Outnumbered

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (II Kings 6:16, NKJV)

The odds were against Elisha. After all, he was only one man with an entire army looking for him. Now that’s being outnumbered! This is an interesting story, but wait for the surprising twist at the end.

The king of Syria was at war with Israel, yet time after time Israel seemed to know their plans and avoided the attack. Finally, the king called his servants together and demanded to know who the traitor was in their midst. One of the men answered, “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” (II Kings 6:12, NKJV).

The king issued an order. Find Elisha and bring him to me!

I suppose their plan was to accomplish by numbers what they had been unable to do by stealth. The king sent horses, chariots, and a great host of soldiers to surround the city and capture the prophet. I’m not sure how they felt that would work. Did they think God wouldn’t reveal that plan to Elisha as well?

Early one morning, Elisha’s servant panicked when he saw their city was surrounded by the Syrian army. “What are we going to do?” he asked Elisha. But the prophet had no fears.

And 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. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (II Kings 6:17, NKJV)

God’s heavenly army was greater than any force the Syrian king could gather. The Syrian army was the one outnumbered.

(Be sure to read the entire story in II Kings 6:8-23 to learn the surprising twist in this story.)

Elisha wasn’t the only one seemingly outnumbered by an enemy. Time after time we see God showing Himself powerful on behalf of His people.

GIDEON AND THE MIDIANITES

In Judges 7, we read about Gideon’s encounter with the Midianites. He started with a good number, but God instructed him to reduce his army to only 300 men. Otherwise, they would glory in their own power instead of giving the glory to God.

And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ (Judges 7:2, NKJV)

FAMINE IN SAMARIA

The city of Samaria was outnumbered and cut off from outside help. The Syrian army held a stranglehold on the city. The siege created such a severe famine that II Kings 6 records a case of cannibalism. The situation looked hopeless, but God stepped in. He did not bring deliverance with a vast army. Instead, God’s “invading army” consisted of four hungry lepers. When the men entered the enemy’s camp, everyone had fled in terror. Second Kings 7:6  explains why.

For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!” (NKJV)

There are so many more times in the Bible when it seemed God’s people were greatly outnumbered. The odds were against them—or so it seemed. But God stepped in, and that impossible situation was no longer impossible.

I’m not sure what some of you may be facing today, but don’t lose hope. You may feel surrounded and outnumbered, but God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). Open your eyes and see God’s deliverance.

Lord, when I feel overwhelmed and outnumbered, I will call upon Your name. Like the servant of Elisha, open my eyes to see that I am not fighting this battle alone. Help me to remember that You are always with me and can dispatch a heavenly host to fight in my behalf.

(Other encouraging passages: I Samuel 14:6, Psalm 3:6-8, Psalm 55:16-18, Proverbs 18:10, Isaiah 37:36-37, Isaiah 43:1-2.)