The Mystery of Divine Arithmetic (Part 1) By Babatunde Olugboji
This week, we begin a series on the remarkable event recorded in 2 Kings 6:11–18, where the prophet Elisha prayed for his servant to encounter the power of God in a brand-new way. In this passage, we find three great realities that every Spirit-filled believer must internalize: the threat we face, the truth we stand on, and the transformation we need.
This is one of the most dramatic and faith-electrifying narratives in the Old Testament. The story of the prophet and his servant reveals the existence of two realms operating at the same time. The first realm is the visible realm: the world of politics and problems, sickness and struggles, bills and battles, enemies and opposition, conspiracies and circumstances that appear impossible. This is the realm we see with our natural eyes.
The second realm is the invisible realm. It cannot be seen with the physical eye, but it can be discerned by the eye of the spirit. And though it is invisible, it is real, active, and more powerful than the visible realm. To operate only in the visible realm is to suffer from spiritual nearsightedness. It is the inability to see what God has already made available. This narrative answers one of the most pressing questions every believer will face at some point in the Christian walk: What happens when the believer has to confront the enemy?
In this story, God pulls back the curtain on the invisible realm. He shows us that the host of heaven is not a fairy tale or a religious myth, but an active, organized, supernatural army deployed on behalf of God’s people against the forces of darkness. But to appreciate the miracle, we must first understand the menace of the enemy. Syria, a regional superpower, was at war with Israel. The king of Syria was strategic, ambitious, and dangerous. He laid traps for Israel. He set ambushes in secret locations, expecting to catch them off guard.
But every time he made a move, Israel seemed to know about it. At some point, the king of Syria discovered that Israel was aware of his military plans and strategic decisions. Troubled and suspicious, he turned to his officers and asked, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” In other words, “Who among us is leaking information? Who is spying for Israel?” One of his servants answered, “None, my lord, O king. But Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
It became clear that Elisha was hearing in the spirit what the king of Syria was whispering in secret. That is the power of the prophetic. When the Holy Spirit is in action, the enemy has no secrets. The Spirit of God moves beyond locked doors, brick walls, guarded gates, and secret chambers. He reveals the strategies of the enemy before they can succeed. Armed with this information about Elisha, the king of Syria decided on a new course of action. He resolved to eliminate Elisha.
In effect, he said, “I will no longer focus only on fighting the army of Israel. I will take out Elisha, the source of Israel’s intelligence.” So one night, he sent horses, chariots, and a great army to surround Dothan, where Elisha was staying. To kill one man, he invaded an entire city.
Does that not remind you of Pharaoh in the book of Exodus, who ordered that all newborn Hebrew boys be killed in an attempt to suppress the population and destiny of Israel? Does it not remind you of Herod in the New Testament, who ordered the execution of all male children under the age of two in Bethlehem and its surrounding districts when he learned that the wise men had come seeking the newborn King?
The pattern is clear: whenever the enemy senses destiny, he tries to destroy it early. Whenever he recognizes divine assignment, he launches an attack. Whenever he sees that God is raising someone, he tries to surround, intimidate, and eliminate them.
But here is the good news: the enemy may be after you, but God is protecting you. He will never leave you, and He will never forsake you. The forces against you may look many, but the forces with you are greater. That is the mystery of divine arithmetic: in the natural, it may look like you are outnumbered, but in the spirit, heaven is already on your side.
To be continued.
Have a good and great week.
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