Elisha leads the Syrian army to the King of Israel
A powerful story in 2 Kings 6 illustrates a great example of God’s supernatural help and His law in action. Ben-Hadad king of Syria is at war with Israel and, being aware that the prophet Elisha receives supernatural insight about the king’s actions, commissions an army to go into the city of Dothan in Israel and arrest the prophet (2 Kings 6:8-9). Upon hearing this, the servant of the prophet becomes afraid when, early in the morning, he looks out the window and sees the entire Syrian army in Dothan.
When the king of Syria’s army arrives in Dothan, Elisha prays and asks that his eyes be opened. The Lord responds by striking the Syrians blind, which allows him to lead them to Samaria where the king of Israel is. The king asks Elisha whether he should kill the Syrians, to which the prophet answers: “You shall not kill them; but set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” The king complies with this directive and after the Syrian soldiers eat and drink, they are released to return home (2 Kings 6:20-23).
What is fascinating about this account is the fact that the servant of the prophet could see the angelic army of the Lord despite the fact that the Lord had struck them blind. The king of Israel is also amazed at the fact that there were more people in the angelic army than there were in the entire Syrian army, and yet the angelic army defeated the Syrian army and took them to Samaria.
We should never allow ourselves to become discouraged when we are surrounded by our enemies. God is at work to deliver us from the power of evil and Satan. It is important that we remember this when we feel overwhelmed and frightened.
We should learn from this story that the most effective way to win a war is not by defeating our enemies but by treating them with kindness and generosity. This strategy of answering evil with good is a powerful tool in the kingdom of God. It can be applied to all kinds of situations and is the most effective way to change hearts. When we treat our enemies with kindness and generosity, we are showing them that there is another way to live, a better way, a spiritually abundant life. By doing this we are changing their hearts and making them want to follow the way of God, rather than the way of death. And in so doing, we are winning the war against sin. Amen. (1 Corinthians 15:58; 1 John 3:8). To learn more about God’s kingdom and how to share its message with others, please visit our website at www.cmfc.org. You can also email us with any questions or comments you might have. Thank you for your continued support of the Christian Ministries Foundation. CMFC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, and your gifts are tax deductible.
