Articles - Bulletin
Open His Eyes
In 2 Kings 6 we’re told of an occasion with the Syrian king was making raids on Israel. To be more accurate I should say he was attempting to make raids on Israel but was unsuccessful. Despite his best efforts every time he would move his camp to a more strategic location Elisha was informing the king of Israel of the Syrian’s movements and thus the king of Israel was always one step ahead of the Syrian king.
This of course frustrated and angered the Syrian king and let him to believe that he must have had a mole in the camp but they assured him he was mistaken and rather it was Elisha that was informing the king of Israel. The king of Syria then gave order to find out where Elisha lived and then sent a great army and surrounded the entire city in order to capture Elisha.
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?" He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see." So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2Ki 6:15-17)
It’s then that Elisha also prays that the Lord would blind the Syrians and then leads them into Samaria only to have their sight restored to the realization that they are in the very heart of the nation they’ve been seeking to attack, standing before their king who is contemplating killing them all. Instead Elisha says to feed them and send them on their way and afterward they did not make raids into the land of Israel.
I think we’d all agree that this is one of many amazing stories that show God’s power and guidance for His people. It’s in this story that this servant is able to see what very few men have ever witnessed, to see past the veil that this physical life holds in front of us and gets to, for a moment, see the two realms as they exists together. Elisha’s prayer for God to open this servants eyes has multiple lessons.
Open His Eyes To See That You’re Not Absent. 2 Kings 6:17 – “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see. So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” You can’t fault this young man because of his distress and inability to see. You and I often find ourselves realizing that we are surrounded as well. 1 John 5:19 says – “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” At times all we can see is the evil in this world and the hurt and disappointment. Elisha doesn’t just want the young man to be able to literally see God’s army but to assure him that God’s not absent. Our God is present, He knows what’s going on, and He’ll always be with us.
Open His Eyes To See That You’re More Powerful. 2 Kings 6:16 – “For those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” I don’t know the exact number of troops that the Syrian army sent but it had to have been an impressive show of force being that during this time they are one of the largest, if not the largest, military players of that time. Elisha is assuring this young man that while it seems we’re overwhelmingly outnumbered, in actuality they are outnumbered. God will always bring more to the fight. While seeing an entire mountain covered in horses and chariots of fire think for a moment what one angel is capable of. It was ONE angel that took out 185,000 Amorites in one night. It was ONE angel that went throughout the land of Egypt killing every first born child. It was ONE angel that went through Israel and killed 70,000 when David took the census that was not authorized. We need to have the same confidence an assurance. John says in 1 John 5:13-15 – “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. and this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”
Open Their Eyes To See That Your Way Works. 2 Kings 6:22-23. The king of Israel came to the most logical and natural conclusion. Surely you’ve brought these men here for us to slay them. After all if we let them go they’ll just come back and attack us again right. Elisha says that God has a different plan. Who else besides our God has ever taken an attacking nation and led them into the heart of the city they were attacking, fed them, and let them go? Ha…no one besides our God could accomplish that. God’s way may not always make sense to us but He’s never failed us and like those in the story we need to be reminded and assured that God’s way works. God knows what He is doing. If we’ll submit to His will and His ways He’ll protect us and provide for us. Isn’t that what John & James teach us? “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.” (1 Jn. 5:18) “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (Jam. 4:7)
Let’s allow God to open our eyes as well. As we ready His word, as we travel down the road, as we go through our work day, and as we join our families at home. When you seek for God to open your eyes and take the time to see, you’ll see some amazing things.
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