THE LORD OPENS WINDOWS IN HEAVEN As the calamity became so intense, that women became cannibals; and they even ate the flesh of their own children, the reactions came diverse: Not enduring to see the extent of bitterness that dwelt upon his people, the king tore his clothes, and the sackcloth he wore on his body was revealed. Yet, instead of returning to God with repentance, he decided to kill Elisha, putting the blame upon him. But the prophet promised salvation; which was realized in a time not expected by anyone.. Now, in this chapter we shall see what different people did during anguish. 1- Elisha proclaims the divine joy 1 2- A king’s officer proclaims his doubts 2 3- Four lepers act with wisdom 3 - 8 4- They let the others partake of their good fortune 9 - 11 5- The king doubts the news 12 - 15 6- God opens windows in heaven 16 7- The king’s officer who proclaimed his doubt dies. 17 - 20 1- ELISHA PROCLAIMS THE DIVINE JOY: “Then Elisha said, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria” (1) “At the gate of Samaria”; The markets were held at the gate of the city, to make it easy for those who enter or exit to purchase their needs. At the end of the last chapter, the messenger from the king, hearing the counsel of the prophet to the king, the leaders and all the people to repent and to return to God, responded by saying: “Surely, this calamity is from the Lord; Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” (6: 33); a response that carries no admonition, but rather despair. God longs to enter into a debate with us , and is ready to receive admonition from His believers; as it happened with our father Abraham, when God told him His intention to burn Sodom and Gomorrah; … With the righteous ‘Job’; … and with the blessed psalmist. But all those debated with God with the spirit of humility; while the king here, his messenger, and leaders did with a spirit of haughtiness together with despair. Even though, God’s response on the tongue of Elisha, came to carry a joyful hope; yet at the same time, it confirmed that the calamity was caused, not by God, but by their evil ways. 1- All what the king sought was to put an end to the siege, to have, together with his authorities the chance to put things back in order, which was expected to take a long time after so much devastation and desolation. The divine response came timely not just by the day, but even by the hour, saying: “Tomorrow about this time” 2- The solution was to come from the Lord complete and soon: An abundance of high quality flour, as well as of barley, will come to satisfy the needs of both men and beasts; and what remain will be sold very cheap. While, through a divine proclamation, the prophet perceived the prosperity that will dwell upon Samaria, the king’s entourage, on the other hand, did not believe his prophecy, and the divine proclamation. + You should be humble for your own sake, looking at how God has condescended for your sake, and not for His own sake. Confess your weakness, and lie before the Physician with perseverance. For, once you perceive His condescendence, you will rise together with Him; not that He raises Himself, being the Word; but rather through more perception by you. He would not increase; but when you progress, He will appear as though increased together with you; Look at the tree; it started its growth by sending its roots downwards to be able to grow up high; The more it hold fast in earth , the higher it can go up to heaven. … Will you exert much effort to grow, except through humility? …. Therefore, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love; … that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3: 17-19). (St. Augustine) + That man, filled with the Spirit of God, endured the reproach, and was not offended by those who dared; Threatening to kill him did not disturb him; he endured, responded to them, and brought them comfort; His might soul moved to perform a wonder; and raised his voice with an amazing prophecy Tomorrow security and satisfaction will dwell. Tomorrow the city will publicly open up its gates; Tomorrow those under siege in the city will come out of anguish; the hungry will be satisfied, and will forget all about the famine that tortured them; Tomorrow, all the people will find at the city gates, an abundance of grain sold cheap; The prophet uttered a divine proclamation, which was despised by the king’s entourage; They threatened to cut off his head because of the famine; and when he promised prosperity, they did not believe him. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) A great difference between the situation during the famine, and when it was over. During the famine, they desired to eat the donkey’s head, considered unclean by the statutes of God; yet they could not afford its high price. But once it was over, the seah of fine flour would be sold for a shekel; and there will be no one to buy; not for being unable to pay the price, but because of its abundance. They all robbed the enemy, ate, and filled their storehouses; and there was no point of purchasing more. …Look how great is God’s generosity in giving. 3- A KING’S OFFICER PROCLAIMS HIS DOUBT: Whoever believes in the God of the impossible, would take out of his dictionary the word “how?”; … He would never wonder: “How can one satisfy these people with bread in the wilderness?” (Mark 8: 4). “So an officer, on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, ‘Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be? And he said, ‘In fact you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it’” (2) The word “officer” originally came to mean the third man (Shaliyesh) in a military chariot, who used to carry a huge shield. But here, it means a deputy military leader (9: 25; 10: 25). Although the Lord offered such a great promise of salvation, yet the unbeliever did not enjoy practicing it; namely, did not partake of its blessings. The expression: “on whose hand the king leaned”, refers to that that officer was a counselors of the king; the way Naaman was to the king of Aram (5: 18) The city was under siege, and its inhabitants could have nothing from the outside; how could they have an abundance of fine flour and barley? Will God open windows in heaven? … The way to respond to such doubt by the king’s officer in what God proclaimed on the tongue of His prophet Elisha, seen by him as something impossible to happen, was to realize the impossible; to give all the people what to eat, while denying that king’s officer eating with them. In great grief, St (Mar) Ephraim writes about that king’s officer, saying: [He was a symbol of the fall of the people of Abraham, who saw by their own eyes “the bread coming down from heaven”, namely the Lord Christ; yet they were not worthy to enjoy the grace of our Lord and Savior, that was granted to those who sought it. + The mighty officer started to talk with a haughty spirit, far from faith; Unless windows are opened high up in heaven, what you say will never happen; The blessed prophet answered: You will see it happen by your own eyes, but you will not eat of the goods you see; And he could do as he said; for the words are his, while its execution is God’s; Both security and war were put upon his lips; to say a word, and to let it happen right away; He promised that there would be security, satisfaction, and a feast loaded with prosperity. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) What seemed against logic for the king’s officer, was that God who opened the windows of heaven in the days of Noah to bring down the great flood, is able to open them to bring down food for the people to eat Unfortunately, we often take a likewise position when we are so captivated by sins for a long time, to assume that it would be impossible for us to be saved and sanctified. … But, God who opened the gates of His love to save the people from famine, Would He not open them to save our souls from corruption, and to grant us an abundance of His grace?! …. Would He not present Himself: joy, heavenly food, spiritual drink, peace, and divine goods?! + Let us, while contemplating in what the gospels say in the light of those promises of goods; confirm that the goods proclaimed by the apostles in the gospels are simply: “Jesus Christ”. One of those goods they proclaim is “Resurrection”; But resurrection is “Jesus Christ”, who says: “I am the Resurrection”. Isaiah says: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news!” (Isaiah 52: 7). He sees how beautiful and befitting, is the proclamation of the apostles who walked (in Christ), who says: “I am the way”; ; he commends the feet of those who walk along the way thinking of Jesus Christ, and going through that door to God the “Father”…. (The scholar Origen) 3- FOUR LEPERS ACT WITH WISDOM: “Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate, and they said to one another, ‘Why are we sitting here until we die?” (3) The lepers were usually sent away to live out of the city at the gate (Leviticus 13: 4-6); Numbers 5: 2, 3), in a kind of a quarantine, not to be touched by anyone. The people of the city used to put food for them afar without coming in contact with them. But because of the famine that dwelt upon the city under siege, that food supply was completely cut off. As for the enemy, they were utterly disregarded and left out to their natural destiny, namely to die. In the ‘Gamara’, it came that those four lepers were Gehazi, the former servant of Elisha and his three sons. But God in His love, who uses all things for our edification; caused those who used to be a burden over the people, providing them with food for nothing good on their part, to be the way to joyful salvation. In His amazing goodness, God uses even the horrible disease, the anguish, and the devil himself to have us crowned. + When you go down to death, and the most devastating calamities dwell upon your head, do not despair; for God can find a way when it so seem there is none. + We are committed to submit to our Creator, and to accept with joy, and great pleasure what He decides; regardless of the appearances of events. And above everything else, God knows for sure what is for our benefit, and the ways to our salvation. (St. John Chrysostom) “If we say, ‘We will enter the city, the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall die’” (4) “And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there” (5) “For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses – the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, ‘Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us’” (6) The Aramites got terrified to hear the noise of the hosts of the Lord; assuming that it was the noise of several armies hired by the king of Israel, from the Hittites in particular. … The Assyrian documents referred to Palestine as the “land of the Hittites”. That noise, whether it was actually that of heavenly hosts, or an imaginary noise heard by the Aramites, has been through a divine plan. The kings of the Hittites: The Hittites at that time were in the region of Homs, Hamah, and Alippo; with their greatest base in Carchemish on the Euphrates; … Tripoli nowadays. The kings of the Egyptians: Because of their terror, the Aramites did not think with reason, that It was difficult for the Egyptians who were far away on one side, and the Hittites who were far away on the other side; to join forces to attack the Aramite army besieging Israel. . As the noise was too loud and close by; the Aramites counted that there is no time for them to gather together their tents and food; and on another aspects they thought that leaving their tents, all their possessions, and beasts of burde, would probably give the Israelites the wrong impression that the Aramites were still staying in their camp and are never far away. St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi, binding between what previously happened, when an army surrounded the mountain to arrest the prophet Elisha, were struck with blindness, and were led captives to Samaria, And when the enemy was disturbed by imaginary noise of a great army which was actually not there;… he saw that am awesome unseen heavenly camp was always accompanying Elisha the man of God, wherever he went.. + Intending to confirm His word, God defeated the Aramite with an amazing miracle. He let the enemy hear horrible noise that made them hasten to escape; The horses neighed, the weapons clang, and the armies cried out preparing to attack the Aramites; Noises were coming on all sides from the front and the rear, like that of the sea; as though there were forces coming from all directions; God let them hear terrifying noise, of weapons, horsemen, gnashing teeth, and curses by men; Such a camp was always surrounding Elisha wherever he went; Such were the horses and horsemen that surrounded him when the Aramites came to captivate him; God who once struck the Aramites with blindness, now let them hear imaginary terrifying noises; The Aramites assumed that the king of Israel hired armies from the Egyptians and the Hittites to fight against them; Here those hired forces, together with the Hebrews are on their way, … Who could confront them?! Let us escape right away, because they are close at hand!. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) “Now therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact – their tents, their horses, and their donkeys – and they fled for their lives” (7) While the Aramites enjoyed everything in abundance, the mothers were eating their own children in Samaria. But as God intervened, all the possessions of the Aramites became a banquet for those who were under siege. + The fear of death drove the Aramites away leaving back all their possessions; They forsook all their riches; for life is more precious than anything else in the world. The possessions are beloved until death is close by; when everything else is valueless; An hour of life is of more value than all treasures and gold of the earth; All what the Aramites had, they forsook when they thought that death has reached them; They fled away with their life, whoever took something, threw it away once he hears the disturbing noise; The noises were so overwhelming that gave the Aramites no chance to take anything from their camp; (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi). “And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it” (8) We hear sometimes of certain Aids victims, who bear some kind of envy or hate toward those who are healthy. … We hear of a woman who drew many to commit the sin with her, then sends each of them a card in which she wrote: [Congratulations! You are now a member of the Aids club]…….And I remember a young man in Los Angeles telling me that a certain victim of Aides, snatched the syringe from the hand of the nurse and with great fury, he struck her with it to give her the disease. …… Now we have four men inflicted with leprosy, the worst disease at the time, which denies man the right to live together with his family, but to be cast away to live outside the city altogether; and whenever someone comes near him, he would cry out ‘Unclean, unclean’. Those four men, though, did not bear any feeling of hate toward the society, but had such wide hearts to share their good fortune with others. 4- THEY LET THE OTHERS PARTAKE OF THEIR GOOD FORTUNE: “Then they said to one another, ‘We are not doing what is right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king’s household’” (9) It was not possible for those lepers, isolated away from the society, to enjoy the spoil of the enemy without letting the others know about such a divine work. …. They called every believer – whether a priest or a layman – to testify to the others about the work and gifts of God, so that all would enjoy what they do. …. It is befitting of us to sing together with them: “This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent” (9). … We should not wait until morning light, but should hasten in the darkness to preach the good news….. The lepers considered it an evil to keep silent and not to share their good fortune with the royal household. to be punished by God…. Their voice rebukes us if we are slothful to spread the word of salvation. Those men were so wise not to surrender to despair, but set forth to open the door of the spirit of hope before the whole people.. With love for their brethren they went and told the gatekeeper to convey the news to the king, so that all may enjoy what they did. The soul that experience the sweetness of life with the Lord Christ, and become satisfied, would never find comfort until it give the good news of the true joy to everyone, to practice and taste the sweetness of the eternal life in the Lord. + Even with their hateful outer appearance, those lepers, through the symbol, proclaim the good news to the inhabitants of their city, and shine inside by the splendor of the righteousness. They truly refer to the four saintly Evangelists, through whose books, the grace of our Savior, the Source of life, became known; and liberty to the whole mankind was proclaimed, according to the divine plan. They symbolize the saintly apostles at the beginning, who, despite their modest origin on the outside, their inside was adorned with righteousness, and by the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in them, their “old ma” changed and renewed; they put on a garment shining with the colors of heaven; and were sent to show the works of the hands of God. (St. (Mar) Ephraim the Syrian) “So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, saying, ‘We went to the Syrian camp, and surprisingly no one was there, not a human sound – only horses and donkeys tied, and the tents intact” (10) “And the gatekeepers called out, and they told it to the king’s household inside” (11) Here, St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) presents to us a magnificent portrait of the banquet offered by God to His people through the lepers, driven outside he walls: + How amazing is the ordinance of God!, when the good news came to the people through lepers; Who brought hope forth to the people under siege; and the good news were uttered by all mouths; The city under siege opened its gates, lighted its streets, and danced everywhere, when it foresaw security, satisfaction, and the joy of heart; The rich became richer; the poor and hungry became satisfied; and the gloomy countenance of the people shined with light; The hearts of the women who ate their beloved children opened up. And forgot hunger, once they anticipated the great satisfaction; The people under siege enjoyed the spoil, and the food they found in the Aramite camp; The people coming out from such a great anguish, enjoyed bread, wine, oil, and honey; The Aramite camp came to be like a banquet, where everyone got satisfied; All the spoil gathered together by the Aramites were brought forth into the city by the needy of Samaria; They ate and were satisfied, and what remained, they sold; They set a feast to which they invited the prophet Elisha. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) 5- THE KING DOUBTS THE NEWS: “Then the king arose in the night and said to his servants, ‘Let me now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city’” (12) By “his servants” here, he means the military leaders and counselors. When the Holy Book, talk about a wicked man, it does not disregard his good sides; and when it talks about a righteous man, it does not disregard his weaknesses. That king, despite his evil nature, yet his heart, being preoccupied with his people; arose in the night to partake of their suffering and bitterness, and to be committed to his responsibilities toward them…. Binding what he heard from the lepers to what happened in the old in the battle of Ai (Joshua 8: 3-19), king Jehoram assumed that the absence of the Aramites in their camp, might be because they were hiding according to a military plan against his city. Even though his way of thinking might seem somewhat logic, and not strange; on account of that there was nothing to make the enemy loosen the siege all of a sudden; yet it was befitting of him to bind what the lepers said to the prophecy previously uttered by the prophet Elisha about the good news to come. But instead, he assumed that the Aramites decided to hide somewhere, then, in case the inhabitants of the city come out, they would fall upon them like lightening and destroy them all. Such tricks of war were common in the old times.. “And one of his servants answered and said, ‘Please, let several men take five of the remaining horses which are left in the city. Look, they may either become like all the multitudes of Israel that are left in it; or indeed, I say, they may become like all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed; so let us send them and see’” (13) “Like all the multitude of all Israel”; As most of the horses died of hunger, and the remaining horses which are left were weak and frail; they could be a ransom for the whole people, in case they come out, and do not return. Anyway, sending those horses was not a big deal, for, if they remained in Samaria they would certainly die of hunger; and if they are set forth to the Aramite camping around Samaria they would probably die as well. The text in our hands (the Hebrew version) refers to some kind of sacrifice of five horses to find out the truth; while in the Septuagint version, those five horses were all what remained in Samaria, after all the other horses died of hunger, or slain for consumption by the hungry people of Samaria. “Therefore they took two chariots with horses, and the king set them in the direction of the Syrian army, saying, ‘Go and see’” (14) According to the plan, two chariots, each with two horses, and a horseman on the fifth horse preceded the procession to discover the way, then, in case of emergency, would hasten to return to report what happened. “And they went after them to the Jordan; and indeed all the road was full of garments and weapons which the Syrians have thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned and told the king” (15) He came back to report that the road was covered with garments and weapons which the Syrians have thrown away in their haste. The Aramites most probably escaped through the major way between Samaria and Damascus through Geba En-Gannim, Bet-shean, and Afik; which crosses over the Jordan at Mejamia, 35 miles North-east of Samaria. The discarded garments and weapons, refer to that even those who cared to carry few possessions, have thrown them away because of the terror that dwelt on them, and their haste to escape, never to think of coming back. 6- GOD OPENS WINDOWS IN HEAVEN: “Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord” (16). “Heaven and earth will pass away, but (the words of God) will by no means pass away”(Matthew 24: 35; 1 Corinthians 1: 9; 1 Thessalonians 5: 24; 1 Peter 1: 25) 7- THE KING’S OFFICER WHO PROCLAIMED HIS DOUBT, DIES: “Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him” (17) “So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, ‘Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be sold tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria” (18) “Then that officer had answered the man of God, and said, ‘Now look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?’. And he had said, ‘In fact you shall see it with your eyes, but shall not eat of it’” (19) Repeating the talk about the death of the king’s officer, proclaims the realization of Elisha’s prophecy. He was not treaded upon by the hungry people by intention, but as a result of the stampede, when they rushed to look for food. The mighty man was denied to enjoy the goods enjoyed by all the people, because of his doubt in the word of the Lord on the mouth of His prophet Elisha; His lack of faith denied him of the divine gifts that came in abundance, as though from open windows in heaven over the whole city. + The market was opened, and the prices of the goods were according to what the prophet proclaimed the day before; The words of Elisha, the mighty man, full of conquests, were realized; and security and great satisfaction came as promised; He satisfied the hungry, and defeated those outside with terror; His word shined, and the prophecy restored its honor; because the Lord consummated what He promised with abundance; The other mighty man – the king’s officer – who doubted the words of the godly man, concerning the promised satisfaction; Saw by his own eyes, but did not taste what he saw, as prophesied; He was treaded upon by the multitude, and fell down in disgrace; Even though many weak and old have gone forth to gather spoil from the Aramite camp; None of them died the same way the king’s officer who doubted did; Blessed be to Him who granted Elisha the treasures and riches of prophecies. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) “And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate and he died” (20) The prophecy of the prophet Elisha was literally realized, in a way not expected by anyone. -------------------------------- AN INSPIRATION FROM 2 KINGS 7 OPEN UP, O GOD, I PRAY THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN + Who can fulfill all our needs but You; If the earth closes her resources; If we are surrounded by affliction on all sides; You open up the windows of heaven to pour Your blessings on us; You give us more than what we ask and seek; You give us what may seem impossible; and grant us beyond what we imagine. + The king’s officer did not believe Your generous promises; He challenged Your prophet, and counted his words as utter nonsense; But Your promises were fulfilled; and were not enjoyed by that officer; The windows in heaven were opened up; but were not enjoyed by him with a closed up mind; By his denying heart, he denied his body of enjoying the divine blessings; And his soul lost the peace of God, and the joy of the Spirit. + The city gates were shut before the lepers; Those who were despised by everyone; They had no more food to be offered to them, even the littlest little. + The windows of heaven were opened before everyone; And those despised lepers were the first to enjoy that abundance, even before their healthy brethren; They ate, became satisfied, and carried gold and garments; Having the windows of heaven opened before them, They opened the windows of their hearts before their brethren; They gave the good news to the king, the elites, as well as to the poor; They came to become symbols of the four Evangelists; Those who presented to the nations and the peoples, the heavenly Christ, as food and drink; + Open up, O Lord, my inner windows with love; I shall find no comfort until everyone enjoy You; Until all enjoy the bread of life and the water of the Spirit; Until they are satisfied, their thirst quenched; and come to be the paradise of God; Setting Your Kingdom in them, they will be filled with joy; Glory be to You, O who bring joy to the hearts of all.
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