I. God’s promise realised. In the first verse of this chapter Elisha had said. “Hear ye the word of the Lord, Thus saith the Lord, To-morrow, about this time, shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel.” The morrow had come, and here is the fine flour and the barley selling in the gate of Samaria. Here is theDivine promise fulfilled to the letter. God is ever faithful Who hath promised.
II. God’s truth vindicated. The haughty courtier said to the prophet yesterday, when he was told that a measure of fine flour would be sold for a shekel, “If the Lord would make windows in heaven, then might this thing be.” As if he had said, “Do not presume to impose on me, a man of my intelligence and importance. The intellectual rabble may believe in you, but I cannot.” Whereupon the prophet replied, “Thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.” And so it became. Here are the flour and the barley, and there lies dead the haughty sceptic. Truth has ever vindicated itself, and will ever do so. Men’s unbelief in facts does not either destroy or weaken facts, the facts remain. Though all the world deny the existence of a God, moral obligation and future retribution, the facts remain. (Homilist.)
The people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.
The fate of unbelief
1. We see that God will punish unbelief. There is an impression in the minds of many that the old dispensation was one of works, and that belief or faith in God is a doctrine only of the new. It is, however, the teaching of the entire Bible, and for all time, that in the eye of God the great sin of man is unbelief. The language is clear and unmistakable. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” He that cometh unto Him must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of them that seek Him. He must believe that when the necessities of His kingdom on earth, or the wants and salvation of His people demand it, no laws of nature can stand in the way of His giving relief.
2. We note that this man’s final doom was pronounced at least one whole day before his death. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin, and yet there is such a thing as a sin that shall never be forgiven. I believe this is oftener committed by what the world calls moral men than by the desperately wicked. I believe it consists in a deliberate and persistent rejection of God’s truth with the heart, while that truth is clearly known with the head. It is a combination of light in the understanding and determined darkness in the will. This man hadbeen privileged to walk with God’s servant, but would not walk with God.
3. We note that this man perished in sight of blessing. It is possible to realise truth too late. It has been forcefully said, earth is the only place in God’s universe where there is any infidelity. Hell itself is nothing but the truth believed too late. The fabled Tantalus was placed in sight of water and food, yet left to die of thirst and starvation. Dives lifted up his eyes in torment and saw Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom, and there is such a thing as rejecting the offers of Jesus and then being compelled to witness the delight of those who are foolish enough to believe God’s promises and wise enough to accept them. (W. H. M’Caughey,D. D.)
