Title: They That Be With Us
Are More
Text: 2 Kings 6: 15-17
Date: July 26, 2012
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
2 Kings 6: 13: And he [the enemy king of Syria-Ben-hadad] said, Go and spy where he is [Elisa
the man of God], that I may send and
fetch him. [dead or alive] And it
was told [the enemy king of Syria]
saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
Before this, Elisha was used
of God to heal Benhadad’s general, Naaman, of leprosy. But despite the good shown his general, because
Elisha was confederate with the King of Israel, the enemy king of Syria wanted
him dead.
Christ has come. Through Christ’s obedience unto the death of
the cross, God has healed his elect from our leprosy, by purging our sins and
making us the righteousness of God in him.
Now Christ our risen Redeemer is sending forth his gospel and calling
his lost sheep to life in Christ, making them confederate with Christ our
King.
Whenever God heals one of
his elect children, making the believer confederate with Christ our King—while
the believer and his brethren have great peace, joy and thankfulness to God,
those whose hearts are enmity against God are enraged. Satan and all his army, Satan all those yet
under the power of the prince of the air—this whole unregenerate world—hates God.
Their enmity toward Christ our King is turned toward Christ’s minister and the
flock of God.
"The
heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil," (Ecclesiastes
8:11)
2 Kings 6: 14: Therefore sent [the king of Syria] thither horses, and chariots, and a great
host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
See in this great host all
the enemies of God and his people camped around us continually. Oh, they are preparing for a loss. Fighting against God’s saints is fighting
against God. Yet, natural man is blind
so natural man is operating in darkness--"they
came by night." This world—whether they know it or not—is doing the same
thing with the same motive as the Pharisee’s who came to the Lord Jesus when he
walked this earth.
·
The Pharisees came to be
seen and followed by men, rather than point men to Christ.
·
Therefore they came to entangle
the Master in his words. They came to find something with which to
accuse his disciples
·
They
came to malign Christ’s character and the character of his disciples
·
They
came to undermine the gospel.
·
They
came seeking a reason to justify their rejection of Christ our King
before men.
·
In other words they worked in darkness—they came by night. Why?
John
3: 19: And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20: For every
one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his
deeds should be reproved.
1
John 1: 6: If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we
lie, and do not the truth:
Brethren, this is God’s
everlasting covenant to you who are God’s chosen and called:
1
Chronicles 16: 21: He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings
for their sakes, 22: Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets
no harm.
Notice the place where this occurred
is Dothan. Do-than means "two
wells" or “double feast.”
Proposition: What the enemy intends to be our harm,
God turns into a double feast for his child, causing us to drink a double
blessing from his wells of his salvation.
Believer, God uses even the
railings of enemies to graciously teach his flock. Christ gives us a double feast—1) teaching us
that our God will put down all our enemies and 2) teaching us Christ is our
protector and full provision of grace, our exceeding great Reward.
Title: They That Be With Us
Divisions: 1) God teaches us the danger of natural
sight; 2) He teaches us the value of spiritual sight; 3) He teaches us this
spiritual sight is the gift of God.
I. THE LORD USES OUR ENEMIES AND OUR OBSTABLES TO TEACH US THE DANGER
OF CARNAL SIGHT.
2 Kings 6: 15: And when the servant of the man of God [the
servant of Elisha] 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?
An
Example of the Believer
Every believer is like this young man. He was a true servant of
God. The young man was used of God in service under Elisha. He arose early—cheerfully ready to do
whatever needed to be done in the service of God. Every true believer is a servant of God,
ready and willing to serve God in the cause of Christ.
Two
Kinds of Sight
But believers have two kinds of sight. We have the natural eye
which sees only natural things—this eye feed the old man of our flesh. And we
have spiritual sight whereby we see Christ by faith—this sight feeds our new
man.
Brethren, one thing we see with our natural eye—this only by the
grace of God giving us true discernment—is that we have many enemies far too
great for us to overcome. In fact, the
believer is more fearful than unbelievers in this regard.
The grace of God has
destroyed any notion of sufficiency in us.
God’s grace has made us as "a little child" conscious of out
utter weakness. Grace has taught us that
it is impossible for us to stand with Christ, stand for the gospel, to walk in
the integrity of holiness, to serve God against so great a host of enemies by
the natural strength of these bodies. We
simply can’t do it.
And what we see with our
natural sight is not even the half of the enemies which surround us.
Ephesians
6: 12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places
But we see in this young man
the danger of calculating with the natural eye.
This is what happens every time we regard only the carnal sight of
things. He became fearful. He cried,
“Alas, my master! how shall we do?” Natural
sight sees the danger, but not the deliverance.
Many times, our natural sight makes us fail to see the plenteous
provisions God has made for us. We set our sights too much on the difficulties
in the way and on those who oppose us.
And Satan is subtle. He plays upon our fleshly weakness. His desire is to turn us to those things that
make the way seem impossible to us.
But remember, the difficulties and the opposition are just
opportunities for God to show us his greatness.
The true enemy is not those we see with the natural eyes—the true enemy
is our own unbelief. This young man was
being taught, what every believer is being taught of God continually.
II. THE
VALUE OF SPIRITUAL SIGHT
2
King 6: 16: And [Elisha] answered, Fear
not: for they that be with us are more than they that be
with them.
Faith—true God-given sight—is so much more valuable than natural
sight. Our natural sight grows dim with
age but faith grows by God’s grace. We can
lose our natural sight—but God sees to it that our spiritual union with Christ
will never cease. Natural sight ends in
darkness but faith shall end when we see Christ as he is. Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they
that be with them.
Faith
Enables Believers to be Comforters
God-given sight—true faith—enables the believer to comfort our
fearful brethren with the gospel. Elisha saw the same thing the young man
saw. Elisha saw the hosts of Syria, their
horses and chariots, all around. But
Elisha saw what the young man did not see—“the evidence of things not seen.” So
with calmness he was able to comfort his brother, with the reality of things: 16: And [Elisha] answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more
than they that be with them.
Faith
Overcomes Our Fears
Brethren, what is it you see with the carnal eye that causes you
fear and doubt? Is it that we are few in
number? Fear not: for they that be
with us are more than they that be with them. Is it the great hosts of obstacles that lay
in our path or the great hosts of enemies around us? Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they
that be with them.”
The realization God gives through faith which conquers our doubts
and fear is this:
1
John 4: 4: Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because
greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
·
Little children—ye are of
God
·
Chosen of God from
eternity in Christ unto salvation—he
can’t lose one
·
Redeemed with the precious blood of his Son—not one can be separated from him
·
Born of God the Holy
Spirit—no enemy can take the Spirit of God from us—he is irresistible.
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Our enemies are God’s enemies. And God knows the thoughts and
intents of His enemies. They are there
to teach us to look beyond the enemies and obstacles--to Christ our Savior. With ease, God can bring our enemies to
nothing. Fear not: for they that be
with us are more than they that be with them.
This
is his church—the body of believers Christ has assembled to bring glory to his
holy name. As God has provided us all
righteousness in the finished work of Christ Jesus our Head, as God has fitted us together—calling us from the four corners of
this globe—north, south, east and west--so shall God by his grace make every provision
for our security right here in this little corner of the world.
Ephesians
1: 23: Christ is the Head and his church is “his body, the fulness of him that filleth
all in all.”
Ephesians
2: 19: Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but
fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20: And are built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being
the chief corner stone; 21: In whom all the building fitly framed
together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an
habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ephesians
4: 10: He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all
heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Ephesians
5: 23:…Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Lift up the eyes above all events below to the Lord Himself.
Hebrews 12: 22:…ye are come
unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to an innumerable company of angels, 23: To the general assembly and church
of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and
to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of
sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
How desperately brethren need brethren! For every brother taken
with “fear” God has provided us a brother whom God has just strengthened to
remind us “Fear not.”
Psalm
46: 1: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2: Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the
mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3: Though the waters
thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the
swelling thereof. Selah.
IV. GOD TEACHES US and REMINDS US CONTINUALLY THAT THIS SPIRITUAL
SIGHT IS THE GIFT OF GOD.
2 Kings 6: 17: And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee,
open his eyes, that he may see.
God-given sight reminds us and enables us that we must ask God to
give sight to those who need it—Elisha
prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.
Elisha prayed thus because
God had already made Elisha to see. His
prayer was not for the young man to do something because the young man could
not do it for himself. Elisha prayed and
asked God to open his eyes because Elisha knew only God can do so, Elisha had
no power to give him sight. Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee,
open his eyes, that he may see.
Our Prayer for Believers
My fear for the young
believer going off to college is the same as it would in sending a baby just
learning to walk out to the street to pick up the morning paper. You’re a baby
in Christ. You have little
experience, little discretion, against the craftiness and subtlety of
evil.
See how soon, how easily, this young man was tossed. “But preacher, the Lord will keep his
child”. Indeed, God will, but knowing
that wouldn’t make me throw them off the roof of this building. The world won’t
have you to take a few courses in college then go off into the work force. Ambition and pride are blinding.
“Lord, I pray thee, open the eyes of the young, that they may see”
·
See sin is sin
·
See evil is evil
·
See a lie is a lie
·
See rebellion is rebellion
·
See that Christ and his gospel is more vital than anything else in
this world
Our Prayer For Unbelievers
This is not only our prayer for our brethren, but for those yet
dead in trespasses and in sins. Are you yet arguing against the gospel of
God? It is because you are not aware of your own blindness. You think
you see.
·
Self-wisdom is blindness.
·
Self-strength is blindness
·
Self-righteousness is blindness
·
Self-made holiness is blindness
·
Self-made freedom is blindness
It is not merely that man cannot come to Christ, but he will
not come to Christ that he may have life; it is not merely that he cannot see
the truth, but that he loves darkness rather than light, and does not want to
see. Sinners are not willing to see. The
natural will itself is in bondage. It
takes is the divine will of God to overcome the wicked will of man. This blindness
·
Blindness of heart
·
Blindness of will
·
Blindness of conscience
·
Blindness of understanding
·
Blindness so all things spiritual
You who yet blind may object to my gospel but you are as
unqualified to express an opinion about something you have never seen as a
blind man is to argue with you about the color of an object.
When the Pharisee’s objected to Christ
John
9:41: Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye
say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth
Natural eyes are for natural objects only. Spiritual things are
seen only by spiritual sight.
“Except
a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3: 3)
But preacher why do you tell me this if I can’t see? Because God says, “Prophesy upon these bones,
and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.” (Eze 37:4)
We cry, “Look unto Jesus,
and live!” Through this gospel sinners
look only when the Lord Jesus looks to you in life-giving power. When “Thou God
seest me”--“Now mine eye seeth thee”! Then we see all men clearly!
Illustration:
Rex Bartlet—Mark 8: 25: “After that he
put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was
restored, and saw every man clearly.
·
We see clearly the first representative man Adam—by one man’s
disobedience death passed upon all men
·
We see clearly the last representative man Christ—by the obedience
of one shall many be made righteous
·
We see clearly our natural man—in my flesh dwells no good thing(1
Corinthians 2:14) “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned.”
·
We see clearly our new man--“Christ in you, the hope of glory,” “created
in righteousness and true holiness.” “his seed” that remaineth in you, and
which can never again be lost, because he is born of God.”
“Since the world began was
it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.” But with God all things are possible.
Therefore, we expect God to do what only he can, so we ask him, “Lord, open
their eyes, that they may see!”
God
Opens the Eyes of His Children
God shall open the eyes of every one of his blood-bought children
and keep the eye of the believer open to behold his saving hand.
2
Kings 6: 17:…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.
Brethren, has God made you to see Christ Jesus high and lifted up?
“Has God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shined in your heart,
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ.” This is our cry, “All I know
is that whereas I was blind now I see.” How so?
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I was once lost but no am found
Was blind but now I see!
Do you see that God is
greater than every enemy and
obstacle in our way? He put them there that he might remove
them so that we can see that God can do all things—that we might trust him.
Illustration:
Paper sack in a raging fire.
Everything you see now shall
melt away. But Christ says, “Because I live, ye shall live also.” Fear not—take
courage, God is near thee and “if God be for us, who can be against us?” His
angels are keeping watch over us! Gird up the loins of your mind; be sober, and
hope to the end. Be “steadfast, unmovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Commit yourself to the keeping of
the hand which was pierced with nails for you.
Who can describe the riches
of seeing the Lord’s goodness and mercy following us all the days of our
life!
·
Poverty! What poverty!
·
Enemies! What enemies
·
Obstacles! What obstacles!
Contrary to some I am not
against prayer. In fact, this is my
constant prayer, “LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.” When God opens our eyes then shall we be
assured,
Philippians 4: 13: I can do
all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Then shall we “go out with
joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth
before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their
hands.” (Isa 55:12)
Amen!