And the officer had answered the man of God, "Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?" So Elisha had replied, "You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!" Sermons
I. GOD'S PROMISE REALIZED. In the first verse of this chapter Elisha had said, "Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel." The morrow had come, and here is the fine flour and the barley being sold in the gate of Samaria. Here is the Divine promise fulfilled to the letter. God is ever faithful who hath promised. If a being makes a promise, and it is not fulfilled, it must be for one of three reasons - either because he was insincere when he made the promise, or subsequently changed his mind, or met with unforeseen difficulties which he had not the power to surmount. None of these can be applied to the all-truthful, unchangeable, all-seeing, and almighty God. II. GOD'S TRUTH VINDICATED. The haughty courtier said to the prophet yesterday, when he was told that a measure of fine flour would be sold for a shekel, "If the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?" As if he had said, "Do not presume to impose on me, a man of my intelligence and importance. The intellectual rabble may believe in you, but I cannot." Whereupon the prophet replied, "Thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof." And so it came to pass. Here are the flour and the barley, and there lies dead the haughty skeptic. "And so it fell out unto him: for the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died." Truth has ever vindicated itself, and will ever do so. Men's unbelief in facts does not either destroy or weaken facts; the facts remain. Though all the world deny the existence of a God, moral obligation, and future retribution, the facts remain. - D.T.
And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken. Homilist. We have here an instance of two things —I. GOD'S PROMISE REALISED. In the first verse of this chapter Elisha had said. "Hear ye the word of the Lord, Thus saith the Lord, To-morrow, about this time, shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel." The morrow had come, and here is the fine flour and the barley selling in the gate of Samaria. Here is the Divine promise fulfilled to the letter. God is ever faithful Who hath promised. II. GOD'S TRUTH VINDICATED. The haughty courtier said to the prophet yesterday, when he was told that a measure of fine flour would be sold for a shekel, "If the Lord would make windows in heaven, then might this thing be." As if he had said, "Do not presume to impose on me, a man of my intelligence and importance. The intellectual rabble may believe in you, but I cannot." Whereupon the prophet replied, "Thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof." And so it became. Here are the flour and the barley, and there lies dead the haughty sceptic. Truth has ever vindicated itself, and will ever do so. Men's unbelief in facts does not either destroy or weaken facts, the facts remain. Though all the world deny the existence of a God, moral obligation and future retribution, the facts remain. (Homilist.) The people trode upon him in the gate, and he died. 1. We see that God will punish unbelief. There is an impression in the minds of many that the old dispensation was one of works, and that belief or faith in God is a doctrine only of the new. It is, however, the teaching of the entire Bible, and for all time, that in the eye of God the great sin of man is unbelief. The language is clear and unmistakable. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him." He that cometh unto Him must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of them that seek Him. He must believe that when the necessities of His kingdom on earth, or the wants and salvation of His people demand it, no laws of nature can stand in the way of His giving relief.2. We note that this man's final doom was pronounced at least one whole day before his death. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin, and yet there is such a thing as a sin that shall never be forgiven. I believe this is oftener committed by what the world calls moral men than by the desperately wicked. I believe it consists in a deliberate and persistent rejection of God's truth with the heart, while that truth is clearly known with the head. It is a combination of light in the understanding and determined darkness in the will. This man had been privileged to walk with God's servant, but would not walk with God. 3. We note that this man perished in sight of blessing. It is possible to realise truth too late. It has been forcefully said, earth is the only place in God's universe where there is any infidelity. Hell itself is nothing but the truth believed too late. The fabled Tantalus was placed in sight of water and food, yet left to die of thirst and starvation. Dives lifted up his eyes in torment and saw Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, and there is such a thing as rejecting the offers of Jesus and then being compelled to witness the delight of those who are foolish enough to believe God's promises and wise enough to accept them. (W. H. M'Caughey, D. D.). People Aram, Egyptians, Elisha, Hittites, Israelites, SyriansPlaces Egypt, Jordan River, SamariaTopics Answereth, Behold, Captain, Eat, Floodgates, Heaven, Heavens, Making, Officer, Open, Possible, Replied, Royal, Seeing, Taste, Thereof, WindowsOutline 1. Elisha prophesies incredible plenty in Samaria3. four lepers, venturing on the host of the Syrians, bring tidings of their flight 12. The king, finding by spies the news to be true, spoils the tents of the Syrians. 17. The lord who would not believe the prophecy of plenty is trampled in the press Dictionary of Bible Themes 2 Kings 7:18 1429 prophecy, OT fulfilment Library Silent Christians'Then they said one to another, We do not well; this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace; if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us; now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.'--2 KINGS vii. 9. The city of Samaria was closely besieged, and suffering all the horrors of famine. Women were boiling and eating their children, and the most revolting garbage was worth its weight in silver. Four starving lepers, sitting by the gate, plucked … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture 'Impossible, --Only I Saw It' The Sin of Unbelief The Care of the Soul Urged as the one Thing Needful An Address to a Soul So Overwhelmed with a Sense of the Greatness of Its Sins, that it Dares not Apply Itself to Christ with Any The Section Chap. I. -iii. Kings Links 2 Kings 7:19 NIV2 Kings 7:19 NLT 2 Kings 7:19 ESV 2 Kings 7:19 NASB 2 Kings 7:19 KJV 2 Kings 7:19 Bible Apps 2 Kings 7:19 Parallel 2 Kings 7:19 Biblia Paralela 2 Kings 7:19 Chinese Bible 2 Kings 7:19 French Bible 2 Kings 7:19 German Bible 2 Kings 7:19 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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