Spiritual blindness is the natural state of all humanity, but God can open our eyes to see His wondrous truths. The sermon illustrates this through four biblical examples: Balaam, who was blind to God's angel until his eyes were opened to see his sin and God's judgment; Hagar, who was blind to a well of water until God opened her eyes to see salvation; the disciples on the road to Emmaus, whose eyes were opened to recognize the resurrected Christ in the breaking of bread; and Simeon, who saw God's salvation in the infant Jesus. True spiritual sight comes from God, enabling us to recognize our sin, God's provision, and Christ as our Savior, leading to a life of faith and obedience.
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Verse twenty-eight. And they drew nigh unto the village to the very wing. And he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us. For it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went into tally with them. And it came to pass. that he sat at meet with them he took bread and blessed it and great and gave to them and their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished out of their sight and they said one to another did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures our text a well-known verse in Psalm hundred and nineteen.
You all know it well. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. May God bless to us the reading of his word. The prayer of the Scripture Union, which assigns a Scripture portion, with a little commentary on the text, and which is read by approximately a hundred thousand boys and girls throughout the world, must be prefaced with the prayer, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy loss.
And it would be a good thing if each person in this meeting this evening, and particularly each unsaved person in this meeting, were to pray that prayer. and add at the conclusion, and Lord, make me willing to see, willing to acknowledge, and willing to obey all that thou dost reveal to me from the pages of thy precious holy word. Opened eyes is our subject this evening. We've read together our four people Whose eyes the Lord opened.
Open the eyes of Balaam to see his sin. Open the eyes of Hagar to see God's salvation. Open the eyes of that young man to see his security. Open the eyes of those two disciples on their way to Emmaus to see in Christ their complete satisfaction. All men are blind by nature. That is blind spiritually. You know, every person in this audience this evening has three pairs of eyes. Did you know that, boys? Every person here has three pairs of eyes.
Three kinds of vision. First of all, we have physical vision. We can see with his eyes that God has placed in our heads and my how thankful we should be to the Lord for giving us eyesight so that we might be able to appreciate the beauties of his handiwork in nature. To sit on that porch there and see that glorious panorama stretched before your gaze. And I pity the man who can look upon a scene like that and not be moved. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. the spacious firmament on high with all the blue ethereal sky, a spangled heaven, a shining frame, their great original proclaim.
The unwieldy sun from day to day that His Creator's power display and publishes to every land the work of an almighty hand. Soon as the evening shades prevail, the moon takes up the wondrous tale and mightily to the listening earth, repeat the story of her birth, while all the stars that round her burn and all the planets in their turn confirm the tidings as they roll and spread the truth from pole to pole. Thought though in solemn silence all move round this dark terrestrial ball, what though no real voice or sound amid their radiant orbs be found. In reason's ear they all rejoice, another forth a glorious voice, for ever singing as they shine, the hand that made us is divine.
Almighty God, the sun shall fail, the moon forget her nightly tale, the deepest silence hush on high that radiant chorus of the sky, but takes for everlasting years, unmoved amid the wreck of spears. Thy word shall shine in endless day when heaven and earth have passed away. Thank God for your sight. But not all are blessed with physical sight. Do you think a boy that's born blind can see? What do you say? You don't think so. I say he can. Let's suppose he's here tonight. He's only a little fellow.
Hasn't been to school yet. He doesn't even know that two and two make four. But he does know that one and one make two. He learned that. Let's ask him to come forward. Sonny, do you know what two and two make? No, sir. Would you like to know? Yes, sir. All right. Hold out your right hand. Hold out his right hand, and I put two marbles in his right hand. How many marbles are there? This little boy born blind says, one, two. Two marbles. Good. Now hold those two marbles in your right hand. Got them there? Yes. Now hold out your left hand. We put two more marbles in his left hand. How many marbles in your left hand?
One, two. Two. Good. Two in your right hand, two in your left hand. Now put the marbles from your left hand into your right hand and count. One, two, three, four. Oh, I see. Two and two make four. Did he see? Yes, he saw. Did he see with his eyes? No. And yet he saw. How did he see? He saw with his mental vision. He saw with his mental vision. Discovered that two and two make four. But now this blind boy comes to a gospel meeting. At this gospel meeting he hears that he's a sinner, lost, guilty, helpless, hopeless.
deserving only of God's eternal judgment? But thank God he also hears a clear message of God's wondrous salvation through faith in the blessed Lord Jesus, the Holy Son of God, who clothed himself with humanity and upon the cross nineteen hundred years ago, bore his sins, took his place, died in his stead, rose again for his justification, and salvation full and free and eternal may be his. to owning himself to be a sinner, receiving Christ as his Savior, and owning him as the Lord of his life. And during that meeting, something happens to that blind boy. And at the conclusion of the meeting, what do you think it begins to think? At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away, it was there by faith I received my...
What? Sight! and now I'm happy all the day. What kind of sight? Physical sight? No. Mental sight? No. What kind of sight? Spiritual sight. Spiritual sight. And my unsafe friends, that's what you need more than anything else this evening. You need to have spiritual visions. That's why the Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus, one of the most religious and moral and sincere men of his day, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see. He cannot see. What? See. He cannot see. What can he not see?
He cannot see the kingdom of God. And what is the kingdom of God? Well, we are told in the Bible what the kingdom of God is. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And only a person whose spiritual vision has been given him can enter and see and enjoy that beautiful kingdom of God. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Paul prayed concerning the people to whom he wrote in Ephesus that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened that he may know. The eyes of your heart may be enlightened that he may know.
Now we have read together our four people whose eyes were opened and we'll take them in the order in which we read them. Not in their chronological order but rather in the order of our spiritual apprehension. Let's get the fitting of the first case. The children of Israel have ceased their wandering. Now they're marching. They're making progress. They're on their way to the promised land. And on their way to the promised land, they've overrun the enemy's country that surrounds that promised land. They have victoriously overcome, first of all, the Canaanites. Then the Amorites held beneath the onslaught.
Then all king of Bashan. falls before them. And all the while, the king of Moab, Baalek by name, he's looking escant and with consternation at this victorious forward march on the part of the people of Israel. He's afraid. And so he sends post-haste to a man whom he knows by the name of Baalim. Baalim is a peculiar character. A man to whom God revealed himself, whom God used as his mouthpiece, and yet at the same time a man who loved the wages of unrighteousness.
He was a soothsayer, one of these gentlemen, many of whose reverbs are with us to this present day, who pretend to be able to give us tomorrow's news today. And so he sent an embassage to Balaam. And the message was, come and curse this people of Israel. For those of you curse, they're going to be cursed. And those of you bless, they're going to be blessed." He was a great pow-wow merchant, was Balaam. And so the embassage arrives at the house of Balaam. They make known the purpose of their visit. And Balaam, with a false piety, says, now I can't do anything unless God speaks to me.
So carry here for the night. And I'll try and find out what God's mind is in regard to this matter. And God spoke to this man and said to him in plain language, Thou shalt not go down with these men. Thou shalt not curse the people of Israel, for I have blessed them. Nothing could be plainer than that. And so the following morning, Balaam said, I'm awfully sorry folks, but God absolutely prohibited me from going with you. God has forbidden me to curse the people of Israel, for they are blessed. Goodbye." And away went the disappointed ambassadors. But apparently Baalek knew his man well.
He knew how to bait his hook. And so he sent greater, more honorable counselors with greater bags of money, which jingled most musically as they entered the presence of Baalem for the second time. And instead of Baalem saying, I'm sorry, that God is not a man that he should lie, nor is it a son of man that he should change his mind. God has forbidden me to go with you. No, perhaps they poured out those bags on the table and those little heaps of gold had its appeal, for gold still has its glamour. And so he temporized. He played with temptation. He played the fin game. And no man can play the fin game and expect to win, for the dice are always loaded.
And no matter how careful you throw the dice, they'll always come up with D-E-A-T-H, death, for the wages of sin is death. So he said, carry the night. And I'll see what God has to say further on this matter. He knew what God's mind was. But God came to this man and said to him, Balaam, you may go down with these men, but only that which I tell you to say, you shall say. Had God changed his mind? No, indeed. Say, why did God reverse his instructions? Well, it's like this. When God sees that a person is determined upon a certain course of action, God will allow that person to go his way and learn in the hard school of experience, it's a bitter thing to depart from the living God.
You may well pray, O God, keep me from going my own way. And so Balaam bounces beast of burden the following day. and makes his way towards Balaam, the king of Moab, presumably to curse the people of Israel, those whom God has blessed. And we are told the anger of the Lord was kindled against Balaam. And the significance of a drawn sword surely is clear to each one of us. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all sin and against all unrighteousness of men.
And the sword drawn tells me this, that God's anger and God's judgment long delayed because of his mercy is about to fall upon those who have incurred his displeasure. The angel of Jehovah stood in the middle of the path with a sword drawn in his hands, but Balaam had no eyes for the angel of Jehovah. But the eyes of the ass were open to see, while Balaam's eyes were not open to see. Animals can teach us. Animals can instruct us. Go to the ant, thou snuggard. Consider her ways and be wise. The ox knoweth it master. The ass is master's crib.
My people doth not know. My people do not consider. How doth the busy bee improve each shining hour? Speak to the earth. It shall speak with thee. All heaven and earth is full of illustrations, if we only have eyes to see, and ears to hear, and minds to comprehend. Three times, the ass, seeing the angel of Jehovah with a drawn sword, try to avoid going any further. Until at last they come to a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either this way or that way, and the poor beast of burden fell down flat upon its face. And Salem's anger was kindled against the dumb beast, and he smote it.
And then God did the miracle. He opened the mouth of the ass to speak in rebuke, rebuking the madness, the sin, the rebellion of that false prophet. And then we are told, God opened his eyes. And as the eyes of Balaam were opened, there was the angel of Jehovah. with a drawn sword in his hand. And Balaam fell flat upon his face. And then he uses three words, which you will use when you see what Balaam saw. The three most typical words to pronounce in the English language.
What are they? I have sinned. The three easiest words to pronounce are we. have sinned. That doesn't mean a thing. I have sinned. I am the sinner, the lost, that guilty person whom thou hast described in thy word. Notice what he saw, the angel of Jehovah. God's righteous judgment revealed from heaven against all sin and against all unrighteousness of men. And make no mistake about it, my friend. That's what God wants to open your eyes to see. for there will never be any desire for salvation until in some measure you realize the heinousness of what sin is, that hateful, abominable, rotten, devilish, damnable thing that God hates.
Do not this abominable thing that I hate. It is God's word to each one of us. There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that do it good, no, not so much as one. They are all gone aside. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good. No, not so much as one. Now we know that whatsoever things the law says, except for them that are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. For there is no difference. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That's what God wants every unsaved person to hear.
Oh, that your ears may be opened. to the word of God. For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And the Holy Spirit of God is here. To take the word of God, the living word of God, and apply it with convicting force and power to the soul of everyone who hears the message of the gospel. His eyes were opened. He saw the angel of Jehovah, the drawn sword, because of his wrath. Beware, lest he take thee away in his stroke, and then can a great ransom not deliver thee. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all sin, against all unrighteousness of men.
God hates sin, and must, because of his holy character, visit his righteous judgment upon sin and upon the sinner if he dies in his sins, which God forbid. Notice what he heard. He heard the words of condemnation. Thy way is perverse before me. His ears were open to hear. And the revelation he received from the angel of Jehovah was a revelation of his sin. Thy way is perverse before me. It was the declaration of his sinful state in the sight of that holy being, to whom all things are open and naked. God's sentence against sin was pronounced against him in that naked sword that glittered in the hand of the angel of Jehovah.
And notice what he said. I have sinned. His ears were opened. His eyes were opened. His mouth was opened in a humble confession of his sin to the Lord. He fell flat upon his face. Now then, let's apply it. Have your eyes been opened to see your deep, deep need of God's saving grace? If not, pray now, O Lord, open thou mine eyes. Have your eyes been opened to realize that apart from God's redeeming grace, you're a sinner, a sinner by nature? There was communicated to you at your physical birth a sinful nature.
a sinful nature, at enmity to God, not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh in their natural condition cannot please God. They that are in the flesh cannot please God. If you have never been saved by God's grace from the time you were born unto this present moment, you've never thought, said or done one thing that has pleased the Holy God. They that are in the flesh cannot please God. You say, what about all the prayers that I prayed? They that are in the flesh cannot please God. What about all the good works I've done? They that are in the flesh cannot please God. What about those rites and ceremonies through which I've passed, such as baptism and confirmation and communion and church membership?
They that are in the flesh cannot please God. What about all those good results I've made to live a better life in the future? They that are in the flesh cannot please God. My friend, you are utterly unprofitable in the sight of that holy God with whom you must necessarily have to do. And God writes unprofitable over your life from its beginning to this present juncture. Have your eyes been open to realize that you are a guilty sinner, not only a sinner by birth, but a sinner by practice? Knowing the right, you've done the wrong. Knowing the pure, you've entertained the impure. Knowing the truth, you've told the lie. Each one of us is responsible for his own sins.
For every idle word that men speak. They shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. Have your eyes been open to realize that you are lost? For remember, if you are not saved tonight, you are lost. For there are only two classes of people. If our gospel is hid, it is hid to them which are lost. Are lost. Not that we are going to be lost by and by us, but at this particular moment are lost. For if you are not saved, you are lost. And only those that own that they are lost may be saved. For Christ and I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. I am come to seek and to save that which is lost. Have your eyes been opened to realize that you are condemned already?
When I was in South Africa a few months ago, I was in the court in Johannesburg. It was a murder trial. And the accused was found guilty of murder. Court was crowded. Suddenly the clerk of the court rose and said, Silence! While the sentence of death is pronounced against the prisoner at the bar. And there was a deathly silence. And the judge pronounced the sentence of death. You have been found guilty of the crime of murder by a jury of your peers. It remains for me now to pass upon you the sentence of death.
You will be taken thirty calendar days from now and hung by the neck until you are dead. The jailer tapped the prisoner on the shoulder and the shoulder turned his back up on the court and went downstairs into the cell. Condemned already. My friend, that's where you are, if you're not saved. Condemned already! He that believeth on the Son of God is not condemned. But listen, he that believeth not is condemned already. Because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. You have sealed your eternal doom by your rejection of Christ as your Savior and Lord.
But more has gone open your eyes to see that you are utterly helpless to do one thing to save yourself. from the consequences of your sins. Could my zeal nor respite know? Could my tears forever flow? That for sin could not atone. Thou must save and thou alone. For when we were yet without strength, helpless, Christ died for the ungodly. Has God opened your eyes to realize your utter hopeless condition in his fight? Without God, without hope in the world? More, has God opened your eyes to see that in his sight you are deserving only of his eternal judgment, deserving of that place of utter darkness where there's weeping and waving and gnashing of teeth?
And God opened the eyes of Balaam. Are you willing that God should open your eyes to see these truths? Are you willing to own what God declares is true of you in his words? Are you prepared to say, Oh God, I realize, in the light of thy word, I'm nothing but a poor, guilty, lost, condemned, helpless, hopeless, hell-deserving sinner? Oh God, be merciful to me, be sinner. If you make that confession, you won't be the only one. Listen to the prodigal. That eternity is back upon the far country.
having wasted his substance in riotous living. And as he turns his weary feet toward the Father's house, he does so with this confession upon his lips. Father, I have sinned. I have sinned. Listen to David. After the parable of the Eulam, when Nathan pointed to him and said, Thou art the man, and brought home to him with tremendous force his awful crime, our adultery and murder. You remember the confession that came forth from the lips of David?
I have sinned. And let me tell you this, you'll never get a sin from God until you're prepared to own your true condition in his sight. And to say... with Charlotte Elliot, just as I am, without one plea, for that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidst me come to thee, all am of God I come. Opened eyes to see sin. Not a present sight, but a most necessary sight. For your fair pretensions must wholly be waived, your best resolutions be crossed, for you cannot expect to know yourself saved till you own yourself utterly lost. Now the second case.
a mother and her son, lost in the wilderness. Hagar, the mother, Ishmael, the son. Abraham has sent them both away. They're walking in the direction of Egypt when they come to the wilderness of Beersheba. And in that wilderness, they lose the track. That's a windstorm, has blotted out the track. And they wander here, and they wander there, under the hot rays. of the noonday sun, which turns the sand into molten lava beneath their feet. And the voice of Ishmael is heard, Mother, give me some water.
And bit by bit that precious fluid disappears from the bottle. And her last, Hagar has to say, Ishmael, I am sorry. But all the water is gone. Unless we find some water, we shall perish in this wilderness, for we are lost. And then little Ishmael's tongue begins to swell. He can hardly articulate. Give me water. I'm sorry, my boy. There's no water. His eyes begin to glaze. She places him under a shrub where at least there's a little shade. She sits about a bow shot from him, saying to herself, I don't want to see the dying agony of my only son.
And in lifting up her voice, she weeps. What a scene. That's a picture. Who is Ishmael? A mirror will answer that question if you're unsaved, for you are in exactly the same position as Ishmael. The wilderness, this world in which we live, a wilderness wide, with nothing in it to satisfy the soul. Plenty to amuse, plenty to thrill, but nothing to satisfy, nothing to meet your deep spiritual need. For the God of this age has blinded the minds of them to believe not, lest they should believe, and the light of the gospel should shine unto them.
What's the great need of Ishmael? Water! Water to him means salvation. What is your need? Water. The water of salvation. That's your greatest need. But where can water be found in the wilderness? The eyes of Hagar searching things. There's no water anywhere. within sight. And so in utter despair she lifts up her voice and weeps. And her extremity proves to be God's opportunity. It's when we own ourselves to be lost that he does the saving work.
Like a man who cannot swim but falls into a deep lake. All his struggles are in vain. He begins to sink. A lifesaver stands there, looking at his vain struggles, but makes no attempt to rescue him until at last the poor drowning person gives up hope and sinks in the water. Must! That's the lifesaver's opportunity. It was as much as your life was worth to try and rescue that man while he was trying to save himself. Or he would have dragged both himself and the lifesaver down to a watery grave. But now the man has given all hope of saving himself. The lifesaver quickly rescues him. His extremity was the lifesaver's opportunity.
Your very need is a guarantee that God will supply that need. Your very hopelessness provides God with the opportunity of filling you with joy and peace and hope to believe it. And so God's voice breaks in upon that scene. Hagar, why greet this now? What are you weeping for? Take that child in your arms. I'm going to make that child a great nation. And then God opened her eyes. And when God opened her eyes, what did you see? Right in front of her. There was a well of water. Why hadn't she seen it before?
Well, you can answer that question. Why didn't you see that the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross? provided all that was sufficient for your soul's eternal salvation before. One of the first things I felt like giving myself after I was saved forty-one years ago was a good swift kick for being such a boob as not to have seen that before. Simple as ABC. There was a well. Neither. God put that well close to her. God puts his salvation close to you. As Roman Ken puts it, the word is nigh thee, even in thy heart and in thy mouth.
God puts his word right into your mouth. What must I do to be saved? Swallow it. Swallow what God says in you'll be saved. A. Paul screamed, I believe God that it shall be even if it was told me. I believe God about myself. I'm a poor lost sinner, helpless, hopeless, and deserving only his eternal judgment. I believe God about Christ, that on the cross, in infinite love and marvellous grief, he assumed the liability of all my sin and guilt, and expiated that sin and guilt by the sacrifice of himself. I believe that all my sins were laid upon him, that Jesus bore them on the tree, that God who knew them laid them on him, and believing I am free.
I believe God about Christ. I rest in simple confidence upon his finished work. I believe God about salvation. It's free. It's eternal. And those who believe on Christ that moment are saved by his master's grace. They have passed out of death into life. And the power of sin is broken in their lives. I believe God. The word is nigh thee, even in thy heart and in thy mouth. That is the word of faith which we preach, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus and Lord, and shall believe in thine heart, the God hath raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth under righteousness, with a mouth confession is made unto salvation. There was a well right close to her.
Now what did she do when she saw the well? What did she do? She immediately availed herself. of the provision that God had made for her. She let down that bottle. She took her that life-giving fluid. She ran to the side of her dying voice. She moistened those parcels. She saw those glazed eyes coming back to life again. And that stiffening form became supple with life. He lived. The life-giving water had done its work. Oh, everyone, the person! Come ye to the waters, and the waters are nigh.
And what is the water of salvation? Oh, Christ, he is the fountain, the deep, sweet, well of love. He is the water of life, and his message to you is this. Come unto me, or ye that labor and a heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and will not be afraid. For the Lord Jehovah is my strength and song. He also has become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall we draw water out of the wells of salvation. And on the very last page of divine revelation, let any should misunderstand the invitation is repeated.
The Spirit and the bride say come. Let him that is the first come. Let him that hear it say, Come. And who shall ever will? Let him come and take of the water of life freely. Her eyes were opened to see salvation. Would you like to have your eyes opened to see salvation? Look at the Lord Jesus. Get your eyes off your sin now and get your eyes on the Savior. See him hanging there in agony and blood. Rejected by men. forsaken of his God in that lone and dark and mysterious hour. Keep him in his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Ask yourself the question, why did the Son of God, clothed with humanity, go to that cross? Why did he allow wicked men to nail him there? Why did God forsake him so that from his heart went that incomprehensible cry, Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabatani, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Yea, once Immanuel's orphan cry, the universe hath shaken. It went up single, echoless, My God, I am forsaken. It went forth from his holy lips amidst the lost creation that of the lost, no soul need use those words of desolation. And the answer comes, He came out of light into death, though I might go out of death into life.
He came out of light into darkness. that I might go out of my darkness and be translated into that wonderful light. He came from the place of nearness to the place of distance that I might go from the place of distance into the place of nearness and acceptance before God. Lord Jesus, I see it now. On that cross all alone, thou didst bear my sins in thine own body. All the judgment of the Holy God against my sins fell on thee with unparalleled fury. There the awful form of God's wrath burst in its fury upon thy defenseless head. There thou didst shed thy precious blood for my redemption.
Lord Jesus, I see it now. I trust you as my Savior. I own thee as the Lord of my life. Now what happened? It's done. The great transaction's done. I am my Lord, and he is mine. He drew me, and I followed on. Charmed to follow that voice divine. Eyes opened to see salvation. And that salvation is in a person. And that person is the Lord Jesus. Many years ago, old Simeon stood with a baby in his arms. And as he stood there, he said, Lord, now let us thou thy servant depart in peace.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Who was he looking at when he said that? He was looking at the little baby. God manifest in the flesh. He was holding in his hand God's salvation. And when you have Christ as your Savior, Christ in your heart, Christ as the Lord of your life, You have God's salvation, for God's salvation is in a person, and that person is his beloved Son. He that hath the Son of God hath the life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not the life. Now the third case, a prophet in bed.
The prophets have to go to bed. Sometimes with no booze, they wake them in the morning. During the night, something's happened. The king of Syria has got word that Elisha has been passing on information to the king of Israel, to his disadvantage. And so he sends an army to apprehend Elisha. He discovered that Elisha is a little village called Dothan. And so during the night, silently, the armies of the king of Syria surround that little village. And in the morning, the servant of the man of God rises and looks, and behold, Before his eyes, his fearful eyes, he sees the armies of the King of Syria, horsemen and chariot galore.
Quickly he rushes into the bedroom. Alas, alas, alas! Well, what's happened? The King of Syria has an army to apprehend you. And the whole village is surrounded with the armies of the King of Syria. What shall we do?