Today I read 2 Kings 7 where the Lord delivered the Israelites out of the hands of the Syrians. The Lord caused the Syrians to hear a large host and so in their fear they fled before the host of armies they thought was coming to snuff them out. They left behind their food and their clothes and money and everything they had brought with them. This was prophesied by Elisha that it would happen and a man near the king scoffed that it could happen. For his disbelief he was slain by the people at the order of the king.
I kind of have a problem with this. I mean, killing a man just because he doubts something is going to happen? It's almost tyrannical to me. Of course the Lord can do as He wishes, but I think there was more of a conversation that took place here other than a "I doubt that" or "Maybe if food rained down from heaven" as is recorded in the scriptures. It just seems like a very harsh penalty for such a natural reaction to tell a starving people that food will be so plentiful that the price of it will come back to normal. I mean if someone told me that the price of gas tomorrow would be only $.50 per gallon I'd tell them they were crazy! Even if the Prophet said it, I'd still have my doubts. I would hope but I would not be confident that it would happen. That's human nature. So much of the Old Testament seems out of sorts with what I know of Heavenly Father and His nature. I just have a hard time wrapping my mind around it sometimes. Until tomorrow.
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