Benhadad was the king of Syria who besieged Samaria. He did not waste the blood of his soldiers by attacking the city. Instead, he blocked any potential supplies that could come into the city causing an extensive and desperate famine for the inhabitants. Just a morsel of food required a heavy price behind the walls.
The king of Israel rode his chariot on the top of the wall where he heard the cry of a woman begging for help. Rightfully so, he reminded the woman that her help must come from God. Even so, he was willing to hear her story that became repulsive and gruesome in all of its nature. In our text she explained how another woman persuaded her to commit acts of cannibalism saying they would cook and eat their sons.
The first woman cooperated with the plan, so they actually ate her child! Then when it came the next day to eat the other son, the second woman hid him. This was the cause of the woman crying out to the king wanting justice. Matters were so desperate that under the King’s clothing he wore sackcloth which in those days was an expression of mourning. We can look at the circumstance with true repulsion. In doing so, let us realize that Satan in a similar way lies to anyone who will be gullible to his temptations whether it be alcohol, sex, money, position. etc.
The king was right in telling the woman to rely on God. This is a reminder of the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples which included asking God for our daily bread. All that we have, all that sustains us is from the Lord. What a contrast this prayer is that Jesus taught opposite of the desperate measures taken by the women. We serve a kind and loving God.
Look at the woman’s complaint. She was willing to sink to cannibalism of her own child without hesitation. Satan does the same thing. He tempts us in such a way that what is put before us seems to be the best and only alternative. He offers a way of life that is contrary to what God offers. He will always break his bargains. Satan will always lie and deceive us. Satan never has our best interest at heart.
Circumstances of the deal that the woman struck are so much like the characteristics of evil. Satan will play on us when we are gullible. Anything he has to offer is degenerate in its form. The woman called out for justice but there is no justice when evil is offered and done. There is no remedy for the harm that Satan already accomplished against us.
The basis of this woman’s complaint was that she was cheated. She willingly gave up the life of her own child so that she and the other woman could consume his flesh. The other woman held back or hid her son. Satan always has something that he is holding behind his back. He will always fail to fulfill any supposed bargain that we believe is available to us whether it is to enjoy the benefits of sin or newly created false blessings.
We don’t necessarily have to be desperate to fall to temptation. In fact, Satan knows our weakest points. He knows what to throw out to each of us separately that would be appealing for us to sin. He is the deceiver. He is the liar. He is the manipulator. He behaves similar to the second woman who hid her son. We can never allow ourselves to be duped by his charms. He only has our defeat in mind. Nothing good can ever come from when we fall to his temptations. The first woman was just as hungry the second third fourth and fifth day after she committed cannibalism of her child as she was before she ever killed him. Whatever Satan offers us will never be satisfying to our longings.
Christian Writer 