2 Kings chapter 6

Elisha makes an axe head float. He opens his servant’s eyes to see angels. He strikes the enemy with blindness. He restores their sight. Syria attacks Samaria.

 


 

ELISHA MAKES AN AXE HEAD FLOAT

 

VERSE 1. The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we live and meet with you is too small for us.

The sons of the prophets. That is, the group of prophets. Some translations say “company of prophets.”

the place where we live and meet with you. Elisha did not live with the sons of the prophets. But he met with them, probably to give them instructions.

 

VERSE 2. Please let us go to the Jordan, and each man take a beam from there, and let’s make us a place there, where we may live.” He answered, “Go!”

 

VERSE 3. One said, “Please be pleased to go with your servants.” He answered, “I will go.”

 

VERSE 4. So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.

 

VERSE 5. But as one was cutting down a tree, the ax head fell into the water. Then he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.”

 

VERSE 6. The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.

He cut down a stick, threw it in there. To make his miracles happen, no methodology is involved. It is not magic. It is not technological. What is required is faith.

made the iron float. The prophet Elijah performed seven known miracles. And his disciple Elisha performed 15. Read more »

 

VERSE 7. He said, “Take it.” So he put out his hand and took it.

 

ELISHA OPENS HIS SERVANT’S EYES TO SEE ANGELS

 

VERSE 8. Now the king of Syria was at war against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”

 

VERSE 9. The man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.”

 

VERSE 10. The king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once or twice.

 

VERSE 11. The king of Syria’s heart was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and said to them, “Won’t you show me which of us is for the king of Israel?”

 

VERSE 12. One of his servants said, “No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”

tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom. Elisha is a formidable enemy.

The LORD God gave him great powers as a prophet, and he uses them for the good of Israel.

In this case, the LORD God gave him the ability to remotely surveil what the king of Syria is saying.

In our day, a parallel is called remote viewing. It means getting impressions about a distant or unseen target using psychic phenomena.

In the U.S., the CIA ran a remote viewing program called Project MKUltra. It was portrayed in the 1997 movie “Conspiracy Theory.”

 

VERSE 13. He said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” He was told, “Behold, he is in Dothan.”

 

VERSE 14. Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night and surrounded the city.

he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. The king of Syria sends his entire military might out into the desert. Why? To confront one Jewish prophet.

 

VERSE 15. When the servant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. His servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

his servant. Presumably this is a new servant. The former one was covered in leprosy for having lied to Captain Naaman.

 

VERSE 16. He answered, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from Second Kings and from the entire Bible.

Don’t be afraid. Elisha’s servant sees that he and Elisha are surrounded by the entire Syrian army and hopelessly outnumbered.

those who are with us. However, the servant is only seeing with his natural human eyes. He does not behold reality. The reality is that the entire army of Syria is hopelessly outnumbered!

The Bible speaks of the Armies of Heaven. They are mighty warrior angels led by Michael the Archangel. They battle against evil. Read more »

 

VERSE 17. Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, please open his eyes, that he may see.” the LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from Second Kings and from the entire Bible.

open his eyes, that he may see. Elisha can see. He can see the sky completely filled with angelic warriors, fiery horses and chariots standing ready to shield and defend him.

2 Esdras 4:21. For just as the ground is given to the wood, and the sea to its waves, even so those who dwell upon the earth may understand nothing but what is upon the earth. Only he who dwells above the heavens understands the things that are above the height of the heavens.

the LORD opened the young man’s eyes. The prophet Elijah performed seven known miracles. And his disciple Elisha performed 15. Read more »

horses and chariots of fire. Horses and chariots appear in the Old Testament. They are not a natural phenomenon of the time-space continuum. What are they? Read more »

Isaiah 31:1. Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they don’t look to the Holy One of Israel, and they don’t seek the LORD!

The Bible speaks of the Armies of Heaven. They are mighty warrior angels led by Michael the Archangel. They battle against evil. Read more »

 

ELISHA STRIKES THE SYRIAN ARMY WITH BLINDNESS

 

VERSE 18. When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to Elisha’s word.

strike this people with blindness. The prophet Elijah performed seven known miracles. And his disciple Elisha performed 15. Read more »

 

VERSE 19. Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” He led them to Samaria.

 

ELISHA RESTORES THE SIGHT OF THE SYRIAN ARMY

 

VERSE 20. When they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “LORD, open these men’s eyes, that they may see.” The LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the middle of Samaria.

open these men’s eyes. The prophet Elijah performed seven known miracles. And his disciple Elisha performed 15. Read more »

 

VERSE 21. The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, “My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?”

 

VERSE 22. He answered, “You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, then go to their master.”

 

VERSE 23. He prepared a great feast for them. After they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria stopped raiding Eretz-Israel.

 

SYRIAN ATTACKS SAMARIA

 

VERSE 24. After this, Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.

 

VERSE 25. There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.

the fourth part of a kab. A kab was about two liters. So a fourth of a kab would be about 500 milliliters or about a pint.

 

VERSE 26. As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”

 

VERSE 27. He said, “If the LORD doesn’t help you, where could I get help for you? From of the threshing floor, or from the wine press?”

 

VERSE 28. Then the king asked her, “What is your problem?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’

If God’s people break the covenant, they will eventually spiral downward to cannibalism. They will eat their own children. This is an outcome of their own sin. Read more »

 

VERSE 29. So we boiled my son and ate him; and I said to her on the next day, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him;’ and she has hidden her son.”

we boiled my son, and ate him. If God’s people break the covenant, they will eventually spiral downward to cannibalism. They will eat their own children. This is an outcome of their own sin. Read more »

 

VERSE 30. When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. Now he was passing by on the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his body.

 

VERSE 31. Then he said, “God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat stays on him today.”

 

VERSE 32. But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”

This is a very long verse. By our count, it has 75 words!

Elisha was sitting in his house. Elisha has his own house. He does not live with the sons of the prophets.

 

VERSE 33. While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”

 


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2 KINGS

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

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