Psalm 68:17

Psalm 68:17

The chariots of Gods

In 2 Kings 6 we read of Elisha and his servant, trapped in a city called Dothan, 11 miles north of Samaria. The King of Aram is intent on capturing Elisha because the prophet always outwits and outthinks him and his schemes against Israel. The Arameans have surrounded Dothan with soldiers and horses and chariots and Elisha’s servant is petrified when he sees the overwhelming forces that are against them. Elisha speaks those famous words that have encouraged many in times of trouble, “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” With that the prophet prays that his servant’s eyes will be opened and when they are, the servant sees the hills full of horses and chariots of fire.

David knows, as should we, that he is never alone and never outnumbered. As the procession of Israelites moves away from Sinai and heads north towards Canaan, the horses and chariots of the Lord God go with them. Jesus saw them in the Garden of Gethsemane when he was arrested and one of the disciples looked to start a fight. “Put your sword back in its place. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (72,000 thousand angels!) Matthew 26:53

My friends, we are guarded and protected every hour of our lives here on earth. Maybe the reason we do not see the chariots is because we are too timid to put ourselves in danger in the first place? I wonder, if you and I were prepared to speak out, to take on the forces of evil around us, to wage war against the enemy and to move onwards into God’s promises, that we would understand better, the forces that are with us? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 4:1 Smear campaigns

Psalm 4:1    Smear campaigns   The background to this Psalm is so familiar; David is being slandered and maligned by his detractors.  It seems that some calamity has befallen the nation and the king is getting the blame! Lies are being told, a smear campaign has begun, and the reputation of the Sovereign is under threat.  As usual, if something goes wrong, culpability is laid at the feet of the one in charge.  David, quite rightly, turns to the Lord his God and prays for relief and for mercy. The Satan is a master of such campaigns and his emissaries gleefully turn on Christians in leadership positions although the whispering campaign can affect all of us. The whispering starts in our own heads, but it can also come from the lips of our detractors. It goes something like this: - You’re the reason it went wrong You messed up again You should have seen it coming Surely you know better You are not worthy You don’t know what you’re doing Someone else ought to be in c
Read more

Psalm 74:16

Psalm 74:16 God established the sun and the moon “ In  the beginning   God created   the heavens   and the earth.   2  Now the earth was formless   and empty,   darkness was over the surface of the deep,   and the Spirit of God   was hovering over the waters. 3  And God said,   “Let there be light,” and there was light.   4  God saw that the light was good,   and he separated the light from the darkness.   5  God called   the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”   And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” These, so familiar, words from Genesis 1 remind us of who is in charge! There would be no light without God. There would be no day or night without God. There would be no earth without God. And there would have been no living things unless God had created order out of chaos. The sun, moon and stars would not be fixed in their orbits without God and you and I would not exist unless He ordered our conception. It is because we see God as glorious, righteous
Read more

Psalm 71:17

Psalm 71:17 Since my youth ..... You have taught me I am reminded here of Paul’s words to Timothy.  “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”  2 Timothy 3:14-15.  “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, lives in you also.”  2 Timothy 1:5. Timothy and David may well have enjoyed a similar upbringing. We know that Timothy’s mother was a Jewish Christian although his father was an unbelieving Greek. (Acts 16:1) It appears that the boy had a Christian grandmother also and, as Jewish boys began to study the Hebrew Scriptures at the age of five, Timothy would certainly have been taught by his mother and grandmother from infancy. Wouldn’t it be great if all our children were able to say,
Read more