1

Elisha defeated the Arameans

2

[2 kings 6:18]

As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD,

"Strike these people with blindness."

So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

3

There was a nation called Aram among the nations around Israel that tormented Israel.

Today, King Aram and his generals held an operational meeting to attack Israel.

The king of Aram established a path to attack Israel and held a very secret meeting so that nobody else would know about it except those gathered there.

4

Aram's army moved the army to attack Israel as they set up their operations.

But the army of Israel was already waiting for the Aram's army on its way.

The armies of Aram did not even fight, and they fled from there and returned to their lands.

5

The prophet of Elisha in Israel was the one who informed the army of Aram to come there.

The prophet Elisha told the king of Israel how the Arameans were coming.

The King of Israel sent the soldiers ahead of them.

6

This has been repeated many times over and over again.

The king of Aram was angry because he thought there were spies among his men.

"Among us are the spies of the king of Israel. Who is it?"

7

One of the servants of the king of Aram said,

"My lord, you are wrong. This is Elisha the prophet of Israel.

He is the one who tells the king of Israel that you are lying in bed and doing things."

8

"If that is true, then I must kill Elisha first.

You must know where Elisha is and let him go first."

Aram's army used a very deep night to encircle the city of Dothan,

where the prophet Elisha lived, with many horses and armies.

They thought that if they surrounded the city in the middle of the night,

they could catch the prophet Elisha.

9

The next morning, Elisha's servant, who rose early, was astonished at the sight of his eyes.

Around the city of Dothan, the Arameans were surrounded.

The servant went to the prophet Elisha and said, "Master, what would you do?"

10

But the prophet Elisha was not afraid to see the army of Aram.

He said, "Do not be afraid, the army fighting for us is stronger than that army."

the servant could not understand.

11

Then the prophet Elisha prayed to God. "O LORD, open my servant's eyes."

God heard Elisha's prayer and opened the eyes of the servant.

He looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

12

The Aram armies began to approach and find Elisha.

The Prophet Elisha prayed again. "Let them be blinded."

When Elisha's prayer was over, God made all the Aram soldiers to be blind.

13

The eyes of the Aram army could not do anything.

The prophet Elisha approached them and said,

"Follow me. I will take you wherever you want."

14

Aram's army followed Elisha's lead.

Elisha took them to the city of Samaria, where the king of Israel and his armies were.

The all Arameans went into the city of Samaria.

15

After the armies of Aram arrived at the city of Samaria, the prophet Elisha prayed again.

"God, let them see their eyes."

God listened to Elisha's prayer and showed them their eyes.

The Aram soldiers thought that when they saw their eyes they were killed

by the Israeli soldiers.

16

The king of Israel spoke to Elisha. "Can I kill them?"

Elisha replied.

"Do not kill. They are not caught by the king's sword and bow, are they?

Give them food and water, and eat and drink, and send them back to their master."

17

The king of Israel made a great feast for the armies of Aram, as Elisha had said.

Then they returned them to Aram.

After that, the armies of Aram no longer came to the land of Israel.

18

There is no one who can defeat God's guardians.

God protected the Israelites from the hand of the king of Aram.

God does not let a man who loves God suffer bad things to evil people.

The king of Aram thought that if he had many soldiers he could take Elisha,

but they failed.

Believe that those who are with God cannot win any power of the world,

and I hope that you will trust and follow God even more.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)