Chapter 6

Iron floats in the Jordan.

Elisha often warns Israel's King about the Syrian Kings intentions.  The Syrian King suspects a traitor in his camp since so many times the King of Israel avoids him successfully.  His servants tell him it is the prophet that is informing the King of Israel.  So the Syrian King determines to capture Elisha, who is staying in Dothan.  A large army including chariots and cavalry, is sent to capture Elisha.  The city is surrounded by this Syrian army, but Elisha prays that they be stricken with blindness, and so they are.  He tells them they are in the wrong city and leads them to Samaria.  Then their site is restored, and they find themselves in the middle of enemy territory with no retreat available.  The King of Israel asks if he should destroy them.  Instead, Elisha has him prepare a feast for them and then send them home.  From then on, Syria does not send raids into Israel. 

2021- 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see." So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. [2Ki 6:17 ESV].  Here again with chariots and horses of fire.  Elisha had seen one of these before.

But later, Ben-Hadad musters his entire army and lays siege to Samaria.  A famine occurs during the siege.  It gets really bad, and a woman asks the King for justice.  She made an agreement with another woman that they would eat her son today, and the other woman's son tomorrow.  But the other woman won't keep her part of the bargain.  The King tears his clothes, and swears to behead Elisha that very day.  In the King's evaluation, it is God who has allowed the Syrians to lay siege to Samaria, and allowed things to get so desperate that people are eating their own children.  He cannot attack God, so he decides to hold the nearest representative of God, the prophet Elisha, accountable for this dire situation.  It does not occur to this King that God has been giving him advice to stay out of trouble, and yet he continues to worship the two golden calves. So the King sends soldiers to get Elisha.

Elisha knows they are coming, and has the door shut.  In the presence of the elders of that place, Elisha calls the King of Israel a murderer.