September 9th Read 2 Kng 6:1–23 2Ki 6:15-17 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?" (16) He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." (17) 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. Many people in the West, yes even religious people, my goodness even Christians will poo poo any ideas of spirit or angels. At best religious and Christians usually think in selfish terms of just them and God and if we’re lucky, them and Jesus also. Our Old Testament lesson shows us today that we are surrounded in our world by spirits. Not spirits of the dead, but spiritual creatures, celestial beings whom we normally call angels. Now whether they just appeared with the forms of horses and chariots or that is the best thing the prophet Elisha could relate to what he saw we don’t know. But we know that is it true that he saw the hosts of heaven there ready to defend him. He was not afraid. Jesus when arrested attested to this in Mat 26:53 “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” Jesus was not afraid either but subjected himself to the arrest for our salvation. Of these angels it is written, Heb 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” And Mat 18:10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” The angels whom the Lord created keep watch over us and when we are delivered from all harm or when we thought, “Man that could have been a lot worse than it was.” know that the Lord had sent an angel to protect you. But there are evil angels also. We call them demons. They rebelled against the Lord at the beginning of creation. 2Pe 2:4 “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;…” Paul warns us, Eph 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” They hate us and seek our harm. Most of all they seek to separate us from faith in Jesus. So we must test the spirits and our own thoughts which may not even be our thoughts but theirs. We test them against the Word of God and the Faith which has been delivered up to us. But we do not pray to angels nor do we command them. We put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and call upon His name in every trouble, prayer, praise and giving thanks. If we need such help Jesus will certainly send it. Jesus though is our chief messenger being the very Word of God. He is our chief protector as He sits at the right hand of God the Father. He commands the heavenly hosts on our behalf and that work which His enemies the fallen angels commit He limits to the benefit of His Church and the spreading of the gospel. So if trouble befalls us, we can be certain it is for our good and the good of His Church. He and His angels were not sleeping. He has a greater plan for our troubles. Lord Jesus Christ, always send forth your holy angels to guard and keep us from all harm. Grant us your Holy Spirit and your Word that we may recognize the false teachings of those who rebelled against you that we may always be faithful unto you. Amen.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:23:12 +0000
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