Elisha & Insurmountable Problems

Tom Terry
Jul 1
12 min read

II Kings 6:8-23

Now the king of Aram was making war against Israel, and he consulted with his servants, saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.” But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, saying, “Be careful that you do not pass this place, because the Arameans are coming down there.” And the king of Israel sent scouts to the place about which the man of God had told him; so he warned him, so that he was on his guard there, more than once or twice.

Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this matter, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?” One of his servants said, “No, my lord, the 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, so that I may send men and take him.” And it was told to him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” So he sent horses and chariots and a substantial army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

Now, when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “This is hopeless, my master! What are we to do?” And he said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are greater than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “LORD, please, open his eyes so that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness in accordance with the word of Elisha. Then 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.” And he brought them to Samaria.

When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these men, so that they may see.” So the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. Then the king of Israel, when he saw them, 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 bread and water before them, so that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.” So he provided a large feast for them, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.

WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU AS MOST SIGNIFICANT IN THIS PASSAGE?

BACKGROUND

One of the most famous scenes in Scripture occurs when Elisha prays, “Lord, open his eyes,” and his servant sees the mountain filled with horses and chariots of fire.

Key insights:

Horses and chariots represented the most powerful military force of the ancient world. Even in the Old Testament, armies that had chariots and horses were considered superior to just fighting men. Therefore, this passage in II Kings is symbolic of the fact that angelic armies are more powerful than human armies.
The heavenly army demonstrates God’s protection of His people.
The passage provides a rare glimpse behind the veil into the unseen spiritual realm. Though we may not see the spiritual realm all the time, it does not mean that spiritual activities are not happening all around us. There is protection, there is battle, there is support. The spiritual realm is always at work around us.
It connects with other biblical passages about angelic ministry, such as Psalm 34:7 and Hebrews 1:14.

Related passages:

Psalm 34:7 — “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him.”
Hebrews 1:14 — Presents angels as ministering spirits. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to provide service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?”
Ephesians 6:12 — Presents the practical reality of spiritual warfare. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

What does this story teach about the difference between visible circumstances and spiritual reality?

While the supernatural is a major player in this passage, it is not central to the theme of what we are studying. It's only part of it. In fact, there's something much more going on.

EXAMINATION

(V.8-10) Now the king of Aram was making war against Israel, and he consulted with his servants, saying, “In such and such a place shall be my camp.” But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, saying, “Be careful that you do not pass this place, because the Arameans are coming down there.” And the king of Israel sent scouts to the place about which the man of God had told him; so he warned him, so that he was on his guard there, more than once or twice.

There are a series of insurmountable problems in this passage. The first one is that Israel was under attack by Aram. The solution was that God told Elisha what Aram was doing, and Elisha warned the king of Israel.

Elisha’s ministry was not like that of Elijah. Whereas Elijah confronted kings, Elisha served them, as he did Jehoram, by warning him of Aram’s plans for war. Elisha sought to draw people to the Lord through service and kindness rather than judgment. This foreshadowed Jesus, who did the same. Jesus said he came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

(V.11-12) Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this matter, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?” One of his servants said, “No, my lord, the king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”

King Ben-hadad naturally assumes he has a traitor in his court, informing King Jehoram of his military plans. But a person in his court replies that it is Elisha. Elisha’s fame had spread even to Aram, not doubt because of the miraculous curing of Naaman from leprosy as we saw in a recent study. One commentator suggests this person may have been Naaman himself. But that is debatable, as Naaman could have been leading the army into Israel, though we’re not sure of that.

(V.13-14) So he said, “Go and see where he is, so that I may send men and take him.” And it was told to him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” So he sent horses and chariots and a substantial army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

The second insurmountable problem was that King Ben-Hadad sent an army to capture Elijah. But God had another plan.

It’s interesting that Elisha knows about Ben-hadad’s secret military plans, but didn’t seem to know that he would send an army to capture him! Elisha had warned Jehoram not to go to certain places to avoid Ben-hadad’s army. Yet, Elisha did not leave Dothan before Abram’s army arrived. This implies that Elisha did not know they were coming. But that didn’t matter, as we will see.

(V.15-17) Now, when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “This is hopeless, my master! What are we to do?” And he said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are greater than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “LORD, please, open his eyes so that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

What does Elisha’s confidence reveal about his understanding of God’s power and protection?

The third insurmountable problem was the army that surrounded the city of Dothan. But unbeknownst to Elisha’s servant, there was a solution to the problem all around them.

The last time we saw chariots of fire was when Elijah was taken to heaven. This time, a whole army shows up.

This miracle also ties Elisha to Jesus. When Jesus was in the garden being arrested, he said he could call upon the Father, who would send 12 legions of angels to save him if necessary (Matthew 26:53). A legion was typically about 5,000 soldiers. So 12 legions would have been an angelic army of 60,000. The angelic army surrounding Elisha was probably something similar. Like Jesus, Elisha never used this army.

Elisha’s servant saw the problem they had all around them. But he didn’t see the solution until the Lord opened his eyes. What kind of problems do you face, and do you not see the solution? Our solutions are found in the Lord, who opens our eyes to what is around us.

(V.18) And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness in accordance with the word of Elisha.

WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE GOD STRUCK THIS ARMY WITH BLINDNESS RATHER THAN USING THE ANGELIC ARMY TO DESTROY THEM?

The word used for blindness in this passage is the same word used in Genesis when the angels struck the men of Sodom with blindness so that they were groping around trying to find the door. They literally became blind and could not see. What’s interesting is that even though they were struck blind, they continued looking for the door to break in and assault the angels and Lot. Their desire for sin overrode all other considerations.

One scholar notes that this was not literal blindness, but confusion. Otherwise, how could Elisha lead them the 12 miles from Dothan south to Samaria? However, I think this was literal blindness. This miracle of blindness was preceded by the miracle of opening the servant’s eyes so he could see the heavenly army. One had his eyes opened, another had them shut. The theme is consistent. They were literally blinded.

(V.19-20) Then 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.” And he brought them to Samaria. When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these men, so that they may see.” So the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

The fourth insurmountable problem was for Aram‘s army. Their eyes were opened, and they suddenly knew they were dead men. But God had another plan.

Literal blindness is meant because the army of Aram did not know where they were going, and were surprised when they wound up in Samaria and received their sight back.

Just like the men of Sodom, the army still marches to find Elisha, for 12 miles, even though they are blind. As mentioned earlier, sin overrides all other considerations.

Notice that Elisha uses deception with Aram’s army. He lied to them when he said, “This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” Deception was permitted in times of war for self-defense. The point of such deception is to save lives. So, it is the choosing of the lesser of two evils. We see an example of this in Exodus 1:19-20. After Pharaoh had ordered the killing of the Israelite boys, the midwives let them live and lied to Pharaoh about why. Their lie was to save lives. The result was that God gave the midwives families of their own. When choosing in an impossible situation, they chose the lesser of two evils in order to save lives. And God blessed them.

(V.21-23) Then the king of Israel, when he saw them, 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 bread and water before them, so that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.” So he provided a large feast for them, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master.

It was common practice when capturing an army to put them to death. Or when capturing a city, to put all the males to death. But this circumstance is different. The Aramean army was not captured by Israel, but by one man, Elisha. Thus, King Jehoram earnestly asks if he can kill them. He defers to Elisha, whose miraculous power he recognizes.

Elisha’s response is a remarkable one: feed them. Which Jehoram does. In this situation, the solution to the marauding bands was kindness. Consider Roman’s 12:20-21, “‘But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Treating the enemy army to a banquet was the practice when entering into a treaty arrangement or covenant of peace. So, Elisha was hoping to establish peace.

(V.23) And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel.

Elisha's plan worked for a time, though Aram did launch another war with Israel at a later time.

HOW MIGHT SHOWING MERCY CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION?

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

Israel was under constant threat from Aram, but God was providing a means of protection.
Aram’s army meant to capture Elisha, but God saved him.
Elisha led Aram’s army captive to Samaria.
Elisha rescued Aram’s army from death, the very army that had come against him.

INTERPRETATION

What it the author's big idea?

God's solutions to our problems are often not our solutions.

King Ben-hadad of Aram pursued his agenda to attack Israel. But God had other plans. Aram’s army arrived in Dothan to take Elisha captive. But God had other plans. Elisha’s servant saw only death or captivity when he saw the enemy soldiers. But God had other plans. The men of Aram‘s army thought they were dead men. But God had other plans. King Jehoram only saw an opportunity to kill his enemies when Aram’s army arrived in Samaria. But God had other plans.

In each case, men had plans or faced insurmountable problems, but God had a solution no one had thought of. What insurmountable problem do you face? God has a plan.

When managing Eagle TV in Mongolia our TV station rented a building that was owned by the Kremlin in Russia. When Kremlin representatives came to inspect our facility, they realized that an American-owned TV station was operating in their building, and they did not like that. So they moved to evict us. They gave us three months to get out of the building. Moving a large TV station in just three months is nearly impossible.

We began searching for other buildings to move to, but we could not find anything. We searched diligently, looking at all kinds of buildings, but nothing was suited to our needs. Finally, the day came when we were supposed to be evicted from the building. I went to our facilities manager and said, “Is there any other building that we haven’t looked at yet?” He said, “No, we’ve seen everything. There’s nowhere we can go.” We were stuck. We were going to be out on the street that very day, staff, equipment, everything. Effectively, our TV station was about to be shut down. Then, suddenly, that very morning, after a prayer by our Board of Directors, we received a fax from the Kremlin. They had changed their minds! They said we could stay in the building for as long as we wanted. And we had it in writing. We had an insurmountable problem. But God had other plans.

APPLICATION

Sometimes we have to go through trials before God presents us with his solution.

In the case of Elisha and his servant, it took time for Aram‘s army to get to Dothan and surround the city. They had to go through that little bit of a trial before God would present his solution. So too, it is with us. We have to go through trials sometimes before God reveals the solution. The solution may come quickly, or it may take time; either way, God has a solution.

We may be facing an insurmountable problem, but God has a plan. Don't rush to find a solution. Wait for God to reveal His plan.

This does not mean that God will give us a way out of all of our problems. But it does mean he has a plan for how he’s going to use us to solve that problem or to endure that problem. Very often we have to endure the problem, and that’s part of God‘s plan.

I think of the Christians in Nigeria, who are under intense persecution and are regularly being slaughtered. When I pray, I pray for their relief, but their relief is not coming. So I pray that they would stand firm in their faith, no matter what. They face an insurmountable problem. They have to face it. But God still has a plan. Sometimes that plan is to be a witness in the midst of persecution.

God's plans are often not something that we are familiar with or prepared for. Embrace them anyway.

Elisha’s servant never imagined that he would see angels surrounding their community. But that’s exactly what God had provided for Elisha. King Jehoram of Israel never anticipated that he would not slaughter his enemies. But that’s not the plan that God had provided. Very often, God’s solution is not something that we would normally think of, but he surprises us with it.

We should praise and thank God for when he provides a solution to our problems.

Elisha’s response to King Jehoram was to declare peace and to feed the enemy. When God provides solutions to our problems, he is declaring peace. He is not against us. We should praise and thank him for the solutions that he provides.