This is one of those things that makes one go “Haba! Na wa o!” because you know it’s almost unthinkable. How can a mother kill her own son to eat? But it happened! When I read the story of this woman again, I learnt a new lesson which I will like to share with you. So, here goes:
“And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.
So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.
2Kings 6:28-29(KJV)
If I were to conduct a vox pop asking for adjectives to describe this woman, I know I will get words like “foolish, stupid, disaffectionate and even wicked”. We all condemn this woman who felt she had no other means of survival other than killing her son for food but how many times have also taken drastic actions that we always regret later in desperate situations.
My dear friend, desperate situations do not always call for desperate measures. The eye-opening part of this story is the fact that by the next day after she reported the matter to the king, the famine was over. The Bible says:
“Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; 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, in the gate of Samaria.”
2 Kings 7:1
So, while the sons of other women carried in the flour and barley from the loot of their enemies, she sat in ashes cursing herself for eating her own son!
It cannot be overstated that instant gratification always damages the future. Ask Esau who chose pottage over his birthright and he will give you a hang of the gist.
The woman who ate her son lost it all. You cannot eat your cake and have it too! So, before you become a “son-chopping” mother, you gotta think twice!
Have a beautiful weekend!
