Biblical Prophets - Bible Study Online
Now as some time had passed, perhaps a few years, we find that the Arameanians had begun to lay siege to the capitol of Samaria once again. Now this was the same Arameanian king that had his army spared by Elisha when he had sent them down to arrest the prophet. Elisha had the Arameanian army blinded by God, which enable the prophet to lead them into a major ambush. This ambush could have killed them all, but instead, the prophet allowed them to go free. After Elisha had done them this favor, the Arameanians had stopped attacking Israel. But now we find that Ben-Hadad has a very short memory and once again he is bringing affliction upon God's people. 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. We would find 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. We also find 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 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 was sitting. "Help me, my lord the king!" she cried out to him. "If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you, from the threshing floor, from the winepress?" the king replied. As the woman looked at him hopeless, the king asked her, "What can I do for you?" "This woman 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." the women told the king. Note: Now this in my book would be the lowest of lows. But I would like to point out to you; the horrid events that were happening in 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. 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. We assume 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. Note: We find that the king of Israel was blaming Elisha for the siege that was causing problems throughout his land. Perhaps he was upset that Elisha did not allow him to kill the Arameanian army when he had them at a huge disadvantage justa few years before? 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, he let the Arameanian king go free. Also the Israel king fails to realize that the Israelites were still sinning and serving different gods. They were still worshipping Baal, and they were still worshiping the golden calf which 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 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 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. Start at the Beginning: Elijah the Fire Prophet 13) Elijah and the Chariot of Fire 15) Elisha - She Bears Attacking 17) The Blood Water 19) Shunammite's Son Raised From The Dead 20) Elisha and the Pot of Death 24) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 26) The Shunammite's Divine Provision 27) Hazael Anointed Syrian King 29) Jehu Is Anointed King of Israel 30) The Demise of Jehoram & Ahaziah 
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