2Ki 6:18-23 | KingComments | STEP | The servant of Elisha was impressed by the power of the enemy. That’s because he couldn’t see well. He was scared because he didn’t see the unseen. He looked only with his natural eyes and counted only with visible powers. Elisha saw well. He did not need to pray for his own eyes to be opened. What we see with our eyes is no more reliable than what we see with the eyes of our heart. Thus the Lord Jesus saw many angels at His disposal when a multitude of people came to capture Him ( ). Faith knows: “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them” ( ). Jacob also saw a host of angels when he was on his way to meet Esau ( ). When Elisha prayed, the eyes of the servant were opened. The servant then saw what Elisha saw when Elijah went to heaven ( ). The power of God who brought Elijah to heaven is at our disposal against the enemy. It is the power that lifts us above the earthly stage of threat and danger and brings us in the spirit within a place of complete security, inaccessible and therefore untouchable by the enemy. When the enemies came towards him, Elisha prayed a new prayer, now not to open eyes, but to close eyes (cf. ). This was a physical blindness, a literal blindness. The result of the Lord Jesus’ service was spiritual blindness. He came to make spiritually blind people to see, and those who think they believe they see, to make blind. This is not a literal blindness, but a blindness of insight, of lacking understanding of their position. The men walked after Elisha with open eyes, but blind to where they were. In this way he brought the enemy into the lion’s den. This did not result in their destruction, but in a proof of unprecedented grace. When they were in the middle of Samaria, Elisha prayed again, now again to open their eyes. Then the enemies become aware of their position. They discovered the power of Elisha.

‏ 2 Kings 6:18-23

Open and Closed Eyes

The servant of Elisha was impressed by the power of the enemy. That’s because he couldn’t see well. He was scared because he didn’t see the unseen. He looked only with his natural eyes and counted only with visible powers.

Elisha saw well. He did not need to pray for his own eyes to be opened. What we see with our eyes is no more reliable than what we see with the eyes of our heart. Thus the Lord Jesus saw many angels at His disposal when a multitude of people came to capture Him (Mt 26:53). Faith knows: “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them” (Psa 34:7). Jacob also saw a host of angels when he was on his way to meet Esau (Gen 32:1-2).

When Elisha prayed, the eyes of the servant were opened. The servant then saw what Elisha saw when Elijah went to heaven (2Kgs 2:11). The power of God who brought Elijah to heaven is at our disposal against the enemy. It is the power that lifts us above the earthly stage of threat and danger and brings us in the spirit within a place of complete security, inaccessible and therefore untouchable by the enemy.

When the enemies came towards him, Elisha prayed a new prayer, now not to open eyes, but to close eyes (cf. Gen 19:11). This was a physical blindness, a literal blindness. The result of the Lord Jesus’ service was spiritual blindness. He came to make spiritually blind people to see, and those who think they believe they see, to make blind. This is not a literal blindness, but a blindness of insight, of lacking understanding of their position.

The men walked after Elisha with open eyes, but blind to where they were. In this way he brought the enemy into the lion’s den. This did not result in their destruction, but in a proof of unprecedented grace. When they were in the middle of Samaria, Elisha prayed again, now again to open their eyes. Then the enemies become aware of their position. They discovered the power of Elisha.

Grace for Enemies

Who also had open eyes was the king of Israel. Only he knew nothing of grace, proving that he was seeing blind. This is clear from his question to Elisha whether he would be allowed to kill these enemies. Elisha’s answer was sober. He tells the king that he would not have killed them anyway if he had made them prisoners of war. Elisha did not even allow the king to simply send the prisoners back to their master. He ordered him to do good to his enemies by setting bread and water before them. The LORD first protected the king of Israel and Elisha against the king of Syria, and then He protected the Syrians against the king of Israel.

By this action, ‘burning coals’ are heaped on the head of the enemy (Rom 12:20: Pro 25:21-22). The word of the Lord Jesus is acted upon: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies” (Mt 5:43-44). After the enemies are treated well, they were allowed to return to their master. The consequence of the grace shown is that they (for the time being) did not return to the land of Israel to wage war against it.