God's Miraculous Provision
2 Kings 7 - God’s Miraculous Provision for Samaria
A. God’s promise and what the lepers discovered.
1. (1-2) God’s promise and the doubt of the king’s officer.
Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’“ So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”
a. Hear the word of the Lord: Though the King of Israel blamed the Lord for the calamity that came upon Israel and Samaria, God still had a word for the king and the nation – and it was a good word.
b. Tomorrow about this time: God’s promise through Elisha was that in 24 hours the economic situation in Samaria would be completely reversed. Instead of scarcity, there would be such abundance that food prices would radically drop in the city.
i. “The gate was the market-place as well as the local court of justice.” (Wiseman)
ii. By the standards of that time, the prices listed were not cheap; but they were nothing compared to the famine conditions associated with the siege. “By the next day conditions would so improve that good products would be available again, even though at a substantial price.” (Patterson and Austel)
c. Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be? The king’s officer doubted the prophecy, and his doubt was based on several faulty premises.
i. First, he doubted the power of God. If God willed it, He certainly could make windows in heaven and drop down food from the sky for the hungry, besieged city of Samaria.
ii. Second, he doubted the creativity of God. In the mind of the king’s officer, the way food could come to the city was from above, because the city was surrounded by a hostile, besieging army. He had
A. God’s promise and what the lepers discovered.
1. (1-2) God’s promise and the doubt of the king’s officer.
Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’“ So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”
a. Hear the word of the Lord: Though the King of Israel blamed the Lord for the calamity that came upon Israel and Samaria, God still had a word for the king and the nation – and it was a good word.
b. Tomorrow about this time: God’s promise through Elisha was that in 24 hours the economic situation in Samaria would be completely reversed. Instead of scarcity, there would be such abundance that food prices would radically drop in the city.
i. “The gate was the market-place as well as the local court of justice.” (Wiseman)
ii. By the standards of that time, the prices listed were not cheap; but they were nothing compared to the famine conditions associated with the siege. “By the next day conditions would so improve that good products would be available again, even though at a substantial price.” (Patterson and Austel)
c. Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be? The king’s officer doubted the prophecy, and his doubt was based on several faulty premises.
i. First, he doubted the power of God. If God willed it, He certainly could make windows in heaven and drop down food from the sky for the hungry, besieged city of Samaria.
ii. Second, he doubted the creativity of God. In the mind of the king’s officer, the way food could come to the city was from above, because the city was surrounded by a hostile, besieging army. He had