|
|
Story 11
Historical setting:
Time:Around 840 B.C.
Place: Dothan.
Persons: Elisha, his servant, and the Syrian
army.
Scripture: II Kings 6:8-18
I am omitting the short story in 6:1-7
about the axe head that floated. Please read it, as it is
another demonstration of God's power, through Elisha.
Remember how, in our last story, God performed a miracle on
Captain Naaman, of Syria? In that story we witnessed a
heart-change in Naaman, and he went back to Syria with a happy
tale of the power of Israel's God. Syria and Israel had a
history of being enemies, but this miracle brought peace
between the two countries for a short time. But the peace did
not last long. A very few years after Naaman was healed of
leprosy, Syria was once again at war with Israel.
King
Benhadad of Syria called for a conference with the captains of
his army. Making sure that his captains knew that his mission
was secret, he designated a place that they should set up an
ambush to trap the Israelites. But something went wrong. The
king of Israel found out where the Syrians were camped, and
warned his army to avoid going there. So Benhadad regrouped
his army and hid in another place. The same thing happened. He
regrouped a third time. Again the Israelites found out where
the Syrians were camped. Benhadad was growing suspicious. What
was going on? Was there a traitor in the camp? But what the
Syrian king did not know was that God was telling Elisha of
his plan, and warning the king of Israel.
King
Benhadad called his captains together for a very serious
conference. "Now you listen to me," he said, his face
distorted with anger. "You can't fool me. There is a traitor
in our camp. There has to be, otherwise how could the king of
Israel find out every time what my plan is? Well, never fear.
I aim to find out who the traitor is, and then, I am warning
you, heads will roll."
Then one of his captains spoke up. "No, my lord. There is
no traitor in our camp. It is the prophet Elisha. Remember the
prophet who healed Captain Naaman of leprosy? It is he who is
telling the king of Israel your plans. There is not a single
secret that the prophet does not know. He is in direct contact
with the God of Israel. Elisha can even tell you what you are
thinking in your bedroom. He's the one who is responsible for
this." (It could have been Naaman who gave
the king this information; since who else would know of the
prophet's "miracle power"?)
Benhadad was furious. "Where can this man be
found?"
"He lives in Dothan," answered the captain. "He has a
prophet school there."
Benhadad turned to the officer. "Well, dispatch your armies
and go and spy out this wretched prophet. Bring him to
Samaria. I'll put him some place where he will no longer be
able to do any mischief."
So the captain organized a search party to bring the man of
God back to Samaria. Under cover of night, with their horses
and chariots, the Syrian army set up camp around the small
city of Dothan.
Very
early in the morning, Elisha's young servant, one of the "sons
of the prophets," went outside to begin his duties. What he
saw alarmed and frightened him. Running back inside he went to
Elisha crying, "Oh my father, look! A host—an army—has
surrounded our village. What are we to do? What are we to do?
There are thousands of soldiers and chariots and horses."
Almost in tears, he wrung his hands, pacing the floor.
Elisha, with quiet, calm dignity, put his hands on the
servant's shoulders and said to him: "Don't be afraid. We have
a lot more on our side than are on the side of the enemy."
"What could the prophet mean?" thought the young servant.
"Did Elisha not understand me when I told him that the Syrian
army was camped outside the village? Did he not hear me when I
said there were chariots and horses and soldiers in the
thousands? Does he not realize that if the city of Dothan were
to gather an army, it wouldn't even amount to a hundred
soldiers? There are scarcely one hundred people living in the
whole of Dothan. What ever can the prophet mean?" He turned
his eyes on Elisha.
Elisha's face was calm. He had not even a trace of worry.
He did not need to look out the window to see the army of
Syria, and how big it was. He did not need physical eyes to
see that the army of God was far bigger than the army of
Syria. God's army was not visible. Elisha just knew it was
there. He knew his God so well that he knew that He would not
desert him at a time like this. His faith did not need to be
strengthened. But the faith of his fearful servant did. Elisha
prayed that the young man's eyes would be opened.
"And the Lord opened the eyes of the
young man and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of
horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."
v. 17
Nor did the Syrian army see the invisible chariots of fire
and the horses and soldiers of the Lord. What an easy task it
was going to be, to capture this man. Confidently, they
marched toward Elisha and his servant's house. Elisha stood
boldly at the door, ready to open it. His servant, despite
Elisha's assurance of a minute before, trembled. So Elisha
lifted up his voice to the Lord and prayed. "Strike these
soldiers blind." He opened the door, and before him stood an
army of men, groping for something to hang on to. The young
assistant stood open-mouthed. The soldiers were blind!
"What is it that you want?" Elisha asked. And then he
decided to play a little game with them. He said to the
soldiers, "Follow me. You are going the wrong way. I'll take
you to the man whom you are seeking. " And Elisha led the men
to Samaria, ten miles away. He took them right up to the
king's palace. Once inside, and standing before the king,
Elisha said, "Lord, now open the eyes of these men that they
may see again." Immediately their eyes were open. Where were
they? Where was the man they were looking for? They looked
around them, bewildered. To their utter dismay and fear, they
discovered that they were standing in the presence of the king
of Israel.
King Jehoram looked pleased. Imagine! "The enemy right at
my very door!" Never before had he had a victory come so
easily. He rubbed his hands gleefully and said to Elisha,
"Shall I kill these soldiers of Syria?"
Elisha answered: "Certainly not! They are your captives.
You shall treat them that way. Would you kill prisoners you
take in battle? No. Of course you wouldn't. Give them food and
water, and treat them as you would any captives you take in a
plunder."
So the king of Israel, eager at this time to please the man
of God, who had brought the enemy to his doorstep, made an
elaborate feast for the captives. After they had eaten their
fill, the king, by Elisha's instructions, sent them on their
way back to Syria. This was a great humiliation to the King of
Syria—to be outsmarted by the enemy. As a result, he left
Israel alone for awhile. But kings have short
memories.
Helen Dowd
Some of the information gleaned from "The
Chosen Word" copyright 1915 The John A. Hertel Co.
Please read: Story 12 A Famine and A Feast
|