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I'll Buy That for a Shekel

You think our economy is bad? You should try paying five shekels for a bowl of field greens. (Pause for dramatic gasp) Wait, you didn't gasp? Perhaps it would help if you knew how much a shekel was worth. Without going into much detail, the shekel was a measurement of weight in gold, so even a conservative comparison would be that one shekel was worth $400. So, do the math, and we find that people were paying the equivalent of $2,000 for a bowl of field greens. (Ok, now pause for dramatic gasp.)

These prices were found in 2 Kings 6:25. Apparently there was a bad famine going on. How bad was it? It was so bad that women were eating their children. Now, my wife has threatened to eat our children if they don't start behaving, but it's never been because there was a lack of food. But that's what happened in 2 Kings 6:26-29.

How crazy hungry do you have to be that you look at one of your children and think to yourself, 'I bet he'd taste alright.' And how crazy is it that, upon hearing this story, the king blames God and threatens to kill Elisha the prophet?

I believe this to be an issue of our character being revealed in times of great difficulty. When food was scarce and women were eating their kids, the king blames God and shows no sign of trust. When the famine ends, we stop hearing about the king.

Who do you look to in times of trouble? Better yet, what do you say when you find who you're looking for? It's one thing to look to God, it's another to praise Him in times of need. If you're a little low today, just hold on to that shekel. It just might be worth more tomorrow.
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