2 Kings 6:17

Scripture enlightens in a circle, as, for instance, when it advises us not to flee, because we have protection all around. For we have the Lord and angels about us, wherefore the Psalm: Mountains are round about Jerusalem; so the Lord is round about His …

He saw, &c. - Fire is both dreadful and devouring: that power which was engaged for Elisha, could both terrify and consume the assailants. Elijah gave a specimen of Divine justice, when he called for flames of fire on the heads of his persecutors to consume them. Elisha gives a specimen of Divine mercy, in heaping coals of fire on the heads of his persecutors to melt them.

And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see,....

The eyes of his body were open, and with them he saw the danger. "Lord, open the eyes of his faith, that with them he may see the protection we are under." Note, First, The greatest kindness we can do for those that are fearful and faint-hearted is to pray for them, and so to recommend them to the mighty grace of God.

Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see--The invisible guard of angels that encompass and defend us (Ps 34:7). The opening of the eyes, which Elisha prayed for, were those of the Spirit, not of the body--the eye of faith sees the reality of the divine presence and protection where all is vacancy or darkness to the ordinary eye.

This young man waited upon a Prophet—he could not have had a more instructive occupation, yet his eyes needed to be opened. He was well disposed towards good things, for the tone of his language to his master shows that he was heartily at one with him—but his eyes were not yet half opened. Being in great alarm for his master's safety, he ran to him to warn him—good servants should be their master's best friends. In return, his believing master prays for him.

This young man waited upon a Prophet—he could not have had a more instructive occupation, yet his eyes needed to be opened. He was well disposed towards good things, for the tone of his language to his master shows that he was heartily at one with him—but his eyes were not yet half opened. Being in great alarm for his master's safety, he ran to him to warn him—good servants should be their master's best friends. In return, his believing master prays for him. If we desire the good of our servants, our children and our friends, let us take care that we make supplication for them! All that we can do for them at our best is to give them secondary blessings, but if we pray to God for them, they will receive the best of gifts from Him who sends down in His mercy nothing but good gifts and perfect gifts. When we have come to the end of our teaching, example and persuasion, let us hand our young friends over to the Lord who works effectually unto eternal salvation. Elisha's petition for this young man was, "O Lord, I pray, open his eyes, that he may see!" The young man was, at that time, in the peculiar condition of seeing and yet not seeing. He saw the enemy surrounding the city, but not the greater host of the Lord's angels who protected the man of God. Looking over the little walls of Dothan, he observed all the country round about to be occupied by the horses and chariots of the king of Syria. And he cried, "Alas, my Master! What shall we do?" He could see the danger, but he could not see the deliverance and, therefore, the Prophet lifted up his heart to Heaven and said, "O Lord, I pray, open his eyes, that he may see!" Elisha reckons his servant's natural sight as not seeing and regards the vision which detects the invisible as the only true sight.

[Another Sermon by Mr. Spurgeon, on the same text, is #2215, Volume 37—YOUNG MAN! A PRAYER FOR YOU] THE Believer in Christ sees much more than any other man sees. There is a proverb which says, "Seeing is believing," but that is not true, for there are many things that we see, which, if we are sensible persons, we shall notbelieve, since our eyes are very apt, indeed, to be deceived, and optical illusions are very common. If you turn the proverb around the other way and say, "Believing is seeing," you will often find it come true.

[Another Sermon by Mr. Spurgeon, on the same text, is #2215, Volume 37—YOUNG MAN! A PRAYER FOR YOU] THE Believer in Christ sees much more than any other man sees. There is a proverb which says, "Seeing is believing," but that is not true, for there are many things that we see, which, if we are sensible persons, we shall notbelieve, since our eyes are very apt, indeed, to be deceived, and optical illusions are very common. If you turn the proverb around the other way and say, "Believing is seeing," you will often find it come true. The man who has believed has "the evidence of things not seen" as yet. He is like Moses who is described as "seeing Him who is invisible." Faith is to a man like new eyes—eyes with a far wider range of vision than natural eyes ever have—eyes which see the Truths of God, which natural eyes often do not—eyes which wax not dim, but which, as age increases, grow yet more bright and farseeing! Blessed is the man who has the eyesight of faith! Elisha had it and, therefore, when he saw the hosts of Syria, with their horses and chariots encompassing the city of Dothan, he also saw the angelic hosts with their horses and chariots of fire which God had sent to guard him from the Syrians. The eyesight of faith produces, in the man who possesses it, a calm and quiet frame of mind. Elisha's servant said, "Alas, my master!" but Elisha did not say, "Alas, my servant!" for there was nothing to cause him to be alarmed. The servant said, "What shall we do?" but his master said nothing of the kind—with those horses and chariots of fire visible to his eyes, he had no need to be dismayed and no reason for asking the question, "What shall we do?" It is a grand thing to have a calm, serene frame of mind, so as not readily to be put out of temper and to grow angry, or to become depressed and anxious, but to possess one's soul in patience and peacefulness.

Lord - open his eyes - Where is heaven? Is it not above, beneath, around us? And were our eyes open as were those of the prophet’s servant, we should see the heavenly host in all directions. The horses and chariots of fire were there, before the eyes of Elisha’s servant were opened.