Jehovah’s Fiery Army

The king of Syria, Ben-hadad, kept attacking Israel. But the prophet Elisha warned the king of Israel each time, so he was able to escape. So Ben-hadad decided to kidnap Elisha. He found out that Elisha was in the city of Dothan, and he sent the Syrian army there to capture him.

The Syrians came to Dothan at night. The next morning, Elisha’s servant went outside and saw that the city was surrounded by a large army. He was terrified and shouted: ‘Elisha, what should we do?’ Elisha told him: ‘There are more with us than with them.’ At that moment, Jehovah made Elisha’s servant see that the mountains all around the city were full of horses and fiery war chariots.

When the Syrian soldiers tried to capture Elisha, he prayed: ‘Jehovah, please make them blind.’ Suddenly, although they could still see, the soldiers had no idea where they were. Elisha told the soldiers: ‘You are in the wrong city. Follow me, I will take you to the man you are looking for.’ They followed Elisha all the way to Samaria, where the king of Israel lived.

Too late, the Syrians realized where they were. The king of Israel asked Elisha: ‘Should I kill them?’ Did Elisha use this as an opportunity to get even with these people who had tried to hurt him? No. Elisha said: ‘Do not kill them. Give them a meal, and send them on their way.’ So the king spread a huge feast for them and then sent them home.