Enemy Plans Revealed (2)

2 Kings 6:8–23 NKJV

Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.” Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in Dothan.” Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. Now Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” But he led them to Samaria. So it was, when they had come to Samaria, that Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and there they were, inside Samaria! Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” But he answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel.

The king of Syria was understandably “troubled by this thing” (v. 11). Actually, the phrase says the king was “storm-tossed” (according to Slotki) or “in a whirlwind” (according to Gray).

As long as Elisha remained free the army of Aram would be unsuccessful, so Ben-Hadad ordered that he be located and captured.

The archaeological site of ancient Dothan is a hill surrounded by a flat plain, indicating that such a siege would be possible, even by an army of modest size.

Elisha asked God to give his servant the same 20/20 vision on the spiritual eye-chart, so he too would not be afraid. “Seeing is believing” is the motto of the secular world. “Believing is seeing” is the motto of faith.

He gave the servant the ability to see the normally unseen world of invisible spirits (angels) that are constantly ready to do God’s bidding (cf. Gen. 28:12). The hills around Dothan were filled with superior horses and chariots. These appeared as fiery agents of God suggesting to the servant their superterrestrial origin (cf. 2 Kings 2:11). The LORD had surrounded the armies of Aram and was in control.

Elisha prayed again, and the Syrian warriors lost their eyesight.

The word for “blind” here is sanwērı̂m, which occurs again only in Genesis 19:11.

In addition to a total lack of sight, the word sanwērı̂m can denote a condition of confused vision, that is, seeing objects that are not there and not seeing those that are.

Since the soldiers could see well enough to drive their horses and chariots behind Elisha directly into Israel’s fortress of Samaria, it appears that the miracle was one of confused sight, a supernatural impediment that deceived them.

They were miraculously blocked from recognizing Elisha and, in their ignorance, willingly trusted him when he offered to guide them to “the man whom you seek.”

Furthermore, they were miraculously prevented from recognizing the great walled city of Samaria until they were already inside, surrounded by the enemy (v. 19).

Feed them....

The Arameans were now bound by social custom not to attack the friend who had extended his gift of hospitality and protection. For these reasons the Arameans stopped raiding Israel’s territory for a time.

This incident demonstrates Yahweh is His people’s defense. So to depart from Him was the height of folly. Israel’s victory by means of God’s prophet rather than by warriors undoubtedly encouraged many in Israel and Aram to fear the Almighty God.

A far worse army surrounds us in these days of spiritual warfare; we face demonic foes incomparably more evil than the human soldiers whose armor glittered in the morning sunshine around Dothan.

As Paul said, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

Realizing the enormity of Satan’s hosts, we wonder with the apostle, “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:16).

In spiritual warfare it is not sufficient to whistle in the dark and try to lift discouraged hearts with a cheery “Fear not!”

Human words of encouragement are not sufficient.

We must have eyes of faith to see the evidence of God’s powerful presence.

Elisha’s servant personifies the despair and fear that come when we depend on human judgment and common sense.

But Elisha personifies the confidence that comes from faith, when we depend on God’s power.

Notice that Elisha did not pray that God would send help; it was already there. He simply prayed for open eyes to see it.

There is a popular story being circulated about a man whose house was in a low area threatened by rising flood waters. As the water rose right up to his door, the National Guard came by in a four-wheel-drive vehicle to pick him up, but he refused to go, saying, “God will take care of me.” When the water was three feet deep in side the house, a Red Cross motorboat came by to rescue him, but he again refused, saying, “God will save me.” Finally the rising water drove him to the roof of his house, where a military helicopter hovered overhead and lowered a rope ladder to pluck him to safety. But he refused, saying, “God will rescue me.” The man soon slipped from the roof and drowned, and when he went through the pearly gates to heaven, he complained to the Lord, “Why didn’t you rescue me?” The Lord answered, “Who do you think sent the jeep, the motorboat, and the helicopter?”

Sometimes the appropriate prayer is not “O God, rescue me,” but “O God, open my eyes that I may see Your providential presence.”

Russell Dilday and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, 1, 2 Kings, vol. 9, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1987), 300–301.

Hebrews 11:3 NKJV

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.