The healing of the captain of his army does not seem to have produced any effect upon the conscience of the King of Syria. His troops had already made several incursions upon the territory of Israel (2 Kings 5:2; cf. 2 Kings 6:23), and the relations between the two Kings were so strained that in the affair of Naaman the king of Israel thought that the king of Syria was seeking a quarrel with him (2 Kings 5:7).
Now it was no longer a matter of skirmishes; war had truly broken out. The king of Syria sets up his camp here and there, seeking to draw Jehoram into a trap by the latter’s ignorance of his adversary’s movements; but he leaves God out of his calculations. Elisha comes to the aid of the king of Israel, warning him repeatedly of the location of the Syrian camp. Was God’s favor resting upon Jehoram? In no wise, for this king’s heart had not changed since the day Elisha had said to him, “What have I to do with thee? go to the prophets of thy father and to the prophets of thy mother” (2 Kings 3:13). But God wanted to prove to the king of Syria and to his army that there was a prophet in Israel, that the Lord was there, as He had already shown once before in the healing of Naaman. In acting thus He showed His longsuffering toward Jehoram and his people, and if, in the presence of such favors, this wicked king would not turn to the Lord, he had no more excuse.
Seeing his plans continually foiled, the king of Syria suspected treachery in his court, for the idea of God and of His intervention — this comes out constantly in the course of these accounts — does not even occur to him. The world always thinks this way. It attributes all the events of life to second causes rather than seeing the hand of God in them. One of the king’s servants, more alert than his king to the true state of affairs, opens his eyes. Generally discernment and spiritual understanding diminish with a man’s elevation, and those that should have the most interest in knowing the truth are those who know it the least. “Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber” (2 Kings 6:12). What a troublesome, disturbing, yes, even frightening thought! What! an invisible Person is “acquainted with all my ways; For there is not yet a word on my tongue, but lo,” He knows it altogether (Psa. 139:3-4). When one’s heart is not honest, does not arrive at this conclusion, and does not cry, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? and whither flee from thy presence?” one tries to forget and rebels against God (Psa. 139:7). This is what happened to the king of Syria: “Go,” he said, “and see where he is, and I will send and fetch him!” He had but one thought: to get rid of the prophet and to obliterate this gaze which was observing his every movement; then he would feel himself delivered from this annoying witness who was hindering him from carrying out his will, from accomplishing his plans. So he uses his entire strength, his whole army, horses and chariots, to seize one single man! The world is always annoyed by the presence of God. In Gethsemane a company of soldiers, a crowd, and officers, all armed with swords and staves, gathered against Christ in order to send Him back to heaven, whence He had come — the Witness who was a burden to them. Did the king of Syria not realize that even if he could get rid of the visible bearer of testimony in Israel, he would by no means get rid of the eye of the invisible God?
“Go and see where he is.” The eyes of the flesh could easily discover where Elisha was, for he did not steal away. God has nothing to hide; He is light itself. Men, on the contrary, love darkness and fear the light. This is why the army came up “by night” and surrounded the city (2 Kings 6:14).
Elisha’s servant, having arisen early, saw all the host of the enemy, the horses and the chariots, and was afraid. His eyes did not deceive him, but what he was lacking was the eyes of faith. That is why he immediately despaired: “Alas, my master! how shall we do? (2 Kings 6:15). In effect, the self-assured Syrian army was deploying all its strength against a single, defenseless man; and how could he resist? The servant saw the army and came to this conclusion. He is not to be excused, for in his position as the prophet’s servant, he was constantly in contact with the invisible, and ought to have known that no human strength was able to stand before the power of God.
“Fear not,” says Elisha. This is always grace’s first word. It is able to reassure a troubled soul. How many times this word “Fear not” is spoken in Scripture! It fills the Old and the New Testament. Everything in this world is of such character to inspire poor, feeble, sinful beings like ourselves with fear. We are confronted with difficult circumstances, the world, its seductions or its hostility, Satan’s hatred, our own selves, and our sinful nature; beside, there is the necessity of presenting ourselves before God and of having to do with Him. Who will answer so many troubling questions? Who can calm the anguish and agitation of our hearts? God alone can, for He has the answer to everything.
“Fear not,” said Jesus to the sinner who casts himself at His feet, rebuked in his conscience in the presence of His mighty grace (Luke 5:10). It is the first word of our history. “Fear not;” He said to his disciples when the storm rose up, threatening to swallow them (Matt. 14:27). “Fear not,” when shipwreck is fully assured (Acts 27:24). “Fear not,” He says to the little defenseless flock in the midst of wolves who have the power of killing the sheep (Luke 12:32; Matt. 10:28; Rev. 2:10). “Fear not,” when Satan displays all his power to hinder the work of God (Acts 18:9). “Fear not,” when death has already done its work (Mark 5:36).
But this word is especially heard at those solemn occasions when weak, infirm, human, fleshly beings are called to meet God. Even if He only reveals Himself by an angel mighty in strength, a heavenly messenger, the soul to whom He addresses Himself is deeply troubled; it needs, like Zacharias or Mary, this so very comforting word, “Fear not” (Luke 1:13,30). How much more when poor men find themselves in the presence of the whole heavenly host, and the glory of the Lord shines about them, do they need this word, “Fear not” (Luke 2:10). And what will happen to the disciples, when on the holy mountain they must enter the glory-cloud, the dwelling place of Jehovah? “Fear not,” Jesus tells them. The poor women who were thinking that they had forever lost the meek and lowly Man whom they had followed upon earth, finding themselves suddenly in the presence of the risen Christ, needed this word, “Fear not.” Lastly, the beloved disciple who had laid his head upon Jesus’ bosom, meeting Him clothed in the resplendent and awesome vestments of God the judge, and falling at His feet as dead, is gently revived by this word, “Fear not” (Rev. 1:17).
The secret of this word is grace; we have to do with grace alone. It reassures us even when we find ourselves in the presence of a God of judgment, for the Judge is our Savior.
In the Old Testament, the soul is much less often reassured when it finds itself in the immediate presence of God, because God is there not yet fully manifested as the God of grace. The friend of God, Moses himself, said: “I exceedingly fear and quake.” All the more do we hear this word when Gideon meets the angel of the Lord face to face and when Daniel, humbled, stands before the representative of the Messiah (Dan. 10:12,19). But in contrast, this word “Fear not,” reoccurs continually as the assurance of the isolated believer in the midst of difficulties and distress and of the world’s hatred. Abraham, Hagar, and Isaac are examples (Gen. 15:1; 21:17; 26:24). A persecuted priest (1 Sam. 22:23) and a Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 9:7) hear it from the mouth of David, the Lord’s anointed, with whom they sought refuge. A poor Zidonian widow, ready to succumb, receives it from the lips of the prophet (1 Kings 17:3).
This word meets the ears of the people of God every time they have to do with the enemy, whether in Egypt (Ex. 14:13) or in the confines of the wilderness (Num. 14:9; 21:34; Deut. 1:21; 3:2, 22; 7:18; 20:3; 31:6,8), or in Canaan under Joshua (Josh. 8:1; 10:8,25; 11:6), or even in the period of ruin which characterized the kingdom of Israel (2 Chron. 20:17; 32:7; Isa. 7:4), and in the post-exilic period (Neh. 4:14). And when Israel lay in the “lowest pit” cried to God in their distress, the Lord answered, “Fear not” (Lam. 3:57).
Lastly, when the guilty people, bowed beneath the judgment of God, chastened and repentant but near despair, shall hear these words pronounced at the end of their time of trial: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people! we hear this word “Fear not” repeated and multiplied in echo after echo. Fear not, My love will comfort thee, I will help thee, I will strengthen thee, I will be with My servant. Have I not redeemed thee? Am I not with thee? Fear not, I will refresh thee. Fear neither shame, nor insult, nor reproach. Thou are mine, and I have received thee in grace. The entire latter portion of Isaiah has this consoling word from God as a refrain (Isa. 41:10, 13, 14; 43:1, 5; 44:2; 51:7; 54:4).
The assurance of God’s favor dispels fear, perfect love banishes it. How many times in the Psalms do we find this absence of all fear before the enemy, before the shaking of all things, before the threats of the flesh and of man (Psa. 27:3; 46:2; 56:4, 11; 118:6)! In truth, all is joy for the believer, all is confidence, perfect assurance and peace, because through everything he has God for him, He of whom it is said, “If God be for us, who against us?”
“Fear not,” says Elisha to his servant, “for they that are with us are more than they that are with them” (2 Kings 6:16), and he prays, saying: “Jehovah, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see.” The eyes of his flesh saw the army of the enemy and did not deceive him, and notwithstanding he was blind. There were things that required the prophet’s intercession and the intervention of the Lord in order that he might see. His eyes were then opened, and “behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17). Angels, these chariots of fire and this cavalry, once gathered to take Elijah up to heaven, are now gathered to protect one single man without defense upon earth, bringing to naught all the plans of his enemies. This divine intervention on behalf of the redeemed has never ceased. Jacob had contemplated it when angels in two bands had met him at Mahanaim, and in the presence of imminent danger he had been able to say of himself, identifying himself with the Lord’s host: “I am become two troops” (Gen. 32:1-2,10). This same angelic army will strike the adversaries of the Lord and of the Assembly when He shall be revealed from heaven with the angels of His might in flames of fire (2 Thess. 1:7), according as it is written, “Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire” (Heb. 1:7). As Esau’s band disappeared before those of Mahanaim, so the army of the Syrians was like a band of ants before the holy myriads which covered the mountain, only it was a matter of protection, not of combat, as when David heard the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees (2 Sam. 5:24).
The history of Jacob, whom the Lord named Israel, is repeated here. The true Israel was present in the person of its representative, the prophet. At the time of the end the remnant will have its eyes opened and shall hear these words: “Fear not.” When many shall say, “Who shall cause us to see good?” they will be able to cry, “In peace will I both lay me down and sleep; for Thou, Jehovah, alone makest me to dwell in safety” (Psa. 4:6, 8).
Angelic intervention more directly characterizes the dispensation of the law, and consequently also the time of the a feast that God has prepared for them. It is the great supper of grace.
What had these men done in order to have part in such liberality? That which Saul of Tarsus and so many other enemies of Christ had done, in ignorance, no doubt; but they had made war against God, and God answered their hatred thus. From this time on, “the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel”; these isolated assaults end, but Satan cannot remain quiet.