2 Kings 6:24-7:20

2 Kings 6:24-7:20

Strife continued between the Israelites and the Syrians. Although the Israelites had been spared once, as they Syrians had been turned away after encountering God’s horses and chariots of fire, they found themselves in trouble yet again. After some time, the Syrians returned to Israel (or as it is being referred to in these chapters, Samaria). They lay siege to the city and caused a great famine amongst the Israelites. The famine was so severe that the Israelites were reverting to some extreme actions just to survive. For instance, two women fought over boiling their own children just so they would have something to eat. When one of the women hid her child, she caused a great uproar in the city, to which they went to the king for a solution. But the king was in just as much distress over the situation. He was mourning as well, not knowing what to do or where to turn. He felt like his only option was to kill Elisha, an order he gave out of his anger and distress.


So one of his servants went to the house where Elisha was staying with the intent of killing him, and the king was not far behind. Knowing that the men were on their way, Elisha told his men what they were up to. They held the door shut, not letting the king or his servant into the room and carried on their conversation with only a door separating them. The king wanted relief from the famine and threat of war, and Elisha promised that it would soon come. The servant doubted that God could actually provide for them in their present crisis, but Elisha assured him that they would be giving and selling food at the gates of the city the next day. In fact, he also knew told the servant that he (the servant) would not taste any of the food that was being sold.

Meanwhile, God was taking care of the Syrians with his horses and chariots. Hearing the sound of a great army approaching, the Syrians feared that the Israelites had joined forces with one of the larger countries in the area, like Egypt. They fled back to their homeland, leaving Israel altogether. In fact, they left so quickly that they did not even take the time to collect up all of their things, making their camp look like a ghost town.

There were also four guards outside the city gates contemplating how they would die. They knew that the famine would eventually kill them, but they wondered when the Syrians would come and attack. Knowing that death was more than likely imminent, they left their post and went into the Syrian camp hoping that they would find help there. They were shocked to see that the Syrians were gone, and after going through the whole camp, they reported back to the king that the Syrians had left. Wanting to make sure that the Syrians were not devising some master plan, the king sent a few men all the way to the Jordan just to make sure the Syrians had not snuck off somewhere else to prepare for a surprise attack. Those men found no trace of the Syrians and knew that the coast was clear. As a result, the Israelites were able to ransack the Syrian camp, taking all of their food (which is what they needed most). In a fulfillment of the prophecy God had given through Elisha, the food was then sold at the gates to the city and that servant did not receive any to eat. But in a surprising twist, the reason he did not eat was because he was killed in the gates when he was trampled by the men running through. He did not believe that God could actually provide for their needs and laughed at the idea that they would soon have food to sell and to eat. As a result, he found himself dead while the rest of the city was rejoicing at God’s provisions. Even when it seems impossible, God can meet the needs of His children if He so chooses.

Matt