Biblical Prophets - Bible Study Online

Some time had passed from within this Sacred Record, it's presumed, that perhaps it was a few years?

Be as it may, we find once again, that the Arameanians had begun to lay siege to the capitol of Samaria.

Understand that this was the same Arameanian king that had his army spared by Elisha the prophet, when the king had sent his army down to arrest the man of God.

When the Arameanian army drew near, Elisha had payed to God and had them blinded.

Because of this, the prophet was able to lead the blinded soldiers into a major ambush. Keep in mind, that this ambush could have killed the entire army, being that they couldn't see.

But instead, the prophet showed them mercy; and allowed the entire Arameanian army to go free. After Elisha had done them this favor of mercy, the Arameanians had stopped attacking Israel. But now we find that, Ben-Hadad has a very short memory and once again, he's bringing affliction upon God's people.

Understand that the siege that Ben-Hadad had brought against Samaria, was design to cause a famine that would engulf the land to a great degree. This famine had become so great, that we find that it had brought out the darkest and most vile actions from the Israelites.

The Sacred Record points out, that food was so scarce, that the head of a donkey which had very little meat on it and considered ceremonially unclean, sold for eighty shekels of sliver. This comes out to about $50.00 in today's time.

The Sacred Record also shows, that people were reduced to buying "dove's dung," for about five shekels, which would be around $3.00 in today's time. Now the thought of people buying these types of items for food, would seem like it couldn't get any worse. But we find that it would indeed -- get worse?

One day when the Israel king was passing by a wall within the city, there was a lady who cried out to the king: "Help me, my lord the king!" After hearing this, the king replied: "If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you, from the threshing floor, from the winepress?" As the woman looked at him hopelessly, the king gave in and asked her: "What can I do for you?"

The woman replied: "A lady said to me, 'Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we will eat my son.' So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Give up your son so we may eat him,' but she had hidden him."

As you can see, the "dark famine" had caused the Israelites to hit the lowest of lows. Keep in mind, that these horrid events that we are reading about, when it comes to the city of Samaria, had been prophesied by Moses over five centuries ago.

This prophecy was foretold out of the disobedience that Israel was practicing against God at that time. Now we find that it is now being fulfilled by the siege of Ben-Hadad.

"You shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you.

"The sensitive and very refined man among you will be hostile toward his brother, toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the rest of his children whom he leaves behind, so that he will not give any of them the flesh of his children whom he will eat, because he has nothing left in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you at all your gates.

"The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because of her delicateness and sensitivity, will refuse to the husband of her bosom, and to her son and her daughter, her placenta which comes out from between her feet and her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of everything in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you at all your gates." (Deuteronomy 28:53-57)

After the king had heard this from the woman, he tore his royal robe and as he walked pass the wall, the people could see that he was wearing sackcloth underneath his clothes. It's presumed that the king was wearing sackcloth, because of the suffering that this kingdom was enduring at that time, behind the siege of Ben-Hadad.

"May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today," the Israel king vowed. So he sent his chief officer down to do the deed.

Now, it's at this time, we find that the king of Israel had begun to blame Elisha for the siege, that was causing problems throughout his land. It's not clear, why the king would make such claims, but it's presumed, that the king was upset that Elisha did not allow him to kill the Arameanian army when he had them in an ambushed and at a huge disadvantage just a few short years before?

This mindset is understandable, but the king fails to realize that his own father, had his chance to do away with Ben-Hadad. But instead of destroying him, like the Lord had wanted Ahab to do, Ahab instead, disobeyed God and let the Arameanian king go free.

Also the Israel king fails to realize, that the Israelites were still sinning and serving different gods, during this time. Keep in mind, that they were still worshiping the false god "Baal" and they were still practicing the "golden calf religion" which still had two major altars, that were still standing in the cities of Dan and Bethel.

So now we find, that word had gotten back to Elisha about how the king plans to have him beheaded before the end of the day. We are not told how word had got back to Elisha, but we can only assume that it was delivered by God Himself.

"Don't you see how this murder is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the chief officer comes, shut the door and do not let him in. What he doesn't know, is that his master is trying to catch up with him," Elisha said as he sat in his house with the elders.

When the king had caught up with the chief officer, he revealed that he was having second thoughts when it came to having Elisha killed, "This disaster is from the Lord, why should I wait for the Lord any longer?" the Israel king call out to Elisha.

"Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah (two gallons) of flour will sell for a shekel (one dollar) and two seahs (four gallons) of barley for a shekel (one dollar) at the gate of Samaria." Elisha reassured the king.

"Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this really happen?" the chief officer said to Elisha. "You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it," Elisha told the chief officer.

Elijah the Fire Prophet

Elisha the Prophet Apprentice

**YOUR CURRENT SERIES WOULD BE HERE**

Family Dynasties Unite

13) Elijah and the Chariot of Fire

14) Elisha the Master Prophet

15) Elisha - She Bears Attacking

16) King Mesha's Rebellion

17) The Blood Water

18) The Widow's Oil Treasure

19) Shunammite's Son Raised From The Dead

20) Elisha and the Pot of Death

21) The Leprosy of Naaman

22) The Floating Iron Axhead

23) The Fire Horse Army

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25) The Four Starving Lepers

26) The Shunammite's Divine Provision

27) Hazael Anointed Syrian King

28) Family Dynasties United

29) Jehu Is Anointed King of Israel

30) The Demise of Jehoram & Ahaziah

31) The Demise of Jezebel