Day 174 - 2 Kings 6, Verses 15-33

By: Norman W. Berry

Narrator: Chris Genthree

2 Kings 6:15‑33 • 1 min. read • grade level: 8

V.15-17 To natural sight, Elisha’s position was hopeless. But to faith there is a bright side. May verse 16 be our constant thought. It will be, if we live with a tender conscience toward the Lord.

V.19 Elisha was the “man of God” in verses 6, 9-10, but notice it is missing here.

V.20 Elisha was experienced with the power of God, and wouldn’t neglect showing the grace of God. If we are conscious of the grace, we will know the power.

V.24-33 Now we come to Elisha’s last great appearance. Remember that Israel’s own disobedience to God had brought this famine on them. Read the warnings in Leviticus 26:21-29²¹And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. ²²I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. ²³And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; ²⁴Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. ²⁵And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. ²⁶And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. ²⁷And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; ²⁸Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. ²⁹And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. (Leviticus 26:21‑29) and Deuteronomy 28:49-57⁴⁹The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; ⁵⁰A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favor to the young: ⁵¹And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. ⁵²And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the Lord thy God hath given thee. ⁵³And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the Lord thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee: ⁵⁴So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave: ⁵⁵So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates. ⁵⁶The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, ⁵⁷And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates. (Deuteronomy 28:49‑57).

V.30 Notice that the king wore two things. He was trying to be two things at once. Had he worn just the last item mentioned, there would not have been this famine. He was half-hearted in his humility. Sackcloth is a picture of repentance and humility.

V.25-32 Notice the contrast between what all the people and the king were doing with what Elisha is doing (Isa. 26:3³Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)).

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.