The king of Israel thought that Elisha was the source of his
problems, when Elisha was the messenger who had good news for Samaria. The city
where donkey brains and dove dung was expensive one day was going to enjoy fine
flour on the cheap the very next day.
Here is how it happened. Samaria, the capitol city of the
northern kingdom of Israel, had been under siege by Syrians for a long enough period
that the populous inside the city was literally starving to death. But, God had
a miraculous deliverance prepared for them.
Despite the wayward ways of Israel, God was mercifully watching out for
them. II Kings 7:6 & 7 says that God caused the Syrians to hear the sound
of chariots, horses and infantry. The sound was obviously so intense and
persuasive that they fled for their lives without taking anything with them. In
fact they even dropped many of the things they had happened to have on them
when they departed from the camp in fear... things like clothes and canteens
(II Kings 7:15).
So, a few Jewish lepers... outcasts... went to the Syrian
camp hoping to either receive mercy and food or to be killed. To them, either
option was better than starving to death.
However, what they found was more food and supplies than they could have
ever collected or used. So, they shared the news with rest of the city.
One of the king’s closest court companions basically mocked
Elisha cynically, "Elisha, if God made windows in heaven and poured out
food on us, even then we wouldn't have the abundance of food that you are
describing" (see Malachi 3:10). Not
only did Elisha's prophecy about the food
come true, but Elisha added another word condemning the unbelieving
aristocrat... which also proved true.
Because of his unbelief, the unnamed lord of Samaria was trampled to
death without even getting a chance to fill his hungry belly with the dainties
which flowed in freely from the spoilage of the Syrians.
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