The Nation of Israel was surrounded by many enemies from the time of King Saul. After the reign of King David and Solomon his son, the nation which was once one kingdom, was divided into two kingdoms (1 Kings 12:1-20) namely: Israel in the North and Judah in the South. The city of Samaria later became the capital of the Northern kingdom and Jerusalem remained the capital of the Southern kingdom.
The enemies of larger Israel continued to hound the two kingdoms. Ben-Hadad the king of Syria (Aram) mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria wanting to take control of it. The siege lasted long that there was a great famine in the city; no one went out or came in. It happened that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods (referred to dove’s dung) for five shekels (2 Kings 6:24-25).
The famine was so severe that women started cooking their children and eating them. One woman appealed to the king for help, to order her fellow woman to provide her son for a meal as they had agreed the previous day. This news distressed the king so much that he tore his kingly robes and put on sackcloth, a sign of surrender to God. Seeing that God was not changing the situation of famine in the city, he projected his frustration to the man of God, the prophet Elisha and sought to behead him that very day. He swore by the name of God that God should severely deal with him if Elisha remained a live by the end of the day. As he sent his personal officer to execute his vow, he also followed immediately accusing God for being responsible for the disaster wondering why he should wait for the Lord any longer (2 Kings 6:26-33).
In response, the prophet announced what God was saying: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria. The officer of the king could not believe the good news from the Lord. The man of God told him that he will see it with his own eyes but will not any eat of it (2 Kings 7:1-2). In the twilight of the following day, the Syrian army fled from their camp after hearing the sound of four lepers who had decided to go to the camp and surrender to the Syrians; beg for food should they die from hanger. God had caused the Syrian army hear the sound of chariots and horses of a great army; they thought the king of Israel had hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack them. They went up and fled abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys and plenty of food running for their lives. The lepers arrived and found the camp without any person
except all that had been abandoned behind. They ate and drunk to their fullest, carried away silver, gold and cloth for themselves. As Elisha the man of God had predicted, the king’s officer was trampled upon in the gateway and died. It happened as the prophet of God had said to the king. A seah of fine flour sold for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of
Samaria (2 Kings 3-20).
Conclusion
God is a Situation Changer
There is no impossible situation before God. God can change our unbearable situation.
Today Kenya is under siege and the whole world in general because of COVID-19.
Some of our counties and cities are under partial lockdown and are un-accessible.
Prices of food stuff are soaring high every day
Jobs have been lost
Businesses have closed down
People are loosing hope very fast
The government is equally distressed and feeling hopeless.
We may have not reached the stage of boiling our children for food as it was for the nation of Israel in Samaria. Definitely people are suffering; they are loosing hope very fast. They need a prophet of God to give them hope. The Church is the voice of God. People are waiting to hear what God is saying. The government and the leaders are waiting to hear what the prophet of God has to say. The church (you and me) have to rise up and give the world the needed hope. We are the prophet of God. Encourage yourself and encourage others. Come tomorrow such a time as this there will be plenty to share and eat to our full. The word of God says joy comes in the morning. Have hope in God. He is in control of the whole situation. Observe all the given health instruction and government directives. Most of all, remember to pray. God has promised to see us through this pandemic soon and very soon. Amen.