Famine, and king sends to slay Elisha. (24-33):
V. 24…Ben-hadad, king of Syria… There were 3 kings of Damascus in Syria whose names were Ben-Hadad, and all are referred to in scripture. The Ben-Hadad I is mentioned in 1 Kings 15. His son Ben-hadad II is mention in 1 Ki. 20 who had an unsuccessful war against king Ahab. Ben-Hadad III is the son of Hazael mentions in 2 ki. 13:24.
V. 25… donkey’s head … dove’s dropping. … It was a long siege that People or Samaria ran out of food and face famine. Eventhough donkeys are domestic animals used for carrying things, they started eating donkeys, especially the head, the body part usually thrown away. 80 Shekels of silver is about half the price for a horse.
V. 26 … Help, my lord, I king!”. … The most complicated and serious cases were usually brought to the king who is the ultimate judge of the land.
V. 27… if the LORD does not help you,… The did king acknowledged this famine as the judgment of God for their sins.
Vs. 28&29… give your son that we may eat. … Bible references for cannibalism. (Lam. 2:20; 4:10; Ezek. 5:10).
Vs. 30 & 31… if the head of Elisha….remains on his shoulders. … King Jehoram thought Elisha’s elimination will be the solution to eliminate the judgment of God.
Vs. 32 & 33… elders were…with him. … The elders of Israel were around Elisha instead of being around the king.…the son of a murdered has sent?… Elisha knew ahead of their arrival. …Why should I wait for the LORD?… When the judgment of the LORD is upon Israel, king opted to remove God from the scene instead of repenting for the sins.
2 Kings 7: Elisha’s prophesied God’s help (7:1-2):
V. 1… Tomorrow about this time … According the message from the LORD, the salvation is imminent and the Samaria will resume it’s usual business with God’s miraculous provision which will be sold for much less price.
V. 2 … If the LORD Himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be? … The king’s officer was unable to believe. This economic recovery could not be possible overnight. The promise is too good to believe. …you shall see it…shall not eat of it… the unbelief was dealt-with by God. To mock the prophetic word of God is to mock God himself.
The Syrians flee and the good news by 4 lepers (3-20):
Vs. 3 & 4…why are we sitting here until we die … The four lepers had conversation filled with wisdom. They choose a possible death in the camp of Syrians.
V. 5…edge of the camp of the Syrians,…there was no one … The untold see the work of God first. There are people heard the Gospel, but do not believe.
Vs. 6-7 … LORD caused the army…to hear the noise…of a great army… The God sent a delusion in the Syrian army. They calculated the noise to be the Egyptian army hired by Israelites.
Vs. 8 & 9 … we are not doing right. This day is a day of good news…If we wait…, some punishment will come upon us… The one who tasted the salvation of the LORD will be found guilty of some sort, if he or she does not pass on the message to the dying soul. 1 Corinthians 9:16,17. … go and tell the king’s household…. The good news must ultimately reach the kings and rulers.
Vs. 10 & 11… went and called to the gatekeepers…the gatekeepers called out, …to the king’s household inside. They did not have a direct access to the king’s palace, but they knew the channel and it worked. The message did reach the king’s palace. The lepers had a strategy.
Vs. 12 & 15: The king thought it was Syrian’s plot to ambush them. But, he verified the good news to be true.
Both prophecies of Elisha was fulfilled (16-20):
1. Fulfillment of the sale of grain at the gate of Samaria (v. 16 & 18).
2. Fulfillment of the death of the skeptical officer. (17, 19 & 20).