An ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.Although those units don't make sense to us today, the subsequent verses illustrate that the economic suffering had become so severe that people began resorting to cannibalism!
But then, in 2 Kings 7:1 (KJV), Elisha delivers a message from God that relief was on the way,
Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel.Again, the units don't make sense to modern ears, but those decreases in prices must have been substantial, even hard to believe. In response, one of the Kings helpers responds with doubt (verse 2, KJV),
Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?The remainder of the chapter indicates that, not only did God bring relief from the great famine, but the King's helper died as a result of his skepticism.
The King's helper's sin was three-fold:
1) He doubted the power of God.
2) He doubted God's creativity, in that God can solve problems in ways we don't expect.
3) He doubted Elisha, who already had a demonstrated record of reliability in speaking for God.
Of course, we commit those same sins every day. Let us not doubt God's power, God's creativity, or God's messages delivered in a variety of ways.
