JesusWalk Bible Study Forum: Q2. Elisha and the Chariots around the City - JesusWalk Bible Study Forum

Q2. (2 Kings 6:13-17) Why was Elisha's servant afraid? What was the difference between Elisha and his servant? What does it take for our eyes to be opened? How can 1 John 4:4 strengthen you in your spiritual battle?

Pastor Ralph, on Feb 14 2006, 07:42 PM, said:

The servant was afraid because he could not see. Elisha had no fear because he could see and knew God's was their to fight his battle. To have a relationship with the Father so we can be assured for His faithfulness in protecting. He says the battle is not ours, but His. Because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. He is my strength.

Elisha's servant couldn't sense or see the unseen spiritual forces around him that Elisha clearly saw. Elisha was calm and confident in the LORD's protection; his servant was terrified because all he could see were the enemy forces. I think the difference was the faith that comes out of having your own relationship with the LORD, not just seeing someone else having that relationship.

This is a wonderful story that reminds me of the spiritual warfare going on all around me all the time that I cannot see. And right there is Yahweh-Sabaoth and all His heavenly hosts - taking care of business as He protects His plans and purposes for me. On top of that, His very presence, including Mighty Warrior, dwells right within me. There is no battle from within or without that He cannot win, for He is greater than any other force that exists! What have I to fear? I don't have to get in a panic over the disasters and difficulties in my life or the enemies that would like to destroy me. Lord, give me faith and enlighten the eyes of my heart so that I can see!

His servant was afraid because of vision problems. Not being able to see as God see's or reveals to His servants. God had already dispatched help, he just couldn't see it as his master Elisha could. I often have poor vision until God opens my eyes to the wonderful things that he's done and doing in my life or on my behalf.

The difference between the two was realm knowledge, Elisha knew God and was used to seeing the invisible, his servant was used to seeing with earthly eyes only. This can really cause a problem to those working in Kingdom building, one see's enormous amounts of potential another see dispair and hopelessness. We need to see as God see's in order to accomplish His work.

Sometimes it takes the fear of losing our lives as was the case with Elisha's servant or the threat of losing something intimate. Shock treatment has a way of introducing us to reality even when we close our eyes to facts. The thing that makes us unique is that God uses everything to His advantage to get us up to speed. All things work together for the good, even in Elisha's servant condition and panic stricken moment God made it good. How often can I claim the same experience (untold numbers of times).

Once I realize and stop quaking, that the God that I serve is greater than any circumstance in my life, whew what a sight of relief. I can over come any and every obsticle and advdesary. I stop looking at the enemy and look at the size of my God.

Elisha's servant was afraid because he saw they were surrounded by enemies along with their horses and chariots.
Elisha could see thru his "spiritual eyes" that the Lord's Hosts was greater than that of their enemies.
Like the servant, we often look at things thru our natural vision until our spiritual eyes opened to the wonderful things God is doing in our life.

Pastor Ralph, on Feb 15 2006, 01:42 AM, said:

Elisha's servant was afraid because while they were in the city of Dothan the king of Aram arrived with his army because they were after Elisha. So in the morning Elisha's servant saw that the city was surrounded with an army horses and chariots. He became afraid because he did not see that they had a greater army than the king of Aram. He did not have the spiritual eyes to see beyond the physical eyes. But Elisha had already seen that the ''those with them are more than those who are with them'' Elisha's spiritual eyes were opened and this marks the difference between him and his servant.
For our eyes to be open calls for us to be holy and blameless before our God Almighty. We are suppossed to be pure and righteous. Total obedience to the word of God should be part of us and we should always trust in God. Finally, our relationship with God should be very cordial to the extent that we can here from HIM always.
The scripture in 1 john 4:4 strenghtens me in spiritual balltles because i have been assured that WHO IS IN ME IS GREATER THAN THE ONE WHO IS IN THE WORLD. This is encouraging especially when you have full trust and faith in our Almighty God. I see God far above all problems, circumstances and situations.

He saw through the eyes of the world and Elisha saw through spiritual eyes that only some one filled with faith has. His servant was afraid of the things of the world he had no faith that there was a power far greater than the world that he could look to. Elisha knew the Lord from his master Elijah and knew that throught faith in him he had a powwer greater then was in the world. I can learn from John that I also can rely on the power of God when I face my enemies of the world and like Elisha know that greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world. With God on our side who can be against us.

Pastor Ralph, on Feb 14 2006, 07:42 PM, said:

Elisha's servant was afraid because he thought that he and Elisha were severely outnumbered by the enemy. In short, the servant lacked faith. But Elisha prayed to God that his servant's eyes would be opened...that he would be able to see the armies of the Lord all around them.

Faith is all that it takes for our eyes to be opened. If we have faith, we know that the Lord is behind us, that the Lord never leaves us on our own, and that the Lord gives us strength. The Spirit of the Lord dwells within us and is far more powerful than the spirit (Satan and his allies) that rules in the world.

Elisha's servent was afraid because he could only see the physical world and did not at the time
have spiritual eyes or a sense that God's dimension existed.

Elisha had to pray and ask God to reveal the spiritual reality to the servant.

Elisha had the faith to have God open his eyes before this time and could see God's dimension
the servant had not faith yet so God revealed and this revelation helped his belief the diffrence
was Elisha had faith and knew God already.

In 1John 4:4 the Scriptures reveal that when God is in us . His strength and power are greater
than any power around us. it reveals that with God as our savior and Lord that all the starts
within us with God's presence can over come anything we face here in the earthly diamension
of life. So we if we do not believe or are in fear need only to ask God in to be our savior or
if we have already ask him to increase our faith and belief and to show us how he can help us
over come whatever. \ I find this believeable but I tend to be in the fearfull minority and have
to ask God every time to increase my faith and show me how I can overcome.

Q2. (2 Kings 6:13-17) Why was Elisha's servant afraid?
He was afraid because he didn't have the faith that Elisha had and only saw that they were surrounded. He couldn’t see that they had a much greater army.

What was the difference between Elisha and his servant?
Elisha had Faith, so he had spiritual eyes to see, his servant did not.

What does it take for our eyes to be opened?
Simply have Faith

How can 1 John 4:4 strengthen you in your spiritual battle?
Just by realizing that our faith is stronger than that which is in the world.

Elisha's servant was afraid because he did't believe that God would come thru for them, elisha has more faith than his servant,We have to believe that God will come thru.That God is in us and tha he will fight our battles if we let him.

Pastor Ralph, on Feb 14 2006, 07:42 PM, said:

The difference was one could see into the spiritual realm and had no relationship with the One who protects.

The difference between the two men was that Elisha knew they were safe because he knew the Lord of Host and the heavenly army was at hand to destroy his enemy and the servant had no relationship with this Lord only the one he served in the natural.

It takes the Lord to open our spiritual eyes to see the things in the spirit world and that he is supreme over all things in heaven and earth. He had seen Elisha's relationship with this God but he must of thought that it was only Elisha that could serve Him because I'm sure he had his native gods he served and that it took faith for him to see the Armies of Host out there and many times he looked and each time his heart opened a little more until he saw with the eyes of faith. Another one borne to God's salvation and he must of seen the Lord of Host, the Captain, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as my defender that He is alive and not a stone or tree something that is dead and something that is cold and gives no hope for the future. That has no one to guide me into the ways I should go that only gives false hopes and false words and want me to die instead of live.
Just like Elisha's servant I couldn't see with out faith and the opening of my heart to see Jesus and the world the Heavenly Father has for us to see. It takes a real relationship with Him to see into His world. I had not seen Him or things in heaven until I came into a true relationship with Him and the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see. Just like Elisha we all can see if we desire to see and we all know Him as He knew Him if we learn who He really is and that truly we have a promise that no matter where we find ourself in life He is there to protect us and give us the strenght we need to overcome our enemies and battles. If God be for us who can be against us?

The servant was afraid because he had no faith and didn't realize Elisha had God on his side when Elisha's faith was shown then the servant believed and saw the army when we have faith in God then things will work for God's best

I believe that the servant could no see because he did not have the spirit of the lord
on him at that time so he was afraid because he could not see.

2 Kings 6:13-17) Why was Elisha's servant afraid? What was the difference between Elisha and his servant? What does it take for our eyes to be opened? How can 1 John 4:4 strengthen you in your spiritual battle?

Elisha's servant was afraid because he only saw the enemy surrounding the city. The difference between Elisha and his servant is that Elisha stood with the Lord and knew that the Lord was his Protector; he was seeing with spiritual eyes. Our eyes may be opened by staying in the Word and prayer so that we see things as God sees them: spiritually. I love 1 John 4:4!

"You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

John is speaking of ungodly spirits and false prophets and how we may discern and know the Spirit of God. His usage of "little children (John must have been very fatherly)" makes me think of the Lord as our Strong Heavenly Father whose might protects us and gives us victory against the spirits of the evil one. A picture that comes to mind is a little child boldly encountering his enemy with this huge, beautiful, powerful Dad coming right up behind him and the enemy dropping his sword and running! Of course, the power is not in the hands of the child, but in his protective father. That's what the Lord is to me when I encounter satan in my life. Unfortunately, I, all of us, forget that He is with us and we try and fight evil in our own strength. How ridiculous!

The servant feared the ensuing battle would bring defeat.
Elisha knew that God’s Commander and army were with him. Our eyes are opened by having
faith in the Lord, and single –mindedness to do God’s will.
John tells us that if you keep strong in your faith you have already defeated Satan.

Pastor Ralph, on Feb 15 2006, 01:42 AM, said:

Elisha's servant was afraid becausehe did not hold complete faith and when seeing the armies out the window and not having faith with Elisha of what you have when you are faithful to the Lord, he thought he would be destroyed. For our eyes to be opened we just need to have continual full faith in the Lord, everyday looking and seeing the wonderful things the Lord does for you and me. 1 John 4:4, can strengthen us in our spiritual battle because as long as we believe in the Lord and have our full faith in him, we are his children. the Spirit that lives in us is stronger than the the spirit that lives in the world.

Elisha’s servant was afraid because he could see Aram’s army surrounding them, a numerous human army. But Elisha could see the army of the Lord, made up of many more angels than the enemies. The prophet could see with his spiritual eyes, beyond the visible world. In order to open our spiritual eyes, we need to know God’s character and promises from the Scripture, and to have faith in their truthfulness. We must know that we live in the middle of a constant spiritual battle, and even though we face problems and difficulties, we belong to God. Our Commander, the Lord Almighty, is more powerful than satan and his demons. The victory is ours if we accept to obey God.

Elisha was applying 1 John 4:4 to his physical situation. His servant was overwhelmed with the physical reality but Elisha saw what was behind the physical. I don't know if Elisha actually saw the armies of God in the same way his servant did. He may have but what was really important was that he knew without a doubt that his God was greater than what his physical eyes saw.

Spiritual warfare is not only doing battle in prayer, although that is very important. It involves acting as if you believe God has already won despite your circumstances. By applying the same knowledge Elisha did (a deep conviction of the truth, not just an academic understanding) we can persevere through situations that would cause others to wilt.

[font=Verdana][font=Arial]

Pastor Ralph, on Feb 14 2006, 09:42 PM, said:

Elisha's servant was afraid because he saw the enemy all about, thousands, and he could see no way out.
Elisha was seeing in the spirit, and he could see God's mighty army all about, and Elisha knew he had the victory.

Our eyes can only be opened through prayer, and only if we have faith in God, and we walk in that faith. Then God will open our spiritual eyes.

Knowing Christ lives in me lets me know that no foe can come against me, no evil can win, I am completely covered and protected. I walk in this everyday, one day at a time. In this way life's problems aren't so large and I know the Holy Spirit will take me through