Meditations from the Life of Elisha...

This Sunday, for my internship, I'm teaching the adult Sunday School at the church I'm working at.  I'm teaching on the life and ministry of Elisha.

I've always been more of a preacher than a teacher...so this was a little bit hard for me to prepare for.  I asked Pastor Fellars how he would suggest that I go about preparing.  He told me to find what is emphasized in the life of Elisha.

After studying through all the things that happened with him, I concluded the most significant thing is that God was the one who gave him the power to do all he did...so really, Elisha's life is about God's glory.  His life and practices displayed God to the nation of Israel.

One particular event stood out from his life that I would like to share...

Background Information before I post the passage below:  During a war between Israel and Syria, Elisha tells the king of Israel where the forces of Syria are camping.  The king of Syria finds out what Elisha did and sends army to the city where Elisha is staying, and they surround the city.

When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:15-17, ESV)

I love the part where Elisha says, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  This is a cool statement on it's own...but what follows is where find out what Elisha means.

Elisha prays that the servants eyes would be opened to see, and God grants him his request.  The servants eyes are opened to see that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. It almost gives me goosebumps...this is our God. He commands the armies of fire to protect Elisha, and there they are...

I love to let my imagination run with this...I picture huge muscular angels in chariots pulled by horses....that's glorious already...but they're on fire!  Woah!  If only I was a good artist I would love to paint what I see in my imagination.

These paintings are the two best that I could find:



And I'm sure it was even more glorious than these images...

After this part of the account...we see God's mercy.  God could have crushed the Syrian forces with this amazing army...but instead he spares them all, by striking them blind...

We serve an awesome God!  Yahweh Jehovah God...we serve Him!  The same God that did this amazing thing.  Granted, He works in different ways today...but He's the same God.

Don't let the reality of the power of our amazing God become old to you...we will be in His presence for all eternity, if we have placed our trust in Him...and it will be glorious...

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