FAVORITE BIBLE STORIES - II KINGS 7

About 800 years before the birth of Christ, the people of God were divided into two countries: Israel [Samaria] to the north, and Judah to the south. These separate kingdoms were at times on friendly relations, but usually were oppositional.

Around this time, Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered his whole army and surrounded and attacked Samaria. [II Kings 6:24  -  All quotes from the NCV unless otherwise marked.]

This siege was extremely effective and created a very serious shortage of food in Samaria. The situation was desperate! Finally, in dire frustration, the king sent messengers to Elisha the prophet with the intention of killing the prophet. However, upon their arrival, Elisha told them that within twenty-four hours food prices and supply in Samaria – which had become horribly inflated – would completely normalize! 

Then the officer who was close to the king answered Elisha, “Even if the LORD opened windows in the sky, that couldn’t happen.” Elisha responded, “You will see it with your own eyes…” [II Kings 7:2]

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Meanwhile, outside the city gates there were four lepers who were despairing in the realization that they were soon going to die of starvation.  In futility they reasoned that if they stayed where they were, they would surely die. Furthermore, if they went inside the city, there was no food there so they would also die. Then, it finally dawned on them that their best option was to go to the surrounding Aramean army and beg for help. It was likely that they’d die as a result of this action, but they held a hope that perhaps the Arameans would take pity on them and feed them.

Off they went. When they arrived at the Aramean camp, they found it completely deserted!

The Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a large army. They had said to each other, “The king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” So they got up and ran away in the twilight, leaving their tents, horses, and donkeys. They left the camp standing and ran for their lives. [vs.6-7]

When the men with the skin disease came to the edge of the camp, they went into one of the tents and ate and drank. They carried silver, gold, and clothes out of the camp and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent. They carried things from this tent and hid them, also. [v.8]

But then something unexpected happened to these four men!

They realized that what they were doing was wrong.

“We’re doing wrong. Today we have good news, but we are silent. If we wait until the sun comes up, we’ll be discovered. Let’s go right now and tell the people in the king’s palace.”

So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city. They said, “We went to the Aramean camp, but no one is there; we didn’t hear anyone. The horses and donkeys were still tied up, and the tents were still standing.” Then the gatekeepers shouted out and told the people in the palace. [vs.9-11]

After the king of Samaria sent out messengers to insure that this was not a trap, the people flooded through the gates and raided the Aramean camp of all its goods – including livestock!  Within twenty-four hours – just as Elisha had forecast – the prices of goods in Samaria had completely normalized!

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Is your conscience alive and well? Do you still hear the voice of God whispering to you? Does your sense of right and wrong still serve as a guideline in your life?

If we obediently respond to God’s voice, then we will continually be open to hearing from Him!

However, when we begin to ignore His voice, it becomes habitual for us and soon we simply no longer hear His messages of correction! This is a terribly bad place for us to be! We have set our feet on the path to depravity!

Miriam/Webster’s definition of depravity: “the quality or state of being corrupt, evil, or perverted.” We could add the impact of becoming spiritually and morally lost. This is NOT a path that we want to put our feet on!

Like the four lepers, we want to be open to hear God’s voice! We want to train ourselves to be soft in God’s hands so that He can mold and shape us according to His desires!

We can rejoice in this ancient story of deliverance while marveling that God used the least likely four men to bring ‘good news’ to the people of Samaria! 

DON’T YOU DARE THINK THAT GOD CAN’T USE YOU!

He absolutely can – AND WILL, IF YOU LET HIM!