Second Kings 7:3

The Bible says in Second Kings 7:3-8, “And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?[4] If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.[5] And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.[6] For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.[7] Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.[8] And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.” This is really an interesting story. The lepers were outcasts, but the fact that they were outcasts is what led to their great discovery. They had three choices: 1. Stay where they were and die. 2. Go into the city of Samaria and die. 3. Go into the camp of the Syrian army, and they might die there too, but they at least have a chance of survival. Then they discovered that God had chased the Syrian army away by putting fear in their hearts. And the army left in such haste that they left all their supplies behind. God is in charge of all people and all things. When He wants to deliver someone, He delivers them. God not only delivered the lepers, but he delivered the whole city of Samaria.

The Bible says in Second Kings 7:9-16, “Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.[10] So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.[11] And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.[12] And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.[13] And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.[14] They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.[15] And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.[16] And the people went out, and spoiled the tents 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.” The last verse says it all: things happened just as God said it would happen. The Word of God is true. God knows the future.

The Bible says in Second Kings 7:17-20, “And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.[18] 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:[19] And that lord 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.[20] And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.” These verses remind us of an important truth: do not question the Word of God. His Word is true. Every prophecy shall come to pass. Beware. It says in Revelation 22:18-19, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:[19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” If you are saved, it comes automatically to believe the Word of God is true. If you do not believe it, you have a serious spiritual issue that needs to get resolved in your heart and mind.

The Bible says in Second Kings 8:1-6, “Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.[2] And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.[3] And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.[4] And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.[5] And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.[6] And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.” The Shunamite woman is at the central part of the story once again. God really used this woman. God has a plan for everyone. There were miracles done in her life. And there were also the kinds of things that happen to all of us. She just happened to go to the king just at the time that Elisha’s servant was there telling the king stories about miracles seen in Elisha’s ministry. When you know God and follow Jesus, there are no coincidences in your life. God is in charge, and He is guiding every step you take and when you take it. What a marvelous God we serve.

The Bible says in Second Kings 8:7-15, “And Elisha came to Damascus; and Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.[8] And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?[9] So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben-hadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?[10] And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.[11] And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.[12] And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.[13] And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.[14] So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.[15] And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.” Once again the Lord revealed to Elisha what was going to happen: Benhadad would recover from his sickness, but he would die anyway. He would die because Hazael would kill him. Evidently Hazael was a cruel and violent man, and Elisha knew that Hazael would slaughter women and children in Israel once Hazael was in power, and that is why Elisha wept. We should weep for souls because of the terrible destiny that awaits them unless they come to know Jesus as Savior.

The Bible says in Second Kings 8:16-19, “And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.[17] Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.[18] And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.[19] Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give him alway a light, and to his children.” Jehoram became an evil king of Judah. Why was that? We are given a clue in verse eighteen that says that “the daughter of Ahab was his wife.” Undoubtedly, she learned evil ways from her father, Ahab, and she influenced her husband in the way of false worship. Now Judah has an evil king who is just like the kings of Israel. God will destroy the northern kingdom, but why did not God destroy Judah in the same way? Verse nineteen tells us: because of David and because of the promise that God made to David. God always keeps His promises. That is a wonderful truth for us. God is merciful. He promises us to give us mercy through Christ. We can be certain of this mercy, just like Judah. Take advantage of it, believe it, and enjoy it.

The Bible says in Second Kings 8:20-29, “In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.[21] So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.[22] Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.[23] And 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] And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.[25] In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.[26] Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.[27] And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the son in law of the house of Ahab.[28] And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramoth-gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.[29] And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which 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.” We see a common pattern that whenever someone had a close association with King Ahab, that person followed the wickedness of Ahab. Ahaziah was wicked because “he was the son in law of the house of Ahab.” Be very careful what company you keep. You can be corrupted by the influence that others have upon you. It says in Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

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