By Brenda Cannon Henley
Elisha told his servant in Verse 16 of 2 Kings 6, “Don’t be afraid for there are more on our side than on theirs.” (That is a bit of a rough translation. What Elisha actually said is, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.) The entire meaning of 2 Kings 6 can be broken down into the following:
- Elisha recovers the lost axe
- Elisha reveals Ben-hadad’s plan
- Elisha at Dothan
- Elisha leads the blinded Syrians to Samaria
- The Syrian siege of Samaria
- The king’s messenger of vengeance and the untroubled prophet
2 Kings includes the translation of the prophet Elijah and and the ministry of Elisha. It’s stories contain one of the most humorous in all of Scripture once we grip the facts and understand the visuals. I really fail to understand why some producer hasn’t grabbed hold and given us a good video or short movie of what these verses teach.
The king of Syria had it in his heart to war against Israel. He took his soldiers and made a statement as to where he would build his camp. Elisha walked with God to the point God gave him foreknowledge of what the evil king was planning. 
One of Ben-hadad’s servants told him that the prophet even knew what he said in his private bedroom. As a result, Israel’s king was always ahead of the game and one step in the lead.
The enemy forces decided to go after Elisha whom they felt was helping to defeat them. The Syrians surrounded his city and he seemed to be outnumbered. Elisha’s servant was distressed, but Elisha was as cool as a cucumber. Elisha asked the Lord to allow his servant to see what he already knew.
When my son, Brent Stancil, recently preached this, he was laughing out loud. When the Lord opened the young servant’s eyes, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. It was amazing. It was incredible. It was astonishing. What a scene in a movie this would make. The scene would depict the fact that our spiritual reality is bigger, badder, better, and more blessed than we ever give it credit for with our natural minds and thoughts.
Things are most often better in God’s providence than we realize. Christians are surrounded by angels to protect us. We have provisions to provide our needs, whatever they are, for us, and we have the dear Holy Spirit to power us even here in this earthly walk.
The best thing that can happen to us when we find ourselves facing a big hurdle, a temptation, a test, sickness, and even death, is to have the eyes of our spirit opened up wide so that we can see and experience the soldiers and chariots God has prepared for our battle. How quickly we forget he is good. He is powerful. He is for us and not against us. He wants to help us, guard us, and deliver us.
My next column will finish the study of Chapter 6. What happens is rather amazing. I’m telling you this as an action screenplay waiting to happen.
Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at 409 781 8788, or
[email protected]
[May-17-2021]
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