Let It Please You to Help Me

This phrase is a word uttered by a subject (inferior) to a principal (superior), beseeching, imploring him to do something about his situation or condition.

Help could be found 126 times in the King James Version of the bible.

In Hebrew the word help is “עזר”, Romanized form is ‛âzar and it is pronounced as aw-zar', while in Greek it is “βοηθέω” when Romanized it becomes boētheō, pronounced as bo-ay-theh'-o which means relieve, aid, succor, protect.

Online free dictionary defines help as giving assistance to (someone); making it easier for (someone) to do something; contributing to the effectiveness or improvement of (something); alleviating the burden of (someone else) by giving assistance

I coined out this phrasal topic from the book of second Kings Chapter 3; however, I will make references to other books of the bible in the course of expatiating and explaining this topic.

Some months or probably years back, the renowned prophet, Prophet Elijah was carried away by chariots of fire to heaven, while his ardent follower, Prophet Elisha watched him as the whirlwind carries him away.

“And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

“And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

“And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

“He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;” (2 Ki 2: 1, 11-13)

He returned to Jericho where the sons of the prophet were, and they discovered that his life has been transformed. After staying with them for a while, he left them for Samaria where he settled down at.

In the meanwhile, King of Israel, King Ahab has gone to the way of the whole humans on earth, (2 Ki 2:2) and his son, Jehoram has been crowned king over Israel in his stead. One of the nations his father was ruling over, Moab, having seen that the King who captured them has died, the country rebelled against the new king and broke up from under his leadership.

When King Jehoram saw that the tax his kingdom was receiving from Moabites were not forthcoming, he decided to show the country that even though he is small, he is yet powerful, that he has received some powers from his father before his demise.

He called together the armies of Israel and sent unto King Jehoshaphat who is the king over Judah and king of Edom to ask for their support to combat the soldiers of Moab and subdue the nation so that the tax they were paying the country they would continue to pay.

Those kings replied that they would go with him to the battle and they gathered together their soldiers to go and confront the soldiers of Moab.

However, during the course of their movement in the wilderness, they got to a point where all their water finished and there was no water in sight, all the areas where they thought they would get water they couldn’t find water there. Those following them have been tired for lack of water and the animals too were not showing enough strength to carry on in the journey.

The Jehoram the King of Israel says God has called them to hand them over unto their enemy’s hand, the king of Moab.

King of Judah, Jehoshaphat who knows the value of God’s leadership in all things asks for a prophet, because by prophet they were being tutored those days. Prophets will tell them the mind of God for the journey as well as for other things.

King Jehoram’s servant replied that there is a prophet nigh by that they could contact but he doesn’t know if King Jehoram would want to approach him because the prophet is a follower of Prophet Elijah before he was carried away by the whirlwind and everyone knows the relationship between the King’s father and Prophet Elijah before his demise, everyone knows that he hates his parents, he doesn’t say good things about them, neither does he see anything good in their family. Because of this posit he is not sure if the King would be willing to approach him because he knows he would likely transfer the aggression of his predecessor to the king and which would obviously not augur well for their trip.

King Jehoshaphat told him not to reason like that, that those Prophets speak as they are being moved by the spirit, apart from this he said his friend, King Jehoram is different from his father and that God has says he will not punish the sons for the sins of their fathers again. (Jer 31:29-30)

We need to contact this man, King Jehoshaphat probably added, if not for anything at least for the welfare and the plight of those who follow them, the animals, the soldiers, King of Edom and himself so that they would know what God has to say on the trip they are embarking on, “for all you know this may be a sign to turn back” he conclusively said unto them.

King Jehoram and others agree with King Jehoshaphat and ask the servant where the emerged Prophet resides, and he takes them to the place he resides.

True to what the servant says, the prophet on sighting King of Israel said categorically that he and his entourage should go to the prophets of his father, the prophets of Baal who have led the people of God astray, away from the Lord.

But the King of Israel looked sober and beseeched the man of God to reconsider his position and help them lest they become prey to their enemies.

The prophet said, assuming he was the only one who comes to him he wouldn’t have attended to him because he considers him and his family troublers of Israel but for the sake of King of Judah who fears the Lord, he will attend to them.

“But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

“And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.

“And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.

“And he said, which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.

“So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.

“And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!

“But Jehoshaphat said, is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

“And Jehoshaphat said, the word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

“And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, what have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

“And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.” (2 Ki 3:5-14)

Based on those simple explanations of what transpired shall we examine what this topic really means when we hear someone saying that beside us, or someone praying such prayer or peradventure we are the one uttering the statement

Those kings having seen their weaknesses, they pleaded with the prophet to do something about their case. It is someone who has seen his vulnerability that would utter such words to his superior or pray that prayer, but someone who sees no reason for any assistance wouldn’t say such word.

No matter how strong you are in the world, no matter how “excellent” you are in what you are doing, you cannot know it all, there would still be some areas of limitations where you will need assistance of people and chiefly assistance of God. In the area where you need such help do not hesitate to ask for the help.

Those who will say such words are those who have tried their best but they have failed. The warriors in the story above tried for seven days walking in the wilderness but they were unable to get what they were hoping for, it was after this that they reasoned among themselves that they needed help, they needed God’s input in their journey lest they be slaughtered by their enemies.

Those who will utter something like this are those who discover that they have ignored the person for a while. They have explored other options but the option of the person they now seek their assistance have been ignored and neglected, but having failed in their other pursuits they had no option other than running to the person to seek for his assistance thus, they had to implore him, beseech him, because they thought he would have been miffed with them.

The case of the person they run to for assistance is like what the psalmist said that “The stone the builder rejected is become the head corner.”

You may equally have been exploring other options to get some things done in your life without exploring the option of Jesus, you have to consider Jesus today and I am sure that when you go to him he will surely help you, he won’t ignore you as this prophet has not ignored the kings and their hosts.

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (Joh 6:37)

Darkness here in means when one does not know what one can do about a situation, when one cannot see the future very well, when the future is bleak, when it seems as if there is no light behind the tunnel, that is when one says this, telling God that he should please help him or her.

Apostle Paul when alive planned to go to Asia to go and minister but he did not receive clear signal about the movement and while waiting on god to know what they would do, where he wants them head for to go and deliver the message of the cross to them because he does not like preaching where others have preached, he likes breaking new grounds then he dreamt and someone in the dream asked him to come over to their region and helped them.

“Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

“After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

“And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, come over into Macedonia, and help us.

“And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.” (Act 16:6-10)

The dream he has shown that those people were in darkness and they were looking for means of getting out of the darkness but the more they tried the more they met more darkness because darkness cannot remove darkness it is only the light that can remove darkness.

The kings and their followers were in darkness in this place, for they do not know what to do again having tried all they knew how to but failed, they had to think of alternative, they had to think of someone who could bail them out.

Are you also in darkness as per what you want to do about a situation? Then you need to call unto Jesus for that is what he specializes in.

It is obvious from the interaction that Jehoshaphat had with the King and his servants that he was just discovering that prophet Elisha has been raised to replace the Prophet that has been carried away by the whirlwind. For assuming he knew that he was the one who replaced him he wouldn’t have said, “the word of the LORD is with him”. This word is more or less like a question than an affirmative word. It is not a word of certainty, it is not as if the man was ascertaining that the man has God’s word with him.

“But Jehoshaphat said, is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

“And Jehoshaphat said, the word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.” (2 Ki 3:11-12)

Therefore, this shows that this man was just discovering the man of God. Now, it is a possibility that he has heard about the man from about four incidents that he said which God vindicated him about in chapter two. Those things are the parting of the Jordan river while returning to Jericho, the cautioning of the other sons of the prophets from going and search for their master, Prophet Elijah, the healing of the land of Jericho and the curse he placed on those children who were mocking him.

“And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

“And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.” (2 Ki 2:23-24)

I will like to tell us one or two things about what happened between this prophet and the children.

The children make all of us in the world today to know the mien of the prophet, that he was a baldheaded man. Assuming they did not say this to him, I doubt if people would know that he has alopecia he would have been drawn as a hairy person as they were drawing some of the prophets today.

It is very crucial for parents to ensure that they train their children, talk to them on how to interact and deal with the elders. Prophet Moses while telling the Israelites the mind of God, presenting to them the laws of God, he told them that God expressly says, younger ones should “rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.” (Lev 19:32)

This prophet told them that it is the prerogative and duty of parents to ensure that they teach their children the way of the Lord these silent things in the word of God it is the parents’ duties to pass those minute messages across to their wards while teaching them.

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

“And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

“And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

“And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” (Deu 6: 6-9 (Emphasis mine))

You will see that God asks his prophet to tell them that the onus is on the parents to teach very well their children, they should ensure that they emphasize those words unto them lest that they forget the words or misconstrue the words. That is why he asks them to talk about it when they sit, walk, lie down, rise, make those words signs, as bracelets on their hands so to say, as spectacles they will put on, and those words should be written at the posts of their houses and even while entering they should boldly inscribe those words on the gates to their buildings.

But those children, transgressed the word of God by mocking an old man and the paid for their error.

Some say of the prophet that he was too stern and that such could not be done under the dispensation of the grace, but the truth remains that what God does under the dispensation of the grace could even be severe than this if children started mocking older people.

Parents should ensure that they teach their children that anyone who is older than they are should not be mocked either or not the person is a man of God. Because anyone who is mocking those who are not men of God would graduate from there to mock those who are men of God later as it happened to those children.

Other authors in the bible also say something relating to this to show that God values younger ones to respect and honor the older ones. Irrespective of your position, your wealth, your status, when you see someone who is older, if not for anything respect the hoary hair on him or her the bible says.

“The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.” (Pro 20:29)

No one starts something suddenly. It is a possibility those children have been doing something like this for long, they have been mocking and deriding old people, and which God is expecting them to change, but since they failed to change, and when they do not see the repercussions of what they have been doing, they graduated from mocking ordinary people to mocking someone who is full of the Spirit of god.

What is it that you have been doing for a while which you see has no repercussions? You know that doing those (such) things is wrong but you continued nonetheless because you have not been chastised by God for continuing in the act. I want you to stop doing those because when God will visit you, it would be terrible for you.

News of something like this, most especially the one involving the death of the 42 children I believe would spread like wild fire. I said this because ever since the time immemorial has evil news been spreading fast and far than good news. While people may not find occasion to speak about the healing of the land of Jericho, they would carry the news of those dead children and even add to it to impress listeners. The tabloids of their days would carry the news.

However, despite hearing the news, (writing on the assumptions that he heard) he hasn’t been able to see the man, he was up till that moment has any occasion to interact with him, thus he may be thinking that those things that happened were mere co-incidences, but when they are in strait path with no where they could turn to, he has occasion to meet with the man, but before going he wants assurance that the man has God’s word with him, that he was a mouth piece of God.

It is someone that one has hope in his assistance that one can say that to. The person that one does not have hope in his assistance one cannot say to him that he should please help.

The three kings and their warriors know they needed help if they would make it back home from the battle field. They knew that before they even to get to the field where the battle would take place their lives would be in their teeth as such, they need help.

The help they were looking for could come from spiritual angle, could come from someone who could perform miracles. Having been told that the person who could do that was Prophet Elisha they have hope in his assistance.

Having walked through the desert for seven days with no respite, they lost hope and they started doubting whether they must continue with the battle or not. But when they got to Prophet Elisha and he attended to them, their hopes were re-assured, and they have confidence to continue to the battle field.

It is someone whose hopes have been lost but who wants his hopes to be re-assured who used to say that “let it please you to help me”.

Those people desire to overcome their enemies and therefore they consulted the man of God to help them so that they will overcome the enemies on the battle field.

“…And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.” ((2 Ki 3:13b)

A person who has been repeatedly defeated by the enemies would also go to someone who could help him to defeat the enemies.

Some children when they discover that they cannot confront one of their age mates, they would contact those whom they think could assist them in defeating the person and they will gang up together to defeat the person.

You may also be in this shoe, being repeatedly defeated by a problem, but you can call unto God to give you victory over the problem and he will surely do that.

The common thing for the people of Israel is to seek the face of god and to know what the Lord has to say about a situation. In achieving, they used to look for prophet who has constant communion with God and asks the person to tell them what the mind of God on that situation is.

The apostles too waited on the Lord to know his mind about their moves, and the believers of today because of the presence and the gift of the Holy Spirit also desire to know the mind of God on some issues, therefore they would call unto the Lord to help them in knowing what to do about the issue. He has been answering and he will continue to reveal his mind unto his own people.

Those people contacted the prophet to know what God has to say about the journey they wanted to know if it is a dead end so that they would turn back to their respective homes.

When they got to the prophet God really speaks his mind to them on the journey and what they want to go and do.

“But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.

“And he said, thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.

“For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.

“And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.

“And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.” (2 Ki 3: 15-19)

They have run out of supplies, all that they prepared for the trip has been exhausted, used up on the road, but they were yet miles off their enemies’ camps, miles off where the battle would take place. They had no option other than looking for means of getting back all they needed for the journey.

Their needs could only be met with by God they reasoned and thus they went to someone, a Prophet who could be of assistance unto them, and asked him to please help them.

“For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.” (2 Ki 3:17)

The prophet told them what the Lord would do for them that the Lord would supply their needs, because he desires to hand over their enemies unto them.

God equally wants to meet with our needs, Apostle Paul therefore says, God will supply our needs according to his riches in glory when we call unto him

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:19)

Warriors then and now look for ambush points, they look for weaknesses of their enemies, the enemies’ vulnerability points, and the areas that the enemies would not pay attention to and which they would use to attack the enemies.

They couldn’t get one, because of what they had passed through in the wilderness, but the prophet told them what God will do for them, that God would give them victory; he would deliver their enemies into their hands. They believed the sayings of the prophet and left.

It came to pass that, what they did not know was what the Lord used in laying ambush for the people of Moab,

“And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:

“And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.” (2 Ki 3:22-23)

When we call unto God to help us, and opened ourselves unto him, he will surely expose our enemies.

junior ones call unto the senior ones after exploring all options but couldn’t find a headway through and would beseech such a one to please assist him (or them) to overcome what it is or what they are that they are confronting and or things holding them down as the Kings and the warriors in this book called unto Prophet Elisha to please let it please him to come to their aid and rescue them in the mess they are in.

You may also wish to do as those Kings and the warriors did by asking God to let it please him to help you, when it pleases the Lord to help you, you will be launched into the impossible realm of breakthroughs, and all those things that have abinitio been holding you back would not have sway over you again. Please, talk to him now, he is your Father!