The big army of Syria came against the chief city of Israel. There was a high, strong wall around, and the soldiers could not get inside, but they pitched their tents near, and did not let anyone take food into the city, nor the people go out after any. The king of Israel and his army were inside, but seemed to be too weak or too afraid to drive this enemy away.
We are not told how long the army was there, but it was a very dreadful time for the people in the city: the supply of food became less and less, and those who had anything to sell charged a high price, even for what at other times would have been thrown away. Some of the people were starving without any food at all.
God had said long before that such awful times would be in Israel if the people worshipped idols (Deut. 28). Many of them seem to have lost all trust in Him, and had no care for one another, and some, not even love for their children, thinking only of their own hunger.
One day the king was walking upon the wall, and a woman called to him for help in the trouble, but he was a wicked king, and in answer spoke against God as though He were unwilling to give them food. And he also seems to have blamed Elisha for the trouble, no doubt, because Elisha had warned him that the famine would come unless he cast down the idols, so he decided to have Elisha a taken and killed that very day.
Elisha was in the city with others who believed in the Lord, and he knew the wicked plan of the king, before the king’s messenger reached the house, and he told his friends to hold the door fast.
Then it seems the king himself came with his chief officer, and Elisha spoke boldly to him, and told him the Lord had said that the next day a measure of flour, or two measures of barley, would be sold in the city for a shekel: their most common money was the silver shekel, and was not of great value, so this meant that food would be had in plenty the next day.
The king seemed to believe this good news, and did not have Elisha killed. But his officer did not believe it could be true. His said,
“If the Lord should make windows in heaven, might this thing be?”
He seems to have known that there was plenty with the Lord, let the famine was so dreadful he doubted God’s power to help. This man was of Israel, and should have known that Elisha spoke for God, and that what he said was true. Elisha answered him, “Behold thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shalt not eat thereof.”
And we learn later how all that Elisha said came true.
What was the name of this city? (Verse 24).
ML 07/09/1939