"Free Vision Check!"

"Free Vision Check!"

2 Kings 6:11-17

Good morning!

We are going to find out what the Bible teaches us about our eyesight today! The passage that I have been studying this morning had so many references to the eyes that I couldn't ignore the fact that we are dealing with some of the same eye conditions that the servant of Elisha had!
What is going on here? Let's read verses 11-13,

2Ki 6:11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said to them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?
2Ki 6:12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bed-chamber.
2Ki 6:13 And he said, Go, and spy where he is, that I may send and bring him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

The thing that the king was troubled about was that Elisha had been telling Israel when they were going to be attacked, so they were ready for them more than once. Elisha had not been in the bed chamber when the king gave the secret commands to attack the nation of Israel but God had given him the knowledge and the wisdom to warn Israel!

It's kind of funny that the kings servant knew where Elisha was when the king told him to go find out where he was and bring him. I think maybe the servant knew Elisha was warning Israel and knew where he was but he also knew he didn't want to mess with this man of God either! He knew better! He was a servant but he was smarter than the king in this situation! I would say that he had pretty good vision, wouldn't you?

Let's see what happens next,

2Ki 6:14 Therefore he sent thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and encompassed the city.

Again, he was playing it smart! He sent the horses and chariots and a great host by night and surrounded the city! He was truly fearful of this man of God otherwise they would have marched right up to him in broad daylight! He had a very clear vision of what was possible when you messed with the Lords messenger! The solders probably thought maybe they could sneak up and surprise him in the dark while God was asleep. After all their gods would go to sleep and they had to wake them up when they needed something!

It's time now to find out what Elisha's servant was up to! let's read on,

2Ki 6:15 And when the servant of the man of God had risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

He didn't ask his master what we should do but how! He didn't ask what the solution was but rather how can we possibly escape! The servant saw no way out! He saw only the obstacles and the force that was in front of him! Isn't that how we get sometimes when we are dealing with the angry spouse or the troubled teen or the demands of our work? Don't we say sometimes, "How can I deal with this? How can I survive this?"

It's ok to feel this way at times. You are human just like me and everyone else on this planet! We are ordinary people who believe in an extra-ordinary God and that's why the servant reacted just like almost all of us would have! I read yesterday about hope. It said that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen! I didn't realize that it would tie into today's devotion but it does.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It's really all about faith if we want to have hope in things that are not here yet! The substance of something is what? Substance is what something is made of, hope is made of faith and it is also the evidence of the things we cannot see! I know, it takes a while for that all to sink in. Let's let it soak in while we move on!

2Ki 6:16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that are with us are more than they that are with them.
2Ki 6:17 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 around Elisha.

His master, Elisha said that the number of defenders that God had sent were even more than the army that was there to take them. His servants vision was cleared upon Elisha's request and he saw the army of the Lord!

The critical point that I want to make here is that the Lords army was already there! He didn't have to tell Elisha to hold on and then send in the forces! He didn't cause an illusion to convince the servant! The army of God was there and had been there protecting his children.

This was when the evidence became clear to the servant of Elisha that had already been clear to the kings servant! The evidence of things unseen because of what? Because of faith, the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen!

Praise the Lord that we too are protected! The army of God isn't on call when we need them! They are already there!

Too often we are like Elisha's' servant! We are in church and right next to the family of God and the Pastor but we don't see the evidence.

Let's try harder to be as the servant of the king who was working and living right in the midst of the enemies but still had the faith that it took to see the evidence!

The evidence that God is our protection no matter how hopeless a situation may seem! God bless you as you believe in Him today for all your needs!