2 Kings 7:1-2 Then Elisha said, Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will sell for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria! 2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, If the Lord should make windows in heaven, could this thing be? But Elisha said, You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.
I often say to young people, it is important to ask questions of God but dangerous to question Him. The difference between the two statements is that one reflects an inquiring heart desirous of understanding and walking right with God while the latter reflects a haughty heart often bent on questioning any authority that seems to suggest subjection of our will to certain restraints.
Hear the word of the Lord - The Hebrew word for hearing used in this paragraph is Shama, implying paying attention to what is being said, applying your intellectual faculties to thoroughly understand what is being said. The goal of such understanding is to birth obedience to that which is being said.
In this passage, those who heard the word of the Lord would probably be distinguished from the rest by their thankfulness for the good news during a time of famine. They would probably also be distinguished by their disposition to prepare themselves and their households for a breakthrough despite prevailing circumstances. The word of the Lord in this case proclaimed the famine temporary and a breakthrough certain within 24 hours.
Hearing the word of the Lord (not our own imaginations and wishful thinking) should produce in us a people who see things that are not seen, and being convinced of their existence, mould our lives towards their attainment. That is faith to me.
Instead of thinking through the words proclaimed by Elisha and seeking understanding, the captain on whose hand the king leaned was quick to question what God was saying through his prophet. As a result, he saw the breakthrough with his own eyes, but could not partake of it.
2 Kings 7:17-20 Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to his house. 18 It happened as the man of God had said to the king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” 19 The officer had said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” The man of God had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” 20 And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.
May we cry aloud for wisdom and understanding, ask questions of God because we want to understand and obey His word, that we may partake of His goodness. Shama! Shama! (hear and hear carefully. His word speaks)
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