Sermon Tone Analysis

Leader Guide ESV, Unit 13, Session 4

© 2019 LifeWay Christian Resources.

Permission granted to reproduce and distribute within the license agreement with purchaser.

Edited by Rev. Lex DeLong, M.A., Dec. 2022.

Summary and Goal

In the course of Elisha’s ministry, the king of Syria, to the northeast, decided to wage war against Israel.

But by God’s grace, the Lord protected Israel through Elisha’s counsel.

And in response to the Syrian army’s attempt to end his counsel, he demonstrated spiritual wisdom, the effectiveness of his prayers, and kindness toward his enemies.

Through Elisha’s ministry, the Lord opened eyes, protected His people, displayed extraordinary kindness, and crushed the pride of the Syrians.

Though all humanity has displayed constant rebellion against God, He nevertheless has shown great mercy and grace in crushing pride that stony hearts would soften and turn to Him in repentance and faith.

Session Outline

++God’s servant sees that which is unseen by others (2 Kings 6:8-16; God’s people can trust that God is continually with them).

++God’s servant prays for the eyes of others to be opened (2 Kings 6:17-20; God wants His people to see Him at work).

++God’s servant calls for mercy and grace (2 Kings 6:21-23; Seeing God’s presence demands a response).

Background Passage: 2 Kings 4–8

Session in a Sentence

God opens people’s eyes to see the spiritual realities around them so they will trust in Him.

++God is always at work around you whether you see it or not.

Christ Connection

Elisha prayed for the eyes of others to be opened so they could see God at work around them.

Likewise, Jesus came to give sight to the blind—physically and spiritually—so that they could see that He is Immanuel, God with us.

Last, salvation gives us the unseen faith that God is at work around us continually as members of the body of Christ.

Fill in the blanks: (DDG p. 38)

Bible study should always involve asking good theological questions:

++What does this passage teach me about God?

++What does this passage teach me about humanity?

++How does this passage point me to Jesus?

Big Idea:

The most important theological question that needs to be asked first and with every passage:

++What did the author mean to the original audience?

Our Bible study must also involve prayer for illumination.

We should pray for God to open up our eyes to understand the truth of Scripture and its purpose for our lives, so that we might see what God is doing spiritually in and around our lives.

Ask:

What must be true about God to justify this approach to Scripture?

(God has spoken to us in His Word; God has revealed His identify and actions in His Word; God has given us truth in His Word; God gave us His Word with the purposes of pointing us to Jesus and growing us up in our faith in Him; God desires to show us His paths for our good and His glory)

Summarize this session in light of the questions above.

· “What was the author saying to the original readers?”

In the following narrative, God wanted Israel to remember that He is always ready, able, and willing to surround them with His protection and fight for them, as His people.

· “What does this passage teach me about God?”

In the following biblical story, God opened eyes to spiritual things, protected His people, and extended mercy to the enemies of His people.

· “What does this passage teach me about humanity?”

This story depicts human rebellion and the spiritual limitations of humanity.

· “How does this passage point me to Jesus?”

This study shows God’s redemptive work through the prophet Elisha.

But we need a better Elisha to save us through providing the greater kindness of a new heart.

We need a better King, one who is neither inclined to kill His enemies nor set on selfish conquests but who will rule over us in power and grace.

We have these in Jesus, our true High Priest and King.

Point 1: God’s servant sees that which is unseen by others (2 Kings 6:8-16; God’s people can trust that God is continually with them).

Read 2 Kings 6:8-16 (DDG p. 39).

8 Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him.

Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.

11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.”

It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”

14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

15 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.”

DDG (p.

39)

The king of Syria likely waged war against Israel for personal pride or the pride of his gods.

But the king of Syria had heard of and witnessed God’s grace:

· First, God blessed them with success.

Second Kings 5:1-2 says that God gave Syria victory, even on raids within Israel.

Another nation, who worshiped other gods, was given military victory not by the power of their gods but by power of Yahweh.

God isn’t a small “g-o-d,” who influences only one group of people.

He rules countries, the church, and the cosmos.

· Second, God blessed them with a miracle and an example of salvation.

Chapter 5 goes on to tell about the incredible healing of Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, from leprosy.

In verse 15, Naaman makes a great confession of faith—that there is no god in all the world except the God in Israel.

Naaman’s story demonstrates that God saves people from every tribe and tongue if they will believe.

· Third, God blessed them by crushing their pride, which He does in 2 Kings 6:8-23, the focus of this session.

God can and will humiliate people in order that they may respond to Him in faith.

God humbles human beings that He might save them and use them for His glory.

DDG (p.

39)

God sought to humble the Syrian king by frustrating his war plans.

The account is humorous to read as the king thinks he has a spy or traitor on his team.

How else could the king of Israel know his every move?

Because the all-knowing, all-seeing God passed along the information.

Though many miles away, God granted Elisha the secret, unseen counsel of the Syrian king, and He also protected His servant in unseen ways, making Elisha fearless before the threat of the Syrian army sent to get him.

· Sadly, instead of being humbled by God’s frustrating work and seeking Elisha to learn more about his power and wisdom and their source—the one true God—the king grew angry and sought to seize Elisha.

One wonders why he didn’t assume Elisha would know of this plan also.

Once again, blind pride fueled this king’s futile decisions and actions.

· The king’s servants went to Dothan, where Elisha was located, and surrounded the city at night.

But God was prepared to humble the king again by protecting His prophet from the Syrian army.

God had given Elisha the eyes to see His unseen divine army outnumbering the raiders.

Ask:

What does this text teach us about God’s sovereignty over the nations?

(God is sovereign over the nations; God can bless or frustrate the plans of any nation, regardless of their motivations; no nation’s plans will succeed if the Lord is against them; even what a nation thinks is determined in secret is known to the Lord)

Point 2: God’s servant prays for the eyes of others to be opened (2 Kings 6:17-20; God wants His people to see Him at work).

Read: Ask a volunteer to read 2 Kings 6:17-20 (DDG p. 40).

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.

18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.”

So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.

19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city.

Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.”

And he led them to Samaria.

20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.”

So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

DDG (p.

40)

Elisha saw what his servant could not see, so he prayed for the assistant’s eyes to be opened to the reality of God’s unseen protection surrounding them.