CHARIOTS OF FIRE AND SEEING THE INVISIBLE

In his article on the prophet, Elisha, I. Gordon writes,

“There is a very interesting little story hidden away in 2 Kings 6 concerning Elisha and the king of Aram. In the Bible, we read of powers and principalities and battles in the spiritual realm, yet only a few glimpses of this realm are given. The passage before us…in 2 Kings 6:8-23 is one of those times.”

This Scripture is the subject of this week’s blog which, as the title suggests, deals with the invisible world, the unseen which is behind the curtain in our lives yet, all the while, influencing our every step, our every life circumstance. Before we turn to 2 Kings 6 and invisibility, let’s consider why these particular verses, so tucked away, are essential to a life well lived.

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, once made a statement that seems to fly in the face of all that is reasonable. He said, “To endure the unendurable, you must see the invisible.” In fact, Scripture has given us instances of seeing the invisible and the substantial spiritual benefit that inures to the person with such vision. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:18,

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

We also like the same verse as translated in The Message:

“There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow.”

Biblically, there is no more central concept than that of faith; it is the bedrock on which Biblical truth is built. Yet, it is defined in terms of the invisible – an ethereal bedrock best described in Hebrews 11:1 NIV.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”

The Message has it,

“The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on WHAT WE CANNOT SEE. ( emphasis added) The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

What was it that “distinguished our ancestors?” It was what Rick Warren was driving at in his quote – faith, or the ability to see that which is invisible. Counterintuitive? Yes! True? Absolutely!

Perhaps, there is no more illuminating Scriptural example of this idea than that found in the aforementioned 2 Kings 6:8-23, the seminal story of Elisha, the prophet, and how he opens eyes to that powerful, transcendent world of the invisible. These verses draw a picture, make visible the unseen and, in the process, reveal what Rick Warren was speaking of when he said that this is how we “ endure the unendurable.”

The backdrop for this story is that “the King of Aram was at war with Israel.” (2 Kings 6:8)
a war he was losing because of a leak in his battle strategy intelligence. Every time he planned a hostile encounter against his enemy and God’s friend, Israel, Aram’s military moves were discovered in advance of his campaign, causing his plans to fail. Irate about this, he had a conference with his officers during which he learned that Israel’s prophet, Elisha, was his nemesis. These officers told him that,

“Elisha…tells the King of Israel everything you say, even what you whisper in your bedroom.” (2 Kings 6:12) The Message

Enraged by this report, Aram, as I. Gordon points out in his article, severely altered his game plan. Defeating Israel was no longer his priority; he now targeted not a country but a single man – Elisha. When he found out Elisha’s location,

“…he dispatched horses snd chariots, an impressive fighting force. They came by night and surrounded the city.” (where Elisha was) (2 Kings 5:14) The Message

Elisha’s servant woke up the next morning to a terrifying sight:

“Early in the morning, a servant of the Holy Man got up and went out. Surprise! Horses and chariots surrounding the city! The young man exclaimed, “Oh master! What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15) The Message

And then came the words of the prophet, the calm, cool, collected spokesman for God Himself:

“Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (2 Kings 6:16) NIV

The servant could see nothing at all to evidence any forces on the side of Elisha.  No doubt, his terror only grew. And then the revelation came:

“And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that 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.” (2 Kings 6:17) NIV

Michael Canale, co-author of this blog, described the experience so well, “Around us are invisible angels and we’re so lucky if we can sometimes brush up against their wings.”

The LORD, having opened his eyes, this young man could see that there was no reason to be afraid, as the advantage was distinctly his and Elisha’s, with the angelic army in full protection mode.

The metaphor of eyes and sight next took an ironic turn, as Aram’s forces pressed down on Elisha:

“Elisha prayed to the LORD, ‘Strike this army with blindness,’ So He struck them with blindness, as Elisha said.” (2 Kings 6:18) NIV

Confused, Aram’s soldiers let Elisha lead them to Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel at that time. It was the heart of Elisha’s home, his earthly power base, the last place in the world that the enemy wanted to find themselves.

“After they entered the city, Elisha reversed his request of the LORD;

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 “ (2 Kings 5:20-21) NIV

The Message is explicit in its description:

“They looked around – they were trapped in Samaria.” (2 Kings 6:21)

Soon, they were in the presence of the King of Israel who enthusiastically offered to “massacre the lot.” (2 Kings 6:21) The Message

The conclusion of the story is not one of military force, but instead of finesse and spiritual savior-faire at its best by Elisha:

“Do not kill them,’ he answered. Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them…So he prepared a great feast for them,” and afterwards sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.” (2 Kings 6:21-23) NIV

Winsome snd wise, Elisha opened the eyes of friend and foe alike. In the process, God delivered Elisha and all of Israel. Elisha saw the invisible and operated with the confidence of one whose vision is of the unseen. God had his back, he knew it and he prevailed over an enemy who, in the strictly visible world, would have achieved both intimidation and victory. Michael says that, like Elisha, we can only triumph with this equation – “We have to get off this dimension!” Rick Warren said the same thing – that we have to see the invisible to conquer what at first appears unconquerable.

Are you embattled? Like Elisha’s servant, don’t we all live during times that cause us to ask, “What shall we do?” May God open our eyes to see the invisible, the chariots of fire all around us.

No better illustration of this protection exists in Michael’s and my minds than the stunning prayer of a close friend and prayer warrior. When I asked her for prayer for Michael and myself as we compose these weekly blogs, this was the prayer prayed over us, as she saw the invisible, divine guard sheltering as only He can:

“Your Holy hand is on their heads, Lord. You have a band of angels, a firewall, the belt of truth around them. A thousand will fall, ten thousand will flee who try this. This is God armor. Your feet are shod in Shalom peace.”

And so it is with you. As our friend prayed, “Who would dare to go in and touch the apple of God’s eye!” His eyes are on all of us, our eyes are open and fixed on Him, the invisible God of angel-armies,” Who is always with us. (Psalm 84: 1,4,9) The Message,) We need only see Him and the angels He has stationed around us. As stated in John 9:25, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see.”