2 Kings 6:8-22 KJV 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? (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. (18) And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. (19) And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. (20) And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. (21) And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? (22) And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
This story falls fast on the heels of the account where the axe head that fell into Jordan was recovered through a miracle. Once we cross Jordan, we are trusting in God.
This stirs the enemy up, though!
Elisha warned the king of each and every move the Syrians had in seeking to devour the king of Israel.
Being foiled the king sent an army to get Elisha, since individual men were unsuccessful when Elijah was called for by one captain and fifty men that fire came down.
But we move into a picture where the need for SPIRITUAL LIGHT is shown in this story.
Elisha is surrounded by an army of Syria.
This young man had a desire for the things of God.
Elisha speaks of Jesus here. Elisha says there are more on their side, than on the side of the enemy.
Ephesians 1:18 KJV The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, Jesus cam and ministered and the people who were so proud in themselves, the religious leaders, who were at the same time crooked and dishonest, rejected HIs ministry.
Moses had the Egyptians hot on his trail with the Red Sea barrier before him. Exodus 14:13-14 KJV And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. (14) The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 1 Kings 6: (16) And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. FEAR NOT. John fell dead in FEAR in Revelation 1.
THE LORD FIGHTS OUR BATTLES. To expand our horizons we do not use our power and fight using our best abilities.
And the young man saw chariots of fire all around Elisha! Isaiah 40:30-31 KJV Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: (31) But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. This young man fainted and fell.
Someone said WAIT here means SERVE THE LORD LIKE A WAITER. Wrong. H6960 קוה kaw-vaw' A primitive root; to bind together (perhaps by twisting), that is, collect; (figuratively) to expect: - gather (together), look, patiently, tarry, wait (for, on, upon). It means to tarry and look for.
If the Lord fought our battles, then He will do so again! Those who have eaten of the fruit of life, representing the faith of the GOSPEL MESSAGE, realize they NEED ANOTHER LIFE, not a set of knowledge of what is right or wrong so as to take things into their own hands and fight their own battles.
Now, the soldiers of Syria represent the souls who think they can handle anything.
When the armies surrounded Elisha, he prayed for their eyes to be blinded.
A man was healed of blindness after Jesus made clay and opened his eyes.
John 9:35-38 KJV Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? (36) He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? (37) And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. (38) And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. He was so willing to believe. Not like the religious leaders. John 9:39-41 KJV And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. (40) And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? (41) Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. Like Elisha gave revelation sight beyond what he could naturally see to the hungry young man, and blinded the self-upstanding soldiers, Jesus said He came to give sight to those who see, and blind those who could see.
But the proud's attitude is they think they see all already.
The proud use God as a means to exalt themselves.
John 12:36-41 KJV While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. (37) But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: (38) That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? (39) Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, (40) He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. (41) These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. DO YO KNOW YOU NEED GOD?
And the blinded soldiers were given to deception as Elisha told them they were at the wrong city and must follow him.
Elisha shared the same truth to King Jehoram that he gave to his servant.
(21) And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? (22) And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. The battle is already won!
Colossians 2:15 KJV And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. If you reach out to God there is one thing God is going to convince you of...
That is the GREAT LIGHT people see who know they need God. THAT IS THE GOSPEL! Jesus showed John he had the keys of death and hell. Revelation 1:17-18 KJV And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: (18) I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. That was associated with telling him he was dead and is alive.
So John should not fear! Hebrews 2:14-15 KJV Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (15) And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. You are subject to bondage when you fear death.
And in 1 Kings 6. Then Syria gets more angry and sends a HUGE army to besiege Samaria.
2 Kings 6:24-25 KJV And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. (25) And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. FAMINES represent lack of WORD.
The King who formerly begged Elisha to advise him concerning the syrian army they captured now wants to kill Elisha. He should have held his faith.
But so many go to the ass's head that represents teachings from a STUBBORN MULE-LIKE MIND.
TRUST GOD.
So many get blessed when they need God and when times get bad again, their fait his gone again.
And here we see another slant of the same idea about THOSE WHO THINK THEY KNOW IT ALL ARE DESTROYED WHILE THE HUMBLE WHO KNOW THEY NEED GOD ARE RAISED UP. 2 Kings 6:33 KJV And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer? "Don't wait on God!"
Wrong! 2 Kings 7:1 KJV Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. ELisha said GOD WILL PROVIDE.
But watch this... 2 Kings 7:2 KJV Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. Elisha rebuked this doubter who said God could not even bless them out of that mess in ONE DAY! Oh how small doubters think God is!
Notice the KING LEANED ON THIS MAN'S HAND.
Proverbs 3:5 KJV Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 2 Chronicles 32:8 KJV With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. Jeremiah 17:5 KJV Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. And while the HIGH AND UPPITY were scoffing at faith... the one on whose hand the king, himself, leaned!!.... the ones who trust in themselves and ARE TO PROUD TO CALL UPON GOD, doubted... 2 Kings 7:3 KJV And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? Four men WHOM NO ONE COULD TOUCH, let alone the king lean his hand on him... who were humble and knew it... reached out in faith!
What a story of contrasts!
2 Kings 7:4-6 KJV If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. (5) And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. (6) For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. SOunds like those angelic chariots of fire may have been around those lepers as well! Contrasts! Matthew 21:31 KJV .... Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. And there was so much wealth recovered from the Syrian camp as the lepers gave word to the king of all they found, that it came to pass that prosperity came the very next day as Elisha foretold!
So much wealth of the Spirit came to the church as Israel was simply heading down the road to destruction in their rejection of Christ.
And so it is for the proud, knowledge of good and evil fruit pickers.
Ephesians 1:18-20 KJV The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Notice that when God contrast the uppity self-proclaimed wise men from the low and base people whom God actually raises up, he speaks of GOD DOING THE WORK. 1 Corinthians 1:19-31 KJV For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. (20) Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (21) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. (22) For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: (23) But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; (24) But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (25) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (26) For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: (27) But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (28) And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: (29) That no flesh should glory in his presence. (30) But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (31) That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. That is one thing that the PROUD never come to know.
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