The Armies We Cannot See
“Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” 2 Kings 6:17
I had an 8:30 meeting this morning so I had to get up earlier than usual to get out for my morning walk. It was dark for the first couple of miles. My regular route takes me along a trail behind a neighborhood that backs up to the woods. As I walked this morning with the woods on my left and the backyards on my right, suddenly a light turned on. One of the houses has a motion sensor light that I triggered. In the dark, I couldn’t see, but once the light came on, I was able to see what was there all along. There were three bunnies just off the trail, hanging out together and munching on some grass.
As soon as the light came on, they scattered but the incident reminded me of the story of Elisha from 2 Kings 6. The King of Aram was at war with Israel. God continued to reveal the King of Aram’s battle plans to the prophet Elisha, who would disclose them to the King of Israel. The King of Aram was sure that there were spies on his house. His officers told him the problem was not spies, but the prophet Elisha, who was able to tell the king of Israel the very words the King of Aram spoke in his bedroom,” The King of Aram began a manhunt for Elisha.
Rumor was that Elisha was in Dothan, so the King of Aram’s horses and chariots surrounded the city. Elisha’s servant was terrified and asked, “Oh no, my lord! What do we do?” Elisha replied, “Don’t be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And Elisha prayed for his servant, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see. Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” The Lord provided protection. His armies were with Elisha and his servant even though the servant could not see them at first.
Elisha then prayed and the Lord blinded the army. Elisha told the blind army to follow him, and he would lead them to the man they sought. Elisha led them right into Samaria where the armies of Israel were assembled. The King of Israel asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them.” Surprisingly, Elisha asked God to restore their sight, and told the King of Israel not to kill the arm to feed them. He prepared a great feast for his enemies, and after they finished eating and drinking, Elisha sent them home unharmed. After that, the armies of Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
Nationally, we have been experiencing so much unrest and division. Individually, our personal lives are filled with loneliness, anxiety, and sorrow because of the pandemic and the state of the country. We may become terrified like Elisha’s servant and ask, “Oh no! What shall we do?” We must trust that we are surrounded by the Lord’s armies and that we are safe under His protection.
Another lesson is that in these polarized times, we tend to think of anyone who doesn’t agree with us as our enemy, and treat them accordingly. Elisha treated the hostile army as friends, and they stopped raiding Israel. Perhaps if kindness and a generous spirit starts with us, those who disagree with us will show kindness in return. Paul said in Romans 12:18, “As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
God is not obligated to tell us His plans. But like those bunnies that I couldn’t see in the dark, there are spiritual forces at work that we cannot see that far outnumber the trouble that we can see. I would like to encourage us today to be fearless. None of today’s circumstances have taken God by surprise. He is in control and He loves us. Allow Him to calm your heart. Live in peace with others. Since we have trusted Jesus with our eternity, we can trust Him with the unrest in the world today.
