CROWNED | 2 Kings Chapter 7
- Jul 16
- 5 min read
Week 6 / Day 29
Written by Pastor Ron Barnard
READ
Take a moment to read 2 Kings 7 and then come back here for the day's devotional thought and reflection questions.
INTRODUCTION
One of the few television programs that I watch is Boston Blue. At the end of every season, the last show usually ends with a “cliffhanger”,
a suspense-filled story that does not end, but keeps the viewers connected to the next season. It sends the message that the story isn’t over. There is more to come. Stay tuned…That’s what happens at the
end of chapter 6.
The people of Israel are trapped, surrounded, and cut off by a foreign army, literally starving to death. The chapter is full of horrible stories about human suffering. Desperation turns into hopelessness as food supplies dry up, and people resort to barbaric means to simply stay alive. The account of four lepers, which we are told about in verse three, shows what may have been happening inside the city. No food meant no energy, no stamina, and diminished physical strength. While some people were doing horrible things, others were doing nothing, just waiting for death to come. The king (who probably still had food to eat) wasn’t hopeless; he was ANGRY! He did what most people do in desperate times…he BLAMED GOD, and decided to take it out on God’s messenger, Elisha. Instead of accepting responsibility for the sinful choices that his father, King Ahab, had led the nation to make and humbly asking for God’s forgiveness and mercy, he was ready to quit trusting God.
So, 2 Kings 6 ends with a question. God caused all of this. Why should we believe in Him? Why should we follow Him?
Chapter seven begins with an answer…from God Himself. Verse 1 says, “Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the Lord; thus says the Lord, ‘Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’” From astronomical prices for food, to dirt cheap prices, in just 24 hours. Unbelievable! That’s exactly what the king’s “right hand man”, says to Elisha. His unbelief would lead to his demise. Elisha told him, (vs 2) “You will see it with your eyes, but you will not eat of it”.
What’s really unbelievable is HOW God does it…. in just 24 hours!
First, He starts with an entire army hearing things in the night…not just noises, but the sound of chariots and horses, the sound of a great army. One soldier tells another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us.” The rumor spreads like wildfire throughout the camp. Battle-hardened soldiers panic, and they begin to run for their lives, throwing off clothes and weapons as they flee. It isn’t the first time that God causes panic and fear to grip an entire army. In the story of Gideon in Judges 7, the Midianite army is so afraid, they begin to attack and kill one another.
The SECOND thing God does is use desperate and defenseless people to accomplish His Will. God is going to use four men, in really desperate circumstances, with impossible odds, to save an entire city. These four men become the main focus of the chapter.
Who are they? They are four lepers, outside of the city walls, who are also slowly dying. They are starving, but they also have leprosy, which will eventually kill them. They ALREADY have a death sentence. As they consider their options, they decide that “death by sword” may be the best option, because there is a possibility that the Syrians will just give them some food and let them live....After all, leprosy was contagious, and who wants THAT possibility on your sword, or your clothes???
Bottom line…they have nothing to lose. They tell each other in verse 4… “Now therefore come, and let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they spare us, we will live; and if they kill us, we will but die.” Instead of allowing their desperation to lead them to give up, they chose to HOPE in the possibility of living. They had no idea that God was USING them to deliver the entire city.
Is it possible that God is using you and a difficult or impossible situation to accomplish His Purpose?
When they get to the army camp, nobody is there. The soldiers have
fled. So, the four men partied. They ate, drank, and then took as much silver, gold, and clothing as they could carry, and hid it. In fact, they made two trips. They were set! But there was a problem. God was depending on them sharing the good news with a hopeless city. Verse.
Nine says… “Then they said to one another. “We are not doing right. This day is a day of Good News, and WE REMAIN SILENT.”
Those are powerful words that can be applied to every Christian.
Fortunately, the chapter doesn’t end with four men who do what is good for them. They go back to the city and share the news. The king reluctantly sends men on the last five surviving horses in the entire city, to confirm the story. And chapter 7 ends the way that God said it would - Food and deliverance for everyone, except for the unbelieving servant of the king.
So, how can we apply this chapter to our individual lives?
1. God uses desperate people to carry out His purpose. People who DON’T have any answers or solutions outside of His power and provision.
2. In desperate times, we have two choices.
From a human perspective, it’s quit or keep going. Give up or find a reason to keep moving forward.
For people of Faith, there is a spiritual perspective…BLAME God for our situation or TRUST God to get us through the situation.
3. Desperate situations are great opportunities for God to show up.
4. Share it!
When you are going through difficult times, let others know about it! Don’t try to figure things out by yourself.
When God PROVIDES an answer or a way out of the situation…
share it with others. It will help
The leper's willingness to share helped other desperate, starving people.
God wants us to share our Good News with people who are living in desperate and hopeless situations.
RESPOND
Ask yourself:
With those final key thoughts in mind, take a moment to answer the following questions.
1. How has my difficult or desperate situation caused me to respond to God? Am I angry with God?
Do I blame Him for my situation? Or has the situation humbled me and caused me to trust Him
more?
2. Have you considered that God may be using the desperate situation in your life to accomplish His
purpose in the lives of others?
3. Do I remain silent when God has given me GOOD NEWS to share?
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