2 Ki. 6: Swing that Gospel Axe

2 Kings 6:16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

So Elisha's out with the prophets, and they tell him where they meet is too small, so they build another bigger meeting place. An axe falls apart (they had Wal-Marts back then, too) and the head flies into the river. Gone. Work done, everyone chills. Wrong. Elisha cuts a stick, throws it into the river, and the axhead floats to the service. No, the axhead it wasn't made of balsam. Probably iron.

So that's a miracle, which is neat.

Aram eventually goes to war with Israel, and sneak attacks don't work, because Elisha, the prophet keeps telling the king. Easy, thinks the king of Aram. He'll just send everyone, and forego surprise for sheer numbers. Elisha's servant freaks out when he sees how many of the enemy are outside. Elisha's like Mr. Miyagi, though...cool. God sends an army of flaming angels and chariots. How awesome is that. It says the hills were filled with them. Elisha prays and has the eyes of the servant opened to see them. So...are the non-prophets eyes closed by God to certain things? How much more confident would you be if God showed you everything you could not see otherwise.

Then Elisha prays and has the eyes of the attacking Aramean army closed with blindness. Then this army is led to Samaria, where, in an act of grace, Elisha has the king feed them instead of slaughter them. Weird change of course for a nation that typically slaughters their enemies completely. I imagine the enemy army had to be trembling in fear as they were led all that way...

Then a famine happens which leads to cannibalism. Which...I don't recall was explicitly condemned in the Bible at this point. But it sounds like something...something that happens when you don't follow God completely...oh yeah. The king naturally blames the man of God, and sends hitmen to kill him. Of course Elisha sees it. So, we'll see what happens.