Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20040201.htm

1 AND 2 KINGS: ENJOYING GOD'S BLESSING IN AN APOSTATE ERA
Part XL: Learning To Trust God To Handle The Threat Of National Terrorist Attacks
(2 Kings 6:8-23)
  1. Introduction
    1. Many people in various nations today live under the threat of terrorist attack.
    2. As direction and encouragement to handle such a threat, 2 Kings 6:8-23 offers us a lesson as follows:
  2. Learning To Trust God To Handle The Threat Of National Terrorist Attacks, 2 Kings 6:8-23.
    1. The Syrian forces (Arameans in the NIV) were often at odds with Israel and would plan terrorist raids on Israel for booty. Accordingly, the king of Syria would advise his servants on where he would make surprise attacks into Israel, 2 Kings 6:8.
    2. The fact that such raids would be allowed to occur by God while Israel was under the Mosaic Law's jurisdiction indicates Israel was apostate from God, cf. Deuteronomy 28:1, 7 with 28:15, 25.
    3. However, in grace, God chose to use Elisha to teach both the apostate people of Israel and their enemies, the Syrians that Israel's God was fully able and willing to protect Israel were she to trust and obey Him like Elisha did. Accordingly, the Lord used Elisha to deliver Israel from Syrian terrorist attacks:
      1. Whenever the king of Syria would make a secret plan to attack Israel in a given location, God would tell Elisha of their plans, and Elisha would inform the king of Israel so he could avoid harm, 6:8-10.
      2. After a while, the king of Syria concluded he had a spy in his ranks who was relaying to Israel all of his military plans, so he became greatly disturbed and complained about it to his subordinates, 6:11.
      3. One of the Syrian king's servants explained that Elisha, the prophet in Israel, had inside information on the king's plans; thus, Syria's king planned to take Elisha captive by a large, surprise raid, 6:12-13: he took a large force by night and surrounded the town of Dothan where Elisha was staying, 2 Kings 6:14.
      4. When he noticed the Syrian forces at daybreak, Elisha's servant voiced his fear of the Syrian forces to Elisha, asking him how they were going to respond to this threat, 2 Kings 6:15.
      5. Elisha responded, telling his servant he need not fear; the army that was there to protect them was greater in number than the Syrian foes, 2 Kings 6:16.
      6. At that point, Elisha proceeded to ask God to open the eyes of his servant so he could behold the encouraging sight that the hills surrounding Dothan and thus see the Syrian army were full of God's protective spiritual forces of fiery horses, chariots and angels, 2 Kings 6:17.
      7. Next, when the Syrians moved toward Elisha to attack him, Elisha prayed to God to strike his opponents with blindness so he could tell them they were at the wrong city (as God would will it!) and so they needed to follow him to the right one to meet Elisha (in God's will at Samaria!), 6:18-19a.
      8. As Elisha was righteous, God answered his prayer, and he led the Syrians into Sarmaria where the Syrians would be surrounded and captive to Israel when they interacted with Elisha, 6:19b-20a.
      9. At that point, Elisha asked God to remove the blindness of his foes, a prayer that was answered so that the Syrians were astounded and Israel's king was ready to kill these enemies, 2 Kings 6:20b-21.
      10. Elisha explained Israel's king was not to slay the enemy; rather, he was to host the Syrian forces with a feast, putting them under cultural obligation to make peace with Israel; then, Israel's king was to dismiss the Syrians, sending them back to their king, 2 Kings 6:22; Bible Know. Com., O.T., p. 550.
      11. When the king of Israel heeded Elisha's word by hosting the Syrians with a great feast and sending them back to their king, the Syrians for a time ceased their terrorist raids into Israel, 2 Kings 6:23.
      12. Thus, God revealed to both Israel and Syria His power and willingness as Almighty God to protect Israel from defeat by her enemies as He did under Elisha were Israel to obey Him as Elisha did, Ibid.
Lesson: God revealed to BOTH the people of Israel AND their seasonal foes, the Syrians that HE was ALMIGHTY GOD and was fully WILLING and ABLE to PROTECT Israel WERE she to obey Him!

Application: Though we are not NOW under the Mosaic Law, we need NOT FEAR terrorist attacks IF we DO GOD'S WILL in our lives: God must provide ALL we need to ACCOMPLISH His will, so IF we are DOING it in our lives, NO TERRORIST attack can KEEP us from FINISHING the TASK God assigns us, cf. Paul's experience in Acts 23:10-11; 27:21-24, 41-44; 28:1-5, 16.