DEALING WITH YOUR ENEMIES

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, "I will set up my camp in such and such a place."

The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there."

So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again, Elisha warned the king so that he was on his guard in such places.

This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?"

"None of us, my lord the king," said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom."

"Go, find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him."

The report came back: "He is in Dothan." Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.

"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so 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.

As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, "Strike these people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

Elisha told them, "This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for."

And he led them to Samaria.

After they entered the city, Elisha said, "Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see."

Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were…inside Samaria.

When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?"

"Do not kill them," he answered. "Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master."

So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master.

So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory.

2 Kings 6:8-23

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The last time we saw the Arameans in scripture, King Ahab, king of Israel, and King Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, had entered into battle with them. You’ll recall that the prophet Micaiah had predicted that Ahab would die if he fought Aram and so Ahab had Jehoshaphat wear his royal robes to try and trick the Arameans. But an Aramean archer launched an arrow that found its mark between the section of Ahab’s armor, mortally wounding him. (1 Kings 22:29-40)

As we can see in Chapter 6 of 2 Kings, Aram and Israel are still at war. We’re told the king of Aram made decisions as to where to set up his camp, believing that he could strategically be in places to attack Israel.

But as we have seen in the past, the Lord was with Israel. This time, He sent warning to the king of Israel via the prophet Elisha about where to go, specifically telling him of the Aramean location. And as the king of Israel checked out the places indicated by Elisha, he found the information to be true. Thus, Israel continuously eludes the Arameans.

Now this “enraged the king of Aram” who thought that he had a traitor in his midst. Surely someone was passing on information to the Israelites so that they would know where the Arameans were. But his men knew what was happening and told the king about Elisha…”the prophet who (was) in Israel”…the one who told “the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom." Armed with the information, the king of Aram ordered his men to find Elisha so he could capture him and they carried out his order, finding Elisha in Dothan.

Knowing where Elisha was, the king of Aram “sent horses and chariots and a strong force there”, traveling by night and surrounding the city so as Elisha got up and went out early in the morning, he saw “an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city”…a sight that caused his servant to ask, "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?"

Most people might panic but not Elisha. For we read where he tells his servant to not be afraid for “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." His words had to confuse the servant. “Those who are with us?”, he must have thought. “Who is with us?”

Well, Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so he may see." And as the servant opened his eyes, he saw what had to be an amazing sight. For “he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha”.

And “as the enemy came down toward him”, Elisha prayed again saying, “Strike these people with blindness". And the Lord did just that as every Aramean was struck blind.

Now, this is where the story could have ended. The Arameans had long been enemies of Israel. They could have been left blind and would have served as a reminder that bad things can happen when you choose to go against Israel. Few people would have felt any pity for them, feeling that they got what they deserved.

Maybe this is how you feel about your enemies as well…and we all have our enemies. Sometimes we just wish bad things would happen to those who oppose us. Sometimes we wish that our adversaries would just go away forever.

But what if God would see us as His enemies? After all, we all fail miserably in meeting His expectations and following His will and way. Our sinfulness is in direct opposition to His righteousness as we too often rebel against Him and do what pleases us first.

Indeed, the Lord could view us as His enemies and permanently afflict us in some way to make His point. He could even just wipe us all out in a moment’s notice and be totally justified in doing so.

But we don’t serve a God like that. No…we serve a God of mercy and grace and love. A God who disciplines us as any good parent does when we need correction but a Heavenly Father who is also quick to cradle any of His children in His loving arms…a Heavenly Father who truly wants the best for His children.

As we return to the scriptures, we see the power of mercy and grace played out.

For the blinded Aramean forces are told by Elisha that they are in the wrong place and looking for the wrong man. And so he leads them to Samaria and as they enter the city, Elisha says, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see."

As the Lord opened the eyes of the men, they had to be terrified for they were inside Samaria and facing the king of Israel. Surely, they would be killed.

But when the king of Israel asked Elisha whether he should kill the Arameans, Elisha…God’s spokesperson…told him, “Do not kill them"…and then asked, “Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master."

“What? We’re being welcomed and fed by our enemy?” I can just imagine what must have been going through the minds of the Arameans at that moment. Sure death turned into true joy. Deserved contempt turned into blessed forgiveness.

And so a “great feast” was put on for the Arameans and “after they had finished eating and drinking”, they returned back to the king of Aram…their master.

And guess what?

The “bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory”...all as a result of the Lord’s awesome mercy and forgiveness and grace.

So I ask you today, “How are you dealing with your enemies?”

Only you can answer that question but I’ll close this message with the words of our Savior Jesus…and if we are truly to be Christian then we need to be like Christ. That means, we need to adopt His way and live out His words.

He said this:

You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?

Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?

Do not even pagans do that?

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:43-48

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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