This past Sunday evening we enjoyed a great night of singing. Many of you commented on how much you enjoyed it, and I share your sentiment. I almost led the song “Holy Ground.” There’s a line in the chorus of that hymn that says: “I know that there are angels all around.” In fact, that idea is lifted directly from Scripture.
In 2 Kings 6, we read about the King of Aram who went to war with Israel. While he plotted his military tactics, Elisha the Prophet, being inspired by God, knew his mind and relayed the evil King’s plans to the King of Israel. Enraged, the King of Aram sent an army to capture Elisha. When they arrived in Doshan, they surrounded the city, prepared to starve them until they gave up the prophet. Elisha’s servants began to worry, seeing the size of the enemy host that had them surrounded. Elisha, however, wasn’t sweating…
When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
(2 Kings 6:15-17)
In my opinion, this is one of the Bible’s most understatedly awesome moments. This is one of those events we just don’t read about or study or have VBS nights devoted to, like we ought. “What shall we do?” the servant asked, and Elisha answered the question: “Don’t be afraid.” That’s what you shall do: You shall not be afraid. Why? Because God’s army is bigger than theirs.
Elisha prays that God would open the servant’s eyes so that he might see… see what? God answers the prayer and the servant is suddenly able to perceive what previously had been obscured from him: He was surrounded by angels. The hills of the city were full of horses and chariots of fire. The angelic host of God was there. The doers on behalf of the Almighty were there. The warriors of the Lord’s heavenly army were there, so there was no reason to worry.
“I know that there are angels all around.”
Indeed. Fear not.
~Matthew