2 Kings 6:13-23 - Daily Devotion - 18 July 2026

St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park

13 So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.”

On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,” 14 the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.

15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”

16 “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.”

And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

18 As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

19 And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria.

20 When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.”

Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria.

21 And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”

22 “Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”

23 So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Gus Cameron

These verses sound like they could have been written into something like The Lord of the Rings. It has the plot twists and deception worthy of a movie, as Elisha shows his attendant the mighty, invisible army surrounding him.

I’m again reminded of Jesus, how in the garden of Gethsemane when his disciples were wanting to fight the people who came to arrest him, Jesus said, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthw 26:53). That would be 72,000 angels, which is more than the whole Australian Army!

Elisha had a cunning plan to save his people, and through it he also saved his enemies’ lives. He asked God to blind the enemy soldiers so that he could capture them, but then rather than slaughtering them, he showed them mercy – he fed them and sent them away, humbled but alive.

Like Elisha, Jesus knew God’s protection, and yet Jesus still submitted himself to die on a cross and even as he died, we get a hint of God’s mercy on his enemies. As Jesus died, Matthew 27:54 records this: ‘When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”’.

Jesus’ death is not a sign of weakness, it is the most incredible demonstration of God saving us from sin and death. Remember that we were God’s enemies, but in God’s mercy he has given us what we don’t deserve. Christ died to save us to save us from the death we deserve. Give thanks that God loves to save people like us!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gus is one of our Assistant Ministers.