ELISHA THE MAN WHO SHOWED MERCY (2 KINGS 6:18 23)

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1 ELISHA THE MAN WHO SHOWED MERCY (2 KINGS 6:18 23) He got what he deserved. We sometimes use this phrase in a positive sense: He got the promotion he deserved ; He deserved that compliment. More often, we use it negatively: He deserved every bad thing that has happened to him; he got exactly what he deserved. The world believes that giving others what they deserve should be the aim of mankind. The Christian, however, has a higher goal: not to give people what they deserve, but to give them what they need. One person defined grace or mercy like this: something that you need but do not deserve. 1 In this lesson, we are continuing the story of the Aramean army that was sent to capture Elisha. During this study, we will see the prophet giving the enemy soldiers not what they deserved, but what they needed. I have titled this presentation The Man Who Showed Mercy. A SURPRISING RESCUE (6:18, 19a) In the previous lesson, Elisha s servant saw that the forces of God were infinitely stronger and more numerous than the forces of Aram. Perhaps he thought, Great! We re saved! God s army will now swoop down and destroy the Aramean army! If he had such thoughts, he was probably disappointed, for that is not how God intended to effect their rescue. If the Lord had destroyed the army, the king of Aram would have sent another. God had a different plan, one that would teach both the Arameans and the king of Israel valuable lessons. 1 S. M. Lindsay, quoted in C. Roy Angell, Baskets of Silver (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1955), 49. Elisha and his servant went out of the city and down the hill, 2 to where the army was (v. 18a). The prophet had asked God to open the eyes of his helper; now, as he approached his foes, he prayed, in effect, that their eyes be closed: Strike this people with blindness, I pray (v. 18b). This blindness may have been physical. (I can visualize two or three hundred soldiers, stumbling along the road, each with his hands on the shoulders of the man in front of him!) There are, however, problems with the position that the blindness was physical. If all the soldiers had been suddenly struck blind, would they not have been filled with terror? What would predispose them to believe and follow an unknown and unseen individual who spoke to them from the darkness? G. Rawlinson suggested that they would have suspected, made inquiries of others, and retreated hastily. 3 At any rate, if suddenly struck with physical blindness, they would likely have lost all interest in finding someone they could not see anyway. Both the Hebrew word used here and the English word blindness can refer to a nonphysical condition. Blindness can refer to a 2 Since Dothan was built on a hill and the surrounding army would not go down to Elisha, scholars are not agreed on the meaning of they came down to him. Does it refer to the general fact that the Aramean army had come over the mountains down to where Elisha was? Does it mean that after angels came down to Elisha, the prophet asked the Lord to blind the army? Some think that they refers to Elisha and his servant and that him is a collective noun referring to the Aramean army. 3 G. Rawlinson, 2 Kings, The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 5, 1 & 2 Kings, ed. H. D. M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1950),

2 lack of awareness or the inability to think or act rationally. 4 Most writers think the word blindness in verse 18 refers to a state of mental confusion 5 which inclined the army to believe and follow Elisha. There are several reasons for this conclusion. First, when Elisha prayed for his servant s eyes to be opened, he did not mean the servant s physical eyes. When he prayed, in effect, that his enemies eyes be closed, it is not necessary to conclude that he had in mind their physical eyes. Second, the only other place the Hebrew word translated blindness is found is Genesis 19:11. Many writers believe that Genesis 19:11 refers to a clouding of the mind rather than physical blindness. Third, the Bible frequently uses the idea of being blind to refer to mental or spiritual blindness rather than physical blindness (see Matthew 15:14; 23:16; 2 Peter 1:9; Revelation 3:17). Whatever Elisha had in mind for the Aramean army, the Lord answered his prayer: So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha (2 Kings 6:18c). Then Elisha said to them, This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek (v. 19a). Pages have been filled with discussions on whether or not Elisha lied to the soldiers and whether or not he should be censured for this. At least three comments are in order: Elisha was God s agent in dealing with a hostile force. In our present series, we have seen that He allowed the Moabites to think that water was blood (3:22 24). In an upcoming lesson, we will see that He caused the Aramean army to hear a sound of chariots and a sound of horses to make them flee (7:6). Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown said that Elisha s words must be viewed in the light of a stratagem, 4 Encarta World English Dictionary, Microsoft Word Ver. 10, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash., C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, 1 and 2 Kings, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 3, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1989), 326; James E. Smith, The Books of History, Old Testament Survey Series (Joplin, Mo.: College Press Publishing Co., 1995), 568; Clyde M. Miller, First and Second Kings, The Living Word Commentary series, vol. 7 (Abilene, Tex.: A.C.U. Press, 1991), 340. which has always been deemed lawful in war. 6 Rawlinson wrote, In the morality of the time, and, indeed, in the morality of all times up to the present, it has been held to be justifiable to deceive a public enemy. 7 Although Elisha s words were ambiguous, technically [his] statement was not an untruth. 8 Dothan was not the city where he lived he lived in Samaria and he did bring them to the man they sought (himself). We can learn much from Old Testament characters (Romans 15:4), but it is unfair to judge them by New Testament standards. The Arameans agreed to follow Elisha, and the procession started south. What a sight that must have been: the prophet and his servant followed by hundreds of bewildered soldiers! A STARTLED RULER (6:19b 23) At last they reached the city of Samaria (v. 19b). Can you imagine the astonishment and concern as Elisha reached the gates of the city, followed by an army in Aramean military gear? Elisha convinced the guards to open the gates, and he led the army to the heart of the city (v. 20a, d) right up to the royal palace (see v. 21a). Then the prophet prayed again, O LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see (v. 20b). So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw (v. 20c). Their minds became clear, their sight became focused, and they looked around. They must have been shocked at what they saw. True to his word, Elisha had led them to the man they were seeking: There he was, standing before them. However, that was not all they saw. They had surrounded Dothan, and now they were surrounded by the citizens of Samaria and by the elite guard of the king of Israel, all of whom had weapons pointed at them! 6 Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1961), Rawlinson, J. Robert Vannoy, notes on 2 Kings, The NIV Study Bible, ed. Kenneth Barker (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1985),

3 Word reached the king, and he rushed to the scene. When he saw the Aramean army, he was thrilled. He said to Elisha, My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them? (v. 21). My father is a term of honor and deference. At the moment, the king was showing the prophet respect. 9 After all, Elisha had enabled him to escape the traps of Ben-hadad, and now Elisha had captured a large contingent of Ben-hadad s army. The repetition of Shall I kill them? Shall I kill them? indicates eagerness and anticipation. In my mind, I see the king jumping up and down with excitement. Elisha answered, You shall not kill them (v. 22a). After all, they were God s captives, not Joram s. Robert Vannoy suggested that one lesson the Lord wanted the Israelites and their king to learn was that Israel s national security ultimately was grounded in [Him], not in military forces or strategies. 10 Elisha asked the king, Would you kill those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? 11 (v. 22b). The answer to that would be No ; as a rule, prisoners of war were not executed. That being the case, why should Joram kill those he had not personally captured? It is time to ask, What did these soldiers deserve? In the past, they had devastated God s people; and their present mission had been to capture, and perhaps even kill, God s prophet. A good case could be made that they deserved the harshest punishment that could be meted out, even death. Perhaps they did but God had other plans. Again, I point out that if the Lord had destroyed them, Ben-hadad would probably have just sent another battalion. God had a different sequel in mind, and He accomplished it by giving the Arameans not what they deserved, but what they needed. What did they need? First, they needed their strength renewed. An all-night march had been followed by a twelve-mile hike. Second, they needed to go home back to Aram and back to their families. Thus Elisha told the king, Set bread and water before them, that they may eat 9 In the next lesson, Joram will be ready to take off Elisha s head (2 Kings 6:31). He was a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). 10 Vannoy, One Greek text adds not to Elisha s words, but most ancient manuscripts retain the reading found in the NASB. and drink and go to their master (v. 22c). Was King Joram surprised when the prophet told him to feed his enemies and then release them? Probably but he did as Elisha told him. In fact, he did more: So he prepared a great feast for them (v. 23a). A SIGNIFICANT RESULT (6:23) If the king was surprised, the Aramean soldiers must have been doubly so. I can picture their astonishment at being led to tables laden with food. I can even see suspicion on their faces and imagine their thoughts: Is this a trick? Could the food be poisoned? The first bites were perhaps eaten cautiously; but, when there was no ill effect, they probably began consuming the food with enthusiasm. After the army had eaten and drunk, the king sent them on their way, on the road back to Aram (v. 23b). Perhaps they were still suspicious and kept glancing back to see if the king s archers would send arrows coursing their way. When there were no reprisals, they hurried on their way. I can hear the relief in their voices and their laughter as they discussed the strange turn of events. Thus they went to their master (v. 23c): across the plain of Dothan and through the pass in the mountains into Aram. Finally, they reached Damascus. As they came into the city, the word went out: The army is back! As they marched onto the palace grounds, the king probably met them. Here is how Wayne Kilpatrick pictured the dialogue that ensued: The king asked the commanding officer, Did you find the prophet? Yes, we did. Did you kill him? No. Did you bring him back? No. Looking puzzled, the king said, If you found him, why didn t you kill him or bring him back? The captain replied, You had better sit down, sir, because you are not going to believe this! 12 What was the result of Elisha s treating the Aramean army as he did? Look at the dramatic 12 David Roper, Amazing Grace, in Sermons I Like to Preach, Truth for Today (October 1997): 7. 3

4 conclusion of the story at the end of verse 23: And the marauding bands of Arameans did not come again into the land of Israel. Giving the army what it needed instead of what it deserved resulted in peace. The peace may have been short-lived (see v. 24); we might call it a truce or an armistice. Nevertheless, it was peace. Why did the king of Aram cease sending raiding parties into Israel? Was he moved by Joram s generous gesture? Did he simply decide that there was no point in sending soldiers as long as a prophet in Israel knew his every thought and could capture a large force without drawing a sword? We cannot know Ben-hadad s motive, but the result is what we are interested in: The significant result of showing mercy was peace. Through the years, I have talked with many who seemed concerned only with giving others what they deserved. Often, when I suggest treating an antagonist with kindness and consideration, the response is But he [or she] doesn t deserve that! If we learn nothing else from this lesson, let us learn the value of giving people what they need, not what they deserve. An individual may deserve hard words and harsh treatment, but ask, What does he need? Does he need mercy? Does he need love? Often those who need love the most deserve it the least. Jesus emphasized the importance of giving people what they need instead of what they deserve. In the Sermon on the Mount, He said, You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:43 48; see Luke 6:27 36). Paul emphasized the same truth in his letter to the Romans: If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved.... But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head [see Proverbs 25:21, 22]. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:18 21). When you give others what they need instead of what they deserve, will this guarantee peace? No, not always. Nevertheless, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you have done what the Lord wants you to do. You will have done what you can to be at peace with all men. Behaving like a Christian never hurts, and it often helps. One thing is certain: Getting even (revenge) never brings peace; it only escalates the strife. The only hope for peace is giving people what they need, not what they deserve. Many tension-filled situations exist today: disagreements between husbands and wives, friction between parents and children, ill feelings between neighbors, opposition in governments. There is even hostility between nations, similar to that which existed between Israel and Aram. Would it not be wonderful if all combatants decided to try the Lord s strategy? Instead of giving my opponent what he deserves, let me give him what he needs. If that happened, I would not be surprised if, in many cases, this result could be announced: And the hostilities ceased! Yes, I am aware that this will never happen worldwide not in a sindominated world but I pray that it will happen in your life and mine. Let us do all we can to live at peace with all men. CONCLUSION It has been said that, in many ways, Elisha was more like Jesus than any other Old Testament prophet. There is no better demonstration of this claim than Elisha s action in our lesson: giving his enemies what they needed instead of what they deserved. That is what Jesus did for us. What did we deserve? Eternal punishment (Romans 3:23; 6:23). What did we need? Someone to die for us and make possible our eternal redemption! Do you appreciate what Jesus did for you? If you do, you will not wait to respond to His loving call (Matthew 11:28 30). Then you can have the peace that matters most: peace with God (Romans 5:1). Come today! 4

5 NOTES FOR TEACHERS & PREACHERS When you use this sermon, you will want to tell non-christians what they need to do to come to the Lord (John 3:16; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21). Also, tell what erring children of God need to do to return (1 John 1:7, 9; Acts 8:22; James 5:16). An alternative title for this lesson is When People Don t Deserve a Second Chance. David Roper Copyright, 2004 by Truth for Today ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 5