II Kings 6: 14–17                                                                                                  St. Michael’s and all angels, 2009

BY WHAT ARE WE SURROUNDED?

Saint’s days and minor festivals are not the forté of our congrega-tion’s ministry. We’ve gone through many a year without saying anything about the festival called St. Michael’s and all angels. But why not hear what the Bible has to say about Michael the archangel and other angels? The new age movement, Hollywood and the press certainly have a lot they want to tell us about angels… and most of it is misleading. They really know no more about angels than this servant of Elisha in our text.

      Yet, it’s easy enough to sympathize with the servant of Elisha. Most people haven’t literally seen an angel with their eyes. The Bible, after all, describes them as ministering spirits, so they don’t have a visible body for us to see. But how many times have we felt —and even seen that we are— surrounded by an army of evil foes? It might seem hard to answer the question: BY WHAT ARE WE SURROUNDED?, because going by our senses, we conclude we are surrounded I.) By dangerous enemies. But going by the Bible, we can conclude that we are safely surrounded II.) By God’s angels.

TR. I  Which is it, really? Even God’s Word doesn’t minimize the danger we face from the enemies of God. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

I. A Some of those dangers are aimed at our physical well being. Consider again what was happening to Elisha, his servant and all the people of Dothan. The army of Aram —a large siege army— and all it’s chariots and horses wasn’t circled outside the city of Dothan for the sake of having a picnic. They were their to capture the king’s nemesis, Elisha. They’d do whatever it took to carry out their orders. If it meant maiming and killing all the people of Dothan, it didn’t matter to them. If it meant starving the city into submission with a long siege, that was OK with the army of Aram, too. It wouldn’t hurt them, after all. But it certainly would hurt the people of God.

B. In the process, it would be very possible for that physical danger to cause some spiritual harm, too. Think of their dread of death. Would they still trust in God above all things with that army outside their city wall? Would they help their neighbor to improve and protect his property and business, or only watch out for their own?

      Never mind that they were Israelites who should know and trust the true God. So was Elisha’s servant. But when he saw the enemy army, all he could do was whimper: “Oh, my master, what shall we do?” He forgot all about God’s protecting might and power. He thought he was surrounded only by dangerous enemies.

APP. I Now, before I make it sound like Christians are supposed to be unrealistic ostriches, let’s grant that the army and king of Aram were no laughing matter. It’s natural the servant’s first reaction was fear. When the doctor tells us we have cancer it’s the same thing for us. Ditto for when the boss says our job is over. A bill collector might look as deadly to us as a phalanx of chariots and soldiers. That recurring temptation we have such trouble resisting is as deadly to us as a cup of poison. We feel like we’re surrounded by enemies, fear and resignation. We might feel like giving up.

      But none of these problems is so powerful that we can’t survive them. Poverty, sickness, pain, disappointment and sin might be enemies deserving caution and even a healthy “respect.” But even if evil angels are part of the danger surrounding us, let’s remember that no evil —not even a fallen angel— is almighty. There is no such thing as an evil danger in our lives that can take us away from God or heaven. It’s certainly true, as one hymn says, that “We walk in danger all the way… Satan who has marked his prey, is plotting to deceive me. This foe with hidden snares, may seize me unawares… I walk in danger all the way.” Just remember, as real as the danger is, it cannot overpower us.

TR. II  Why? Because Christ’s power is what saves me from the dangers around me. Christ’s power is limitless. And in the exercise of that power, Jesus calls upon His mighty, holy angels to protect us, meaning that we are surrounded by them, just as Elisha was.

II. A  But even though these angels surround us, they are not ours to command or push around. Authors in the new age movement want us to think otherwise. They tell us to summon angels —even to force angels— to do what we wish by rubbing crystals or channeling our spirit to the angel or channeling the angel to us with some kind of mental telepathy.

      But the Bible indicates such notions are the religious equivalent of headlines in the National Enquirer. It’s clear here that even someone like the prophet Elisha did not have power or control over angels. Elisha really wanted his servant to have the comfort and reassurance of knowing angels were surrounding them to protect them from the enemy army. But look what Elisha did to accomplish this. “Elisha prayed: ‘O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.’” It was up to God to decide if the servant would see angels or not. Elisha had no power to force the issue. It wasn’t up to the angels to decide. God made it possible for these angels to be seen by Elisha’s servant.

B.   When he did see, imagine what that servant must have thought. “he looked, and he saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” The hills were full! At this point, there was really no contest. It didn’t matter how big Aram’s army was. God had sent enough power with this angelic army to guarantee that Aram didn’t stand a chance.

      Exactly how many angels this amounted to we don’t know. What we do know is based on Elisha’s reassuring words: “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” God’s angelic hosts had come to the rescue in such a way and in such number, that there would be no casualties among the people of God.

      There they stood, probably stationed between the city and the surrounding enemy army. They shone with the splendor and glory of heaven, causing the Holy Spirit to describe them here as “chariots and horses of fire.” With the kind of power and numbers involved, any defeat would be only on the side of Satan and evil.

C.  But this wasn’t done just to put on a show, or simply showing the Arameans who’s boss. God’s whole purpose in this use of an angelic army was to provide the protection needed for His people. It’s not likely the King of Aram would have stopped at simply detaining Elisha long enough to win a battle or two. Elisha’s life was on the line. But God was also careful to preserve and protect His prophet. He wouldn’t let some heathen capture and kill Elisha simply for that king’s personal glory.

      The servant of Elisha, on the other hand, had at least as much of a spiritual problem as any kind of physical danger. He wasn’t confident in God’s care. He had serious doubts about the Lord. Did he even have saving faith in God’s grace? We don’t know. But if he doubted his survival …if all he could say was: “Oh, master, what shall we do?”…if he didn’t have the faith to say: “I am in God’s hands. Whatever He does is good.”…there’s at least a chance that he didn’t believe for salvation either.

      Beyond this one man, think of all the people the prophet Elisha could still teach with God’s Word. How many thousands, perhaps, still needed to hear that God’s Son would come into this world. They would hear that Jesus would be like the Passover Lamb, shedding His life blood for sinners like us, even though He would be innocent and pure. Keeping Elisha alive with the protection of angels was as much a spiritual protection as it was bodily and physical. And thankfully, the angels could provide both kinds of protection.

APP. II As a child of God, you are surrounded by God’s mighty protection. Often, that protection will be given by God through His holy angels. Maybe they will nudge you out of the way of a passing car. Or they could cause you to look up and see that dangling tree limb just before it hits you in the eye, much like the Psalms say they will “…take you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Spiritually, they could fight Satan to keep him busy, so he can’t take the time to tempt you or me, just like the archangel Michael took on satanic enemies in the era of ancient Persia to prevent the destruction of Jesus’ forebears. In a moment of weak faith and doubt, God’s holy angels could be sent to us to minister to our weakness, just like they came to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsamene to strengthen Him when He was tempted to ignore His Father’s will, and avoid the agony of the cross, leaving us in our sin and guilt.

CONC. True enough, we do walk in danger all the way as that hymn I quoted earlier tells us. But by what are we really surrounded? Not by danger, but by God’s holy angels. With that reality, we can say with another verse of that hymn: “I walk with angels all the way, they shield me and befriend me; All Satan’s power is held at bay, when heavenly hosts surround me; They are my sure defense, all fear and sorrow hence! Unharmed by foes, do what they may, I walk with angels all the way.” A–men