September 9, 2026
“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.And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, ‘Please strike this people with blindness.’ So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:17-18)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
They were surrounded by a great army. The situation looked hopeless. But then, Elijah and his servant see that the army of God’s heavenly hosts was larger, burning with fire. Time for the holy angels to kick some butt!
Then Elijah prays. He’s got heaven’s army all around him, ready to attack and defend the man of God, and he prays. Not “give me vengeance.” Not “let not one of these men make it home tonight.” But “blind them”. Come on! Really? These are the angels of heaven that fought against the great red dragon, Satan, and all his demonic horde in Revelation 12 and kicked him out of heaven. Surely they could have destroyed some puny humans. But NOOO! Elijah prays for blindness and a bit later restoration of sight. By the end of the account, all the soldiers are home, safe and sound. Talk about anticlimactic. This would not make a very good action movie.
Elijah here stands as a picture of Jesus. Christ would be fully right to use His holy angels to smite you, to kill you, and send you to the depths of Hell with that red dragon. But in mercy, He prays on the cross, “Father, forgive them,” and because of His death, God does forgive you. All your sin is forgiven, and Christ Jesus takes you by the hand and leads you all the way home, to your eternal home with Him. As you travel with Christ through this wilderness on your way home, He sends His holy angels, that same fiery army Elijah saw, to guard and protect you, lest the evil foe have power over you and seduce you away from Christ Jesus. One day, you will see those holy angels who celebrated with great joy in heaven over your salvation as we all gather around the throne of God and the Lamb, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Still let them aid us and still let them fight, Lord of angelic hosts, battling for right, Till, where their anthems they ceaselessly pour, We with the angels may bow and adore. (LSB 520:4)
Rev. Daniel Voth, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, ND.