Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: 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.”– 2 Kings 7:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 8, 2013): 2 Kings 7

Back in the seventies, Larry Norman wrote a song called “I Wish We’d All Been Ready.” And one of the lines in the song speaks of a time of incredible famine in which “a piece of bread could buy a bag of gold.” It is an incredible reality that the things that we thing are precious lose their ability to satisfy in those moments when life is threatened. So, when you are hungry and there is no food, you are willing to part with a lot of your possessions just to be fed. When you are thirsty, you are willing to pay high prices just to drink (and the prices of drinks in any stadium or even any movie theater in North America stands as proof of the amount of money we are willing to pay when we are thirsty.)

Samaria is under siege, and there is no food. And the discussions among the people of the things that they are willing to do for food has already begun within the city walls. Even the king has admitted that maybe the time has come to leave the security of the city walls and turn the city over to the Syrians – all so that there might be food once more in the city.

And Elisha knows exactly what it is that the people are thinking about, and so he begins to speak of what is about to happen, and specifically about the availability of food, within the city walls. And the prophecy is that about this time tomorrow, everything is will return to normal. The gate of Samaria, which was an ancient version of the mall down the street, will begin to be a place of commerce where food can once more be bought – and not only will food be bought there, but the prices will return to normal.

It was beyond what anyone could imagine. There was no reason why the Syrian’s would give up the siege – and no reason why food should be brought back into the city. If there was ever a prophecy given that seemed to be absolutely impossible, this was it. But King Jehoram, and the people of Samaria who had scoffed at God, were about to experience what God thought of the things that we think are impossible – and of the grace that he had even for those who refused to believe in him.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 8