Elisha and His Servant

The old testament is filled with stories of prophets.

The had many interesting things happen too many of them.

One of my favorite is found in the book of 2 Kings, His name was Elisha.

Here is a fascinating prophet.

You know he once asked for a double portion of the Spirit that was in Elijah?

Elisha turned poison soup to good soup.

An axe head floated.

There is one story though that I love.

It happened during the time that the Syrians were at war with Isreal. The Syrians were the enemies of Israel.

The king of Syria sent scouts to check things out. He learned that it was Elisha who told the King of Israel what to do.

The Syrian king called his army commanders together. This is what he might have said, “This is what we are going to do. We are going to secretly set up our camp near the city of Dothan where Elisha was staying.

The commanders of the army thought the King’s plans were good so they would send their soldiers to set up their camp in the place the King told them too.

No during this Elisha took the message that God gave him and went to the King Jehoram of Israel and said, “Be on guard, don’t have any of your armies go near this particular area because the Syrians are coming there and are planning a surprise attack.”

The King of Israel listened to Elisha’s warning and sent a spy out to the area and sure enough, Elisha’s message was true. The King of Israel didn’t send anyone to that area so the Syrians were not able to attack them.

This went on more than once or twice the king of Syria would send his army and God would tell Elisha their secret plan and the Elisha would go to the King of Israel with God’s message. Over and Over

How do you think the King of Syria felt?

So the King sent scouts again to learn the location of the prophet who kept telling Israel his secret plans!

When they came back they said, “We have learned that Elisha is in Dothan, your majesty.”

So the King of Syria sent a very large army with horses and chariots. They arrived in Dothan at night and surrounded the city. They planned to capture Elisha and take him as a prisoner to their king.

The King of Syria must not have thought his plan out thoroughly because if God told Elisha where his armies were going to attack Israel, what made the king think that God wouldn’t tell Elisha that he was sending armies to capture him?

Early in the morning in Dothan. Elisha’s servant got up and went to look out the window. He was startled by what he saw. As far as his eyes could see there were armies from Syria surrounding their town. This frightened him and he quickly went to Elisha with the news.

Elisha was a man of God and knew that God was in control of all things. He knew that God was all-powerful and was able to protect His people.

I don’t know if God told Elisha about the King’s plan to capture him or not. Either way, Elisha was calm and had a peace when his servant was startled. “Elisha, what shall we do? Don’t you see the armies surrounding us?”

Elisha was calm, he told his servant not to worry, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them?”

I love the prayer Elisha prayer, “Lord open his eyes that he may see.”

What do you think the servant saw - Describe it to them

I love that event.

You ever feel surrounded?

We need to keep the words of Elisha in moments when we think Satan has surrounded us, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

This what Jesus wants us to know. As Christians we are part of the Kingdom of God a kingdom that will stand when all other kingdoms fall.

Maybe we should pray the prayer of Elisha, that God will open our eyes that we may see how wonderful it is to be a part of the Kingdom of God.