A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Commentary on 1 and 2 Kings · Chapter 7
2 Kings CHAP. VII.
HERE the Hiſtory of Eliſha's Oracle immediately follows the former Hiſtory of King Joram's fretting againſt the Lord out of a perverſe fooliſhneſs, Prov. 19.3. deſperately reſolving to yield up all, and to make for himſelf as good Terms as he could. This prophetick Oracle first is declared, and ſecondly is accompliſh'd: The Matter of it is twofold, 1. Eliſha's Prophecy of preſent plenty, ver. 1. and, 2. The Death of that unbelieving Lord, who derided the Prophet's Prophecy, ver. 2.
Firſt, Remarks upon the Prophecy as it was declared; and the firſt is, as the foretelling of Victory over Moah, unto this Joram for Jehoſaphat's ſake, Chap. 3, was Eliſha's firſt Oracle, or principal Prophecy. So this foretelling of preſent Plenty to this ſame Joram here, was his ſecond Oracle, ver. 1. wherein he declares from the Lord to the King himſelf (as is expreſſed, ver. 18.) under this pang of Impatiency, ſaying, [Thou complains of thy wearineſs in waiting, becauſe Women ear their own Children, yet do but wait till to morrow, and then about a Peck and a Pottle (as to our meaſure) of fine Flour (not Meal or Flour with the Bran, but the fineſt ſifted) ſhall be at half a Crown price at the moſt, whereas an Aſs-head, and a Cab of Dove's-dung had been at ſuch unreaſonable Rates. N. B. Oh! wonderful Alteration, that the great God can work in ſo ſhort a time; and oh wonderful Divine Grace and Condeſcenſion, that notwithſtanding Joram's Paſſion and Impatience againſt God, and his bloody Intentions againſt God's Prophet, yet the Lord promiſeth preſent plenty! Man's notorious Perverſeneſs cannot ſtop the current of God's tranſcendent goodneſs.
Remark the Second; Eliſha promiſed from the Lord this ſpeedy Succour, not only to the King, but alſo to the Courtiers that came along with him to Eliſha's Houſe, as well as to the Elders, that were with him in his Houſe, Chap. 6.32, 33. The King was now ſatisfied to wait a little longer, becauſe (ſaith Peter Martyr) he had what he deſired; the Prophet had ſet down a ſet and a ſhort time for ſufficient Succour: But his chief Lord on whom the King learned (Naaman's Succeſſor, Chap. 5.18.) and ſuppoſed to be the Meſſenger who was ſent to execute Eliſha, (as Piſcator ſays) not only queſtions the Prophet's Truth, but God's Power alſo, ver. 2. Peter Martyr notes excellently here, N.B. That the like unbelief was found in pious Moſes, as was in this impious Lord: For Moſes thought in his pang of Paſſion, that the Lord had out promiſed his own Power, Numb. 11.21, 22. See more upon that point in its place of my Firſt Volume. This Ʋnbelieving Lord did the like here; tho' no difference (ſaith he) can be diſcern'd by us concerning the Unbelief of Moſes and of this Lord, yet the great God, who is the foreign, or Heart-ſearcher, Acts 1.24. could diſtinguiſh them. The Unbelief of this Lord was like that of thoſe Murmarers, who cr…'d, [Can God prepare a Table in the Wilderneſs? Pſal. 78.20. forgetting how God rained down Manna]
Remark the Third; The all-ſeeing God ſaw the Interrogation of this prophane Prince [Could this thing he?) which imported an Impoſſibility, to be ſpoken with a wicked Heart of Ʋnbelief, Hebr. 3.12. and therefore the Prophet from the Lord denounceth a ſad Doom againſt him, That he ſhould only behold this promiſed Plenty for his Conviction, but he ſhould not partake of it, for his Puniſhment. This was fulfill'd upon him, ver. 17, 20. N. B. Thus infidelity▪ …p…i…es Perſons of the benefit of God's Promiſes which others do enjoy: Moſes himſelf was cut ſhort of Canaan for his Unbelief, Deut. 3.25, 26, 27. Numb. 20.12. And Grocius notes well here, The ſame happens to befal to ſuch as believe not the promiſe of eternal Life.
The ſecond Par… is the Accompliſhment of this Oracle thus declared.
Remark the Firſt; What contemptible Means (ſaith Peter Martyr) doth God ma… choice of here, to become Intelligencers of ſo marvellous a change, both from Siege and Famine? ver. 3, 4, 5, 10 ver. 11. Four Lepers (which the Rabbi… ſay were Gehazi and his three Sons) muſt be the firſt Informers of their double Deliverance herein.
Mark 1. Theſe ſorry Samaritans (faith P. Martyr) obſerved God's Law for excluding Lepers, Levit. 13.46. and 14.3. Numb. 5.2, 3. yet were Idolaters, Worſhipping the golden Calves. N. B. Thus men, ſaith he) can obſerve eaſie Commands, having no loſs attending them, but as to Duties of greater Importance that have difficulty in them, they deſpiſe.
Mark 2. Theſe Lepers (driven nigh to the Gates by the Syrians Siege) fall into a ſerious parly, what to do for ſelf-Preſervation, and, being half hunger-ſtarved, reſolve to fall to the Syrians, ver. 4, 5. N. B. This they ought not to have done (ſaith P. Martyr) for it had been better to die with the Pious than join the Impious, who would Blaſpheme the true God, for providing no better for his Servants; but God uſeth their evil Counſel to accompliſh his holy Decree.
Mark 3. Man's Extremity was God's Opportunity. The Lord ſent a frightful noiſe into the Ears of the Syrians (ſaith Joſephus) which the Samaritans heard not, and this ſtruck them with ſuch a panick fear, that it put them all a flying in ſuch poſt-haſte, as to leave their Horſes behind them, ver. 6. They Worſhipped Mawmets (ſaith P. Martyr) and their own Imaginations frighted them away. They'all ran like mad Men, without any real Cauſe, ver. 7. only their own Fancy.
Mark 4. The Lepers lingring and loitering a long time, in filling their own half-famiſh'd Paunches, and in hoarding Gold and Silver firſt in one Tent, and then in another, their covetous minds (notwithſtanding their mortal Diſeaſe of Leproſie) was unſatisfiable, ver. 8. Their dry-Drunkenneſs (as Avarice is called) even in dead Carcaſſes (ſaith P. Martyr) could not ſay, Satis eſt, we have enough.
Mark 5. They at laſt bethink themſelves of better, ver. 9. yet more for fear of Danger, than from deſire of the common Good. They begin to fear, that their Sin would find them out, Numb. 32.23. the King will puniſh us if we ſtay till Morning light; if we hide theſe glad Tidings from the City half dead with Famine.
Mark 6. They go to the Watchmen at the Gates, tell them the Coaſt was clear; all were gone, yet Tents left furniſhed with Beds, Meat, Drink, and all other Furniture; theſe Watch-men haſten firſt to tell the King, ver. 10, 11. as was fit, that he might order all for the beſt.
Remark the Second; Hereupon the King, more fearful than was fit, and ſuſpecting this flight of the Syrians to be a Strategem only to Decoy the Hungry Samaritans out of their Gates, to plunder their Camp (politickly left full fraught with plenty of all things) that while the half-famiſhed Souldiers and Citizens were falling upon the Spoil in a confuſed way, then the Syrians would turn ſhort upon them and deſtroy them, as oft hath fallen out in Strategems of War, ver. 12. This was King Joram's Worldly Wiſdom, but his Fear (in ſuſpecting more than was meet) was above his Faith in the Promiſe made him by the Prophet; he neither believed God, nor his Prophet (ſaith Peter Martyr) but rather put his truſt in two forlorn Scouts ſent out to ſee, ver. 13. 'Twas firſt propoſed by one of the King's Councellers, that allathe five Horſes (which the Famine had left uneaten) ſhould be ſent out with Riders to make Diſcovery; but the Council concluded two were ſufficient, ver. 14. Thoſe two Horſe-men find no lurking Syrians betwixt Samaria and Jordan, but all the way ſcattered Garments, &c. whatever might hinder their haſty heels in the flight; theſe fall not on plundering for themſelves, as the Lepers did, ver. 8. but preſently brought word to the King, that the Lepers had told him the truth, ver. 15.
The Second Part is the Accompliſhment of Eliſha's Oracle.
Remark the Firſt; 'Twas Accompliſh'd in the Plenty of Proviſion that Eliſha foretold, ver. 1.16. As that hurrying Noiſe (made probably by the Angels thoſe Horſes and Chariots of fire, Chap. 6.17.) which frighted away the Syrians from the Siege of Samaria, was a miraculous Anſwer to Eliſha's Prayer as he ſat in his Houſe, Chap. 6.32. and made the Prophet's Eighteenth Miracle; ſo this ſudden change of extream Scarcity into ſuch abundant Plenty, and dearneſs of Food into ſuch cheapneſs (ſo that a Meaſure of fine Flour to day was far lower rated, than of Dove's Dung yeſterday.) This was a miraculous Effect of Eliſha's Prayer as well as of his Prophecy, whereby was made up his Nineteenth Miracle. Behold and wonder how the half-ſtarved Samaritans now dare venture forth to take the Spoil of the Syrian Camp, as if the Lord had brought the Syrians thither, not ſo much to famiſh as to enrich them: Now they find Granaries, Ward-robes, Treaſures (ſaith Dr. Hall) and whatever was for either Ʋſe or Honour; as Scarcity had bred Dearth, ſo God's Plenty now produced Cheapneſs, &c.
Remark the Second; Eliſha's Oracle was alſo accompliſh'd in the Death of that prophane Prince, that had ſcoffed at his Prophecy of Plenty, ver. 17, 18, 19, 20.
Mark 1. The marvelous Providence of God, that this ſame Prince muſt be made Lord Keeper of the City Gate toward the Syrian Camp, to ſuppreſs Tumults (ſaith Sanctius) as well as to ſecure the City from the feared lurking Syrians: God ordered it ſo (ſaith Grotius) to fulfil his Decree.
Mark 2. This Ʋnbelieving Peer ſaw the foretold Plenty brought in at the Gate, though the Windows of Heaven were not opened, ver. 2. He beholds the Infallibility of God's Promiſe to the People, and now feels he the Infallibility of God's Threatning to himſelf.
Mark 3. He had trampled on the People by Oppreſſion (ſaith Peter Martyr) but undoubtedly he had ſhamefully trodden under foot the Honour of God's Power, wherefore he was worthily trampled upon by the hungry People (ſays Lavater) whoſe Bellys had no Ears, their Hunger breaks through ſtone-walls, and bears him down by their tumultuous preſſing through the narrow Gates, not regarding his Authority.
Mark 4. This puniſhment, being according to the Prophet's Prediction, and probably his Prayer, was miraculous, and ſo reckoned his twentieth Miracle. N. B. 1. Learn from the Syrians in their flight to caſt off every weight in our Race of Religion, Heb 12.1. And, 2. From Samaritans in their Hunger, to preſs through the ſtrait Gate for the Bread of Life, Luke 13.24.