The Syrian Crisis

In this part of the sermon: This section details the Syrian king's frustration over his failed military plans, leading him to suspect a traitor. A servant reveals that Elisha, through divine revelation, is…

The Syrian king's frustration over his failed ambushes leads him to conclude there's a 'fifth columnist' (traitor) among his ranks, illustrating his logical but incorrect deduction based on limited information.

of Syria was carrying out his commando raids against Israel. There is no indication that he was present in these raids, but he was certainly the one behind them. He became very frustrated in his efforts to carry out his military designs, and the reason was that every attempt to gain a military advantage upon Israel, in particular upon the king as the leader of the armies of God in Israel, or the armies of the people of God, was that someone, it appeared, was a fifth columnist in the ranks. Every time he would go, and this is one possible meaning or understanding of the text, every time he woul...

8:59 - 10:21 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Fear not, servant of Elisha, and here's the reason. For they that are with us are more than they that are with them.

The mention of Dothan as the place where Joseph was sold into slavery by his brethren serves as a historical reference to the significance of the location.

The king was perhaps even more inclined to think, well, if we do it with respect to them, and they've got someone from their ranks who's giving us information, perhaps someone in our ranks is doing the same. But be that as it may, he receives information without apparently any real deep or extensive investigation that the man of God, Elisha, is in the city or the town of Dothan. Now, the fact that the Spirit of God mentions the place and is wonderfully preserved for us, some facts about this place, is very helpful in understanding the narrative. Dothan was a city or a town situated on the top ...

12:28 - 13:28 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Suffice it to say that God apparently smiled on what happened, and that satisfies me.

Martin highlights the humor in Elisha leading the Syrian army captive into Samaria without a sword or shackles, illustrating God's confounding of His enemies in answer to prayer.

And instead of this marauding band seizing the prophet and carrying him back captive to Syria, you can't help but see the humor in this. Here the prophet of God comes marching into Samaria with the chariots and the horses and the mighty, and the mighty hosts behind him. He's bringing them captive without the raising of a sword, without any shackles upon his enemies. Don't you see something of the humor of this?

23:35 - 24:01 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Upon reaching Samaria, the Syrians' eyes are opened, and the king of Israel is rebuked for his desire to kill them. Elisha commands a lavish meal for the enemy, who are then sent…

Imagining the Syrians as superstitious Roman Catholics crossing themselves and mumbling pagan gods' names illustrates their expected fear and the surprising mercy they received.

If they had been superstitious Roman Catholics, no doubt they would have crossed themselves many times and reached in for a rosary. No doubt they began to mumble the names of their pagan gods. They thought they had had it. And you can imagine their amazement when they're ushered in to a lush and lavish banquet.

26:29 - 26:47 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explores the missionary implications of these events for the pagan Syrians, demonstrating Jehovah's perfect omniscience, absolute sovereignty, and mercy, contrasting Him…

The contrast between pagan gods, who can only see when their worshipper can see them, and Jehovah's perfect omniscience, highlights the unique character of the living God.

For surely in this passage, Jehovah manifests himself as the God of perfect omniscience. You see, the pagan's God could only see him when its worshipper could see the God. That's why paganism and idolatry are such a convenient religion. Once you're outside of the sight of the God and you can no longer see him, he can't see you if he can see it all.

29:21 - 29:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Take your concordance and look up every 'fear not' in the Bible as a wonderful discipline.

Martin suggests a devotional exercise of tracing every 'fear not' in the Bible, from the Red Sea to the shepherds and Paul, to illustrate the pervasive biblical theme of God's reassurance.

And so would I be in similar circumstances. And into that situation comes the command of the prophet, fear not. And if you want a wonderful discipline some Lord's Day afternoon, you just take, you take your concordance and you look up the word fear and every time you see the word not next to it, you look up all the fear nots in the Bible. It's one of the most wonderful strands of biblical teaching.

33:10 - 33:38 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The core application focuses on Elisha's servant, whose fear is met with the command 'Fear not' and the revelation of God's powerful, conquering presence symbolized by horses and…

Examples of fire in Scripture (burning bush, Abraham's covenant, temple glory, pillar of fire) illustrate fire as a constant symbol of God's living presence and burning holiness.

You remember, it was in that context that Elijah was taken up into heaven. Fire throughout Scripture is again and again the symbol of the living presence of the living God. When God appears to Moses, he comes in terms of a burning bush. A bush that burns but is not consumed.

37:12 - 37:34 Read in full sermon

The point: When magnifying the causes of fear, prod yourselves to ascertain clear, great, and high thoughts of God and the invisible world.

Matthew Henry's quaint advice to counter magnifying fears by cultivating 'clearer, greater and higher thoughts of God and the invisible world' is quoted to guide believers in spiritual discipline.

is in you is the language of John than he that is in the world and how desperately we as the people of God need to lay hold of that reality and pray that the spiritual eye of faith may be kept clear of any of the cinders and specks of dust that will hinder the clarity of its vision Matthew Henry in his quaint way said when we are magnifying the cause of our fear the causes of our fear we ought to be prodding ourselves and seeking to ascertain clear great and high thoughts of God and the invisible world when we're magnifying the causes of our fear we're looking at the chariots we're looking at ...

51:39 - 53:05 Read in full sermon