How God Works

This passage deals with the severe famine and the siege by the Aramean army that the people of Israel suffered for disobeying God's command. The city of Samaria was reduced to such misery by hunger that even an animal's head and dung, things not fit to eat, were traded at astronomical prices. The king, though he sees the people's suffering, avoids his own guilt, blames Elisha, the man of God, and tries to kill him. This shows the typical attitude of shifting responsibility onto outside factors or other people rather than looking within when a problem arises.

Elisha delivers God's word that prices will return to normal, but the officer does not believe it and mocks it. In the end God frightens the Aramean army into flight, and has the news of deliverance brought by lepers who were waiting outside the city gate. The king had the facts confirmed by scouts, but because of unbelief, though he saw with his own eyes the moment Elisha's prophecy was fulfilled, he did not enjoy that grace and met his death. This shows that a heart that doubts God's work and complains ends up bringing even greater loss on itself.

In the darkness and despair of life, how should we respond, without blaming God or judging those who are weak? Let us think about what a faith that trusts God's ways and timing and waits for them looks like, and what lessons we should learn from the results that unbelief brings.