Lord God, I come to you today with a heart thankful for all you have done for me and for those I love. Help me that my life will reflect that gratitude in everything I do.
Read 2 KINGS 6:1–23
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
An Axhead Floats
6 The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet.”
And he said, “Go.”
3 Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?”
“I will,” Elisha replied. 4 And he went with them.
They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!”
6 The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 7 “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.
Elisha Traps Blinded Arameans
8 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”
9 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” 10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
12 “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
13 “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” 14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
19 Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 After they entered the city, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?”
22 “Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” 23 So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
‘Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.’1 Open my eyes to today’s text, I pray. Open my eyes to your loving protection.
Think Further
In the two stories in today’s reading, Elisha prevents potential bloodshed. In the first instance, he averts any potential conflict between the borrower of the axe-head and its owner, for the axe-head is recovered. Clearly the story has a miraculous aspect because axe-heads (literally ‘iron’ in the Hebrew – the same word as in v 6) sink, not float.
In the second story, Elisha seems to have supernatural knowledge of what the king of Aram is going to do, thus protecting his own people from the Arameans. He also has supernatural vision in seeing the horses and chariots of fire. In addition, God answers his prayer to open his servant’s eyes and blind those of the warring army. We might say, therefore, that he was piling up miracles, here. What seems to impress the Arameans most, however, is not the miracles (they just wanted to kill Elisha to stop them) but Elisha’s treatment of the enemy that he has captured by leading them into a trap. Rather than killing them, Elisha treats them like royalty and the message of peace is heeded by Aram. It is easy to think that the highlight of a story is the miraculous element, but miracles in the Bible are never there for their own sake. They always have a purpose, which is usually to glorify God. In this instance, one man – the man of God – captures an army who comes to capture him, after which he brings about a peaceful resolution to an ongoing crisis.
Elisha said, ‘Don’t be afraid … Those who are with us are more than those who are with them’ (v 16). We Christians can say, ‘… the one who is in [us] is greater than the one who is in the world.’2 That is true, even if we are not accompanied by miracles as Elisha was.
Apply
Meditate on the verse just quoted. The one who is in you is greater than anyone or anything else you might encounter.
Closing prayer
Holy Spirit, where there is discord, help me to respond with the love of Christ, knowing that he is able to do more than I can imagine to bring peace and reconciliation.
Last Updated on October 6, 2024 by kingstar
