4 lepers deliver Israel and Elisha continues his ministry
Elisha’s amazing life and ministry continue. Often the Lord’s strength is shown in weakness, nothing better displays that than in the triumph of the 4 lepers. Be blessed.
2 Kings 7: Elisha Promises Food
1 But Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria."
2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, "If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" But he said, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it."
The Syrians Flee
3 Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die?
4 If we say, 'Let us enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die."
5 So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there.
6 For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, "Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us."
7 So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives.
8 And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them.
9 Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king's household."
10 So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city and told them, "We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied and the donkeys tied and the tents as they were."
11 Then the gatekeepers called out, and it was told within the king's household.
12 And the king rose in the night and said to his servants, "I will tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, 'When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.'"
13 And one of his servants said, "Let some men take five of the remaining horses, seeing that those who are left here will fare like the whole multitude of Israel who have already perished. Let us send and see."
14 So they took two horsemen, and the king sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying, "Go and see."
15 So they went after them as far as the Jordan, and behold, all the way was littered with garments and equipment that the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king.
16 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.
17 Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trampled him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said when the king came down to him.
18 For when the man of God had said to the king, "Two seahs of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,"
19 the captain had answered the man of God, "If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?" And he had said, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it."
20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate and he died.
2 Kings 8: The Shunammite's Land Restored
1 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, "Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years."
2 So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.
3 And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land.
4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, "Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done."
5 And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, "My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life."
6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, "Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now."
Hazael Murders Ben-hadad
7 Now Elisha came to Damascus. Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. And when it was told him, "The man of God has come here,"
8 the king said to Hazael, "Take a present with you and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, saying, 'Shall I recover from this sickness?'"
9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, all kinds of goods of Damascus, forty camel loads. When he came and stood before him, he said, "Your son Ben-hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, 'Shall I recover from this sickness?'"
10 And Elisha said to him, "Go, say to him, 'You shall certainly recover,' but the LORD has shown me that he shall certainly die."
11 And he fixed his gaze and stared at him, until he was embarrassed. And the man of God wept.
12 And Hazael said, "Why does my lord weep?" He answered, "Because I know the evil that you will do to the people of Israel. You will set on fire their fortresses, and you will kill their young men with the sword and dash in pieces their little ones and rip open their pregnant women."
13 And Hazael said, "What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you are to be king over Syria."
14 Then he departed from Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, "What did Elisha say to you?" And he answered, "He told me that you would certainly recover."
15 But the next day he took the bed cloth and dipped it in water and spread it over his face, till he died. And Hazael became king in his place.
Jehoram Reigns in Judah
16 In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign.
17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.
19 Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David his servant, since he promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.
20 In his days Edom revolted from the rule of Judah and set up a king of their own.
21 Then Joram passed over to Zair with all his chariots and rose by night, and he and his chariot commanders struck the Edomites who had surrounded him, but his army fled home.
22 So Edom revolted from the rule of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.
23 Now the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
24 So Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
Ahaziah Reigns in Judah
25 In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began to reign.
26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah; she was a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.
27 He also walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was son-in-law to the house of Ahab.
28 He went with Joram the son of Ahab to make war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram.
29 And King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
Things to think about…
1. These 4 lepers realised they had nothing to lose 2 Kings 7:3-5. What they didn’t realise was that their feeble effort would be used to bring about a mighty deliverance for Israel. Have you ever attempted something because you were in a similar position and had nothing to lose? When this is combined with faith our God shows us that in our weakness His strength is shown. God can allow deliverance to happen through the weakest vessels.
2. The Lord causes a sound, 2 Kings 7:6. It’s interesting that the Israelites didn’t hear it, only the Syrians. God gets more glory when there is a mighty deliverance for His people. Perhaps you have been going through something recently (or perhaps still going through it) that is more than you can bare. Be encouraged your Deliverer is near. He is about to show you His exceeding and abundant blessing of grace and provision. Be patient as you wait for His perfect plan.
3. Consider the situation of this captain, 2 Kings 7:1,2 and vss 16-20. The judgement on him seems a little harsh don’t you think? Surely he was only expressing what everyone else was thinking and yet Elisha’s prophecy for him is that he would lose his life. Even though this man may have been speaking the truth, he was speaking against the word of the Lord, vs 1. This is where the seriousness of the situation comes into focus. Man’s words can be rejected, but God’s words are linked with His character which is ‘Truth’. Anyone who speaks against His word speaks against Him. As the Lord Jesus says, ‘For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished’ Mt 5:18. Praise God for His Word! Ask the Lord to continue to give you a desire to read, study and apply the Word of God into your life. We are in a spiritual battle and sin and Satan are ready to make the Word have no influence or power in your life. Pray this will not occur, but that your love for Christ and His Word will only increase.
4. In 2 Kings 8:1-6 we see the reappearance of the Shunnemite woman and her son as well as Elisha’s servant Gehazi. Gehazi would have still had leprosy, but is perhaps in a more repentant and humble frame as he shares what the Lord had done through the ministry of Elisha. The Lord’s timing is perfect. Not only was this woman looked after in the drought, but also through His providence was granted the land and all its proceeds from the last seven years by the king. Why did the Lord smile upon her? Because she cared for the Lord’s servant and regarded His word. This is almost a copy of what happened in the ministry of Elijah and the woman and son who were delivered from famine and death. Jesus speaks of Elijah and Elisha’s ministries when He rebuked those in His home town of Nazareth in Luke 4:25-27. God has mercy on the Jew as well as the Gentile.
5. Hazael’s character in 2 Kings 8:7-15 is shown to Elisha and that brings the prophet to the point of tears. This man will cruelly attack Israel. Hazael of course does not believe it, but when he returns home he murders his master and becomes the king. The rest as they say is history. Did Elisha put the idea into his head? Did Hazael have a choice? Hazael was no doubt already considering things in his own heart. Elisha just proclaimed what was already in there. This ancient conflict between Syria and Israel is still being played out today. When Christ is accepted as the Saviour then there can be lasting peace. Pray not only for the peace of Jerusalem, but also for Damascus.
6. We see the Lord’s judgement getting closer for Israel’s wicked regime under king Ahab, 2 Kings 8:16-29. The way we raise our children whether we are kings are paupers affects the future generations as to whether they honour the Lord or not. There is a real need in our day for parents to introduce their children to the character and power of Christ when they are young. This was an unwise decision by Jehoshaphat; he allowed his sons to marry the daughters of Ahab, who were themselves daughters of Jezebel. What fellowship has light with darkness. Absolutely none. Pray that your children and grandchildren know Christ and that their choice of a spouse is in line with their faith in Him.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Sermon title was “talk about demons” - from Matt 24
1. Jesus says the temple will be torn down and is asked by His disciples 3 questions. 1. When will the temple be torn down? 2. What will be the sign of your return? 3. When will the close of the age happen? Mt 24:3. When did the first occur?
2. What does the “abomination that causes desolation” mean? How do we know this was this not fulfilled in AD70?? How will it be fulfilled? Discuss.
3. A number of things will occur before Christ returns, what are they as listed in Matt 24? Are they occurring in our world?
4. There have been many false prophets. Jay mentioned Harold Camping who prophesied the end of the world a couple of times and was embarrassed each time. We know people get complacent about the Lord’s return. Discuss how you talk about Jesus and who you can share the gospel with this week.
Prayer Points
1. Growth in our kids and youth ministries
2. The Chuwar carols – pray as we put the event together
3. Pray for testimonies that people will be doing every second week. Please consider when you would like to do yours when the pastor asks you to share yours.
4. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
5. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points.
1. A man who has joined CBC recently, Nathan is wanting to be a child of God.
2. Combined worship service at Riverlife – lots of young people engaging with our Lord.
3. Worship team and technical team. Thankyou Suzy, Zac, Gina, Dan H and Rin. You made Sundays praise enjoyable.
