“Why Sit We Here Till We Die?”

2 Kings 6:24-7:20

The Siege• The culprit 6:24 Ben-Hadad surrounds the city• The cause 6:33 the Lord Leviticus 26:27-29 • The calamity 6:25 famine (food shortage)• The culmination 6:28-30 eating their own

children Deuteronomy 28:52-57• The contempt 6:31 wanted to kill Elisha Rev. 16• The cure 6:32-7:1 no more food shortage

promised• The challenge 7:2 “…could this thing be?”• The consequence 7:2 “you’ll see it but not eat it”

The Solution• The Lord caused the noise of a great army 7:6-7• The Syrians assumed the king of Israel hired the

Egyptian and Hittite armies to rescue Israel from the Syrian siege of Samaria

• The Syrians fled and left everything• Four lepers discover the abandoned camp 7:3-5

The Lepers’ Options• Do the same thing (sit here and die) 7:3• Do nothing (and die) 7:3• Go into the city (and die) 7:4• Go to the Syrians (maybe live…or die) 7:4• What was the best hope in this case?• They acted on their decision 7:5• By doing what they never did, they received

what they never had• They started accumulating an abundance 7:8• Then they stopped!

The Lepers’ Conscience• “We are not doing right” 7:9• “This is a day of good news and we remain silent”• “If we wait till morning light, punishment will

come upon us” Ezekiel 33, Matt. 28:18-20• “Let us go and tell the king’s household”• They acted on their decision 7:10• The king’s doubts 7:12 (Ecclesiastes 11:1-6)• Wise men suggested confirmation 7:13-15 • Many people were blessed 7:16 • The doubter died at the gate 7:17-20 (Heb. 11:6)

Doing What Is Right• The lepers could not continue as they were• By taking a risk, they found results much better

than expected, thanks to God• They realized they could not be silent with good

news; they knew they had to tell others• Others were blessed, lives were saved• Doubters suffered consequences of their doubt

Are you a spiritual leper? Why sit till you die?Have you experienced God’s goodness?

Then tell others!