“Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow 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.” 2 Kings 7:1
Throughout Scripture we find instances when, because of the intervention of God, a situation was radically changed from one day until the next. Why is this so? It is because God would have us to see Him as He is, sovereign in power and authority, the Almighty, who only doeth wondrous things. It is in so doing that His call to man is for man to trust Him fully. Hearing His word, and then seeing the fulfillment of that word, often in a way and manner that is unique, original, and totally unanticipated, He reveals to us that He will not be put in a box of man’s concepts and imaginations. He is God, and will be worshipped as such. The outcome and designed response to such a revelation of Himself is often, first of all, thanksgiving, for His intervention to save, or to deliver, is clearly manifested. The second aspect of that reaction, is faith, a faith that is expressed in whole-hearted obedience to God. Paul, in writing of his speech and preaching, said that it was in “…demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” (1 Cor. 2:4) The intended result in the hearts and minds of those who heard him speak in such a manner, was that their faith, “…should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (v.5) God reveals His power and authority in the circumstances that we experience, or by contact with the Gospel, preached and taught in and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Out of such a revelation, faith is born, or increased, as it is only in the God of power and authority.
In Elisha’s day, Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all of his army, and went up to lay siege to Samaria. The result was a great famine. The famine was so extreme that the eating of human flesh was an option. It was at this time that the Lord gave to Elisha a most extraordinary word, one with remarkable repercussions. Though the Lord had allowed the siege of Samaria, and the famine, He did so in order to bring the people to faith, to recognize that He indeed was God, and sovereign. With the city shut up because of the siege, and no way of escape, the Lord would do a very unusual thing. Scripture tells us that “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.” (2 Kings 7:6) The result was that the Syrians became frightened, because they thought another army was descending upon them. They arose and fled in the twilight, leaving their tents, horses, food, goods, and clothing. Several lepers decided to come to the camp of the Syrians for food, only to find that they had abandoned their camp. The lepers then related the situation to the king, who dispatched men to verify their words. The result was that, food that was extremely rare one day, was very inexpensive the next, and this, in spite of an enemy army surrounding the city, and the famine in the midst. We learn from this story that God’s objective was to teach the people to realize again that He alone was the Almighty, and that they should trust Him fully. This is seen in the reaction of one of the king’s lords who did not believe Elisha’s words. He said: “Now, behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?” (v.19) Elisha would respond: “Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.” This lord of the king was trampled at the gate of the city by those who were rushing to pillage the camp of the Syrians. This is the great lesson here, faith in the faithfulness of Almighty God.
Dear Father, give us grace not to limit Thee, but to believe Thee to work wondrously. In Jesus’ name, Amen.