My Favorite Not-So-Scary Bible Story

I’m the Type of Person Who Enjoys Being Scared

That’s Probably Not a Wise Thing to Tell a Group of People On Halloween

I’ve Always Enjoyed Going to Haunted Houses, Hayrides, Mazes

And I Love Listening to Scary Stories

A Lot of Times Before I Go to Sleep at Night (Or in Order to Go to Sleep)…

I Will Listen to Scary Stories

Some of You are Probably Like Me and Enjoy Those Types of Things

The Rest of You are Like My Wife and Think People Like Me are Psychopaths

I Love a Good Scary Story

Did You Know the Bible is Full of Scary Stories?

There are Terrifying Things that Have Happened Throughout Biblical History

This Halloween Morning, I Want to Share With You My Favorite (Not-So-) Scary Story From the Bible

Not Only Do Some Amazing and Creepy Things Happen Within This Story

But By the End of the Story, We are Going to See a Beautiful Picture of Christianity and the Grace of God

The Story Begins in 2 Kings Chapter 6

I’ll Be Reading From the NLT Because it Reads Much Easier

I’ve Compared it to Other Translations and it Makes No Significant Changes to the Meaning of the Story

2 Kings 6:8 (NLT)

When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, “We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place.”

At this Point in History, Israel and Aram Continue to Go Back and Forth From War to Peace

Once Again, They are at War

And the King of Aram is Mobilizing His Forces Within the Border of Israel’s Territory

But for Some Reason, Every Secret Attempt to Strike by the King of Aram has Failed

No Matter What He Tries to Do, Israel is Always One Step Ahead

2 Kings 6:11 (NLT)

The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called his officers together and demanded, “Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?”

This was the Only Explanation as to Why Israel Knew of His Every Move

There had to Be a Traitor Amongst His Men

But One of the King’s Officers Believes He Has a Better Explanation

2 Kings 6:12 (NLT)

“It’s not us, my lord the king,” one of the officers replied. “Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!”

One of the King’s Officers Knew Something the King Didn’t Know

How Did He Know Elisha Knew All of this Private Information?

We Aren’t Told

But He Knew There was a Prophet in Israel Who was Giving Away Their Secret Plans of Attack

And He Doesn’t Just Know About Their Battle Plans

He Knows the Very Things the King Whispers in His Bedroom

These Words Had to Send Shivers Up the King’s Spine

But the Officer was Absolutely Correct (According to the Previous Verses)

2 Kings 6:9–10 (NLT)

But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, “Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there.” So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he would be on the alert there.

Every Secret Plan that the King of Aram Made was Known By the Man of God, Elisha

So, I Guess the King of Aram is Going to Give Up and Leave Israel Alone, Right?

I Mean, Why Try Attacking People Who Know Your Every Move Before You Make it?

2 Kings 6:13 (NLT)

“Go and find out where he is,” the king commanded, “so I can send troops to seize him.” And the report came back: “Elisha is at Dothan.”

The King isn’t Willing to Give Up that Easily

He is Going to Capture Elisha

What was He Going to Do with Him?

Was He Going Imprison Him?

Kill Him?

Or Possibly Try to Use His Abilities Against Israel?

All We Know is He Wants the Teller of Secrets Out of the Picture

He Receives Word that Elisha is in Dothan

Dothan is Located About 10 Miles North of Samaria

Samaria is the Capital City of Northern Israel

2 Kings 6:14 (NLT)

So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city.

The King of Aram Wasn’t Going to Take Any Chances with Elisha

He Sent an Entire Army of Soldiers, Horses, and Chariots to Capture One Man

While the People of Dothan Are Sound Asleep, the City is Being Surrounded By the Enemy

There was No Way of Escape

2 Kings 6:15 (NLT)

When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.

Elisha’s Servant Wakes Up to Discover the Horrible News

And Like Any Normal Person, He is Scared Out of His Mind

He Asks His Master What, if Anything, Could They Do Now?

But Elisha’s Reply Seems to Make No Sense at All

2 Kings 6:16 (NLT)

“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”

I Like the More Word-For-Word Translation of this Verse Better

2 Kings 6:16 (NASB)

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

What Elisha was Saying Simply Didn’t Make Sense

What Army Did They Have to Protect Them?

The King of Israel Didn’t Know About Aram’s Secret Night-Time Siege…

So He Didn’t Send Any Soldiers From Samaria

They Were Completely Surrounded and Totally Alone…

Or so it Seemed

2 Kings 6:17 (NLT)

Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

Elisha Prays that God Allow His Servant to See What He Can See

God Did and He Saw an Army of Horses and Chariots of Fire

Dothan is Located On a Hilltop

So the Image We Get From the Text:

Isn’t an Army of Horses and Chariots of Fire Surrounding the Aramean Forces

But an Army of Horses and Chariots of Fire Surrounding Elisha

Like a Mob of Specially Trained Heavenly Body Guards Protecting the Man of God

The Army of Aram Once Looked Scary and Powerful

Now the Servant Sees What Elisha Sees

They are Nothing Compared to the Heavenly Host

2 Kings 6:18–19 (NLT)

As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please make them blind.” So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked. Then Elisha went out and told them, “You have come the wrong way! This isn’t the right city! Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to the city of Samaria.

Elisha had Just Prayed for His Servant’s Eyes to Be Opened to Spiritual Reality

Now He Prays for His Enemies’ Eyes to Be Closed to Physical Reality

The Word for Blind/Blindness Gives the Idea that it was a Flash of Bright Light that Blinded Them

Then Elisha Told Them They had Come to the Wrong City…

And that He Would Lead Them to the Correct City, Where They Could Find the Man They Were Looking For

So They Blindly Followed Him On the 10 Mile Journey to the Capital City of Samaria

Imagine How Long it Would Take to Lead an Army of Blind Men for 10 Miles

2 Kings 6:20 (NLT)

As soon as they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, now open their eyes and let them see.” So the Lord opened their eyes, and they discovered that they were in the middle of Samaria.

Now Elisha Prays Again for Them to Once Again Be Able to See

They Open Their Eyes to Discover that the Captors Have Now Become the Captives

They Were Completely Surrounded Within the Captial City of Israel

Elisha Had Led Them Straight to Their Doom…

Or So You Would Think

This is What the King of Israel Thought

2 Kings 6:21 (NLT)

When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, “My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?”

It Would Be One of the Easiest Victories Israel Would Ever Have

The Arameans Haven’t Got a Chance in the World to Win this One

All the King has to Do is Give the Word and the Israelites Won’t Have to Worry About the Arameans Anymore

Now He Waits for Elisha’s Thumbs Up

This is What Happens When You Mess With God and His People!

Or is it?

(Read 2 Kings 6:21 Again)

2 Kings 6:22 (NLT)

“Of course not!” Elisha replied. “Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master.”

What?

Okay, Maybe We Can Understand that They Shouldn’t Kill Captives…

But They Should at Least Keep Them as Slaves or Something, Right?

But to Feed Them?

And Then Release Them?!

The King Must Have Thought Elisha was Crazy

Any Normal Person Would Have

But He Obeyed to the Prophet’s Instructions

2 Kings 6:23 (NLT)

So the king made a great feast for them and then sent them home to their master. After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel.

Imagine the Great Banquet Hall Within the Palace

Imagine Israelites and Arameans Sitting at the Table Together

Imagine Enemies Sharing a Meal Together Like Friends

Israelite and Gentile Fellowshipping Together

This is Truly What Happens When You Mess with God and His People

This is What Happens When God is in Control

This is What Happens When His Will is Obeyed

Love and Peace

He is Glorified

Not Just Because He is a God that Can Defeat an Entire Army of Enemy Soldiers

But Because He is a God Who Can Defeat an Entire Army of Enemy Soldiers and Chooses Not to

He is a God With Infinite Power and Strength, But He Would Rather Show Grace, Mercy, and Love

Even to His Enemies

Even to Those Who Wish to Harm His People and Blaspheme His Name…

He Wishes to Save

They Should Be Dead

And Yet, They are Alive

They Were Blind

But Now They See

Application

Do We Not See a Beautiful Picture of Christianity and God’s Grace?

In Christ, We Who Were Once Enemies…

Should Be Dead, But Instead He Gives Us New Life

Were Blind, But He Gave Us New Sight

Have Received a Place at His Table

To Eat of His Own Flesh and Drink From His Own Blood to the Salvation of Our Souls

To Share a Meal With Him and the Rest of His People, Our New Family

Have Learned a New Way to Treat Our Enemies

We Don’t Wish to Harm Them

We Wish to Offer Them a Spot at the Table as Well

To Offer Them a Place Within Our Family

And if They Refuse, We Don’t Fight Them, We Let Them Return to Their Master

Knowing That the Love of God They Experienced Will Be Ripping and Tearing at Their Hearts…

Whether They Want to Acknowledge it or Not

In Christ, We Have Been Given Everything We Will Never Deserve…

All By His Love and Grace

And it is Our Duty to Be Like Elisha, Our King, and Our God

By Showing Love and Grace to Others, Whoever They May Be

That is Why 2 Kings 6:8-23 is My Favorite Not-So-Scary Bible Story