Season 4 - Episode 3
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Today we’re looking at an Old Testament passage that contrasts with the violent texts of scripture. Most of us are aware that the Old Testament part of the Bible has several texts that one book calls, “Brutal. Bloody. And Barbaric.” [Book by Gordan K. Oeste and William J. Webb] These texts are even sometimes used to excuse violence and aggression from people who call themselves Christian. But even in the Old Testament, violence and aggression isn’t the only example we see. We’re going to look at a very different kind of story from 2 Kings today in this Covenant Weekly for September 24, 2024.
The setting is ancient Canaan after Israel has entered the land, after there have been several kings, and after the kingdom has been divided. A neighbouring nation, Aram, set to war against Israel. As a part of their strategy, the king of Aram would take his army and set up camp somewhere where they could surprise and ambush the army of Israel.
When this happened, Elisha, a prophet of Yahweh, was shown in a dream where the army of Aram was set up. Then he’d send a message to the king of Israel to avoid that place. The king of Israel sent out a scout and sure enough they saw the Aramite ambush and avoided the location. This didn’t just happen once. 2 Kings 6 tells us this happened time and again. The king of Aram got convinced that there was a spy in his midst, but his men learned about Elisha and told their king about this man of God who was the secret to Israel avoiding the ambushes. So the king of Aram adopted a new strategy - find and capture Elisha. He sent out scouts to find out where Elisha was and they found out that he was in a city called Dothan. We pick up the story in 2 Kings 6 starting at verse 14.
2 Kings 6:14-23
Then he [the king of Aram] sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. [Dothan, where Elisha, “the man of God” was.] They [Aram’s men and horses] went by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God [Elisha’s servant] got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 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.
18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
19 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.
20 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.
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?”
22 “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 that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” 23 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.
What a radical way to fight an enemy. Feed them. Care for them. And send them on their way. There is no guarantee that the men who were cared for wouldn’t come back to attack and capture Elisha. But killing them wouldn’t have ended any war. It would have just escalated it. This gave a chance for peace - true peace, not just avoiding killing, genuine shalom and rightness between people.
I can’t help but wonder what kind of stories the Israelites and Aramites told about each other in the throes of conflict. Were the Israelites viewed as bloodthirsty aggressors who had to get hit now while they were weak if the Aramites were to be able to live without fear? Were the Aramites seen as unholy and vile pagans with whom the Israelites had nothing in common?
The eagerness with which the king wanted to kill them suggests there was something deep between them that led them both to the conflict and pushed both sides to want to see the other dead.
But setting a table where they could eat together shifted things. I can’t help but think of Psalm 23, “You prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” And Jesus’ exhortation to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
I hope you have a hard time coming up with anyone that you would classify as an enemy. But if you do, maybe this story can spark some imaginative thinking in terms of how to respond. Maybe it can spark your imagination for a response that looks more like putting on a feast than responding with violence. A response that looks more like Jesus than Old Testament genocide. A response that looks like Love.