isaiah 26 verse three. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you. Now if you read that carefully, you'll learn that this is a verse that is outlining an equation.
20:56 Man has a responsibility and that contingency will determine God's reward. You keep him in perfect peace. Who's the one who grants this peace? God. You keep it.
21:08 And it's not just any ordinary peace, it's a perfect peace. Now either the Bible is exaggerating or God's word is true and every man be a liar. You keep him in perfect peace. What does perfect peace means? It means that it is a peace that is accessible and applicable to any situation.
21:25 That you can draw from this peace, you can experience this this stability anywhere, anytime before anyone for anything. The best quality of peace, God is willing to grant upon this for those whose mind is stayed on you. So here's how you understand this. Unbroken peace from God is granted to those who have unbroken meditation on God. Unbroken peace from God can only be achieved through unbroken meditation on the Lord.
22:06 Elisha saw something. Elisha lived in a reality that this servant hasn't yet arrived to. And that's okay, because he he's learning. He's growing. And he had the right teacher in his life.
22:21 So here's the thing you have to understand. What you believe will ultimately determine how you behave. And I and I can't again help but look at a verse like Isaiah twenty six three and feel the responsibility of feeding my mind and my heart. The truths of who God is. And not just checking off a box saying I read my Bible this morning, but living with that meditation.
22:46 Singing about those truths. Discussing them with people who actually have a relationship with God. And you can't have a relationship with God if you don't have a relationship with the Word of God. Impossible. Impossible.
22:57 People who have a low view of the Bible have a low view of God no matter what what else they say. This is the means by which we get to know God. Not through your experiences. As wonderful as experiences are, it's primarily through his word and through his word will you know experiences. And one of those experiences is a perfect peace through unbroken meditation on him.
23:21 You stop thinking about the Lord and including him beyond just a little bit of time in the morning or at night, you make more room for things to invade and to live there that shouldn't be living there. And so here's Elisha demonstrating, I believe, what it means to live with that lens of who God is, what he is able to do, who I am in him. And he's about to teach this young servant what that looks like. But you know, you can't move on without considering more inspiring traits from this prophet. Because here's what I learned about Elisha in our past few weeks.
23:53 In so many of these scenes where he interacts with people and performs miracles, he does it in a spirit of compassion. Rich compassion. So he doesn't look at the servant. Right? We don't know how long he was enrolled in this program, but he surely knew about Elisha long enough to actually consider it to begin with or to be hired by Elisha.
24:11 But you don't see the man of God look at him saying, hey, what's wrong with you, man? You haven't learned already? You haven't seen things already? You haven't heard who I am? He doesn't do any of that.
24:22 He patiently instructs him. He gently guides him. Now there are times where rebuke is necessary. Do you know how I know that? Because Jesus did it.
24:32 So there are some people who think I mean, there are some people who think that you should never correct, you should never confront. What Bible are you reading? With all due respect, Jesus even with his closest disciples who failed to learn things that he told them over and over again received from time to time stern rebuke. But that's not applicable here because you have this young new assistant who's just starting out and Elisha shows each of us who who might be a little bit more spiritually mature than another person, to be patient, to be kind. And there are there are a lot of people I know who are very spiritually knowledgeable, and have a grasp on things that don't necessarily demonstrate that.
25:15 And Elisha here is a rebuke to us to be patient. And listen, his tenderness and care is not just shown in how he speaks to the servant. Listen very carefully. It's shown in how he speaks to God about the servant. Being patient, understanding, willingness to teach to those who are willingness to learn is one thing.
25:37 But I'm telling you now that Elisha teaches us that love for our brethren is also shown in how we speak to God on their behalf. Notice what he does. Verse 17. Then Elisha prayed and said, oh Lord, please open his eyes that he may see. So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man.
26:02 And he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Here's how I'm convicted by this. Lord, I don't just see it with Elisha. I see it with the apostle Paul with virtually every church that he engaged and interacted with. He didn't just instruct them.
26:23 He didn't just teach them. He prayed for them over and over again. And Lord, help me come to the place where I love my fellow brother and sister enough, where I'm willing to bring their needs and their weaknesses before your throne. And it's not just a quick thought that Elisha offers up. It's not just a duty that he fulfills.
26:48 You can sense the earnestness. Look at the language. Oh, Lord, please. That's sincerity. That's longing.
26:58 And so I wanna lovingly challenge all of us to reexamine our love for people, not just with our practical deeds, which I think is very important, but also in our willingness to pray. Pray for them. And what a valuable lesson for leaders, including parents. Because Elisha reminds us here that there are certain levels of transformation that can only be achieved when we pray for people. I'm not sure exactly how verse 16, led to verse 17, but it makes me wonder that after Elisha telling him not to be afraid that he didn't necessarily get the reaction he was hoping for.
27:41 Do not be afraid, verse 16. Right? And then, we don't know what happens with the young man, but look at verse 17. Then Elisha prayed and said. So I wonder if Elisha still saw this man visibly disturbed and so he lifts his eyes to heaven.
27:55 He says, Lord, can you help him? Can you open his eyes? So, may we also learn to reserve our energy. That after trying to convince and seeing people convicted even to no avail, to come to God on their behalf instead. A preacher who's not alive, most of my favorite ministers are no longer alive.
28:26 But this man said, it's one thing, it's one honor to speak to men on behalf of God. It's a whole other honor to speak to God on behalf of men. And Elisha here shows us that, not that we have a permission to cop out from dealing with people or matters directly, but to have this understanding that apart from God intervening, apart from God moving, apart from God enabling, apart from God's hand on someone's mind or heart, We won't see what we want to see. Here's a wonderful model. I'm speaking to you and we have we have the reason to believe here that maybe nothing was achieved in that.
29:06 Now let me speak to God for you, and ask that God would open your eyes. And God is willing to answer that prayer. Look at Paul's prayers very carefully. Specifically in Ephesians one, where he asked that the eyes of the hearts of the Ephesians may be opened. So we have permission to pray those kind of prayers.
29:23 It's a prayer that's prayed every Friday and every Sunday before anybody gets behind this pulpit. Open the eyes of the people. Men can only go so far with other men. But when men connects with God, all miracles can take place. Now what does the servant see after Elisha prays?
29:40 Read it again with me in verse 17, the latter portion. The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Now in the past when I read this part, I usually imagined that when the eyes of this young man were open to the spiritual realm and this is a good reminder for each of us that there is a realm that parallels this world. Right? There are things happening beyond our senses, beyond our immediate understanding, behind the scenes, twenty four seven.
30:13 Right? And we're seeing that here. We're just getting a glimpse, a little window into that world. But this is how I always imagined that when the eyes of this young man were opened, he he looked out and he saw the hills covered. The surrounding mountains littered, enveloping the city, standing in the, you know, this translucent kind of army, standing in the midst of the Syrians and outnumbering them.
30:39 But it's more glorious than that. It wasn't just this young man looking out into the distance and seeing a canopy of soldiers covering the enemies of Israel. These horses and chariots of fire were not surrounding the city, they were surrounding Elisha. Did you see that? Look again.
30:58 The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around, not Dothan, Elisha. So imagine this. You have this sea of angelic beings orbiting around the man of God and extending outward to the hills. That's what he saw. So it wasn't, wow, look out there.
31:18 It was, woah, woah, woah. Right here. And what was it they saw? Horses and chariots of fire. Have we seen those for the first time here?
31:29 Or have we seen them before? We've seen them before. When God dispatched the same kind of beings to transport Elijah into heaven. And so, what do we see here? There's a lesson here.
31:43 There's a principle here. That the horses and chariots of fire that protected Elijah from death, as he's being translated into heaven, are the same ones who are now protecting Elisha from potentially being killed. And this is a consistent support, underscoring a principle that God's protection extends to his chosen servants, ensuring their safety every moment. Every single moment. And so you see Elisha receiving this similar kind of divine intervention, but I wanna show you how it wasn't just limited to these two amazing prophets of God.
32:23 So where was this miracle taking place? The name? Dothan. Dothan. And I look at that and and I remember this is years ago looking at that saying, why have I not seen this place before?
32:37 And I'm I'm not saying every single region that's mentioned you're gonna arrive to these kind of conclusions, but this is the case here. There's only one other place in all of the Old Testament where Dothan is brought up. Now, I'm not gonna mention it right away. I'm gonna give you a chance to answer without looking at your Bibles. Even if you do, it'll take a while, I think.
32:57 Does Does anybody know where Dothan is mentioned in the Hebrew scriptures? Wow. That was quick. Did everybody know that was Genesis? Good.
33:07 Wonderful. Yes. Genesis. But where specifically in Genesis? Okay.
33:11 Wow. I was expecting a little bit more of a delay there. Let's turn to Genesis 37. The only other place where Dothan is brought up. Genesis 37 verse 16.
33:35 Joseph was sent by his father to seek for his brothers, and he bumps into a man who gives him directions. Verse 16 of Genesis 37. I am seeking my brothers, he said, tell me please where they are pasturing the flock. And the man said, they have gone away, for I heard them say, let us go to Dothan. So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
33:58 By the way, this is personally one of my favorite examples of providence in the Old Testament. If that man had not been there and gave him these instructions, who knows what would have become of Joseph's future? But because that man was right there at the right time and gave those specific instructions, that's what turned Joseph's life around. There are no coincidences in the will of God. So here's this man who says, yeah, actually I heard that they were going to Dothan.
34:21 And do you remember what happens when he arrives at Dothan? The brothers take him and they throw him into a pit and they leave him there like a wild animal. And it was in Dothan where Joseph tasted the venomous envy, the murderous jealousy of his own relatives. So listen, there are only two places where Dothan is mentioned in the old testament. So now now now now now now this is where it gets exciting.
34:46 I step back and I think about Elisha. And what I read about Elisha in second king six. And I say, Lord, is there something here? And surely there is because in Dothan, with Elisha, it was a place where he was ambushed by the enemy. In Dothan, for Joseph, it was a place where he was abandoned by his family.
35:05 And I believe that the divine protection that wrapped around Elisha was no less true for Joseph when he was in Dothan, hundreds of years before. Saying, can you prove that? I can prove that. You're still in Genesis. Right?
35:18 Go to Genesis 49 and look at the prophecy that was granted to Joseph when Jacob was ready to go and be with his fathers. Genesis forty nine twenty two. Joseph is a fruitful bough. A fruitful bough by spring. A bough is like the main branch of a tree.
35:42 His branches run over the wall. The archers Listen to this language. The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him and harassed him severely yet his bow remained unmoved. His arms were made agile by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob. From there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel.
36:04 So here's when I learned that the truth about this place called Dothan mentioned only twice in all of the Old Testament, is that God is with us at all times in all places, through every experience. Whether that experience is being betrayed by our loved ones or being attacked by those who are enemies. The Lord is there. He was there with Joseph. He was there for Elisha.
36:32 He is with you. Psalm one twenty five verse two, you don't have to turn there. But as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people from this time forth and forevermore. So why are you afraid? You know, it's one thing to look at these things and be moved by them when you see the connection and the promises.
36:55 Another thing when you experience being outnumbered by enemies. And serve in ministry long enough and you'll know a few share of enemies. I can tell you with a great confidence not just by the authority of the word of God, which is my primary way of communicating this truth, but by way of experience that I've seen the Lord surround my life. And I pray that he always will. And I pray that you would know that, especially when you need that truth the most.
37:26 So what happens next? Because the miracle doesn't end here. Verse 18. And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, please strike this people with blindness. So, the armies of Syria came rolling down those hills at some point like a freak tsunami, ready to crash into Dothan.
37:51 And Elisha is unfazed by it. I wonder what that looked like. And he prays again. And again, this is just another humorous thing. So in the verse preceding this, he prays for his servant's eyes to be opened and in the following verse, he prays for the eyes of thousands of people to be blind.
38:12 What are you supposed to take from that? Here's what you're supposed to take from that. The power of prayer. The prayer of the righteous can open the eyes of one man and close the eyes of 10,000. No matter who or what you pray about, God is willing to do as long as it's according to his will.
38:28 And it shows what God is capable of doing. He's a he's able of opening eyes and he's able of closing eyes. So you have this army coming against a man who had something greater than chariots, greater than javelins, greater than bows, prayer. And God heard him. And if we didn't know this story, perhaps we would think that the next thing that Elisha would pray for is maybe some form of humiliation or some kind of show before he would ask those invisible chariots and horses to slay these enemies.
39:04 But the miracle is greater than that. So these men experienced this temporary blindness and I don't think it was a complete blindness because they were able to grope their way towards this next destination. But it was enough for them to not make sense of what's happening or understand who's before them. So Elisha prays that they would be struck with blindness and we're told here at the end of verse 18, so he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. Look at that last part, in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.
39:32 And what happens next? What would you do if you're in Elisha's position? Here's what he does. Verse 19. And Elisha said to them, this is not the way and this is not the city.
39:45 Follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek. Oh, some people really try to get clever and say, look at Elisha. He's supposed to be a man of God and he's lying to the Syrians. He's not lying. He left Dothan and he's going somewhere else.
39:56 And he's saying, you want me? Come and follow me. See how simple that is? People are really desperate to try to criticize the word of God. And where did he lead them?
40:08 And he led them to Samaria. That's the headquarters. That's where the king of Israel is gonna be. And the king of Israel is gonna get a surprise himself. Look at verse 20.
40:17 And as soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, oh Lord, open the eyes of these men that they may see. So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. And as as soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, my father shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down? So the king doesn't even know what to do here.
40:39 And notice, again, Jerram has a problem. But he still respects the prophet at least at this point. My father, that's that's a term of endearment, that's a term of honor. My father, what do I do here? The natural thing to do is to slay them.
40:53 Kill them. They try to kill you over and over again. And the king receives a rebuke from the man of God. He answered, you shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow?
41:08 Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master. So he prepared for them a great feast. And when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel. So Elisha here prays that they would be blind, leads them into Samaria, prays that their eyes would be open.
41:38 And we're we're moved by that miracle. Right? It's very amazing. Like, whatever Elisha said, the Lord did it. But please understand that the miracle here is beyond the physical restoration of their sight.
41:51 The miracle here is that their eyes would be opened to the mercy and the compassion of the God that Elisha served. Not just to see again, but to see something about the true God. And when the Syrians realized that Elisha and the king of Israel responded with a feast instead of a fight, they were baffled. Think about this. The instruction from the king of Syria was go and seize him.
42:19 Right? They wanted to get Elisha and probably kill him, probably interrogate him, probably in prison. We don't know. How many men does it take to seize one person? A little excessive to send an entire army, isn't it?
42:34 But I wonder if the people of Syria were aware of what God has done on behalf of his prophets Enough for them to be a little bit cautious in the way they approach this situation. Do you remember what happened to the people who were sent by the king of Israel to arrest Elijah in second Kings chapter one? He was there on the top of the hill and he sends captain after captain with a band of 50 men. And all it took was one word from Elisha and fire came down from heaven and consumed them and turned them into ash. So I wonder if with a little intel that they got about Elisha and who his predecessor was, that they were being, very very strategic here.
43:12 Maybe we should send more than five fifty, 500. Let's send thousands so that even if God does intervene from heaven, we'll have some kind of a fighting chance. They don't encounter a fight. They don't encounter fire from heaven. They're invited to a feast.
43:33 Let me say it this way. There was a kind of fire that was sent in this moment. Saying, what are you talking about? As much as Elisha here is standing out, as he's reflecting the mercy and compassion of God, he is also obeying the word of God. Saying, what are you talking about?
43:51 I'm talking about a verse that another king wrote down that gave instruction about situations like this. Proverbs 25 verse 21. Some more proverbs from King Solomon and consider these two verses and how they connect to this experience. We know these verses in the New Testament, but they originated in the old. Proverbs twenty five twenty one, if your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat.
44:22 And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. For you will heap burning coals on his head. That's the fire I'm talking about. For you will heap burning coals on his head and the Lord will reward you. The Lord will reward you.
44:38 You know what that verse teaches? Teaches many things. One of them is if you really wanna make a lasting mark on your enemies, be strategic in your kindness. This is really, really difficult. This is extremely demanding and challenging.
44:53 It requires the help of the Holy Spirit to even entertain the first step. But notice this, that to go out of your way to act I mean think about this. If you really wanna apply the Bible, this is what this verse is demanding of us. People who have hurt you, have sought your harm. The way God wants you to respond is to think back and to not rehearse their harm, but to actually plan a way to respond to them with love.
45:27 That when the opportunity arises, that you would move in that opportunity in a way to actually melt them with mercy. And what's the incentive here? God will reward you. Now, the the the burning coals on their head speaks of the the the piercing power of conviction potentially. Them being so moved by their lack of mercy and and response seeing your mercy.
45:57 There's creates a clash, there creates a cutting, a pricking of the heart. That doesn't necessarily mean that there's a promise there of conversion or even repentance, necessarily. But the incentive is God will reward you. God will see that and he will he will be pleased with that. And here's what Elisha is doing.
46:16 Elisha is doing something very profound. Something that we've seen over and over with his miracles that they would be recorded in Holy Scripture and that generations following would read about them, not just seeing what God is able to do in his power, but God's heart for the Gentiles. And for those who are outside of covenant with him. And those who are lost and blind, not just in this physical instance, but spiritually. And so, as we're going through the Old Testament, we're seeing more and more instances of gospel preparation.
46:47 That in different periods of redemptive history, God is making his ultimate desire known that I'm willing to reach out beyond these borders. And I'm willing to touch a people that are not from the seed of Abraham. So this is a deeper thing of this miracle here. It's not it's not just, look what God can do. Yeah.
47:03 It's wonderful. But what's the message behind the miracle? And there are many of them as we just learned. And there's a gospel truth in here. Is there not?
47:13 That you have these people warring against the man of God who represents God on earth. The anointed one of this time. And though warring against him, though rebelling, though experiencing the common graces of life, you still put up arms against this God. And how does God respond? He leads you to a banquet.
47:38 He leads you to a feast of forgiveness. He brings you to the foot of the cross and he invites you to be reconciled to him. And look at this wonderful picture. You have the king who says, kill them. Should I kill them?
47:55 And you have an intercessor who says, no. Give them mercy. And so even in this vignette, you have Christ, where though we deserve the wrath of God says, no. I wanna extend friendship with these enemies. I wanna establish a covenant with these ones.
48:11 But just ten seconds ago, they were willing to slice your head up. I know but this is my heart. Yes, they're physically blind in the instance but there's a deeper blindness at play here. And I want them to know that I'm willing to forgive them still, no matter what their history or their record looks like. And when you experience the mercy of God in the person of Jesus Christ, you should have the same reaction that these men did.
48:36 What happens? We're told at the end of our study that they never made a raid on them again. When you truly taste of God's mercy, you're changed. You're changed. You're a different person.
48:48 You can't go back to the things that once positioned you to experience God's judgment. You relinquish them. You repent of them now and you walk differently. Why do you walk differently? I say this all the time to people who never heard the gospel.
49:04 I don't live the way I live. I don't do what I do to earn God's grace. I do it because of God's grace. I walk differently because I tasted of his forgiveness. How could I not give myself over to him completely?
49:18 So many people put the cart before the horse. So even in this do we see something so wonderful, something that's applicable to the spiritual world, the spiritual realm, the spiritual realities of who we are. You sinned against God offensively, disgustingly. And Elisha here shows us that he leads his people not into wrath, but into fellowship. Not into judgment, but into reconciliation.
49:49 I really wonder what that feast was like. Must have been very uncomfortable in the beginning. I wonder if they looked over their shoulders like, are they just fattening us up before they slaughter us? What is this trickery? No.
50:01 It wasn't. Imagine they ate together and at some point Elisha and the king looked at him and said, we're glad that you can join us. You can go back home. What was that walk like back home? What was their conversations like?
50:16 See, before this, the Syrians, I'm sure, discussed how the God of Israel healed one of their generals, Naaman. And I believe that Naaman wasn't a part of this expedition. There's no way he was. So there's this murmurings that the God of Israel healed. But what was it like when these guys got back home?
50:32 How did they explain this one? I I wish that the story with the Syrians ended here, but we're gonna learn in the coming weeks that just like the king of Syria, there wasn't a lasting impression. And again, we're gonna be reminded that there are those who can genuinely experience something of the grace of Jesus Christ. Some who are not moved to begin with and some who are temporarily moved, only to return back to their ways. May never be so of us.
51:04 I hope that if you truly experience what Christ did on the cross, you would never go back and that you would always remember the kindness that was extended to you while you're enemies of God. Christ came and died for you. This is who we are in Jesus Christ. This is who God is, and I pray that it would move you once more. Let's pray.
51:41 Oh, please, I beg you. Take the time to meditate on these truths. I don't I don't wanna abort this. I don't wanna just speed through it. I want us to take the time to relish in it.
51:51 So, you know, the praise team will come up in a moment, but truly, truly, truly, truly reflect and talk to the Lord. Thank him for these truths. Thank him for who he is. Apply the warnings. Rejoice in the promises of it.
52:17 Lord, words can't express. Your word is amazing. Thank you that every time we come to it, we receive another miracle, that our eyes are open yet again, and our vision is clearer, and our perception is more precise. But we thank you for this word. It is your voice.
52:39 It's not just black ink on white pages. It is spirit. There's power behind these words and in these words. And we felt the force of it tonight. And we pray that we would not be like the Syrians in this story where we, we taste of something only to to forget and to return to our ways.
53:00 We ask, oh, God, that you would change us like you changed Jacob, that we wouldn't walk the same, that you would give us a holy limp leaving this place. We need you to you need we need you to help us to live like this, Lord. That you would etch these things in our hearts. The tablets of our hearts, oh, Lord, would never forget these truths. May you do it by your spirit.
53:24 Lord, we do thank you. We honor you. We glorify you. We can spend all night just glorifying you for how you spoke to us through this message tonight. Receive these songs, Lord, as we say thank you.
53:39 In Jesus' name, amen. Let's stand and sing to the Lord. Give him glory and honor and thanks.
