Theophany #57 — Elisha, Part II: “Chariots of Fire”
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
2 Kings 6:9–12
The Scene: Elisha at home
Elisha is no longer the apprentice asking for a double portion. He is now the seasoned prophet—quiet, watchful, and dangerous to the enemies of God without ever lifting a sword.
The king of Syria repeatedly finds his military plans exposed. Each ambush fails. Each maneuver is known in advance.
At last the king asks the obvious question:
“Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?” (2 Kings 6:11)
The answer is unsettling:
“None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.” (v.12)
The battlefield is no longer the valley. It is the unseen realm.
The Crisis
Elisha is located at Dothan. The Syrians respond with overwhelming force—horses, chariots, an entire army sent to capture one man.
In the morning, Elisha’s servant wakes to terror:
“Alas, my master! how shall we do?” (v.15)
This is the human reaction:
Surrounded
Outnumbered
Exposed
But Elisha sees something else entirely.
The Theophany
Elisha does not pray for deliverance.He prays for sight.
“LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.” (v.17)
And the LORD answers.
The mountain is revealed—full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
Not arriving. Already there.
The servant’s fear was not misplaced—only misinformed.
What Is Revealed
This is not merely a miracle of protection. It is a revelation of how reality actually works.
God’s servants are never as exposed as they appear
God’s enemies never see the full field
Heaven is not reactive; it is already positioned
Elisha stands calmly between two armies—one visible, one eternal.
Why This Matters
The double portion Elisha received was not greater spectacle. It was clearer vision.
Power without panic. Authority without noise. Confidence rooted in what God has already done.
Faith, here, is not courage—it is clarity.
A Word for Us
Most of our fear comes from seeing only half the story. We count chariots we can see and forget the mountain behind them.
Elisha teaches us to pray differently—not:
“Lord, remove the danger,”
but:
“Lord, open our eyes.”
Closing Prayer
Lord, open our eyes to see what You have already placed around us.
Quiet our fear with Your truth. Teach us to trust what we cannot yet see, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
**********************
Open My Eyes, That I May See
Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!
--Francis Ridley Havergal, 1836-1879
Comments