RUINS OF SAMARIA
Samaria was splendidly situated to resist assault. On a hill 300 to 400 feet above the broad fertile valley, its battlements were beyond bowshot of archers who might be stationed on near-by hills, and on no side could catapults or towers be advanced. But the best situated fortress may be starved out, and Samaria was in terrible distress when one of those blind, unreasoning panics fell upon Ben-hadad's army, and it fled away in the night with the city almost in its power.
And the people went out, and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. And the king appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trampled upon him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. And it came to pass, as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, "Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to-morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria"; and that captain answered the man of God, and said, "Now, behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?" and he said, "Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof": it came to pass even so upon him; for the people trampled upon him in the gate, and he died.
How Elisha Anointed a New King in Israel, and How a Terrible Fate Overtook the Wicked House of Ahab.
(Ahab the wicked king died, but his son Joram, who was just as wicked as his father, reigned in his stead, and he was helped on in his wicked deeds by the wicked old queen mother Jezebel. But no matter how prosperous and powerful evil men may be, there always comes a time of retribution. Vengeance was now following fast on the footsteps of the wicked members of the house of Ahab. King Joram lay dying of a wound he had received in battle. Elisha saw that the time had come. He anointed privately as king, Jehu, a brave, headstrong young general of the army. Jehu did not wait for Joram to die, but made a bold dash for the throne. This story tells of the wild ride he took (we say, "he drives like Jehu," to the present day), of the way in which he beat down all obstacles in his path, and of the terrible fate which came to the house of Ahab.)
And Elisha the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets, and said unto him, "Gird up thy loins, and take this vial of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber. Then take the vial of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, 'Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel.' Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not."
So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, "I have an errand to thee, O captain."