Blind Soldiers - The Book of 2 Kings

In this Bible Story, we see Elisha avoid the wrath of the armies of Aram. The Lord confuses them, and lures them into a trap by blinding them to the identity of Elisha. He leads them into the capital of Israel, where they are at the mercy of the king’s army. However, instead of killing them they show mercy. As a result, Aram and Israel live at peace with one another. This story is inspired by 2 Kings 6:8-23. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.

Today's Bible verse is 2 Kings 6:14 from the King James Version.

Episode 135: After a brief moment of peace and prosperity for Israel, they were once again thrust into turmoil as Ben-Hedad besieged the city causing severe famine for Samaria. Food became so scarce that women were eating their children. Furious, the King sent for Elisha to be killed. When the King's Commander arrived to lure him out, he received word from Elisha of God’s miraculous deliverance. But, the Commander did not believe the Words of God, and so he would not live to enjoy the blessing.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. Therefore, send he thither horses and chariots
and a great host. And they came by night and
compassed the city about Second King six fourteen. As I
stand in full confidence, I will not waver nor be
afraid when Satan tries to bring enemies to the doorstep

(00:23):
of my life to snuff out the flame of my calling.
When the numbers of them seem to outnumber me, I
will look through the eyes of my faith and remember
that the army of the Lord is on my side,
with angels and chariots of fire, ready to battle Satan
and his spirits on my behalf. Therefore, I will continue

(00:48):
to walk boldly and confront them as Elisha did, knowing
that because you are on my side, no harm can
overtake me. When others choose war, I will choose peace
because I know you will do more in peace than
I ever could fighting on my behalf. Through Second King six,

(01:11):
I can see and validate this truth for my life.
In Jesus's name, Amen, thank you for making prayer a
priority in your day. To learn more about the Bible,
stay tuned for today's story, brought to you by Bible
in a year dot.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Com blind soldiers. In our last story, we learn of
Naeman's new found love for God and desire to bless
the people of God. However, Elisha's servant kehes Eye's heart

(01:52):
changes for the worse as he descends into a cycle
of greed and treachery. Now we learn of the Eramian
armies seeking the head of Elisha. The prophet would find
himself surrounded by men wanting to spill his blood. Yet
even in the most dangerous circumstances, Elishah was able to
stand in confidence for God would provide a way for

(02:15):
his life to be spared. Inspired by the Book of Second.

Speaker 3 (02:19):
Kings, Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a year. In our last time together, we
learned how Naeman responded to being cured of leprosy. This
Syrian soldier, a general, gave his heart to God in
gratitude for the healing that the Lord had provided for him,
and he returned to his home country telling of the

(02:41):
glory of the One True God. We also saw the
contrast of Elisha's servant Gehaiza, whose heart turned away from
the Lord in disobedience and greed, and the price that
he paid for his deceit. Today we'll hear how Elishah
will find himself in a life threatening situation as the
Aramian army seeks to kill him. Will witness his trust

(03:04):
in God as he stands firm in face of danger,
courageous knowing that God will protect him for his purposes
and plans. Let's now go to God's word.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
Once again. War spread across the East and Israel was
at odds with the Kingdom of Aram. The two nations
fought all throughout the land, switching battlefields. Often blood and
ash caked the valleys between them, and many lives were lost.
The King of Aram was fond of ambushing the people
of Israel. Every week he would mount another attack by

(03:40):
placing his soldiers in unexpected places. Israel seemed to be
outmatched and unprepared. However, Israel had the Lord of Heaven
and Earth on their side. The God of Israel would
speak warnings to Elisha, informing him of where the Aramians
were planning to mobilize their troops. The King of Israel

(04:01):
was preparing his soldiers for battle, Elijah would interrupt their strategizing.
Do not venture near that place, Elishah would say, before
the men departed. The Aramians are lying in wait for you. There,
So the King of Israel had an edge over the
King of Aram. Each day they would dodge another ambush
from the enemy. After several failed attempts at capturing the

(04:24):
Israelite armies, the King of Aram grew uncontrollably angry. His
blood boiled with rage. It seemed as though the armies
of Israel knew exactly where they would be every time.
Which one of you is the traitor? He yelled at
his officers. The king was spitting with rage. His eyes
were weary and revealed a slow descent into madness. Who

(04:48):
has been informing the King of Israel about my plans?
Surely it must be one of you, he shouted. The
officers trembled with fear and concern. They had not betrayed
their king. One of them spoke up, saying, it is
not us, my king, it is Elisha, the prophet of Israel.
The king looked confused and impatient. He tells the King everything,

(05:11):
even the private things you only speak of in your chambers.
The King of Aram sat down for a moment. His
once violent demeanor turned into a slow simmer. He remained silent,
his officers could see his mind racing as his eyes
stared into nothing. Go and find where he is, the
king finally said, then send troops to seize him. The

(05:34):
king thought he had finally found his enemy. He thought
that if he captured Elisha, all would be settled. He
did not know that he was picking a fight with
God himself. After a few days, a report returned to
the King of Aram, Elisha is at Dothan. The messenger said,
so the king mounted a great army with chariots and

(05:54):
horsemen to take the city of Dothan. They rode under
the cover of night, like a silent storm sweeping through
the city. They approached the home of Elisha and surrounded
the entire house with chariots and horsemen. There they waited
until sunrise so they could see the face of the
prophet before laying his head on a pike. Night passed

(06:17):
and the sun was slowly rising above the distant hills.
The only sound was of birds chirping. One of Elisha's
servants awoke and looked out the window to see an
entire army surrounding their home. Troops, horses, and chariots stood
around the perimeter in perfect stillness. Almost like statues. The
servant ran into his master's bedroom and shook him awake.

(06:40):
Elishah looked out the window to see the king and
his men standing outside the house. What are we going
to do, the young man cried to Elisha. He was trembling,
and the army outside was beginning to stir. It was
a truly unsettling sight, but Elisha did not panic. Do
not be afraid, Elisha said. He placed a comforting hand

(07:01):
on the boy's shoulder, then gestured to the window. It
is them who should fear, for there are more on
our side than on theirs.

Speaker 1 (07:09):
Look.

Speaker 2 (07:10):
As Elishah prayed to the Lord, the young men looked
out the window and saw figures on the distant hillside.
Thousands of horses and chariots blazing in flames, stood at attention.
The young man was able to see what Elishah saw.
The Lord's armies were ready to fight for them if
need be. Elisha kneeled before God and prayed, Lord, make

(07:32):
them blind protect us. So the Lord made them blind
to who Elisha was. As Elishah exited his home, his
identity remained hidden from the men, so he was able
to approach them without fear. Of being captured. My friends,
Elishah shouted, you poor souls, you have come to the
wrong place. This isn't the right city to find the prophet.

(07:55):
Please let me guide you to the man you are
looking for. So Elishah guided the confused army to Samaria,
the capital of Israel. The army followed Elishah, still confused
as to who they were looking for. By the time
the lord began to open their eyes as to who
Elisha was and where they were, it was too late.

(08:16):
The army had traveled into the belly of their enemy, Israel.
The King of Israel and his armies had them surrounded
with spears and arrows mounted for attack. The Rami and
army found themselves completely vulnerable. The King of Israel emerged
from the group of soldiers and greeted Elisha, my father.
He shouted, what shall we do with them? Shall I

(08:38):
kill them where they stand? Should I spill their blood
on the city streets? Of course not, Elisha replied with enthusiasm.
We are people of mercy. We do not kill vulnerable prisoners.
Elisha turned to the king, who previously hunted his head.
The King of Aram looked back at Elisha. He could
see a true reflection of them, see of God in

(09:00):
his eyes. In that moment, the king realized that Elisha's
power was not his own. He served someone greater. Give
them food, drinks, and then send them home, Elisha said
to his king. Then Elisha smiled and left back home.
The King of Israel made a great feast for the
Ramian army, and then they were sent home. From that

(09:23):
day forward there was harmony between the two nations. Mercy
had triumphed over judgment, and although God had placed chariots
of fire at a distance to protect his beloved, ultimately
it was an act of kindness that brought true peace.

Speaker 3 (09:45):
As we listened to God's word today, we discover that
Israel is once more at war with a neighbor. This
time it is the nation of Arum, also known as Syria,
who intends on conquering God's people. But they are having
no success in their efforts. For you see, God had
been speaking to Elisha, telling him exactly where the enemy

(10:06):
was mounting an attack, and so the larger and more
formidable army was frustrated each time because Israel anticipated their
every move. Little did they know that Israel had the
Lord of Hosts on their side. The King of arm
was understandably furious and suspicious that there was a mole

(10:28):
in his mist Surely one of his soldiers was somehow
getting information to Israel and tipping them off. But despite
the enraged screaming at the troops, no informant was found.
It just made no sense to him. Then one of
his generals told him about Elisha, the prophet of Israel,
who somehow knew exactly what was going to happen. Soothsayers

(10:52):
and fortune tailors were not uncommon in those days, and
many kings consulted them, So the King of Arm just
assumed Elisha, though he was really good at his job,
was just a man, a nuisance that needed to be
dealt with. If he could take him out, the battle
could be won. So he set his sights on Elisha,

(11:12):
not knowing that the true power of Elisha came from
the one speaking to and through Elisha, God himself. As
soon as the scouts found out where Elisha was, they
sent word to the king that he was at Dothan.
So the king mobilized his army to Dothan to capture
and kill the prophet Elisha. When Elisha's servants saw the

(11:33):
army surrounding his home. He panicked, And of course that's understandable.
If you look out your window and you saw horses
and chariots surrounding you, it would be very unsettling. So
the servant ran and told his master Elisha. But this
man of God was courageous and unfazed. Have you ever

(11:54):
been around someone like that when danger arises, when disaster
seems to press from all sidh they just keep their
calm and their courage. Calm like fear can be contagious,
especially when the person who stays calm gives a reason.
And that's just exactly what Elisha did. Recorded in Second
King six verse sixteen, he said, do not be afraid,

(12:18):
for those who are with us are far more than
those who are with them. I can just picture this
servant taking a brief look outside to see if he
had missed something. Was there another army that he didn't see? Well,
in fact, there was, but it wasn't until Elisha asked
the lord to open his servant's eyes that he could

(12:38):
really see. God opened the servant's eyes and he saw
God's army, armies of angels covering the mountains, horses and
chariots of fires a supernatural sight, no doubt. So often
in our lives, when we look at problems that are
so much bigger than us, we see them through human eyes,
but we do not realize that our God is fighting

(13:02):
an unseen battle for us, that there are angels all
around us, and that God protects his own. The Bible
says in the New Testament, greater is he that is
in you than he that is in the world. The
Bible also says, if God before us, who can be
against us? So I don't know what enemy, adversary, foe,

(13:23):
or circumstance you may be facing in your life. But
God is with you, and God is for you. He
is fighting for you. If there was to be a
fight that day, Elisha was not concerned, but he didn't
want to fight. He asked God to blind the Aramaean army,
and he walked right out unrecognized and sent them to

(13:44):
another town. He then called the King of Israel, and
the army surrounded their unsuspecting enemy. Their foe was there
for the taking, but Elisha did not let the King
of Israel spill blood. Peace was forged that day between
two nations, as judgment and violence were replaced by mercy
and grace. It's a picture of God's own heart, isn't

(14:04):
it the heart of the Lord Jesus, who is full
of grace and truth and mercy to all of us
who were once his enemies but have now been brought
near because of His grace and power. Dear God, thank
you that you have chosen to show mercy through us
through your son Jesus Christ, that we are saved by
your grace through faith in him. We know that we

(14:27):
deserve judgment and condemnation, but we also know, according to
the scripture, that there is now no condemnation to those
who are in Christ. Jesus. We look to you today
and to your angel armies for your protection and peace.
For we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for
listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor

(14:50):
Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Let me encourage you to
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and Bible study a priority in your life along with prayer.
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(15:12):
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