Flour For A Shekel

 

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”-Romans 11:33

 

Circumstances of life can change so rapidly.  The things around us that are, in time will not be.  They are always in flux like the waves of the sea.  Life changes so quickly.  The most perilous and hopeless circumstances can turn into fruitful bliss.  The highest highs can become the lowest lows.  Our contentment, our faith, cannot be based on circumstances; though we can see in each and every day the hand of God.

 

In the book of second Kings chapter seven the scripture chronicles the siege of Samaria by the Syrians.  So terrible was the siege that the famine drove the people to eat everything in sight.  When Elisha the prophet told the people the word of the Lord.  He said that on the next day a measure of flour and barley shall be sold for a shekel.  A great deal of food, sold for next to nothing.  It was an incredible prophecy.  I have heard it said: “If you don’t like things the way they are, just wait a little while; it will change.”  It can be difficult sometimes when we are going through something bad to “wait a little while.”  It can be difficult to realize that God allows everything in His own time.  The good and the bad.  However, the providence of God comes part and parcel with the comfort of knowing that God is all powerful.  His providence and judgment are intertwined together, and he knows all.  The scripture says that “he is before all things and by him all things consist.”  As the people of Samaria sit starving to death, the word of the Lord may not have been so welcomed; yet a few lepers outside the gate acting in self-interest decided to walk down to the enemy camp.  Perhaps they would receive them in, better to do this than sit and die of hunger.  In arriving they found that the Lord had driven out the enemy and nobody knew!  He has worked out the day, hour, and minute of their deliverance.  The same as ours.  Our release from famine, pestilence, drought, turmoil, pain, etc.  It is lost on us but known to God.  It was unknown to the lepers of Israel that the Lord was working to drive out the Syrians.  In their good fortune they found character enough to help others who were less fortunate.  So, the lowliest of Israel became deliverers themselves.    Teaching us once again that the ways of God are past finding out. 

           

Who could have expected this turn of events?  Who would have laid to heart the word of the Lord prophesied by Elisha?  This remains an inescapable truth, and a constant lesson in humility to mortal man.  That his wisdom and knowledge is deep.  His judgments are unsearchable, and his ways past finding out.