Today’s lesson comes from 2 Kings 7: 1-11; 16,17. In both last Sunday’s lesson and this Sunday’s, Jehoram is the king of Israel. Israel’s capital is Samaria. Today we find the king and his people surrounded in the capital by the armies of Syria. The capital of Syria was Damascus.
Elisha declares that the siege will end, and that food will be readily available. However, the king’s right hand man is skeptical and sarcastic. The second portion of the lesson recounts one of the marvelous ways that God intervened to give the victory. The closing section reveals how God’s word was fulfilled. The positive aspect was the provisions provided for the people. The negative aspect was the death of the skeptic. What God has stated will always come to pass. His promises are true.
The first section is “A Prophet Declares.” vv. 1,2 the famine had become so severe that a mule’s head sold for 80 pieces of silver, a very high price. Remember the mule was unclean and it’s flesh was not allowed to be used for food. Things were so bad that women were eating their own children. Since Elisha had encouraged the king to resist Syria, he was so angry at Elisha that he sent a messenger to kill him. With this backdrop, Elisha proclaims that tomorrow relief would be coming. The king’s chief officer spoke in mockery stating that even if God opened the windows of heaven, there would not be the abundance Elisha spoke of.
The second section is “The Leper’s Discover.” vv. 3-10 There were four leper’s outside the gate. They were starving. They thought, if we stay here, we will certainly starve to death. So they decided to try the Syrian hosts to see if they would give them food. The Syrians could do no more than kill them, and to remain where they were meant death. In the meantime, God had sent an invisible army that made a sound of a great marching host. The Syrians ran for their lives and left all their provisions. Food was in abundance just as Elisha had said. The leper’s went back to the city to share the good news. God can supply all our needs, often in ways that are the most unthought of. God has a thousand ways to help us in our time of need.
The third section is “The King Directs.” vv. 11-15 The king is suspicious. He thinks the Syrians have withdrawn to set a trap to take the city. The king was advised to let a small attachment go and investigate the matter. It sometimes pays us to investigate some of the enemy’s tricks, especially when he tries some new trick or scheme on us. The attachment follows the Syrians to the Jordan. They found evidence all along the route that the Syrians had actually fled and abandoned their provisions. The point is that patient waiting on God finds its reward at last, but unbelief inherits no promise.
The fourth section is “A Skeptic Dies.” vv. 16,17 When the scouting party returned with the good news, the whole populace rushed out to plunder the Syrian camp. The prophetic words of Elisha were fulfilled in the most public manner, in such a way that it arrested the attention of all the people. The skeptic officer was placed in charge of the gate. A customs tax was placed on everything that came into the city. There was such a crowd and such a rush for food, that the people ran over the skeptic officer and he died, just as Elisha had predicted. God’s word never fails. Every word, both promise and threat, will be fulfilled to the utmost. We have the complete Word of God to guide our lives and we should have complete confidence that what the Word says, will come to pass.
The Golden Text is: “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27 No matter what life issues you or a loved one are facing, we have the promises of the Holy Bible to guide us through. I often wonder why so few Christians really study the Word. If only we could see the power contained in that Holy Book. Begin a lifestyle of diligently studying God’s Word.
My summary points:
1. We can trust that the Word of the Lord will come to pass.
2. Providence will supply all our needs, sometimes in unforeseen ways.
3. Things impossible with man are possible with God.
Next week, “The Temple Repaired.” 2 Chronicles 24:4-14
Please read the Sunday School Beacon for inspiration and encouragement.
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