This evening our preacher was Gerard Hemmings, the pastor of Amyand Park Chapel. I was chairing. He preached on that striking incident in 2 Kings 6:8-23. He took us through the narrative and then drew out these two lessons.
1. Remember God's grace. There is a lesson here about showing mercy. What a contrast between the King of Israel and God himself the King. It points us forward to the grace of God enabling people to sit down with him at his table. Gerard drew an interesting connection with what happened many, many years later just outside Damascus (in Aramaic of Syrian territory) when another blinded man was led by the hand. The story in 2 Kings 6 is the trailer for the main feature that is the New Testament period. He gave some modern examples of God saving his enemies - Spies at a Chinese church (see D Ralph Davies), persecutors in Sri Lanka, a militant atheist friend, all of us who believe, etc. We are so few and they are so many and they have one thing in mind but the Lord of hosts is with us so why be ashamed of the gospel? Why be afraid? Why flee? So I will pray for Richard Dawkins and others like him.
2. Do not fear. The problem that afflicted Elisha's servant was that he could not see the spiritual reality. That is why he was so afraid. If we see things as we should then we will be confident. We are forgiven, we have a future hope. Our labour in the Lord is never in vain. Those with us are more than those with them. We know that we will triumph in him. But then again the Syrians are all too real. We can faint or we can pray - as Elisha did. We need to pray for ourselves and for one another. We don't need to send for help. It is there.
Never forget from whom these blessings flow - the one who has all power and yet who laid down his life on the cross that we may know his protection and love.
1. Remember God's grace. There is a lesson here about showing mercy. What a contrast between the King of Israel and God himself the King. It points us forward to the grace of God enabling people to sit down with him at his table. Gerard drew an interesting connection with what happened many, many years later just outside Damascus (in Aramaic of Syrian territory) when another blinded man was led by the hand. The story in 2 Kings 6 is the trailer for the main feature that is the New Testament period. He gave some modern examples of God saving his enemies - Spies at a Chinese church (see D Ralph Davies), persecutors in Sri Lanka, a militant atheist friend, all of us who believe, etc. We are so few and they are so many and they have one thing in mind but the Lord of hosts is with us so why be ashamed of the gospel? Why be afraid? Why flee? So I will pray for Richard Dawkins and others like him.
2. Do not fear. The problem that afflicted Elisha's servant was that he could not see the spiritual reality. That is why he was so afraid. If we see things as we should then we will be confident. We are forgiven, we have a future hope. Our labour in the Lord is never in vain. Those with us are more than those with them. We know that we will triumph in him. But then again the Syrians are all too real. We can faint or we can pray - as Elisha did. We need to pray for ourselves and for one another. We don't need to send for help. It is there.
Never forget from whom these blessings flow - the one who has all power and yet who laid down his life on the cross that we may know his protection and love.
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