Today I read 2 Kings 6, in which Elisha recovers the lost axe head, Elisha strikes the Syrians blind, and the king of Israel blamed Elisha for the famine in Samaria. Today I considered that God can help us find lost things, sometimes we can win without truly fighting, and to be careful when leaders try to place the blame on the wrong people.
Finding Lost Things
God granted Elisha the ability to find lost things (2 Kings 6:1-7). Elisha went with the prophets’ sons when they were cutting wood for a building. One lost a borrowed axe head in the water. Elisha cut and threw a stick were the axe head when in the water and the iron axe head floated. We can pray and God can help us find lost things.
Winning Without Fighting
God allowed Elisha to help the people of Israel win the battles without truly fighting (2 Kings 6:8-23). The king of Syria started war with Israel. Elisha warned the king of Israel where the Syrians were camped each time they made a camp. Syria found out and sent a host to capture Elisha. God had a larger host, invisible to the regular person, protecting him. Elisha prayed and God blinded the Syrian host. Elisha led them into the middle of Samaria where he told the king of Israel to treat them as captives and feed them. After they ate and returned to their master, they did not return to Israel. God can help us know where the enemy is located and also protect us when the enemy comes.
Wrongful Blame
The king of Israel’s people were starving because of Syria, but the king wanted to place the blame on Elisha (2 Kings 6:24-32). Benhadad, the king of Syria, besieged Samaria causing famine in Samaria. The people of Israel were paying astronomical prices for a donkey’s head and bird poop to eat. When a mother cried to the king of Israel about the injustice related to two mothers’ agreements of eating their children, and one mother reneging on the agreement, the king wanted to kill Elisha. Elisha stopped the king’s messenger at the door. Sometimes leaders in power want to place the blame on others but we have to be careful to stop them at the door.
Questions and Thoughts for Today
What have you kept looking for but when you prayed you found it right away?