So it was with Elisha. Wherever you find him, he always seems the same. On the present occasion the circumstances were such as to strike terror to the stoutest heart. Elisha's servant trembled at the sight that met him when he rose that morning and looked forth from the city walls. A mighty host, with horses and chariots, encompassed the city round about. It was an unexpected attack. No forces were within the city to defend it against such a mighty host. Elisha was the only one whom the besieging army wanted. In the desire for self-preservation, it was not unlikely that the inhabitants of Dothan might give him up to the enemy, and thus turn away the invader from their gates. From a human point of view it was no wonder that Elisha's servant said, "Alas, my master! how shall we do?" There was no terror in Elisha's face, no panic in his heart, at this startling news. What calmness, what courage, what sublime confidence there is in that answer of his, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them!" And what was the secret of his confidence ~ The one reason of Elisha's confidence and calm was that God's presence was with him.

Let’s learn from this story -

1. The king of Syria decided once again to commence hostilities with Israel. This is the same king that sent his general, Naaman, to be healed by (from his perspective) Elisha. As we saw in those studies, Naaman was miraculously healed and returned to Syria. It seems sort of odd that this king would consider going to war against these same people again.

2. Then, after Elisha warned the king of Israel several times about ambushes that the Syrian army had set up to attack the king of Israel and his men, and had checked them out and found Elisha to be right, the king of Syria began to become suspicious of a traitor in his army. He asks which one of his men was really for the king of Israel instead of for him. We are not told in the text but it could be possible he was thinking of Naaman.

3. We are not told in the text how some of the king of Syria’s servants knew who it really was, but they told him it was Elisha telling the king of Israel these things. In fact, Elisha was able to tell the king of Israel what the king of Syria was saying in his bed chamber when the doors were closed. Since that was likely very personal and private, it is understandable why he wanted to get his hands on Elisha.

4. Again, what is amazing is that he really thinks he can get his hands on Elisha without him knowing it, even though he has just learned how his military secrets were known by the king of Israel, as well as his private secrets in his bed chamber. It is amazing how quickly people forget the power and presence of Almighty God.

5. Israel’s history is full of times when surrounding nations came against her after she had repented of her sins and were defeated by the power of God through the arm of His people Israel.

6. Down through history people of all walks of life have persecuted Christians, burned their Bibles, made laws making being a Christian illegal, etc. But what happened? God’s people grew and God’s power for His people was clearly seen. Voltaire boasted that with one hand he would overthrow the Christianity which it had required twelve apostles to build up. There was a time many years ago that the same printing press Voltaire used to print his pamphlets was being used in Geneva to print Bible! It’s too bad that they do not know the words of God’s Word which say - “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision.”

7. Something else that stood out to me is found in verse 13. The wording sure sounds a lot like what King Herod said to the wise men about finding Jesus and that they should come back and tell him where they found Jesus. Like the king of Syria, King Herod had no idea Who he was up against with that puny statement.

1. Of course I’m referring to Elisha’s servant from the story. We do not know this young man’s name, but he is certainly the replacement for Gehazi who was sent away with leprosy. He must have been a man who had put his trust in God, but like could be with any of us, when his faith was put to the test he began to lose it.

2. From what he says to Elisha, apparently they both knew why this large Syrian army of horses, chariots and men had surrounded the city of Dothan. Since Elisha had been given the ability to know what the Syrian king was saying, it is likely he knew immediately what was going to happen and when it would happen.

3. Have you ever had a sensation like Elisha’s servant when confronted by some sudden calamity, sickness, business problem, etc.? We know that God will take care of us but when the trial comes, often blind siding us, we are tempted to say “How shall we do?” It is in those times that we need to realize the presence of God with us.

4. How is it that Elisha’s servant and often we ourselves are overcome with fear and forget that God is with us? One reason would be that we are not walking with our Lord in the way that we should. By drifting far from Him we tend to forget what He can do and what He wishes to do.

5. Another reason why we forget God’s presence with us is because we can only see the problem before us. Elisha’s servant could only see the problem before him until God opened his eyes. The temporal, physical difficulties seem larger than the help from God that is always available, but not seen with our physical eyes.

6. A third reason why we forget the presence of God is because we are not living by faith on what the Word of God teaches us about God’s help in times of trouble. We forget stories like the one before us that clearly teach that God is at work in the background in an invisible way but real nonetheless. Paul tells us in Eph. 6 that our real warfare is really waged in the realm of what we cannot see with our physical eyes, but can with our spiritual eyes that see things through the Word of God.

7. Some sad things can result when God’s people do not realize that God is for them. Take for instance the 12 spies sent into Canaan. Ten of them said that the land could not be taken; two said it could. The nation believed the ten and ended up out of God’s will and wandering in the wilderness for forty years. I wonder how often God’s people get out of God’s will because they are not willing to trust the presence of God?

1. The King of Syria did not realize that God's presence was with his people, and he was at his wits' end to know how to circumvent them. Elisha's servant did not realize that God's presence was with himself and his master; and how panic-stricken he was at the danger that seemed to threaten them! But there was one man for whom the armies of the King of Syria had no terror, to whom difficulties brought no dismay, and that was the man who lived near to God, and realized that God was near to him. Hence it is that we find Elisha saying, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." How did Elisha know this? More than likely God had opened his eyes to see such things which led him to ask God to open the eyes of his servant to see the same thing.

2. Is that the only way we can know that God will stand with us - if we can see the spiritual forces arrayed against the evil forces? I believe you know the answer to that question - of course not. Most of the time in the Bible when God fought for His people they didn’t see what Elisha and his servant saw. They saw the victory and how God used them to win that victory but as far as we know, they didn’t see some angel army. So how did they trust God? They believed what God told them, and walked with Him.

3. So it has been with God's true servants in all ages. They have realized that God's presence was with then, and in the strength of that one idea they have surmounted the greatest difficulties, braved the most terrible dangers, met fearlessly the most overwhelming opposition, and accomplished tasks that to the worldly eye seemed almost incredible.

4. Take for instance Abraham who went forth from his homeland “not knowing whether he went.” How could he do this? He believed the promises and presence of God. As a result God led him. Nehemiah worked against much opposition to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem after one of the returns of the Jews from their exile in Babylon. How could he stand up to all the enemies of the Jews who wanted to see them fail? It is found in his words to the ridiculing Sanballat “The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build.” There are so many other examples.

1. It is well to be on God’s side

2. Undertake great things for God. We should never forget that we have unlimited resources at our command.

3. Never allow yourself to be daunted or depressed by difficulties.