2Ki 6:24-31 | KingComments | STEP | A proof of mercy can quickly be forgotten. We see that when the king of Aram, or Syria, takes up arms again, he went up against Samaria and besieged the city. The siege was long and caused a great famine. The enemy had forgotten that in this city he himself had received gracious treatment. A merciless siege takes place because he had forgotten what grace was bestowed upon him ( ). It became the cause of yet another great proof of grace by the service of Elisha, but now for the people of God. It will be his last public service. Food was becoming so scarce and hunger so great that an enormous price was asked for unclean food. Only the richest could buy something. Instead of taking refuge in the LORD with confession and repentance for their unfaithfulness, the LORD was blamed for the misery. This is made clear when a woman cried to the king. There was no question of crying to God. The king was bitter and passed the blame onto the LORD. The LORD did not help and because of this he cannot help. The king did not realize that he owed his misery to himself. He asked the woman what she wanted. It turns out that she wanted him to bring justice. It was a question that recalls the first law case of Solomon ( ). However, the cause for the judiciary here was a much greater depravity. It showed the depth of misery caused by the unfaithfulness of the people. While the rich could probably still buy something, the common man and woman, driven by enormous hunger, resorted to one of the greatest horrors one can imagine: eating their own children. All natural feelings had disappeared. Even the fruit of the womb was sacrificed to the selfishness of survival. Whoever is tempted into such acts need not be surprised if an agreement is not kept. Everything bore witness to the great degeneration of God’s people. All norms and values had disappeared. This is the result of deviating from God ( ; ; ). When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his clothes. The garment of mourning that became visible was nothing more than outward appearance. Externally he was dressed in mourning, but there was no inner repentance. On the contrary, he was full of murderous design against the prophet of God.

‏ 2 Kings 6:24-31

Famine in Samaria

A proof of mercy can quickly be forgotten. We see that when the king of Aram, or Syria, takes up arms again, he went up against Samaria and besieged the city. The siege was long and caused a great famine. The enemy had forgotten that in this city he himself had received gracious treatment. A merciless siege takes place because he had forgotten what grace was bestowed upon him (Mt 18:21-35). It became the cause of yet another great proof of grace by the service of Elisha, but now for the people of God. It will be his last public service.

Food was becoming so scarce and hunger so great that an enormous price was asked for unclean food. Only the richest could buy something. Instead of taking refuge in the LORD with confession and repentance for their unfaithfulness, the LORD was blamed for the misery.

This is made clear when a woman cried to the king. There was no question of crying to God. The king was bitter and passed the blame onto the LORD. The LORD did not help and because of this he cannot help. The king did not realize that he owed his misery to himself. He asked the woman what she wanted. It turns out that she wanted him to bring justice. It was a question that recalls the first law case of Solomon (1Kgs 3:16-28). However, the cause for the judiciary here was a much greater depravity. It showed the depth of misery caused by the unfaithfulness of the people.

While the rich could probably still buy something, the common man and woman, driven by enormous hunger, resorted to one of the greatest horrors one can imagine: eating their own children. All natural feelings had disappeared. Even the fruit of the womb was sacrificed to the selfishness of survival. Whoever is tempted into such acts need not be surprised if an agreement is not kept. Everything bore witness to the great degeneration of God’s people. All norms and values had disappeared. This is the result of deviating from God (Lev 26:27-29; Deu 28:52-57; Col 2:20 ; Col 4:10).

When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his clothes. The garment of mourning that became visible was nothing more than outward appearance. Externally he was dressed in mourning, but there was no inner repentance. On the contrary, he was full of murderous design against the prophet of God.

Elisha Gets the Blame

The king sought a scapegoat and found it in Elisha. Just as Ahab attributed the misery to Elijah and thought he would get rid of it if he could kill Elijah, so did this king think he could put an end to the misery by killing Elisha. It was a foolish assumption that came from a hardened heart. By nature, we blame people who tell us we will be judged. Disasters in an end time do not bring submission to God. They do not lead to conversion, but to slander of God (cf. Rev 16:10-11).

While hunger took such terrible forms and led to such terrible things, Elisha sat in his house. He undoubtedly shared in the famine. He suffered with the people of God. He had no hidden source of food. There were elders visiting him. They would be there to ask him for advice. It is always available when there is an emergency.

He was also aware of the death threat. He saw in his mind how Jehoram sent a murderer to him. He called him a “murderer’s son”, for Jehoram himself was the son of a murderer, Ahab. Elisha took measures in view of the imminent arrival of the messenger of the king, knowing that Jehoram would come right after him, to make sure that Elisha is indeed beheaded.

When the messenger had arrived at Elisha’s door, the messenger spoke the language of his master. He again made a fierce reproach to the LORD. Elisha must die. He justified his unjust act by saying, as it were: ‘If God does not take me into account and help me out of my worries, I will not take God into account.’