Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadWorks of Arthur Pink: Pink, Arthur - Gleanings From Elisha: 22-Fourteenth Miracle - Sightless Eyes
TOPIC: Pink, Arthur - Gleanings From Elisha (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 22-Fourteenth Miracle - Sightless Eyes
Other Subjects in this Topic:
FOURTEENTH MIRACLE-SIGHTLESS EYES
Chapter 22
First, the Connection of the Miracle
That Which Engaged Our Attention in the last chapter grew out of the
determination of Ben-hadad to again wage war on Israel. After taking
counsel with his servants, the Syrian laid an ambush for the king of
Israel, but they had reckoned without Jehovah. God revealed to His
servant, the prophet, the danger menacing his royal master, and
accordingly he went and told the king, who, attending to the warning, was
delivered from the trap set for him. The heart of the king of Syria was
troubled at this thwarting of his design, and, suspecting a traitor in
his own camp, made inquiry. Whereupon one of his attendants informed him
that nothing could be concealed from the prophet that was in Israel, and
that he had put the intended victim on his guard. After sending out spies
to discover the whereabouts of Elisha and learning that he was in Dothan,
the king of Syria sent a formidable force, consisting of "horses and
chariots" and a "great host" of footmen to take him captive, determining
to remove this obstacle from his path.
The miracle we are about to consider is a double one and, strictly
speaking, comprises the fourteenth and fifteenth of the series connected
with our prophet. But the record is so brief and the two miracles are so
closely related that they scarcely warrant separate treatment. Therefore
instead of taking them singly we propose to consider them jointly,
viewing the second as the counterpart or complement of the former. It is
a miracle which stands out from the last one which occupied our notice.
That one concerned the opening of eyes; this the closing of them. There,
only one person was involved; here a great host of men is concerned. In
the one it was the prophet's own servant who was the subject; here it is
the soldiers who had been sent to take him captive. In the former, he
responded to an urgent appeal from his attendant; here he acts without
any solicitation. Both miracles occurred at the same place. They were
both wrought in answer to Elisha's prayer. They are both recorded for our
learning and comfort.
In connection with the preceding miracle, Elisha had prayed to his Master
for Him to open the eyes of his servant, and we are told, "And the LORD
opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain
was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Kings
6:17). That the prophet himself already saw this celestial convoy is
clear; it was his own vision of them which moved him to ask that his
servitor might also behold them. We may deduce the same from the
immediate sequel. Far from being in a panic at the great host of Syrians
which had come to take him captive, Elisha calmly stood his ground. "The
wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion"
(Pro_28:1), for since God is for them, who can be against them? There
was no need for him to cry to the Lord for deliverance, for divine
protection was present to his view. Therefore he quietly waited till the
enemy actually reached him before he acted.
Before passing on, let us offer a further remark about this celestial
guard which was round about Elisha. That it was composed of personal
beings is clear from the pronoun "they that be with us are more than they
that be with them." That they were angelic beings is evident from several
passages: "Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire"
(Psa_104:4). At His second advent, we are told, "The Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ" (2Th_1:7-8). The ministry of angels is admittedly
a mysterious subject, one about which we know nothing except what it has
pleased God to reveal to us. Yet it is a subject which holds by no means
an inconspicuous place in Holy Writ. It would be outside our present
scope to explore it at large; rather must we confine ourselves to that
aspect of it which is here presented unto us.
Angels are not only God's messengers sent on missions of mercy, but they
are also His soldiers, commissioned both to guard His people, and execute
judgment on His enemies. They are designated "the host of heaven" (1
Kings 22:19; Luk_2:13)-the Greek word meaning "soldiers" or, as we would
term them, "men of war," the militia of heaven. In full accord with that
concept we find the Savior reminding His disciples that "more than twelve
legions of angels" (Mat_26:53) were at His disposal, should He but
ask the Father for protection against the armed rabble that had come to
arrest Him. It was a host of them, in the form of fiery horses and
chariots (cf. Psa_68:17) which here encamped around Elisha, ready to
fight for him. How mighty the angels are we know. One, called "the
destroyer" (Exo_12:23 and cf. 2Sa_24:16) slew all the firstborn of
the Egyptians, while another slew 185,000 Assyrians in a night (2 Kings
19:35). That their operations continue in this Christian era is plain
from such passages as Act_12:7-10; Heb_1:14; Rev_7:1, 15:1;
Mat_24:31.
"And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said,
Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness" (2Ki_6:18). The
"they" looks back to the armed host mentioned in 2Ki_6:14. Formidable
as was the force sent to slay him, or at least take him captive, the
prophet stood his ground and calmly waited their approach. And well he
might. Could he not say, "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of
people, that have set themselves against me round about" (Psa_3:6); and
again, "Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear"
(Psa_27:3)! And should not the same confidence and courage be the
Christian's? "The clearer sight we have of the sovereignty and power of
heaven, the less shall we fear the calamities of this earth" (Henry).
Perhaps the reader says, If I were favored with an actual view of
protecting angels round about me, I would not fear physical danger or
human enemies. Ah my friend, is that not tantamount to a confession that
you are walking by sight? And may we not apply to you those words,
"Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (Joh_20:29)?
Why, think you my reader, has God chronicled here that which assured the
heart of His servant of old? Is this nothing more than a registering of a
remarkable incident in ancient history? Is that how you read and
understand the sacred Scriptures? May we not adopt the language used by
the apostle in connection with a yet earlier incident and say, "Now it
was not written for his sake alone . . . But for us also" (Rom_4:23-24)?
Most certainly we may, for later on in that very epistle we are expressly
informed, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for
our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures
might have hope" (Rom_15:4). God has recorded that sight of those
protecting angels for our faith to lay hold of. But remember that if
faith is to stand us in good stead in the hour of emergency, it must be
regularly nourished by the Word; if it is not, then the terrors of earth
will be real to us and the comforts of heaven unreal. Unless faith
appropriates that grand truth, "If God be for us, who can be against us,"
we shall neither have peace ourselves nor be qualified to quiet the fears
of others.
Second, the Means of the Miracle
"And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD" (2 Kings
6:18). That needs to be pondered and interpreted in the light of the
previous verse, or we are likely to miss its beauty and draw a false
inference. Very lovely was the prophet's conduct on this occasion. The
presence of those horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha was
virtually a sign that God had delivered these Syrians into his hands; he
had only to speak the word and the angels would have destroyed them. But
he bore his enemies no ill will. Had our present verse stood by itself,
we might have concluded that the prophet was asking in self-defense,
begging the Lord to protect him from his foes, but it opens with the word
"And"; and in the light of the one preceding, we are obliged to revise
our thought. It is quite clear that Elisha was in no personal danger, so
it could not have been out of any concern for his own personal safety
that he now sought God. Yet, though he calmly awaited their approach, he
did not meet his enemies in his own strength, for prayer is an
acknowledgment of insufficiency.
"Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee,
with blindness." At first glance it seems strange that he is referred to
here by his personal name rather than as "the man of God," which the Holy
Spirit generally uses when he was about to work a miracle; yet the
variation in this place is neither fortuitous nor meaningless. It points
to a blessed lesson for us, showing as it does the readiness of the Lord
to hearken to the requests of His people. Though we do not possess the
extraordinary powers of a prophet, yet it is our privilege to ask God to
confuse and confound those of our natural enemies who seek our harm, and
to subdue our spiritual ones. This incident has been recorded for our
instruction and comfort, and one of the things we are to learn from it is
that prayer avails to render our enemies impotent. Another preceding
lesson, wherein we see another of Elisha's requests granted: success in
prayer should encourage and embolden us to ask further favors from God.
Go back again for a moment to Elisha's situation. This petition of his
was neither because he felt he was in any personal danger, nor did it
proceed from any spirit of malice which he bore his enemies. Then what
prompted it? Does not the miraculous healing of Naaman supply the answer
to our question? When the king of Israel had rent his clothes in dismay,
the man of God assured him that the king of Syria "shall know there is a
prophet in Israel" (2Ki_5:7-8), and when Naaman was recovered of his
leprosy he sought unto the man of God and, before all his own retinue,
testified, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in
Israel" (2Ki_5:15). And now this heathen monarch had sent his forces
to take the prophet prisoner! Very well, then, if he were not yet
convinced that it was the true and living God whom Elisha served, he
would receive further proof. It was Jehovah's glory which prompted
Elisha's request. Weigh that well my reader. Everything depends upon the
motive which inspires our petitions, determining whether or not we shall
receive an answer. True and acceptable prayer rises above a sense of
personal need, having in view the honor of God's name. Keep before you 1
Corinthians 10:31.
"And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha" (2
Kings 6:18). That was an exact reversal of what took place under the
foregoing miracle: there the prophet's servant was enabled to see what
was invisible to others (2Ki_6:17), but here the Syrian soldiers were
rendered incapable of seeing what was visible to others. But let us
behold in this miracle the willingness of our God to respond to the cries
of His own, that He is a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God. If we
self-distrustfully refuse to encounter foes in our own strength, if we
confidently ask God to render their efforts impotent, and if we do so
with His glory in view, we may be assured of His gracious intervention.
No matter what may be our need, how drastic the situation, how urgent our
case, how formidable our adversary, while simple faith is exercised and
the honor of God is our aim, we may count upon His showing Himself strong
on our behalf. "For I am the LORD, I change not" (Mal_3:6). He is the
same now as He was in Elisha's day.
Third, the Mercy of the Miracle
"And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the
city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led
them to Samaria" (2Ki_6:19). He did not abandon them in their
blindness and leave them to themselves. Contrast Gen_19:11, where God
was dealing in wrath. Had they not been blinded, probably they would have
identified the prophet by his attire; but being strangers to him, they
would be unable to recognize him by his voice. Spiritually that
illustrates a fundamental difference between the goats and the sheep: the
former are incapable of distinguishing between teachers of truth and of
error; not so the latter, for they "know not the voice of strangers" but
"will flee from him" (Joh_10:5). But exactly what did Elisha signify by
those statements? It is lamentable to find one commentator, in whose
notes there is generally that which is sound and good, saying, "The
prophet intended to deceive the Syrians, and this might lawfully be done,
even if he had meant to treat them as enemies, in order to his own
preservation; but he designed them no harm by such deception."
Apart from such a view giving the worst possible interpretation to the
prophet's language, such an observation as the above is most
reprehensible. It is never right to do wrong, and, no matter what may be
our circumstances, for us to deliberately lie is to sin both against God
and our fellowmen. Such an explanation as the above is also absurd on the
face of it. Elisha was in no personal danger at all; and now that these
Syrians were blinded, he could have walked away unmolested by them, had
he so pleased. "This is not the way." What way? He could not mean to
Dothan, for they were already there and must have known it. "I will bring
you to the man whom ye seek." And who was that? Why, ultimately and
absolutely, the king of Israel, for whom their master had laid an ambush
(see 2Ki_6:11), Elisha being merely an obstacle, who had hindered
him. One who had just obtained from God such an answer to prayer, and who
was now showing mercy to his enemies, would scarcely lie to them!
Fourth, the Counterpart of the Miracle
"And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said,
LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened
their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria"
(2Ki_6:20). Here was still further proof that Elisha harbored no
malice against these Syrians and that he intended them no harm. Though
they had hostile designs against him, yet he now uses his interest with
the Lord on their behalf. Most gracious was that. What an example for
every servant of God: "In meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves" (2Ti_2:25). Instead of cherishing ill will against those
who are unfriendly to us, we should seek their good and pray to the Lord
on their behalf. How this incident reminds us of a yet more blessed
example when the Lord of glory in the midst of His sufferings made
intercession for His crucifiers (Isa_53:12; Luk_23:34).
A further miracle was now wrought in answer to Elisha's intercession,
showing us once more the mighty power of God and His willingness to
employ it in answer to the petitions of His people. Note how Elisha made
good his promise: he led them to the man they really sought, for the next
person mentioned is "the king of Israel"!
Fifth, the Accompaniment of the Miracle
"And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father,
shall I smite them? shall I smite them?" (2Ki_6:21). Very solemn is
this: and in full accord with the king's character: the Lord did not open
his eyes; consequently he was blind to the working of His goodness and
incapable of appreciating the magnanimous spirit which had been displayed
by the prophet. Here we see what man is by nature: fierce, cruel,
vindictive. Such are we and all of our fellowmen as the result of the
fall: "living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another" (Titus
3:3). Only the restraining hand of God prevents our enemies from falling
upon us. Were that hand completely withdrawn, we should be no safer in a
"civilized'' country than if we were surrounded by savages or cast into a
den of wild beasts. We do not sufficiently realize that God's restraining
power is upon those who hate us: "I am with thee, and no man shall set on
thee to hurt thee" (Act_18:10).
"And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those
whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread
and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their
master" (2Ki_6:22). Observe how Elisha kept full control of the
situation, even though he was now in the royal quarters-something which
every servant of God needs to heed, exercising the authority which Christ
has given him. Note too how this verse teaches that mercy is to be shown
to prisoners of war; or taking it in its wider application, how kindness
is to be extended to our enemies. And this, mark it well, occurred under
the Old Testament economy! The divine law commanded its subjects, "If
thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give
him water to drink" (Pro_25:21, and see also Exo_23:4-5); much more so
under the dispensation of grace are we required to "overcome evil with
good" (Rom_12:21).
Sixth, the Sequel of the Miracle
Elisha had his way, and the king "prepared great provision for them: and
when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their
master" (2Ki_6:23), that he might learn anew that our times, the
success or failure of our plans, our health and our lives, are in the
hand of the living God, and that He is not only infinite in power but
plenteous in mercy. The sequel was, "So the bands of Syria came no more
into the land of Israel" (2Ki_6:23). God honored the magnanimity of
His prophet and rewarded the obedience of his royal master by exempting
the land from any further depredations from these savage bands.
Seventh, the Meaning of the Miracle
May we not see in the above incident another lovely gospel picture,
viewing the graciousness of Elisha to those who had gone to take him
captive as a shadowing forth of God's mercy to elect sinners? First, we
are shown that they are by nature-at enmity with His servant. Second, we
behold them as the subjects of His servant's prayers, that they may be
granted a sense of their wretched condition. Third, in answer thereto
they are duly brought to realize their impotency; who are so consciously
helpless as the blind? Fourth, they were moved to follow the instructions
and guidance of God's servant. Fifth, in due course their eyes were
opened. Sixth, they were feasted with "great provision" at the king's own
table! Seventh, the picture is completed by our beholding them as changed
creatures-coming no more on an evil errand into Israel's land.
But is there not also an important spiritual meaning and lesson here for
Christians? How are we to deal with those who seek to injure us, should
Providence deliver them into our hands? We are to ask the Lord to nullify
their efforts and render them powerless to injure us. But more. We are
also to pray that God will open their eyes, and treat them kindly and
generously (see Mat_5:44).
===========================================================================