King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 12 notes
1Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
So it really got to the point where women ate their children for the word of the Lord to come — really?
For Elisha to endure up to this point, when earlier accomplishments of the Lord were almost instant and without delay, like the healing of Naaman.
This also goes to show that till the word of the Lord came, they did not make a move. He, Elisha, was in the famine, starving and hungry like everyone else, urging the people to wait for the word of the LORD.
I can imagine the king of Israel had been to Elisha many times for him to do something, and Elisha's response might have been something like, "The Lord has not spoken, we have to wait for the Lord to speak, without which I can do nothing."
It is just like when Balaam was asked to curse Israel and he said, I cannot go beyond what the Lord has spoken.
It is also akin to when the Shunammite woman came to Elisha and Elisha said, "The Lord has hidden this from me." It also goes to show that as a prophet one has to be sharp always, not to miss the Lord when he is speaking.
But then when God is not speaking, no matter how sharp you are, you will hear nothing and have to wait on the Lord, lest you move in the flesh and nothing happens, or, like Moses, something happens in disobedience to the Lord, as in when he struck the rock and water gushed out.
But it seems there were times that the authority of the prophet or man of God comes to bear, as in when he commanded the bears to kill the little ones — but at that time we are not told if it was impulsively. But then even if it was his will, it was subject to what God had told him, because I don't think Elisha called the bear on the kids at his whim.
If so, why did he have to wait for the Lord to speak subsequently? Maybe he felt some power in him by which he knew that his words will not be empty. That must be it.
It is similar to when Elijah called down fire — it seemed it was at his will, but then again there was an angel of the Lord with him, who later told him to go with the 3rd captain and fear nothing.
So then it is always about the Lord and not about us, and we must learn to wait on the Lord always.
2Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
3And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
4If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
It always takes an act of faith to serve the Lord and walk in the supernatural.
5And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.
Such serendipity, they took steps just when heaven was looking to bless someone.
6For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
7Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.
8And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.
I used to wonder why soldiers would carry such valuables to war.
But mostly these are spoils from wars fought before the current one.
These lepers suddenly became some of the richest men in town, and rightly so, as they had taken their lives into their hands and risked it.
Therefore they got the greatest rewards.
9Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.
These lepers became very rich, I believe. I can imagine their stories being told of the unlikely manner of how poor lepers became rich.
10So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.
The porter, because they were not allowed into the city because of their condition.
Yet the same God who set the laws of separation used them to bless their entire city and generation.
Not only did they get food, but horses and mules in abundance. What a loot, and rightly so, because they had suffered in the famine incredibly, and the Lord, when his word finally came, likely months later, compensated every wrong.
11And he called the porters; and they told it to the king’s house within.
12And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.
13And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.
That was all that was left alive of an entire city — incredible. And I am sure they had to be kept alive and fed somehow in the midst of this famine. The Lord had mercy and saved the people of this evil judgement.
It seems to suggest also that when we fast, we in a way pronounce judgement on ourselves and seek the mercies of the Lord. Maybe that is why it is sometimes referred to as afflicting oneself or humbling oneself. And in such a state the Lord watches with pity upon us and shows his grace.
14They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.
15And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.
In times of famine, God will take care of his own through divine means.
The garments that were cast away were slowing the fleeing army down. Some sought to save some of their provisions, but it seems, as the lepers drew near, it felt like their perceived army of Egypt and the Hittites were drawing closer and closer, and it was not worth the loot, which was slowing them down.
16And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.
17And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
18And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:
19And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
20And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.
One man trying to regulate a hungry, famine-stricken mob.