Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 7
It is possible, but unlikely, for an army of soldiers suddenly to leave the city that it is trying to destroy. Sometimes, a whole army might run away because of fear of an enemy, whether that enemy is real or not. Such things can happen, although they do not happen often.
So God wanted to show clearly to Israel’s people that he, God, had defeated Aram’s army. In particular, he wanted Israel’s king, Joram, to know that fact. For Joram’s whole rule, God’s judgment had been against Joram’s entire family (1 Kings 21:20-24). Before that terrible punishment happened, God gave Joram many opportunities to turn to him (Ezekiel 18:30-32).
In particular, God gave Joram two powerful pieces of evidence. This evidence showed clearly that God had acted in power to free the city from its enemy. The first piece of evidence was the prices of grain and flour in the market. Those prices seemed impossible on the previous day, when Elisha declared them to Joram (7:1).
The second piece of evidence was the death of the army commander who declared Elisha’s words to be nonsense. We think that the commander wanted the king to allow him to kill Elisha at once (see Deuteronomy 18:20-22 and 2 Kings 6:30-32). However, Elisha then declared a second message from God, that this man would never eat that cheap food (7:2). The king saw that this man did not escape God’s judgment. So clearly, the king and his family too would not escape God’s judgment, unless they turned back to God.
Next part: A famine that lasted for 7 years (2 Kings 8:1)
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