Good weekend to you my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Have you ever found yourself in a ‘no-win’ situation? Did you look around at all the options you could imagine, yet it seemed they would all end in disaster? I think that’s exactly what Elisha and his servant might have felt that morning as they stepped out of their house early to greet a new day, only to discover they were surrounded on all sides by armed soldiers and chariots intent on harming them! There was no escape, no way out! (2 Kings 6:15)
But then God gave His prophet Elisha miraculous spiritual vision which enabled him to see what was there but was invisible to normal human eyes. In fact in response to Elisha’s prayer, God gave the same miraculous, spiritual eyesight to Elisha’s servant and both of them stood there amazed that all around those enemy soldiers were horses and chariots of fire! (2 Kings 6:16,17)
Only once before in Biblical history do we have chariots and horses of fire coming from heaven to earth, and that was something Elisha had witnessed a few years earlier when God had taken Elijah up to heaven in a chariot of fire, as Elijah and Elisha were walking along together. (2 Kings 2:11) This time God had not sent one chariot but an army of chariots of fire, and they were not swooping down to rescue Elisha and his servant out of this no-win situation, rather they were present as representatives of the power of God in Elisha’s frightening situation!
It causes me to wonder… if God gave you and me this miraculous ability to see with spiritual eyes, would we see warrior angels whom God has sent to protect His people and hold back the dark demonic forces intent on harming God’s people?
Evidently it was only Elisha and his servant who saw this army of chariots and horses of fire. Those traditional soldiers and chariots, who had come from the king of Aram to capture Elisha, were totally oblivious to what was all around them. Instead, they approached Elisha ready to accomplish their mission. But Elisha prayed, asking God to strike these soldiers with blindness, and suddenly these warriors cried out, some fell to their knees, others groped around as blind men. Ferocious warriors were suddenly totally vulnerable.
So Elisha cried out to them telling them they were in the wrong place, but offering to lead them to the right city for he assured them he knew who they were searching for! The record says “He led them to Samaria.” If the Aramean warriors had surrounded the village of Dothan, where Elisha was reported to be, the march to Samaria would have been only a few miles south, perhaps 6 or 8 miles at most. As they marched, I wonder if Elisha was talking with the blinded leader of this attack force, telling him about the God of Israel?
The record describes what happened in this way: “As they entered the city of Samaria, Elisha prayed, ‘LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see.’ Then the LORD opened their eyes and as they regained their sight they recognized they were inside the city of Samaria.” (2 Kings 6:20) Evidently the king of Israel who was in Samaria had heard from his watchmen on the city walls about the stumbling small army approaching with Elisha leading them, but they did not have weapons drawn and they seemed to be walking like blind men! So when their eyes were opened, there was the king of Israel with some of his soldiers standing facing them, probably with weapons drawn.
The Aramean warriors were helpless and they knew it. In that moment the king of Israel asked for guidance from the man of God, Elisha. “Shall I kill them”? And in that moment Elisha had one of the greatest opportunities of his life to teach some of the great truths and principles of the God of Israel to both the soldiers of Aram and the king of Israel and the people of Samaria who had turned away from God!
Elisha’s words were shocking: “No! Do not kill them, rather, set food and water before them so they may eat and drink and then go back to their master!” (2 Kings 6:21,22) Now to any military person this is beyond preposterous, beyond lunacy. Yet the miracle of blindness upon the Arameans, and Elisha the prophet leading them like children to the king of Israel, demanded that everyone present recognize the undeniable evidence of the Presence and Power of the Holy God of Israel!
And so the king of Israel ordered the people of Samaria to prepare a feast for their enemies and serve them with unreasonable hospitality! Then the Israelite residents of Samaria and their king sent the Arameans back to their homeland, their people and their king.
Now we have no record of exactly how these men reported what they had experienced, but we do have a statement from God which summarizes the result: “So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.” (2 Kings 6:23) As Elisha and all the others contemplated what had happened that day, I wonder if they remembered a song King David had written about 250 years before?
I don’t know the tune but the words are: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...” You recognize it don’t you? It’s Psalm 23. Oh my, that takes on new meaning now doesn’t it my friends?
And my friends, I wonder if into your mind has come a reminder of the words of Jesus, speaking on a hillside outside Capernaum, about 870 years after this event with Elisha. Do you remember Jesus said to the crowd: “You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matt. 5:43,44) The people of Samaria and the warriors of Aram that day both experienced a touch of the difference God wants to make in our world with Jesus, do you and I understand that my friends?
So what are the lessons you and I can learn from this remarkable event recorded for us in 2 Kings 6? What does it tell us about the power of God in protecting His people and the power of kindness rather than hatred between rivals or even enemies? I think we need to pause and ponder and ask God to teach us how you and I should live in the reality of this in 2024 no matter who your enemy is or where you live in our world, and here’s a song to help us reflect on this God of every Grace:
Today’s Scripture: 2 Kings 6:15-23.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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