2 Kings 7:6 (ESV Strong's)
For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us.”
Subject: Fear
At the time of the above verse, the Syrian army had besieged Samaria, the capital city of the ten northern tribes, Israel. During the time of the siege people were actually eating dung and killing their own children to eat them (see 2 Kings 6:24-31). Elisha, however, prophecied that in a single day the circumstances would change. He told the Captain of the guard of the King that in one single day food would be cheap to buy. The Captain did not believe Elisha. In the above verse we see what God did. Despite the size and power of the Syrian army, God caused them to "hear" the sounds of chariots and horses. At the "sound" of this invisible army the Syrian army ran away and left all their goods (including food) behind. Elisha's prophecy came true. God did not use an army, however. He simply used the sound of an army. God can use the "fear" inside man to accomplish the plans He has for His people. God used fear in the hearts of the Egyptians to set the nation of Israel free from being their slaves. God used fear in the heart of Rehab to conquer Jericho. God uses fear to accomplish His tasks. God can strike fear into any heart using any means. Believers have nothing, however, to fear. Note what John tells us about fear and God's love:
1 John 4:17-18 (ESV Strong's)
By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
When we know that God loves us, we don't have to have fear. Because we know that God loves us we know that whatever God allows into our lives is because of that love, therefore, there is nothing to fear. God can bring torment to the unbeliever's life (see Psalm 83:13-18), but will not allow torment to the believer. We have nothing to fear.
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