Blindness - Wade Branch

Good afternoon, everybody. It's good to be back together to

worship with you again. I'm excited for our study.

We're going to pick up and second Kings chapter 6, we're

2 Kings 6 · chapter mention

going to take a big shift from this morning, but we're going to

kind of take a similar vein of thought and learning to

emphasize and focus in, on our hope that we have and the joy

that we can have in the perspective that we can approach

it with. And one of the things I want to

use as a disclaimer before we start, as I know, there's a lot

of these things that I might say.

Say that are that may sound like life advice from 22 year old

that. I don't have that level of

experience with this but the things I hope to share with you

or things that the Bible gives us and things that we can learn

from it. They're Universal.

And and so there are many of you that have gone through things

are going through things that I don't I can't comprehend.

I am not there in your position so I'm not gonna pretend to be

there but these things were going to talk about.

I think our universe For everyone and and their beautiful

thing to think about is we can set our hope in these things.

I'm going to use my launching point in the New Testament.

Luke Chapter 7 In verse 22 at this point.

Luke 7 · chapter mention

John is having some issues. He's starting to struggle with

his faith that seems in prison as he says, he sins to Jesus.

And he asked him to say, hey, are you the one we're looking

for, or should we wait for somebody else?

Is this really you? He's starting to struggle when

he's in prison and the way Jesus has these Messengers go back to

men. Respond, Jesus says go tell him

go. Tell John verse 22, the things

that you have seen and heard that the blind see the lame

walk. The lepers are Are cleansed.

This isn't really where we're going with a study, but that's

an interesting launching Point as we go back to 2nd Kings

because as we study through the life of Elijah and second Kings,

many of the things we learn about Elijah's work, their

shadow of what Jesus would be there.

A shadow of the man, he would become and the works that he

would do. Because these these miracles of

healing, the blind of raising, the dead are all things that

Elijah would do. Elijah didn't shadow that Jesus

did in substance. So as we hop into 2nd Kings,

chapter 6, verse 8, I found that interesting and it kind of helps

put Jesus at the focal point of whatever we study, but 2nd Kings

chapter 6. Beginning in verse 8, we're

going to start reading there. It says, now the king of Syria

was making war against Israel and he consulted with the

servant saying, my Camp will be in such and such a place.

And the man of God sent to the king of Israel saying, beware.

That you don't pass this place for the syrians are coming down

there. Then the king of Israel sent

someone to the place of which the man of God had told him that

he warned him and he was watchful.

They're not just once or twice. Therefore, the heart of the king

of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing.

And he called his servants and said to them, which will you not

show me, which of us, is for the king of Israel.

And one of his servants said none, my Lord O King, but

Elijah, the prophet who was in Israel, tells the king of

Israel, the word That you speak in your bedroom.

So what's going on? Back up in verse 8, this king of

Syria is making war against the Israelites, he's trying to

attack them and the way he's going about this, he's trying to

act, he's trying to Ambush them. He's trying to set up a spot

where he's going to attack them when they come through.

And so he sets this up gets already and but Elijah on the

side of the children of Israel gets word of this.

I believe it's miraculous through God, he gets word of

this and he tells the king of Israel.

Hey, don't go over there, they're coming.

Ambush you. And so they send a couple spies

out and sure enough. There they were waiting to

Ambush them and it says this happens, several times.

He warned him, don't go over there, they came through, man,

they were going to Ambush us there.

And the king of Syria starts to get mad.

He's a warning King and he's like, okay, who's renting out

our plans, who is the mole? Who's the rat he says, will you

not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?

Verse 12, and one of his servants said none, my Lord O

King. But Elijah, the prophet who was

in Israel, tells the king of Israel, the words that you speak

in your bedroom. I don't know how this servant of

the king of Syria new this. If it was miraculous, or if it

was some kind of like, it was some kind of like trans that he

just said it, like God put the knowledge in his knowledge in

him to say it. I don't know how he knew this

but he's like it's not. It's none of us.

We're not doing this. He knows the words, you're

speaking your bedroom. And the first lesson I think we

need to learn from this. Is that God's always there.

He's always watching and for the king of Syria that was a bad

thing. It was against his interest but

we can also take the on the flip side is usually negative thing.

I think that we think about that God sees God knows so don't do

that. It can be a comforting thing to

know that God sees whatever you're doing.

That he can see those silent worksheet you that you can see

those silent prayers those Quiet Moments, when you're spending

time with him. He sees every bit of that.

And it's in the silent moments that we're really defined in the

king of Syria was, was exposed, and it did not serve his

interests. And so he started to get mad and

he said, go and see where he is. There are many sending get him.

He's going to go after him and I was told him saying, surely he

is in Dothan. Therefore, he sent horses and

chariots and a great Army there. They came by night and

surrounding the city. So he doesn't just send a couple

guys after him. And take care of this pesky

prophet, he sends an entire Army and he surrounds the City by

night. And as I looked at some of the

pictures in the maps, there's kind of a valley in between

where Dothan was, and they had mountains all around.

So I want you to start to picture this in your mind.

You know, they surrounded the city with horses and chariots

that it's their army. That's their military.

Imagine for us, maybe if they had tanks or whatever machine

guns lined up surrounding him. In verse 15.

And when the servant of the man of God, arose, early and went

out, there was an Army, surrounding the city with horses

and chariots. That's not a very nice way to

wake up and his servant said to him, I'll ask my master.

What shall we do? He walks outside, he sees this

and he goes, what are we gonna do this Alaska's?

Like, oh no, we're stuck. What's gonna happen.

But listen to the calm resolve of Elijah's Faith.

So we answered do not fear for those who are with us are more

than those who are with them. At this point may be a servant,

was thinking you're crazy. I don't know what you're talking

about, there's two of us, there's an army surrounding as

you see this? Wake up Elijah.

But I don't think we can really blame him for his response

because I think that's how we respond a lot of times.

That's how we feel, because life's problems kind of come up,

quick. I mean, I'm young, I'm an

experience that I've seen that in my own life is you think

you're doing fine? And all of a sudden, bam,

something hits you, you weren't ready for it.

But Elijah is calm, resolve will allow them to see through that

one of the things we're going to notice is the site of these

guys, the first one is the blindness of the believer.

You may have already seen what we're talking about the

blindness of the unbeliever second insight.

The blindness of the believer Elisha's servant.

This man was a was likely in line.

I as I understand to take his position, he was likely a

Believer, he was likely that the next in command and so he was a

man of faith brother and yet he saw this situation and he goes,

what are we going to do? What's what's gonna happen?

What are you gonna do? Elijah?

Look what happens Elisha prayed and said, Lord, I pray open his

eyes that he may see. Then the Lord opened the eyes of

the young man and he saw, I'm so glad it tells us what he saw him

because he could have just left it at that, but we learn exactly

what was around. And behold the mountain was full

of horses and Chariots of Fire all around Elisha.

So, whatever was outside waiting for him.

Those horses and Chariots of Fire, God goes, don't worry,

horses and Cherry those horses and chariots that were

surrounding them. I got horses and Chariots of

Fire. God was there instantly.

He was there the whole time. One of the things that's

interesting about this is Elijah, didn't pray God, please

send these. Let them show up and take care

of all this. He just said open his eyes.

So, whatever he just saw this horses and Chariots of Fire were

already there. He just needed to have his eyes

open to see that. And that allowed ice Elijah that

that spiritual sight allowed Elisha, see that.

What's there in your reality today?

You say? What am I going to do?

We all have something. And the reality is, you know,

yours might not be that horses. And Chariots of Fire years,

might be unique to your situation.

But God shows us here, whatever your situation is, he has the

strength or the fixed. He has the power over it.

Whatever it is. It's always waiting there

whether we see it or not. That help is surrounding us.

What we're going to see in a minute is it doesn't work out

exactly like he thought it was gonna happen even after seeing

them. But whatever is in your

situation. This is where we need to have

our perspective, start to open up that this was there around

God's people. This is around God's people

right now. The psalmist says that the angel

of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him.

We learn from the Old Testament. They took one Angel to wipe out,

a lot of people The angel of the Lord encamps around those who

fear Him. God's surrounding you to help

you and if you're a Believer and you you have that blindness that

doesn't allow you see that. Let's refocus.

Let's refocus on this. So one of the things you might

be saying is okay, what about me, where's mine?

No, I that's great. That Elijah had his horses and

Chariots of Fire surrounding him right there and he could see

that. And now his boom that was an

instant help for him. That was an instant fix.

What about me? Where's mine?

I can't see that and maybe it's so specific.

That I don't feel like God can even fix it.

Simply Did you notice where they went to get him out?

It was in Dothan. the only other place in the Bible that Dothan

is mentioned as back in Genesis when Joseph was sold into

slavery, is what his brothers sold thrown in the pit.

They grabbed him, they took advantage of him and they threw

him in the pit and that's where he plead to God for deliverance.

That's where he wasn't just going off to get his brothers

and pretty soon. They're selling them into

slavery, then he gets brought into a nation.

That's foreign he doesn't know anybody.

He doesn't have his faith system supported.

Their he doesn't have his family.

He finally Rises up through that system then gets taken advantage

of and cheated on. He gets dropped down to the

bottom again, he has left there in prison.

He helps people out but then they don't help him back.

And so he's taken advantage of for some 40 years.

My first question, did God, did he ask God for deliverance?

I would say so sit in that pit. Question number two did God

deliver him man, we look back at that we go of course that's one

of the most amazing Stories We can read about in the Old

Testament. Some of the most amazing events

were out of all 40 of those years.

God was working things out and It ultimately saved.

A lot of people the Nations around them from the famine that

was going to come God, used him to prepare Egypt and the Nations

around for huge family that would have wiped them out and it

worse would have wiped out his family spiritually.

Because we see that God to intern, use that to bring his

family back together to cause them to repent to Cosman change

and they all reunited at the end safe in Egypt and we go.

Wow. But that same place in Dothan is

where this all started, when his struggle was bigger than he

knew, how to handle that, he couldn't handle.

He had no control over the situation.

He was in But we look back and we say he was delivering, it

just took a while. It just took a long time.

See Elijah and his servant didn't need to do the reality,

it was in front of him because that one have done them any

good. They walk outside and they're

like, I'm just going to go back in and avoid that act like it

never happened. That doesn't work.

That wouldn't work for them. They still would have been

there. And you and I don't need to dull

the reality that's in front of us.

And the reality is there are things that are tough and you

know, that there are things that are hard regardless of, whether

you're a Christian or not, you're going to have struggles.

So we don't need to do the reality.

Awesome. In Ephesians 5 verse 15 says see

Ephesians 5:15

them that you walk circumspectly not as fool's but as wise

Redeeming the time because the days are evil therefore do not

be under be unwise but understand what the will of the

Lord is get this and do not be drunk with wine, which is

dissipation, but be filled with the spirit.

So he says don't get drunk. There's two ways of handling.

The same thing, you can do your reality, don't get drunk with

wine. This is don't do that.

He says the other way to handle your reality is to be filled

with the spirit, that means to take your eyes and set them on

higher, plain to see something the reality beyond the reality

that you're in. We never need to dull the

reality of the situation that we're in.

We need to see the greater reality Beyond and that's what

Elijah and his servant did. They were able able to see the

greater reality of God's help surrounding them.

And the situation is they were Romans 12 verse 2 says, and do

Romans 12:2

not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the

renewing of our minds of your mind for a Christian.

That's where the war takes place.

It's between the years, it's all between the years.

If you can win that war, everything else will fall in

place. You know, the scary part about

physical blindness is that usually you can't fix it but one

of the beauties of spiritual blindness as you can and that is

a greater fix than anything physical.

But the scary part of it is, is that, you know, physical

blindness seemed like it was something that would change our

life forever. Darren was that many of you who

have been close to him, know that I couldn't think of one

thing that would change my life more than that.

But if you're spiritually, blind.

You have nothing. What do you live for?

What are you going about your life doing?

As we're going to learn in just a second from these from from

the people they were attacking them.

That was a problem but it was also a problem for this

Believers we've stated. So the blindness of the believer

is dangerous but let's get now into the enemy's.

Pick it up, pick it back up in verse 18 of Second Kings six.

It says, so they're surrounded by the horses and Chariots of

Fire Verse 18. So when the syrians gate came

down to him, Elisha prayed, the Lord and said, strike this

people, I pray with blindness and he struck them with

blindness, according to the word of Elijah.

Wait, what we expected him to send these horses and Chariots

of Fire Down, come crashing in and take over the enemy and just

have this great explosion where God wins and they walk away

free. That's not what happens.

God's about to work something out.

Even more amazing than that. And it kind of reaffirms that

point that we never know what God's going to do.

We see something. We're like, all right, there it

is. That's how God is going to fix

it and then he doesn't blow them up.

He strikes them with blindness, but but we're going to see that

God uses blindness, their physical blindness as a picture

of their spiritual blindness. Now Elijah said to them, verse

19, this is not the way in, or is this a city?

Follow me. And I will bring you to the man

whom you seek, but he led them to Samaria.

And as I understand, Samaria was kind of a giant military hub for

the Israelites in this time. So he's going to lead them right

into the middle of it. And he struck them with a kind

of blindness from God's help it appears.

That's not really a total blindness because if it was a

total blindness, they would have gone.

Whoa, we're not going anywhere. Stop this isn't happening.

What's going on? They just said, okay.

But he led them to Samaria, so they followed him.

So the next thing we will notice about this is the blindness of

the unbeliever is usually a delusion.

They don't even realize that they're blind.

They don't even realize the problem.

They're under. That was it that was a key sign

for the for the believer is that he was freaking out and he

didn't realize what he couldn't see, but the unbeliever had the

same issue. He didn't even know he was blind

and so he follows them verse 20. So it was when they had come to

Samaria. That Elijah said, Lord Open the

Eyes of these men that they may see.

So he walks the right into Samaria, I don't know if this is

like a Pied Piper situation. I don't know what they talked

about for this long. Walk to Samaria with God's

people and then their enemies following right behind them, but

But they get into Samaria and the Lord opened their eyes and

they saw and there they were inside Samaria.

Now, on the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elijah, my

father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill him?

But he answered, you shall not kill them.

Would you kill Those whom you have taken captive, with your

sword and your bow? Except food and water before

them that they may eat and drink and go to their master.

So this King sees this, the king of Israel sees this and he's the

only sees an opportunity. He sees this way out, he's like,

all right, let's pound him, but he says no, would you do that to

your prisoners of War? These aren't even yours, then he

prepared a great feast for them and after they ate and drank, he

sent them away and they went to their master.

So the bands of Syrian Raiders coat.

Came no more into the land of Israel.

So God worked something out through this.

That wouldn't have happened had they just boom taking over with

the horses and Chariots of Fire and Destroy them.

They came, they brought them in. They took care of them and they

sent them on their way. Even though they knew they were

right in their hands, they could have been taken right there and

this is a perfect picture of God's mercy.

The perfect picture of what Jesus would come and do he would

see us his enemies right there. His fingertips all the time.

When they came to get him in the garden, he came out.

And he was like, are you guys looking for, and they said

Jesus? And he says, I am, he uses that

that were those words of deity. The I am from Testimony says I

am and they fall on the ground showing that Jesus was going to

be taken by his will not because anyone was making him.

This is a picture of Jesus because Jesus poured on a feast

of his own flesh and blood for us for the enemy that came into

his camp and was trying to take him.

He brought the enemy in, he fed them, he fed us, he took care of

us. And he gave us a new life to

walk away. Are we going to use that new

life for him? Because it says, these guys

never came back and change them forever.

You don't see stuff like that. As you changed you, as you

really changed me. It's beautiful.

As we see all the pictures tied to tied, to our Master, our

savior, in the Old Testament, so a couple of things just to kind

of recap we learn from this is God is always there to deliver

you. Whether you see it or not job

went through so much, but it wasn't till the end.

They said I've heard of you by the hearing of the year, but now

my eye sees you To let these events become something that

pulls you closer to God, they let them be things.

That shape you more into His Image in the process that mold

you. That soften you break you in the

ways. They need to be taken closer to

him. Second, Peter 1 verse 5, through

9 says, but also for this very reason, giving all diligence add

to your faith virtue, to Virtue knowledge, to knowledge

self-control, the self-control perseverance to perseverance,

godliness to Godliness, brotherly, kindness and to

brotherly. Kindness love for.

If these are for, if these things are yours and abound you

will be neither be Barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of

our Lord Jesus Christ. If this for He, Who lacks these

things short-sighted, even to blindness as forgot.

On that. He was cleansed for from his old

sins. We get a sense of blindness

about us, when we forget what Jesus did for us.

When we forget where we came from, where we forget, where we

where we could be without him. So if we're not doing these

things, if we're not, adding all these things to ourselves, he

says we're blind. You're forgetting what the

reality is. He says you're short-sighted.

You don't see the bigger picture, the bigger reality,

beyond the reality that you're in.

So, we need to be adding to our faith all the time.

And final message from this is Elijah space.

That was a faith was in the moment.

You know, for me, I think a lot of times once I just get through

this, and a lot of times, it's little things.

Once I just get through this, then I'll feel good.

Then, I'll be peace. Then I'll be, you know, my heart

can rest and I can have that sense of I can relax.

Now, But Elijah had that right there in the moment he's like,

hey man, it's all good. Lord please open his eyes.

You know, it's not the peace that God offers is not a piece

once this happens. Once I pass this midterm, I got

to take when I get back or once I finish this project or once I

get through this at work, once I get my family, the way I want it

to be. The peace that God offers is in

the moment. The Peace of the offers is right

where you're at right now. You can have that piece.

And you can rest in that. And that's what this is all

about. You might be having struggles

but you can have peace in the moment because the things like

we studied today, things like Romans 8 verse 18.

Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time

are not to be worthy to be compared with the glory that

shall be revealed in us because yeah, you might be suffering but

it's not even. He says I can't I wouldn't even

compare it to it, you know. Like you could you could try to

make a comparison because like I'm not even going to do that

because the sufferings I'm going through and there are a lot for

purple. The sufferings I'm going through

aren't even worth putting on the scale next to them.

Next to the glory which shall be revealed in Us in 1st

Corinthians 2 verse 9. I has not seen.

Nor Ear heard nor have entered into the heart of man, the

things which God has prepared for those who love him.

The reality is sometimes, you know, you have those moments

where your faith is strong and you feel that sense of strength

wherever you're at, But the reality is, we're not really

going to see that I haven't seen that year.

Hasn't really heard that. And so, while you don't feel

like you've gotten that Platt, that Mountaintop moment yet it's

coming. It's coming.

I will see and I will ear will hear it.

You just hold on. It will, it's coming.

And as we approach the world with this hope, as you said,

okay, I got two chairs with the share this, with other people

with other people. Like this is free money.

People have to know about this. Why doesn't anyone want this?

Just remember that. Every time, God, cured the

blindness, it was when Elijah prayed.

Lord, please open his eyes. And so, as you take it to other

people, let's remember to pray. Because if you're going to try

to cure somebody else's blindness, You would you want to

get on get your hands out and start rubbing them together and

get ready it won't do you any good you know that you have no

power in your hands to heal anything like that.

How much greater the spiritual blindness so as we take it to

people let's take you with that prayerful mentality.

The attitude of I have to get on my knees and ask God to please

give this person site, open their eyes.

And God has promises. We started this morning at hey

he'll help us out. If it lines up with his will

he's going to help us and we can know that.

If you're not enjoying that piece that we've talked about

today that realization that perspective that you have in

your life, you can. If you've heard the word you

believe, you ready to change your life, confess that Jesus is

the son of God, you can be baptized for the remission of

your sins and added to his body. We thank you for listening to

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