Getting Attention

I sometimes read through my morning devotionals without really trying to think about what I'm reading. Check this out:

2 Kings 6:15-23 ESV
(15) When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"
(16) He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
(17) 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.
(18) 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.
(19) And Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." And he led them to Samaria.
(20) As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, "O LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." So the LORD opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
(21) As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?"
(22) He answered, "You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master."
(23) So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.

Note the end of verse 23. I'm pretty sure that if I were blinded and then was able to see in the middle of the enemy city I would probably not want to fight those people either. Note too that rather than a slaughter there was a feast.

What's also interesting is how soon we forget:

2 Kings 6:24 ESV
(24) Afterward Ben-hadad king of Syria mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria.

That siege does work for a while, but as the story goes on I don't think that Ben-hadad made a good decision.