WINNING A WAR GOD’S WAY

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This is a story of how God frustrated (which means to make useless) the plans of the king of Syria. It would be wonderful if when our soldiers went into battle that they knew the battle plans of the enemy beforehand and this is just what happened in this story.

Now the story starts off with the king of Syria making war with Israel. The king told his servants “My camp will be in such and such a place.”

So Elisha sent a message to the king of Israel saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.” The king of Israel sent a man to that place to see if Elisha was right and he was. This didn’t just happen one or twice but on many occasions.

Now king of Syria was very worried because he thought that there was a traitor in amongst his household but one of his servants said. “No one is a traitor, O king: but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”

So he told the servant “Go and find out where he is, so that I can have him brought to me.” The king was told that he was in a place called Dothan.

The king was determined to have him brought to him so he sent a large army there. They travelled by night and surrounded the city. In the morning Elisha’s servant went out and found a large army surrounding the city with horses and chariots. So he called out to his master “What are we going to do the city is surrounded by a large army?”

Elisha said “Don’t worry those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And God opened the eyes of the servant and he saw that there were horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

When the Syrians came down to Elisha he prayed to God and asked Him to strike them with blindness and God did. Because they were blind they didn’t know who was speaking to them and so Elisha said to them. “This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man who you are looking for.” Elisha led them to Samaria.

Then Elisha asked God to open their eyes and He did. Now the king of Israel asked Elisha “Shall I kill them.” Elisha said “No, I don’t want you to kill them. They are your captives. Just set food and water before them and send them home to their king.”

The king of Israel did just that and the bands of Syrian raiders didn’t attack

Israel anymore.

This story was taken from the New King James Bible