Chapter-a-Day 2 Kings 6
So he prepared a huge feast for them. After they ate and drank their fill he dismissed them. Then they returned home to their master. The raiding bands of Aram didn't bother Israel anymore.
2 Kings 6:22-23 (MSG)
We like using our dining room. Necessity is a good part of the appeal. Our quaint little house does not have a kitchen big enough for a kitchen table, a bar, or a breakfast nook where many families snarf down their meals on the fly. So, we use the formal dining room a lot. We sit around the "good table." We like setting it nicely for family, friends and guests. You feel in less of a hurry when the meal is an event. You take more time. You eat a second helping. The conversation goes a little deeper.
There is something about the gift of hospitality that can soften the hard hearted. Sharing a good meal together eases tension, fosters conversation and deepens relationship.
Killing the Aramean raiding party would have only served to escalate the violence and tension between Israel and Aram. Elisha's solution was a good one. Treat them like an honored guest. Have a feast. Sit down over choice food and break out the good wine. Talk, laugh, and raise a glass together. You're less likely to kill the person with whom you shared a great meal.