# Day 147

# The Rush for the Syrians’ Food

2 Kings 7:12–20

The king of Israel heard the news about the Syrian camp. But he thought it was a trap. “If we come out of the city they’ll capture us,” he thought. So he sent two men out on horseback. They followed the road all the way to the Jordan River. It was littered with clothes and weapons thrown off by the fleeing army.

When the news came to Samaria, everyone rushed to the gate. They waited there for food from the Syrian camp. When it came, there was more than enough for all the people. The food was sold cheaply just as Elisha said it would be.

The king chose the scoffing nobleman to supervise at the gate. He had laughed at Elisha: “Only if food rains from heaven.”

“You’ll see it with your eyes, but you won’t eat any,” the prophet had answered. At the gate, the nobleman saw that Elisha was right. Many people were starving. They rushed to get the food. But the nobleman ate none of it. He was knocked to the ground by the crowd and crushed to death.

Questions: Who was chosen to supervise at the gate? What happened to the scoffing nobleman?