235: Tim Badger – Exhortation: Pray for Sight

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Welcome to good for selfie and
talks.

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I’m Levi and I’m Chris and I’m
Brian, thank you for joining us

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this week.
On this podcast, we select one

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taco week to help us get the
Bible in our daily news feed.

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We post a new episode of the
start of each week with a short

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intro.
Hand to kind of set the stage

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for the talk.
You’re about to listen to and

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now let’s talk more about this
week’s talk.

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This we stalk is an excitation
by brother, Tim Badger that he

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gave in December of last year.
The title is pray for site.

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This was a really great
education.

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Tim does a study on 2nd Kings 6,
and essentially kind of some of

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the background and then
application for us on the phrase

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of, there’s more of them or
there’s more with us than there

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are of them.
Remember, Elijah praying for the

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his To have the Angel armies
revealed to him.

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Tim does a great job of
presenting this excitation in.

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This was a this was one that
that was sent in to us.

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So thank you for the suggestion.
Please do send us those we very

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much appreciate them.
So here is Tim Badger.

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Pray for site.
Thanks brother.

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Phil and good morning.
Brothers and sisters.

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In Christ.
This morning, we have a short

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section of Old Testament
history.

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I’m that we’re going to use from
2nd Kings chapter 6, as the

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basis of encouragement and
excitation and self-examination

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this morning.
I am going to try and stick to

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this passage as much as we can.
However, we are going to see how

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it links to the teaching of
Jesus towards the end.

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I feel at least on one occasion,
in his teaching, he must have

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been thinking about these
events.

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Way back in second Kings chapter
6.

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Why would I share this with you
this morning brothers and

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sisters is because it’s been a
passage that’s been really

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helpful to me over the past
little while.

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I’ve never really thought about
it other than possibly in Sunday

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school or the occasional
reference to verse 17.

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When we have that amazing
imagery and seen set with Elijah

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and his servant and what his
servant knows.

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And we’re going to, we’re going
to come and look at that.

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But it was only about a I don’t
know, eight or nine or 10 months

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ago when I was catching up with
a friend for breakfast and it

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was a time when I needed help
and they pointed me to this

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passage and I have not let go of
this passage since.

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So my intention this morning is
to share with you some of the

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inspiration that I have gained
from this passage and I really

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hope that you can strongly catch
its living fire.

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Second Kings, chapter 6 is an
extraordinary chapter by any

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account.
Some of the most perplexing and

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unusual displays of God’s power.
Right here in the thick of

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Israel’s growing history of
departure from God.

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There’s a lack of recognition in
Kings and Israel at this time of

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the presence of, there’s a real
lack of recognition of God in

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the nation and of his presence
in their lives and they continue

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as for a second Kings, chapter
one opens up.

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They are continually seeking for
other sources of help.

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That’s really clear.
And second Kings, 1 verse 3.

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So the ministry of Elijah’s
incredible from start to finish

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by any by anyone’s description.
And but it’s just who sits for

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thinking about the prophets of
Israel.

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This morning, we just do well
before we jump into the story.

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To remember why Elijah is here.
Why did God send prophets like

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him to his people at these
different stages of Israel’s

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declining history?
We’re told explicitly at the end

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of second chronicles.
That God Did It purely because

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he had compassion on his people.
That’s why eyelashes here in

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second Kings chapter six.
That’s why he’s here for his

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ministry, because God loves his
people, he will not let them go,

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and he’s desperate for them to
see his presence in there.

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That is why Elijah’s here, you
know, it’s interesting to when

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you look at Elijah in these
chapters are full of

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extraordinary things, the
lessons are not just for Israel.

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There’s this constant
interaction with other nations

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around them in particular,
Syria.

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So we know the Sunday School
Story of of second Kings chapter

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5 with Naman.
Well, what’s he doing in here?

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Why is he learning a lesson that
Israel needed to learn, but

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there’s this interaction between
others around And Israel they’re

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watching.
They know what their profits are

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like, they know their names of
the prophets.

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And there’s lessons that God is
teaching not just Israel but

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extending that further into
parts of Syria.

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And as we’ll see this morning
into their army, it’s amazing.

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Well, the thing that we’ve
chosen as a summary for this

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little section, is to pray for
site and, you know, brothers and

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sisters.
You might see how that comes up

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in this little section.
There’s three times that Elijah

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prays for God to affect the site
of in this chapter, One he does

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it for Elijah Elisha servant so
I should praise for his servant

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for God to open his eyes and
then the next thing you find is

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that Elijah’s praying that God
will blind the Syrian Army.

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And the next thing he does next
verse is pray for God to Open

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the Eyes of the Syrian Army.
It’s weird but it’s amazing, you

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know, we need site brothers and
sisters and we often lose it.

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And this morning what I want you
to think about and to be

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strengthened around as we all
need.

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Is not cite in the sense of
understanding, what God’s doing?

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Or insight into what God’s kind
of sovereign Province.

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Providence is up to, in our
lives.

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I want to wind that back this
morning because I think that’s

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what’s happening in this
chapter.

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What I want us to get out of
this idea of sight and praying

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for site is just seeing that he
is present in your life.

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Not trying to figure out what’s
going on.

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Not to try and understand what
God is doing in his Sovereign

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Province, but just to pray that
your faith will be strengthened

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to see him encamped around you.
And in the lives of other

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people.
So, other brothers and sisters

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and young people can have that
site in that richness of Faith,

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just to believe that God is
here.

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Not to understand what he’s
doing, because we don’t always

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But to be strengthening our
faith, that he is definitely

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here.
You know, this idea of things,

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encamped around you is in Psalm
34.

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We know the passage the pastor
says the angel of Yahweh encamps

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around those who fear Him Now
Psalm 34 is a Messianic.

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Psalm there’s no doubt a better
present sisters, but that does

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not mean it only applies to the
Messiah.

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He encamps around everyone, who
fears him.

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So it’s not just a like shin.
It’s not going to be just a like

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chasseur.
Servant on some special

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occasion.
Every one of us can have open

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eyes to see the reality of the
sovereignty of God’s Providence

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in our lives.
Not that we know what will

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unfold but we know he’s there.
That’s the story of second

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Kings, chapter 8 and Israel
needed to learn that in.

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So, do you?
And I so let’s dive into 2nd

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Kings chapter 8.
Sorry, second Kings chapter 6,

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there’s four main characters.
One of the characters that we

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come across, is the king of
Syria and his army, we’re not

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told his name in this record.
In fact, nobody has a name in

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this record except for Elijah.
Everyone’s Anonymous.

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Even the king of Israel we have
to sort of not out his name.

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We’re going to do that because
it’s not important.

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The second character is Elijah.
He’s referred to as the man of

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God.
The prophet, he’s referred to as

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my master by a servant and he’s
called my father by the king of

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Israel verse 21.
The third character is the king

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of Israel.
He has a lot to learn But don’t

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forget he’s learning because God
has compassion on his people.

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We’re in the fourth is Elisha’s
servant also nameless.

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So there’s our four characters.
Let’s jump in and see what God

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teaches through these four
characters.

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What we’re really going to do is
just go through the story

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because it’s it’s, it’s
incredible.

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From the very first opening line
of this circumstance, verse a,

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let’s read it.
So, here we are the king of

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Syria was making war against
Israel.

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This kept on it was all the
time.

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They were sending little raids
in, sometimes it get a few more

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raids.
There is all this kind of back

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and forth between various
stations.

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So, verse 8, the king of Syria
was making war against Israel

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and he consulted his servants
saying, my Camp will be in such

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and such a place.
Now, the picture that you’ve got

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is the king of Syria and he’s
got his private.

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Military Council so we sitting
around maybe has a big round

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table, I don’t know and I don’t
know how many there were maybe

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there’s 12 or 24 but he’s got
his his private military

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Council.
These are the Elite.

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These are the guys with the maps
and Depends of the plans to

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carry out, the plans of the
Syrian Army which was enormous

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and they had high tech
equipment, they had horses and

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chariots it was formidable.
So he meets with his private

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group of consultants and War
advisors and he says, my Camp

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will be in such and such a
place.

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It’s now clear that he didn’t
say that but that’s what the

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record says to us.
Because it’s keeping us in the

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dark about where that place was.
He obviously told when he met

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with them he told them where it
was, but we read it as such and

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such a place, we have no idea
where kept in the dark, we can’t

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see what’s going on.
In such and such a place.

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So we have no idea where it is
the readers of this story, and

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the way it’s crafted or kept in
the dark.

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And apparently Israel’s not to
meant to know where that is

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either.
So really no one knows what’s

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going on in this story.
Except we find out in verse 9.

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Elijah does look at verse 9 in
the man of God, this is Elijah

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sent to the king of Israel.
Now, this is the median brother,

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sister, I want you the way this
record is written, is fantastic.

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One moment in the story were in
the council room, the private

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Council room of the king and
he’s telling his advisers where

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the campus.
The very next verse is Elijah.

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Sending a message of where the
such and such a place was and is

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still not named verse verse 9.
The man of God sent to the king

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of Israel saying, beware that
you do not pass this place,

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whatever that was let’s just do
such and such a place.

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For the syrians are coming down
there to such and such a place

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so instantly in this story.
Elijah knows where such and such

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a place is and he tells the king
of Israel.

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So verse 10, the king of Israel
sent someone to the place of

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which the man of God had told
him and thus, he warned him so,

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well, I should warn the king and
he was watchful.

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They’re not just once or twice.
The, any T says this happened on

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several occasions.
So over and over again, you have

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this cute, the Syrian King
meeting with his army, and in

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the private room, closed doors,
everything, and he’s like, we’re

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going to meet in such and such a
place, maybe change location.

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And so he immediately sends out
someone to go there and and lo

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and behold, there’s already the
Israelites there or they’ve

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moved in a different direction.
So the kid couldn’t be

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intercepted and happened over
and over and over again.

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It’s crazy.
And the king of Syria is getting

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more and more and more
frustrated.

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Nobody knows what’s going on.
Except Elijah and the King.

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Whatever the king is told, it’s
an extraordinary set up to the

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story.
So You have rage in verse 11.

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The way it’s written in the
King.

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James new King.
James might just soften it, but

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I think the Hebrew.
When you sort of trying to suss

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out what’s going on in the
Hebrew, this is what goes on

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verse 11.
Therefore the heart of the king

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of Syria was greatly troubled.
Maybe that’s a mix of

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frustration, and angst and just
he’s just cheesed like this is

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00:13:09,100 –> 00:13:12,600
really irritating, it’s foiling,
my plans every single time,

216
00:13:12,900 –> 00:13:14,700
right?
Troubled by this thing.

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00:13:14,700 –> 00:13:17,400
And he called his servants, this
private counsel and said to them

218
00:13:17,900 –> 00:13:20,700
and the new King James says,
will you not show me which of us

219
00:13:20,700 –> 00:13:25,300
is for the king of Israel.
Now in the Hebrew people say

220
00:13:25,300 –> 00:13:29,000
that this has got a note of
sarcasm to it and he’s angry,

221
00:13:29,100 –> 00:13:31,000
right?
So you can imagine what happened

222
00:13:31,100 –> 00:13:34,300
on the on the the meeting room
as he slams his fist on the

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00:13:34,308 –> 00:13:38,500
table bang and he says who isn’t
on Israel’s side?

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00:13:38,500 –> 00:13:41,800
He’s so annoyed and he feels
there must be a mole in his

225
00:13:41,800 –> 00:13:44,700
private counsel, right?
He just says, well, who have you

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00:13:44,700 –> 00:13:48,800
aren’t on the Israel side?
He’s so irritated.

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00:13:49,400 –> 00:13:52,900
He cannot see what is going on
Brothers & Sisters, but his

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00:13:52,900 –> 00:13:56,700
counsel can.
What verse 12 is extraordinary.

229
00:13:57,700 –> 00:14:01,200
There’s like deathly silence in
the room. and then one of the

230
00:14:01,208 –> 00:14:09,000
servants just pipes up and says
no one my Lord But Elijah, the

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00:14:09,000 –> 00:14:14,100
prophet whose in Israel can tell
the king of Israel, everything

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00:14:14,100 –> 00:14:16,500
you say, even when you’re
muttering to yourself and your

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00:14:16,500 –> 00:14:20,900
bedroom like what?
So, we’ve got this extraordinary

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00:14:20,900 –> 00:14:24,100
situation where the king of
Syria has just been told that

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00:14:24,100 –> 00:14:27,800
every word he speaks, whether
he’s in his bedroom or his

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00:14:27,800 –> 00:14:30,600
bedchamber, or he’s cruising
down between the Royal

237
00:14:30,600 –> 00:14:31,700
residences.
Whatever.

238
00:14:32,000 –> 00:14:36,300
Anything he says to, anybody go
straight to Elijah and that goes

239
00:14:36,300 –> 00:14:41,000
straight to the king.
It just made me think of a

240
00:14:41,008 –> 00:14:43,900
situation recently when we are
traveling over to Queens and

241
00:14:43,900 –> 00:14:46,600
driving and we drove through
Parks New South Wales.

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00:14:47,500 –> 00:14:49,700
Some of you might know where
that is and there’s a massive

243
00:14:49,700 –> 00:14:52,500
satellite there.
That’s another science thing

244
00:14:52,500 –> 00:14:55,400
which I’m interested in but they
have this little Center that

245
00:14:55,400 –> 00:14:57,800
shows how satellite dishes work
in all that.

246
00:14:57,800 –> 00:15:00,500
So it’s kind of like the
Whispering Wall near Hebron but

247
00:15:00,500 –> 00:15:03,600
you can whisper into the
Satellite Dish and like way over

248
00:15:03,600 –> 00:15:06,100
there is another little
satellite dish and IT projects

249
00:15:06,100 –> 00:15:07,400
your voice like you whisper into
it.

250
00:15:07,500 –> 00:15:11,100
Oops, and the person like people
way over there, like where James

251
00:15:11,200 –> 00:15:14,200
Taylor sitting, they can hear
you as loud as I just made me

252
00:15:14,208 –> 00:15:17,200
think of that like any little
whisper bang, it’s coming right

253
00:15:17,200 –> 00:15:19,900
into the years of Elijah like
it’s a there’s nothing

254
00:15:19,900 –> 00:15:21,500
preventing it.
He can hear everything that’s

255
00:15:21,500 –> 00:15:25,500
going on.
Because God allows him to do so.

256
00:15:26,300 –> 00:15:29,200
So you’d think if you were the
king of Syria and you realize

257
00:15:29,200 –> 00:15:31,300
that this is probably what’s
going on and time and time

258
00:15:31,300 –> 00:15:36,500
again, things have been sort of
foiled because Elijah knows you

259
00:15:36,500 –> 00:15:39,400
would think that well, what’s
the use?

260
00:15:40,400 –> 00:15:42,800
But he doesn’t, he says, right.
I’m going to get them.

261
00:15:43,300 –> 00:15:46,700
Let’s get them.
Look at verse where we verse 12.

262
00:15:47,300 –> 00:15:49,000
No, no.
We just read that verse 13,

263
00:15:49,000 –> 00:15:52,100
look.
He said go instantly once he

264
00:15:52,100 –> 00:15:54,700
learns as he says, go and see
where he is that.

265
00:15:54,700 –> 00:15:58,100
I’m I send and get him because
he has no idea can’t see where

266
00:15:58,100 –> 00:16:02,100
he is doesn’t know.
And he also can’t see anything

267
00:16:02,100 –> 00:16:04,100
that’s going on in terms of his
private counsel.

268
00:16:06,100 –> 00:16:09,300
So he says go get him, then I
met and it was told him saying,

269
00:16:09,300 –> 00:16:13,800
surely he is in Dothan, so you’d
think if you would king of Syria

270
00:16:13,800 –> 00:16:16,000
and also the council you be
like, well, I should just heard

271
00:16:16,000 –> 00:16:18,500
that too, right?
Like you just said I’m getting

272
00:16:18,500 –> 00:16:21,600
Elijah, but Elijah always.
See, just got that message.

273
00:16:22,900 –> 00:16:25,100
Obviously not a text message,
but it came straight to him.

274
00:16:25,900 –> 00:16:29,300
So then he goes ahead with this
crazy plan in verse 14 and it’s

275
00:16:29,300 –> 00:16:32,600
extraordinarily over the top.
I’m just wondering, I’m getting

276
00:16:32,600 –> 00:16:36,800
a little bit warm as anyone
really warm Can you do wonder if

277
00:16:36,800 –> 00:16:38,400
we can turn some AC on?
He’s all right.

278
00:16:39,500 –> 00:16:43,400
Oh, they are, oh wait, maybe
it’s just up here.

279
00:16:43,400 –> 00:16:46,800
That’s right.
Okay, so let’s just think about

280
00:16:46,800 –> 00:16:49,900
verse 14.
Therefore he the king of Syria,

281
00:16:49,900 –> 00:16:52,800
send horses, and chariots, and a
great Army, and they came by

282
00:16:52,800 –> 00:16:55,200
night and surrounded the city.
Now, why did they do that?

283
00:16:55,200 –> 00:16:58,300
Well, they came by night, so, no
one could see them, right?

284
00:16:58,600 –> 00:17:00,600
They didn’t want anyone to
notice this great Army and it’s

285
00:17:00,600 –> 00:17:02,800
a great Army.
Now, what are they doing?

286
00:17:02,800 –> 00:17:05,300
What’s the purpose of the Syrian
King?

287
00:17:06,599 –> 00:17:09,599
He’s here to capture one man and
his sidekick.

288
00:17:10,599 –> 00:17:12,900
Because he probably knew that
you had a servant with him.

289
00:17:13,200 –> 00:17:16,599
So the king of Syria gets a
great Army, he sends out his

290
00:17:16,599 –> 00:17:20,200
chariots and his horses to
capture Elijah.

291
00:17:20,800 –> 00:17:24,599
There’s 22 people and there’s
the, the Israelite Army is no

292
00:17:24,599 –> 00:17:26,400
around here.
They’re probably down to the

293
00:17:26,400 –> 00:17:29,400
Southwest in Samaria.
If there’s any around, which is

294
00:17:29,408 –> 00:17:33,300
about 15 or 17 kilometers away.
So the the Israelite Army is in

295
00:17:33,300 –> 00:17:35,300
Dothan, nor is the king and
Dothan.

296
00:17:35,300 –> 00:17:38,900
It’s literally just Elijah and
his servant, and the king of

297
00:17:38,900 –> 00:17:40,900
Syria.
Since his majesty, Massive

298
00:17:40,900 –> 00:17:44,100
retinue of of horses and
chariots to surround him at

299
00:17:44,100 –> 00:17:47,200
night time thinking, he could
catch him.

300
00:17:48,700 –> 00:17:54,100
And then enters the character
Elisha’s servant, look what

301
00:17:54,100 –> 00:17:56,600
happens, verse 15.
And when the servant of the man

302
00:17:56,600 –> 00:17:59,000
of God, arose, early and went
out.

303
00:17:59,000 –> 00:18:02,000
Now, what do you think he was
doing early when he got up?

304
00:18:04,900 –> 00:18:09,800
Well, if he’s Elisha’s servant,
I’m almost certain.

305
00:18:09,800 –> 00:18:12,700
He would have been getting up at
the crack of dawn to pray or

306
00:18:12,700 –> 00:18:16,400
something like he’s a man of God
and he’s with the man of God

307
00:18:16,400 –> 00:18:19,600
support Elijah.
So no doubt they’ve slept that

308
00:18:19,600 –> 00:18:22,900
night.
And he gets up, the servant gets

309
00:18:22,900 –> 00:18:26,600
up in there just as the sun’s
coming up in verse 15.

310
00:18:27,800 –> 00:18:30,200
And I’m just imagining this
little bit embellishing the

311
00:18:30,200 –> 00:18:31,600
record, but this is probably
what happened.

312
00:18:31,800 –> 00:18:35,100
He’d go out and find a nice
place to pray and he’s prayed,

313
00:18:35,100 –> 00:18:36,500
he just opens.
His eyes looks up.

314
00:18:36,500 –> 00:18:38,900
He’s what?
What on Earth is going?

315
00:18:39,600 –> 00:18:42,500
There’s as the sun comes up and
all the Shadows lift.

316
00:18:42,500 –> 00:18:46,700
You can see an intense Army of
horses and chariots all around.

317
00:18:46,700 –> 00:18:48,400
They’re kind of in like a little
bit of a hilly area.

318
00:18:48,600 –> 00:18:52,200
So however, the Syrian Army did
it, they’ve stationed all around

319
00:18:52,200 –> 00:18:55,600
to look really intimidating.
And Elisha’s servant is maybe

320
00:18:55,600 –> 00:18:58,500
just been praying.
He looks up and he sees all of

321
00:18:58,500 –> 00:19:02,700
this crazy Army all around him
and you can imagine in the

322
00:19:02,700 –> 00:19:05,200
instant, there’s only him and
Elijah nearby.

323
00:19:05,700 –> 00:19:07,200
And Elijah might have been just
over there.

324
00:19:07,400 –> 00:19:09,400
And the first thing he does is
panics.

325
00:19:10,100 –> 00:19:14,700
Absolutely panics.
The Hebrew doesn’t get captured

326
00:19:14,700 –> 00:19:17,100
in the English.
The the panicky nature of it, a

327
00:19:17,100 –> 00:19:20,200
little bit alas, my master.
What shall we do?

328
00:19:20,200 –> 00:19:23,000
This is like a what like what is
going on?

329
00:19:23,000 –> 00:19:24,200
What are these people doing
here?

330
00:19:24,200 –> 00:19:27,500
And he knows like you can tell
he knows that they’re coming

331
00:19:27,500 –> 00:19:29,900
against him.
Like why else?

332
00:19:30,200 –> 00:19:33,400
There’s no one else around.
And he panics.

333
00:19:35,200 –> 00:19:37,100
He would have been a God-fearing
person.

334
00:19:37,200 –> 00:19:39,500
I think that’s safe to conclude
by the sisters.

335
00:19:40,300 –> 00:19:44,100
He himself is only recently as
Elisha’s servant witnessed some

336
00:19:44,100 –> 00:19:47,000
pretty extraordinary things like
early under chapter.

337
00:19:47,000 –> 00:19:48,800
He just witnessed a floating
accent.

338
00:19:49,000 –> 00:19:51,200
It’s not every day.
You see that floating in the

339
00:19:51,200 –> 00:19:55,300
Murray River.
So, he goes out in the morning,

340
00:19:55,500 –> 00:19:58,000
totally unaware, couldn’t see
anything because it had been

341
00:19:58,000 –> 00:20:01,400
night.
And he’s scared skinny to see

342
00:20:01,400 –> 00:20:03,400
the full force of the Syrian
Army.

343
00:20:05,500 –> 00:20:08,600
He has nothing all he sees, but
in sisters, like we, of course,

344
00:20:08,600 –> 00:20:11,900
would is the problem and you can
sense the fear in the tone of

345
00:20:11,900 –> 00:20:16,600
his exclamation to Elijah.
And here’s where the story takes

346
00:20:16,600 –> 00:20:20,800
an extraordinary turn.
Verse 16.

347
00:20:22,800 –> 00:20:26,500
As he’s sweatin and asking
Elijah what to be done.

348
00:20:27,800 –> 00:20:31,000
Elijah just simply responds like
this, with a note of

349
00:20:31,000 –> 00:20:37,600
encouragement to his brother.
So he answered do not fear.

350
00:20:39,200 –> 00:20:44,500
For those who are with us, are
more than those who are with

351
00:20:44,500 –> 00:20:47,500
them.
Why she’s really combines and

352
00:20:47,500 –> 00:20:51,300
sisters.
Why, why is Elijah so calm?

353
00:20:51,400 –> 00:20:53,500
Why is he panicking?
Why isn’t he running around?

354
00:20:53,500 –> 00:20:55,300
And sending a messenger of the
king of Israel?

355
00:20:55,400 –> 00:20:58,400
To send a retinue of Chariots
and horses up this way to help

356
00:20:58,400 –> 00:21:00,500
them out?
He doesn’t do anything like

357
00:21:00,500 –> 00:21:03,400
that.
Nothing, he takes nothing into

358
00:21:03,400 –> 00:21:05,000
his own hands here in that
sense.

359
00:21:07,900 –> 00:21:12,000
And plus, how can you even say
there’s more with us to this

360
00:21:12,000 –> 00:21:14,000
young servant than there is with
them?

361
00:21:14,100 –> 00:21:16,800
There’s only two of them against
a great Army.

362
00:21:17,200 –> 00:21:22,900
The math doesn’t stack up at
all, But behind this present

363
00:21:22,900 –> 00:21:27,800
sisters is a prophet of God,
who’s already seen visions of

364
00:21:27,800 –> 00:21:31,100
God’s Providence.
Who knows firsthand in his own

365
00:21:31,100 –> 00:21:34,500
life, experience that God is
there and will not go away.

366
00:21:36,000 –> 00:21:38,400
He could see something Elisha
could see something that his

367
00:21:38,400 –> 00:21:41,100
servant could not.
You know, that happens.

368
00:21:41,100 –> 00:21:46,800
Sometimes I reckon sometimes.
We might not be able to see

369
00:21:46,800 –> 00:21:51,000
certain things in our life or
circumstances or the Brotherhood

370
00:21:51,300 –> 00:21:54,900
or family, but other people
might be able to and they can

371
00:21:54,900 –> 00:21:57,100
help us out.
That doesn’t mean that they

372
00:21:57,100 –> 00:22:00,800
understand what’s going on or
that we can pinpoint exactly

373
00:22:00,800 –> 00:22:04,100
what’s God’s doing but there’s
people at certain times and

374
00:22:04,100 –> 00:22:06,500
sometimes it’s you and sometimes
it’s person next to you.

375
00:22:07,200 –> 00:22:10,400
That can see more clearly
because of circumstances in

376
00:22:10,400 –> 00:22:11,900
their life or what they’ve
learned.

377
00:22:12,800 –> 00:22:15,800
And we need to impart that
vision and encouragement to each

378
00:22:15,800 –> 00:22:18,100
other.
See from our perspective,

379
00:22:18,100 –> 00:22:20,800
present sisters, like this, the
servant who was caught out, he

380
00:22:20,800 –> 00:22:22,600
was a faithful man God-fearing
man.

381
00:22:22,700 –> 00:22:25,900
He was caught out with fear in
the moment and he needed someone

382
00:22:25,900 –> 00:22:30,200
a brother like Elijah to stand
next to him and say, no, don’t

383
00:22:30,200 –> 00:22:33,300
worry.
There is heaps more right here

384
00:22:33,300 –> 00:22:36,500
with us.
Encamped, all around us than

385
00:22:36,500 –> 00:22:38,600
anything that you need to worry
about from the other side of the

386
00:22:38,600 –> 00:22:40,300
army.
There’s heaps here.

387
00:22:41,400 –> 00:22:45,300
God is with us.
It’s something his servant

388
00:22:45,300 –> 00:22:47,900
couldn’t think of or believe at
that moment he went through a

389
00:22:47,908 –> 00:22:51,800
period of challenging anxiety
and fear.

390
00:22:51,800 –> 00:22:56,200
And who wouldn’t our Instinct
would be to do that but he

391
00:22:56,200 –> 00:23:01,000
needed Elijah to calm him down.
Not only does Elisha encourage

392
00:23:01,000 –> 00:23:05,000
him with the facts.
He also praised for him and I

393
00:23:05,008 –> 00:23:08,500
believe with him, but his
sister’s look at verse 17.

394
00:23:12,500 –> 00:23:15,500
Of all the things that Elisha
could have done at this moment

395
00:23:15,600 –> 00:23:17,800
after saying, don’t worry, God
is going.

396
00:23:17,900 –> 00:23:20,600
There’s more with us than the
extension arm of all the things

397
00:23:20,600 –> 00:23:24,300
he could have done, like, send a
message to Israel.

398
00:23:24,600 –> 00:23:28,400
King of Israel.
Nope, Elisha prayed and said,

399
00:23:28,400 –> 00:23:34,800
Yahweh, I pray open his eyes so
he can see in a sense like so he

400
00:23:34,800 –> 00:23:42,400
can see what I know and see.
right then Yahweh opened the

401
00:23:42,400 –> 00:23:49,700
eyes of the young man and he saw
And behold the mountain was full

402
00:23:49,700 –> 00:23:53,300
of horses and Chariots of Fire
all around.

403
00:23:53,500 –> 00:23:56,700
Elijah the two of them together
in that place.

404
00:23:56,900 –> 00:23:59,600
Now, the Hebrew is extraordinary
here by the sisters because it

405
00:23:59,600 –> 00:24:03,200
draws you into the record.
It doesn’t say that and you

406
00:24:03,200 –> 00:24:06,100
know, Open the Eyes of the young
man and he saw the Chariots, the

407
00:24:06,100 –> 00:24:09,400
record is written like this to
get us to get into that

408
00:24:09,400 –> 00:24:12,500
situation.
The Hebrew says, and he saw and

409
00:24:12,500 –> 00:24:15,600
look, the mountain is full of
Chariots and horses.

410
00:24:15,600 –> 00:24:16,600
It’s getting off.
Us.

411
00:24:16,700 –> 00:24:19,300
What the way this is written is
for us to see it too.

412
00:24:19,300 –> 00:24:25,000
Not just Elisha’s servant.
And he saw and look behold

413
00:24:25,100 –> 00:24:26,900
there.
They were, we need to see that

414
00:24:26,900 –> 00:24:30,600
in faith, two brothers and
sisters as Elisha’s servant

415
00:24:30,600 –> 00:24:34,100
could see as God gave him, that
ability to see the reality of

416
00:24:34,108 –> 00:24:36,100
the situation.
And what’s amazing here.

417
00:24:36,100 –> 00:24:39,000
Brothers sisters is God gives
him a vision of something that’s

418
00:24:39,000 –> 00:24:42,000
relevant to his time.
He’s surrounded by chariots and

419
00:24:42,000 –> 00:24:44,300
horses.
So what does he see chariots and

420
00:24:44,300 –> 00:24:46,200
horses?
But these ones are on fire

421
00:24:46,700 –> 00:24:48,600
because this is the Providence
of God.

422
00:24:49,400 –> 00:24:51,100
That’s what God encourages him
with.

423
00:24:51,500 –> 00:24:54,400
Do you ever think you’re alone?
Elisha’s servant.

424
00:24:54,500 –> 00:24:58,000
Nope.
There’s more here than you could

425
00:24:58,000 –> 00:25:00,500
ever need to help you through
your circumstances.

426
00:25:03,200 –> 00:25:08,600
A prayer for his servant.
You know, Elijah has seen this

427
00:25:08,600 –> 00:25:11,400
type of thing before.
Back in Chapter 2, he was well

428
00:25:11,400 –> 00:25:16,300
aware of the Providence of God.
And as one writer put this

429
00:25:16,300 –> 00:25:19,700
servant, now also had a clear
glimpse of the sovereignty of

430
00:25:19,700 –> 00:25:25,600
Providence In this context, God
shows this young man.

431
00:25:25,600 –> 00:25:28,300
Something that was relevant to
the time and place and context

432
00:25:28,300 –> 00:25:30,700
of the world and the
circumstance that he was in,

433
00:25:30,700 –> 00:25:34,400
right?
Then, But you know what’s really

434
00:25:34,400 –> 00:25:35,700
amazing about this record
button.

435
00:25:35,700 –> 00:25:41,400
Sisters that staggers me, every
time I read it, Is this?

436
00:25:43,800 –> 00:25:47,200
Not one place in this story.
No further.

437
00:25:47,200 –> 00:25:52,400
Verse in this record uses the
Chariots and Horses of fire they

438
00:25:52,400 –> 00:25:56,100
appear and they’re gone.
Not gone in the sense of like

439
00:25:56,200 –> 00:26:00,400
they’ve all written away and God
has left these two people you

440
00:26:00,400 –> 00:26:02,000
would expect and maybe I would
too.

441
00:26:02,000 –> 00:26:03,700
Well I do expect maybe you would
do.

442
00:26:04,200 –> 00:26:07,200
That’s what I meant to say is
this that the next verse of the

443
00:26:07,200 –> 00:26:10,400
story is Verse 18.
So just pretend verse 18 isn’t

444
00:26:10,400 –> 00:26:13,300
quite there yet.
You would expect in this story

445
00:26:13,600 –> 00:26:17,000
The ones God shows all of these
chariots and Horses of fire

446
00:26:17,900 –> 00:26:19,500
that.
The next scene is that the

447
00:26:19,500 –> 00:26:23,900
Syrian Army is just obliterated
but burning chariots, inflaming

448
00:26:23,900 –> 00:26:28,200
like it would just been the most
epic battle ever of like of

449
00:26:28,200 –> 00:26:30,700
unreal and surreal proportions.
That’s what you would think.

450
00:26:30,700 –> 00:26:32,700
Would happen.
God shows them the Army has says

451
00:26:32,700 –> 00:26:34,100
right, this is what I’m going to
use.

452
00:26:34,300 –> 00:26:38,400
That is not how this story ends,
even remotely, there is no epic

453
00:26:38,400 –> 00:26:41,600
battle between the Syrian horses
and chariots and the horses and

454
00:26:41,600 –> 00:26:46,100
chariots on fire by Yahweh.
He never saves Elisha’s servant

455
00:26:46,100 –> 00:26:49,000
by using that Army.
Not even close, they’re not even

456
00:26:49,000 –> 00:26:53,600
used in the rest of the record
but he wants Elisha’s servant to

457
00:26:53,600 –> 00:26:57,600
know that they are there.
But he’s not telling Elisha’s

458
00:26:57,600 –> 00:27:00,800
servant how he’s going to work
it out and save them, he will

459
00:27:00,800 –> 00:27:03,600
deliver him but it will not be
something necessary that I

460
00:27:03,600 –> 00:27:05,500
should serve.
And even understands in fact the

461
00:27:05,600 –> 00:27:08,600
the crazy thing about this story
brothers and sisters that

462
00:27:08,600 –> 00:27:11,900
pinches us to reality of how God
works and we don’t always

463
00:27:11,900 –> 00:27:17,000
understand but we need to trust.
is that that very day little did

464
00:27:17,000 –> 00:27:20,100
Elijah servant know, but he
would be setting the table for

465
00:27:20,100 –> 00:27:24,900
that Army and giving them a
feast and instead of a bloodbath

466
00:27:25,000 –> 00:27:28,600
there would be a banquet That’s
how God was going to work out

467
00:27:28,600 –> 00:27:31,100
this story and the servant had
no idea.

468
00:27:31,100 –> 00:27:34,300
Little did he know that that’s
how this story would end that he

469
00:27:34,300 –> 00:27:37,600
would be feeding this army.
They would not be watching them,

470
00:27:37,600 –> 00:27:40,600
destroyed with chariots and
Horses of fire burned up to a

471
00:27:40,600 –> 00:27:43,400
crisp or however, light that
have happened.

472
00:27:43,700 –> 00:27:45,400
Amazing.
God did not do that.

473
00:27:46,800 –> 00:27:50,200
There was more going on here,
but the sisters than, just this

474
00:27:50,200 –> 00:27:53,000
servants circumstances, there’s
a nation, there’s lessons.

475
00:27:53,000 –> 00:27:55,300
There’s a king of Israel.
It’s yet to learn something

476
00:27:55,300 –> 00:27:57,300
powerful that he still can’t
see.

477
00:27:58,600 –> 00:28:02,000
So will I should servants
perspective, is common to us.

478
00:28:02,500 –> 00:28:08,100
He saw what was around him?
The enemy, the largeness of it.

479
00:28:08,100 –> 00:28:10,200
The might the terrible
circumstances.

480
00:28:10,200 –> 00:28:13,100
The challenges that he was
facing us as an individual.

481
00:28:13,500 –> 00:28:17,400
He was a spiritual man, but he
was experiencing a period of

482
00:28:17,400 –> 00:28:19,500
fear in his life.
That just came upon Him.

483
00:28:19,500 –> 00:28:24,600
Suddenly in that morning, when
he woke out, And the prayer that

484
00:28:24,600 –> 00:28:28,800
his brother offered was that God
would open his eyes so he could

485
00:28:28,800 –> 00:28:32,400
see why she’s prayer wasn’t for
the means of how God would

486
00:28:32,400 –> 00:28:36,300
deliver them for that situation.
It was so that those who were in

487
00:28:36,300 –> 00:28:41,000
The Situation could just richly
trust that God was there,

488
00:28:41,000 –> 00:28:48,400
whatever he would do.
Does this really apply to us?

489
00:28:48,400 –> 00:28:51,500
I mean, this is an obscure story
in the record of Kings.

490
00:28:51,800 –> 00:28:54,900
God, working through prophets
and doing Miracles, does it?

491
00:28:55,000 –> 00:28:58,800
Yes, it does Psalm 34 verse 7.
We’ve quoted it, but now we’re

492
00:28:58,800 –> 00:29:01,800
going to read it.
Come back to some 34.

493
00:29:06,300 –> 00:29:14,400
Verse 7.
This song was written before

494
00:29:14,400 –> 00:29:19,100
this incident took place.
Well before This is from the

495
00:29:19,100 –> 00:29:21,900
time of David.
And in fact, brothers and

496
00:29:21,908 –> 00:29:26,100
sisters, it could very well be
that the Elijah, the servant of

497
00:29:26,100 –> 00:29:30,900
Elijah knew this song But when
you’re stuck in that situation

498
00:29:31,200 –> 00:29:34,700
and you need to try and believe
it and rely on it, well, it’s

499
00:29:34,700 –> 00:29:36,800
the challenge, isn’t it?
When God puts us through

500
00:29:36,800 –> 00:29:41,600
circumstances, that tests our
faith, Look at Psalm 34.

501
00:29:42,900 –> 00:29:47,900
Verse 6, this poor man, cried
out and Yahweh, heard him and

502
00:29:47,900 –> 00:29:50,000
saved him.
Out of all his troubles doesn’t

503
00:29:50,000 –> 00:29:53,500
say how It’s not even
necessarily in the way we

504
00:29:53,508 –> 00:29:57,100
expected.
But here is the encouragement in

505
00:29:57,100 –> 00:30:01,700
verse 7, the angel of Yahweh and
camps all around those who fear

506
00:30:01,700 –> 00:30:04,700
Him and delivers them somehow.
Someway.

507
00:30:06,100 –> 00:30:09,100
But nevertheless, the point is
that, the angel of the Lord is

508
00:30:09,100 –> 00:30:12,400
all around.
All around.

509
00:30:14,400 –> 00:30:17,600
It’s Not Unusual, president
sisters and it’s not wrong for

510
00:30:17,600 –> 00:30:20,200
Godly brothers and sisters to
experience fear.

511
00:30:21,300 –> 00:30:25,500
It can happen.
It can happen when various

512
00:30:25,500 –> 00:30:29,300
circumstances in life, come
along or Family Matters or a

513
00:30:29,300 –> 00:30:32,000
collegial matters.
If that’s not a sign of

514
00:30:32,000 –> 00:30:36,500
ungodliness President sisters,
but it’s a sign that God is

515
00:30:36,500 –> 00:30:40,100
working in us to open our eyes
to help us trust in him through

516
00:30:40,100 –> 00:30:43,500
that fear.
Psalm 34 makes that clear to

517
00:30:43,600 –> 00:30:47,500
says, he delivered me out of all
my fears godly people do go

518
00:30:47,500 –> 00:30:51,900
through fearful times.
In the message of the psalm is

519
00:30:51,900 –> 00:30:55,900
to say that when you are in
those times, you can trust that

520
00:30:55,900 –> 00:30:58,300
God is encamped everywhere
around you.

521
00:30:58,500 –> 00:31:02,200
That’s not just a nice feeling.
It is actually the reality that

522
00:31:02,200 –> 00:31:04,700
we either do or do not see
brothers and sisters.

523
00:31:05,400 –> 00:31:10,300
That’s the message.
You may not be in danger and

524
00:31:10,300 –> 00:31:14,100
saying here of our life when we
wake up some morning like

525
00:31:14,100 –> 00:31:18,400
Elisha’s servant, God doesn’t
put all of us in that situation

526
00:31:18,900 –> 00:31:22,800
but he certainly Works in all of
our lives and all of us at times

527
00:31:22,800 –> 00:31:26,800
face challenging circumstances,
you know, at the simplest level,

528
00:31:26,800 –> 00:31:29,800
this incident in second Kings
chapter 6, which the lycian is

529
00:31:29,800 –> 00:31:34,400
servant is a situation in the
Brotherhood where one person is

530
00:31:34,400 –> 00:31:38,700
conveying their dismay fear or
anxiety about the circumstances

531
00:31:38,700 –> 00:31:43,700
in their life and another person
encourages them and prays for

532
00:31:43,700 –> 00:31:47,400
them, This is common to our
experience.

533
00:31:47,900 –> 00:31:52,200
Whichever position.
We may find ourselves in Or is

534
00:31:52,200 –> 00:31:56,200
it brothers and sisters?
Sharing problems and concerns

535
00:31:56,200 –> 00:31:59,000
and anxieties is common common
enough.

536
00:31:59,900 –> 00:32:04,200
A lot of those conversations
happen but how often is praying

537
00:32:04,200 –> 00:32:07,500
for each other?
When does that happen?

538
00:32:07,900 –> 00:32:11,900
It does it. you know, we rarely
wake up in the morning to

539
00:32:11,900 –> 00:32:16,800
circumstances, it’s as dramatic
as this But it can happen.

540
00:32:18,000 –> 00:32:20,800
However more common to our
experience is possibly less

541
00:32:20,800 –> 00:32:24,700
dramatic issues, perhaps less
life-threatening or altering

542
00:32:25,000 –> 00:32:28,400
however we need site all the
same.

543
00:32:29,600 –> 00:32:32,200
To see that God’s ministers to
those, who will inherit

544
00:32:32,200 –> 00:32:36,600
salvation, which is easy to just
kind of say off the tongue, but

545
00:32:36,600 –> 00:32:40,800
that’s what the angels are. are
not merely commissioned for

546
00:32:40,800 –> 00:32:45,300
drastic times, but to our daily
choices and challenges, our

547
00:32:45,300 –> 00:32:50,000
daily, fears and failures, We
have many challenges that face

548
00:32:50,000 –> 00:32:51,800
our members in the bodybuilding
sisters.

549
00:32:53,100 –> 00:32:55,700
Not everyone’s going through
challenging circumstances.

550
00:32:56,600 –> 00:33:00,400
But it seems common enough
circumstances that need absolute

551
00:33:00,400 –> 00:33:03,400
Clarity of vision in one
particular area.

552
00:33:04,400 –> 00:33:10,900
God’s Sovereign Providence.
His tight encampment around us.

553
00:33:11,500 –> 00:33:14,700
He wants us to see that he
really does.

554
00:33:15,500 –> 00:33:18,500
We have members here with us and
online, that feel the acute and

555
00:33:18,500 –> 00:33:21,500
sharpening challenges of a whole
range of issues.

556
00:33:22,400 –> 00:33:24,500
Maybe it’s old age, wreaking
havoc.

557
00:33:25,700 –> 00:33:30,200
Maybe it’s our teenagers, some
of our teenagers in early 20s,

558
00:33:30,900 –> 00:33:34,100
maybe there’s different issues
for them and an old age is not

559
00:33:34,100 –> 00:33:36,000
something that they could relate
to in the challenges and the

560
00:33:36,000 –> 00:33:39,400
personal circumstances that that
impinges upon, but they have

561
00:33:39,400 –> 00:33:43,200
their own issues, possibly maybe
social ones or of a sexual

562
00:33:43,200 –> 00:33:46,600
nature that can war in their
members at times.

563
00:33:48,600 –> 00:33:51,200
Synthesized to rein in their
mortal bodies.

564
00:33:51,800 –> 00:33:55,400
In all of ours, possibly feeling
surrounded at Toms and every

565
00:33:55,400 –> 00:33:59,000
Side by our own weaknesses and
brothers and sisters.

566
00:33:59,000 –> 00:34:02,500
It sure can feel like a great
Army at times.

567
00:34:03,700 –> 00:34:06,200
The still others in our body,
may feel the sharp pain of being

568
00:34:06,200 –> 00:34:10,400
unmarried when they wish God
would provide, this is not

569
00:34:10,400 –> 00:34:12,699
uncommon.
And I felt that before too.

570
00:34:14,699 –> 00:34:17,100
It brings other unspoken and
misunderstood personal

571
00:34:17,100 –> 00:34:20,400
challenges at times and again
possible feelings of anxiety and

572
00:34:20,400 –> 00:34:24,800
other feelings for others.
Its physical sickness an

573
00:34:24,800 –> 00:34:28,600
uncertain medical outcomes that
weighs anxiously in those quiet

574
00:34:28,600 –> 00:34:32,600
lonely moments on the Mind,
thinking about the future and

575
00:34:32,600 –> 00:34:35,400
family for others.
There are deeply personal

576
00:34:35,400 –> 00:34:39,199
matters that feel Goliath like,
and how they impose themselves

577
00:34:39,199 –> 00:34:41,800
in different areas of life,
including relationships, and

578
00:34:41,800 –> 00:34:45,400
marriage, bonds, and just simply
inability to mix and feel part

579
00:34:45,400 –> 00:34:51,000
of this body.
Others may feel the pain of loss

580
00:34:51,000 –> 00:34:54,900
of employment.
These perhaps are just some of

581
00:34:54,908 –> 00:34:57,200
the ones that we know or hear
about in our experience.

582
00:34:57,200 –> 00:35:01,500
But there are many more There’s
lots of varied ways in which a

583
00:35:01,500 –> 00:35:06,000
Believer faces, deep troubles in
life. many of these issues and

584
00:35:06,000 –> 00:35:08,300
trials don’t even go away
overnight, some of them last for

585
00:35:08,300 –> 00:35:11,400
a long time maybe months
sometimes years sometimes it

586
00:35:11,400 –> 00:35:15,100
feels like they’re not going to
end but this record is

587
00:35:15,100 –> 00:35:18,600
challenging you and I To ask
ourselves.

588
00:35:18,600 –> 00:35:22,500
What we really see.
When we look around with and

589
00:35:22,500 –> 00:35:25,900
sisters, maybe if you’re older
you might look around.

590
00:35:26,000 –> 00:35:30,600
And what you see is that your
life is aging your troubles with

591
00:35:30,600 –> 00:35:34,900
health light being creates what
you see around you maybe you see

592
00:35:35,600 –> 00:35:38,100
other issues in your life maybe
it’s personal it.

593
00:35:38,100 –> 00:35:42,600
What you see is your mistakes,
the challenges of getting along

594
00:35:42,600 –> 00:35:46,100
with others or feeling part of
this body feeling accepted

595
00:35:46,300 –> 00:35:48,800
maybe.
All those are various challenges

596
00:35:50,100 –> 00:35:52,900
Maybe we feel challenged by the
Monumental shifts in our society

597
00:35:52,900 –> 00:35:56,200
that are going on around us.
Where the world’s headed?

598
00:35:57,800 –> 00:36:02,900
What second Kings, chapter 6 is
doing is telling us to see it

599
00:36:02,900 –> 00:36:06,700
how God sees it, not necessarily
brother and sisters.

600
00:36:06,700 –> 00:36:10,000
My pains to feel this not
necessarily seeing how God will

601
00:36:10,000 –> 00:36:14,000
actually bring you through it.
But to believe he will.

602
00:36:14,100 –> 00:36:17,400
And that he’s actually encamped
around you as much as we don’t

603
00:36:17,400 –> 00:36:19,700
understand.
As much as it might feel unfair

604
00:36:19,700 –> 00:36:25,100
or fearful or, or trying, but to
believe that he is, they’re just

605
00:36:25,100 –> 00:36:30,400
seeing God, We need to pray for
God to open our eyes to see

606
00:36:30,400 –> 00:36:33,200
things like this.
That’s the reality of the

607
00:36:33,200 –> 00:36:35,600
situation.
That’s the permanent reality,

608
00:36:35,600 –> 00:36:39,100
rather than sisters, our current
circumstances will change.

609
00:36:39,100 –> 00:36:41,100
And in the end, they will no
longer be.

610
00:36:42,400 –> 00:36:46,300
In the end.
Give us eyes to see God.

611
00:36:47,600 –> 00:36:52,200
To see you, encamped around us.
Our human nature.

612
00:36:53,900 –> 00:36:55,800
And human thinking things like
Pride.

613
00:36:56,900 –> 00:37:03,200
Tends to keep us in the dark.
But if we open, our eyes will

614
00:37:03,200 –> 00:37:07,600
see that God is right there.
You know, brothers sisters.

615
00:37:07,600 –> 00:37:10,500
I feel like maybe this is a good
challenge for us.

616
00:37:11,200 –> 00:37:15,500
Maybe a bit of homework, if you
will a challenge you this week

617
00:37:15,800 –> 00:37:18,900
to pray for, someone be the
Elijah for someone.

618
00:37:19,000 –> 00:37:22,300
That’s my challenge for you to
pray for someone.

619
00:37:22,500 –> 00:37:26,800
Not for understanding how God
will solve the problems of the

620
00:37:26,800 –> 00:37:29,300
circumstances, but for open
eyes.

621
00:37:31,500 –> 00:37:33,500
Sit down and pray with someone
that you’ve never prayed with

622
00:37:33,500 –> 00:37:37,100
before and pray.
That God will open your eyes, or

623
00:37:37,100 –> 00:37:38,900
their eyes, or whatever that
need might be.

624
00:37:39,200 –> 00:37:42,000
Now, we can think of a million
excuses, why not to do this

625
00:37:42,100 –> 00:37:43,800
because it’s not your
personality.

626
00:37:44,300 –> 00:37:46,900
It’s not something you’re
comfortable with but it’s

627
00:37:46,900 –> 00:37:50,200
deeply, spiritual brothers and
sisters and it’s deeply part of

628
00:37:50,200 –> 00:37:53,400
this story of Elijah and his
servant and the brotherly bond

629
00:37:53,500 –> 00:37:55,400
in belief in God that they
shared together.

630
00:37:56,300 –> 00:37:58,600
Maybe you can only do that over
the phone, just call someone up

631
00:37:58,600 –> 00:38:01,200
and pray over the phone.
That’s possible.

632
00:38:01,800 –> 00:38:06,300
I was with a brother earlier
this week also just walking

633
00:38:06,300 –> 00:38:10,800
around before school and we
talked about a lot of things in

634
00:38:10,808 –> 00:38:14,500
the Brotherhood, but the most
powerful thing was to sit down

635
00:38:14,500 –> 00:38:18,100
in a park bench and pray prayer
hearts out that God would open

636
00:38:18,100 –> 00:38:20,900
her eyes to trust in him.
Not take things at our own

637
00:38:20,900 –> 00:38:25,500
hands.
I challenge you to pray with

638
00:38:25,500 –> 00:38:27,700
someone and for someone this
week.

639
00:38:29,100 –> 00:38:31,600
So God can open our eyes and
help us to trust in him.

640
00:38:31,900 –> 00:38:34,200
Do you know there’s another part
to this story but the sisters?

641
00:38:34,200 –> 00:38:38,300
The and it starts in verse 18
and we’re just going to

642
00:38:38,300 –> 00:38:41,900
highlight what’s in this section
because I’d love you to mull it

643
00:38:41,900 –> 00:38:45,100
over this week.
You know, the strange thing is

644
00:38:45,100 –> 00:38:49,100
this story of this event doesn’t
end, like we would possibly

645
00:38:49,100 –> 00:38:51,700
expect it with the obliteration
of the syrians.

646
00:38:52,300 –> 00:38:56,000
The strange things that unfold
now are this in part two.

647
00:38:56,000 –> 00:38:58,700
So part one was just the
message.

648
00:38:58,900 –> 00:39:03,700
Her one of the story up to verse
17 is for God to see the

649
00:39:03,700 –> 00:39:08,300
importance of seeing him.
In our life, part two is, the

650
00:39:08,300 –> 00:39:12,500
impact that seeing him in our
life can have, as you deal with

651
00:39:12,500 –> 00:39:15,000
other people, you know, in
summary, this is what happens.

652
00:39:15,200 –> 00:39:18,800
Elijah prays that God will
strike the Syrian Army, not with

653
00:39:18,800 –> 00:39:21,200
a plague or obliterate them, but
with blindness.

654
00:39:21,300 –> 00:39:24,800
So, the syrians become blind and
they’re in Dothan walk around

655
00:39:24,800 –> 00:39:26,100
and there.
Don’t forget, they’re looking

656
00:39:26,100 –> 00:39:28,700
for Elijah, right?
And Elijah walk.

657
00:39:28,800 –> 00:39:32,500
Ox up to them and they can’t see
in the blindness here, seems to

658
00:39:32,500 –> 00:39:35,200
be from some blight, bright
light, the Hebrew are a, they

659
00:39:35,200 –> 00:39:37,000
can’t see.
So the Army’s all around and

660
00:39:37,000 –> 00:39:38,700
they can’t see it.
Elijah comes up to them.

661
00:39:38,800 –> 00:39:43,200
And he says, oh, let me take you
to the city, where that man is

662
00:39:43,400 –> 00:39:45,800
now, he’s right there, he’s
right with them.

663
00:39:46,100 –> 00:39:50,500
And they begin this 15 kilometer
Trek down to the Southwest to

664
00:39:50,500 –> 00:39:52,900
Samaria, where the Royal
residences were for the Kings of

665
00:39:52,900 –> 00:39:56,300
Israel, and imagine that.
It’s a ridiculous story.

666
00:39:56,300 –> 00:39:58,200
It’s a ridiculous picture in
your mind.

667
00:39:58,300 –> 00:40:00,300
There’s a lie.
Russia and his servant walking

668
00:40:00,300 –> 00:40:02,800
along and behind them are the
horses and chariots.

669
00:40:02,900 –> 00:40:05,100
And he takes the whole group of
them because they can’t even

670
00:40:05,100 –> 00:40:08,000
find their way.
And they arrived in the Royal

671
00:40:08,300 –> 00:40:13,500
residences of Israel’s King and
then he says, Lord open their

672
00:40:13,500 –> 00:40:17,200
eyes and it’s kind of like this
the being and it opened their

673
00:40:17,200 –> 00:40:19,900
eyes and the crazy thing at
Elijah is right there.

674
00:40:19,900 –> 00:40:23,100
That’s who they were trying to
find and they’re right inside

675
00:40:23,100 –> 00:40:25,000
the heart of the enemy
territory.

676
00:40:26,500 –> 00:40:28,300
And you know what the king of
Israel says?

677
00:40:29,900 –> 00:40:31,900
Because he can’t see what’s
going on.

678
00:40:32,900 –> 00:40:35,700
He says, I’d kill him.
Let’s kill him.

679
00:40:35,900 –> 00:40:38,400
He’s going for a bloodbath,
they’re the enemy, right?

680
00:40:38,400 –> 00:40:41,500
Let’s obliterate them.
And Elisha says, how dare you?

681
00:40:41,800 –> 00:40:45,200
Let’s put on a meal.
That’s how I should treat.

682
00:40:45,200 –> 00:40:48,500
See enemies.
And I believe this sends a

683
00:40:48,500 –> 00:40:52,700
message to me.
Buzzin sisters personally, If

684
00:40:52,700 –> 00:40:56,800
you can’t see God.
At work and you don’t believe

685
00:40:56,800 –> 00:40:59,400
he’s at work in your life
visibly.

686
00:41:01,000 –> 00:41:04,200
Indirectly.
You’re probably more likely to

687
00:41:04,200 –> 00:41:06,800
have the response like the king
of Israel, right?

688
00:41:07,800 –> 00:41:12,900
I think that’s true.
If you can’t see God, your first

689
00:41:12,900 –> 00:41:15,700
reaction is going to take him to
your own hand, let’s kill him.

690
00:41:15,700 –> 00:41:18,000
This is an opportunity to kill
him and Elijah who can see

691
00:41:18,000 –> 00:41:19,900
everything that’s going on, says
not.

692
00:41:20,500 –> 00:41:23,100
Let’s put on a banquet, that’s
how we’re going to treat the

693
00:41:23,100 –> 00:41:25,500
enemy.
And I think there’s something

694
00:41:25,500 –> 00:41:27,400
extraordinary here, brothers and
sisters.

695
00:41:27,700 –> 00:41:30,000
The people who can see God in
this story.

696
00:41:30,700 –> 00:41:37,600
Treat people kindly Jesus picks
up on this and says you’ve got

697
00:41:37,600 –> 00:41:41,300
enemies.
Feed them.

698
00:41:42,100 –> 00:41:45,000
Matthew chapter 5.
Have them over.

699
00:41:45,400 –> 00:41:48,100
I might not be possible in every
case, but that’s how you treat

700
00:41:48,100 –> 00:41:51,400
people that maybe your off side
with whatever degree that enemy

701
00:41:51,400 –> 00:41:53,800
might be, who knows?
But if you if you want to take

702
00:41:53,800 –> 00:41:57,300
the spirit of Jesus out of this
Old Testament passage, it’s how

703
00:41:57,300 –> 00:42:01,200
do you treat your enemies?
And if you, if you actually

704
00:42:01,600 –> 00:42:07,200
believe that Christ is with you,
it will change how you treat

705
00:42:07,200 –> 00:42:10,000
people.
That’s what’s going on here.

706
00:42:10,200 –> 00:42:13,500
Total contrast between Elijah
and the king of Israel total.

707
00:42:14,000 –> 00:42:17,400
Contrast.
How did Jesus teach so strongly

708
00:42:17,600 –> 00:42:21,100
that you can pray for those who
spitefully use you and your

709
00:42:21,100 –> 00:42:22,900
enemies.
How did he do that?

710
00:42:22,900 –> 00:42:25,200
Brothers and sisters.
That’s the most extraordinary

711
00:42:25,200 –> 00:42:26,700
teaching.
The planet has ever.

712
00:42:26,700 –> 00:42:30,100
Seen come out of the mouth of
the Son of God.

713
00:42:31,000 –> 00:42:34,900
It goes against every fiber of
our being in Human Nature.

714
00:42:36,300 –> 00:42:39,600
How can Jesus do that?
Because he knew that God was

715
00:42:39,600 –> 00:42:44,700
with him every step of the way.
And if you do believe that, it’s

716
00:42:44,700 –> 00:42:47,500
got to change how you treat
people, you’ll be less likely to

717
00:42:47,500 –> 00:42:50,800
take into your, you’ll be less
likely to disparage them and do

718
00:42:50,800 –> 00:42:53,300
something nasty to them.
And I believe that is a

719
00:42:53,300 –> 00:42:55,800
massively powerful.
Excitation to me.

720
00:42:56,000 –> 00:42:59,400
How does Romans chapter 12?
Say, if your enemy is hungry,

721
00:42:59,400 –> 00:43:02,000
put a meal on for that’s Romans
chapter. 12 is all over.

722
00:43:02,000 –> 00:43:05,900
This story live peaceably, don’t
take Vengeance, that’s mine.

723
00:43:06,300 –> 00:43:09,100
Peaceably with all men, do good
to the.

724
00:43:09,100 –> 00:43:11,400
This is all the same sort of
thing, that’s happening right

725
00:43:11,400 –> 00:43:14,800
here.
Once God lifts the veil off of

726
00:43:14,800 –> 00:43:18,200
Elisha’s servant size.
Now he can treat his enemies

727
00:43:18,200 –> 00:43:21,000
differently because he’s not
depending on himself.

728
00:43:21,100 –> 00:43:25,200
He’s leaving it to God and he
will just show the kindness of

729
00:43:25,200 –> 00:43:27,700
God and the compassion of God to
those enemies.

730
00:43:27,700 –> 00:43:31,200
And leave the rest to God, who
knows how God will deliver.

731
00:43:33,900 –> 00:43:38,100
That’s the power.
Of the teaching of the son of

732
00:43:38,100 –> 00:43:42,100
God.
And how we treat our enemies.

733
00:43:43,600 –> 00:43:45,300
Maybe it’s true brothers and
sisters.

734
00:43:45,600 –> 00:43:48,900
Maybe it’s true for you.
It’s probably true for me.

735
00:43:53,200 –> 00:43:56,000
That the degree to, which I
believe God is involved.

736
00:43:57,100 –> 00:44:01,200
And around me.
Has a direct correlation.

737
00:44:02,300 –> 00:44:06,500
To how I handle other people in
the Ecclesia, and how I treat

738
00:44:06,500 –> 00:44:13,600
people, how I talk about them.
And what I do. so, the message

739
00:44:13,600 –> 00:44:18,300
from this week, or for this
week, going ahead from this

740
00:44:18,300 –> 00:44:23,200
passage Taking full inspiration
from the spirit and example of

741
00:44:23,200 –> 00:44:26,800
Christ.
Who is drawing out the lessons

742
00:44:26,800 –> 00:44:30,200
of second Kings.
Chapter 6 is for you to fully

743
00:44:30,200 –> 00:44:36,300
trust God to help others do the
same to pray for your sight and

744
00:44:36,300 –> 00:44:40,500
for the sight of others and to
let that impact how you treat

745
00:44:40,700 –> 00:44:56,900
other people.
Thank you for listening to the

746
00:44:56,908 –> 00:44:58,800
good christadelphians talks
podcast.

747
00:44:59,500 –> 00:45:01,500
We hope this talk helped you in
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748
00:45:01,900 –> 00:45:04,300
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749
00:45:04,300 –> 00:45:07,100
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750
00:45:07,100 –> 00:45:09,800
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751
00:45:09,800 –> 00:45:12,600
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752
00:45:12,600 –> 00:45:14,600
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753
00:45:14,600 –> 00:45:17,700
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754
00:45:17,700 –> 00:45:21,100
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756
00:45:25,800 –> 00:45:28,200
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00:45:28,200 –> 00:45:31,000
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761
00:45:40,700 –> 00:45:44,000
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764
00:45:51,000 –> 00:45:53,800
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765
00:45:53,800 –> 00:45:54,200
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