“Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel (plotted) with his servants, saying in such and such place shall be my camp.

And the man of God (Elisha) sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou passest not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down (avoid that place because there the Syrians lie in wait to attack)

And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once or twice (many times).

Therefore the heart of the Syrian king was sore troubled for this thing (extremely disturbed because his plan was known): and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew (tell) me which of us is for the king of Israel?

And one of his servants said, None, my Lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

And he said, Go, and spy out where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

Therefore sent he thither (forth) horses, and chariots, and a great host (army): and they came by night, and compassed the city about (surrounded).

And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth (went out early), behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. 

And his servant said unto him, Alas! my master (teacher) what shall we do?

And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.

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.” 2 Kings 6:8-17

We’ll get into how that story ended Lords will, in another post.

Few Bible accounts are more fascinating than those of Elijah and Elisha, as they moved in the realm of the miraculous.

The really cool thing about them both were just how human they were.

Two of the most infamous accounts being those of Eljah becoming discouraged and worn out and Elisha being mocked by teenagers harassing him by telling him to get his bald head up that mountain. What’s an angry prophet to do? He cursed them in the name of the Lord, and forty-two were attacked by bears.

Safe to say, he wasn’t made fun of after that day.

Just neat footnotes, but for us today we are focused on seeing what can’t naturally see and knowing what we do not carnally know.

The king thought he had a traitor among his ranks, when it was actually the hand of God at work, forewarning his people through the prophet.

The pagan king so brazen that he was going to take Elisha, but God had other plans.

We can sympathize with the young man, waking up to see that they are surrounded by the enemy. Attacks on our faith often come the same way, completely blindsided and unexpected.

As Elisha prayed the Lord allowed the young man to see into the spirit realm, he could see horses and chariots and a mighty army.

But this army was not an army of human warriors with crude weaponry, as that of those who wished them harm.

The army that surrounded them and stood for them was an army of the heavenly host whose chariots were of fire and whose weapons were supernatural from the arsenal of Jehovah God.

An army that no human force could match or defeat.

God in his graciousness, supernaturally enlightened the man’s eyes so that he could see the truth. Easing all the doubt and fear, as he understood that God really did fight on their behalf.

You as his child are under that same spiritual protection, that same watchful eye.

“The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, (see) his eyelids try (discern), the children of men.” Psalms 11:4

“The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.” Psalms 34:15

That is comfort! Knowing that he sees us, watches over us, and protects us even when we feel the fear of the unknown as Elisha’s young helper felt, hopelessly surrounded and troubled on every side.

“For he shall give his angels charge over thee (you), to keep thee in all thy ways.” Psalms 91:11

Take him up on that today, realize that there are more for you and with you than you could ever imagine, and that God will protect you and that his angels watch over you.

Love & Peace! Praying this is an encouragement today. Join me next time we’ll finish up the story and discover what became of the enemy’s army.

NBJ 2024/ Rev. N Brown Johnosn