2 Kings 7 Bible Study (Elisha Promises Food/The Syrians Flee) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Meet me in second Kings chapter seven. By the grace of God, we're gonna complete this chapter in its entirety this evening. So let's turn there and begin in verse one. And I wanna remind you that this chapter does not introduce a new story, nor does it transition us into a new thought. Instead, it begins in the middle of a conversation between Elisha and delegates sent from the king of Israel who were sent to arrest him and to execute him.

That's where this chapter begins. And we have to remember from our previous study that Israel during this time was weathering a severe famine. And with that famine was attempting to survive, Syrian siege. The army of the nation of Syria surrounding them and hoping to starve them into surrender. And due to the siege, inflation is through the roof.

And the people of the Northern Kingdom have even resorted to cannibalism in order to survive. Things are bleak. Things are desperate and devastating. But while Samaria is in shambles, the last sight that we had of the prophet was that he was at home, sitting calmly, waiting on his God. On the other hand, the king of Israel, through a spontaneous reaction to the horrors that he is discovering among his people, chooses to blame God and the man of God for the suffering that his country is experiencing, and decides in his rage to kill the prophet.

And so he sends a messenger and he will follow that messenger, but we're dealing with a prophet here. And so the Lord speaks to Elisha ahead of time, and Elisha is notified and he tells the elders to protect the door of his home, and they do so. And then suddenly the messenger of the king arrives on the scene, and the king behind him, only to realize that God is the one who has a real message. And it's a message for the king of Israel, and it's a message for the people of Israel. And we're going to read the first two verses of this chapter to discover it together.

Second king seven verse one. But Elisha said, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord, tomorrow about this time, a sea of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two sea as a barley for a shekel at the Gate Of Samaria. Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, if the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be? But he said, you shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.

Lord, we ask in humility that you help us with this study. Touch our lives. Touch our minds. Touch our hearts. Change us, oh God.

We need you here. We need you day by day. We need you as we engage with your word. So we depend on you and we gladly admit that you are the teacher. We are your students.

And we receive from you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. I believe that in verse one alone, we can learn three things. Verse one alone.

And I wanna just touch on those things briefly. The first thing that I wanna draw to your attention is how often man's evil is met by God's grace. It's incredible, isn't it? That you had the king of Israel wanting to execute the prophet of God, despite the fact that Elisha has done so much to help Israel and even unworthy king such as Jeroham. And yet, this king wants to remove his head from his shoulders.

And with all the things, the series of graces that this king has experienced, you would think that after this, this is a this is a whole new low that he would finally be dealt with in judgment, in punishment, in divine discipline. And instead, what do we read? That Elisha gives him a promise of provision. That he lets him know that salvation is just a night away. And as I look at this, I'm reminding you of another real life example of how the grace of God reveals itself, and how it often reintroduces itself in the midst of our sin.

While men hate God, rebel against God, despise God, God meets them in that place while they are yet enemies and embraces them with grace. And I've said this so many times, I don't wanna be redundant, but I can't help it. That the more I study even the Old Testament, the more I'm convinced that God is a God of grace. And for people to make this claim that God is in a better mood in the new testament than he was in the old proves to me ignorance of the scriptures. And that you have not really delved into what the Word of God has to say about the character of God.

Here you have the king who wants to kill a mighty man of God without cause, And yet God prompts Elisha to give a message of grace and hope as a response. It's staggering. And it's not an isolated thing. The second lesson is about how God can change any circumstance in any amount of time. God can change any circumstance in any amount of time.

Notice that the astounding prophecy that Elisha gives is not just about, you know, specifying this new kind of price for these goods. It also it also unveils that there's gonna be the presence of products that were not in existence within the city's borders. Remember the products that were on demand were two things that are unthinkable. Donkey's heads and the dung of doves. And now all of a sudden we hear and we read that there's going to be fine flour and there's gonna be barley provided.

And it makes you wonder, how is this going to happen? There's a siege going on here. How will these products be imported? How will these goods even arrive? Left to human ingenuity, it's impossible for this to be a reality within twenty four hours.

And that's the point. This prophecy is preparing the people for a miracle. This is a supernatural announcement. It doesn't make any sense and this is one of the many miracles that should always be remembered by us whenever we are facing something, where we don't understand how God could come through, especially when all odds are against us. That's the point of this.

Left to human reasoning, there is no logical answer. And yet, we are supposed to be impressed by this, that God is able. That God is able. And when I'm looking at this, I I can't help but think in our context as a church. I will never forget and by the grace of God, never fail to testify of how he has done something so similar in our story.

You think about the history of this church and you think about how within a day, after an unforeseen transition, we were able to gather as a people. And some of you this is foreign to you, you don't know the history behind how we are here in this specific location, but let me summarize it. It was a miracle. And for those who were there, you know it very well. It was a miracle.

How is it that through a transition again, that left to human reasoning would lead us to think that we need much more time to be able to do what we're able to do in that time frame. We didn't have to postpone one meeting, cancel one prayer service, delay one bible study, nothing of the sort. I hope for those who are there to experience it will never forget that in the word, and for those who live for the Lord, God is able to flip the script within the blink of an eye. That's who God is. And you have to believe that he's able to do that.

And when you experience something like that, you'll never be the same. And so I read the story and yes, I'm looking at history but I'm also looking at the same God who's done it for us. And he is able to do it again and again and again. He's not constrained by time. He's not limited by lack of resources.

But here's what you have to remember, that believing the Lord can do that, does not mean that you and I will be given the blueprint of how he will do it. Believing he can do it doesn't mean that he owes us explanation to how he is going to do it. Did you notice that when Elisha prophesies about how the economy is gonna shift drastically within twenty four hours, he doesn't tell the king how it's gonna happen? He didn't say, so here's how it's gonna happen. The Syrians, as we're about to read in this, the Syrians, they're gonna hear a sound.

I'm gonna let them hear the sound of chariots and horses. They're gonna flee, and all the things that they leave behind, that's what's gonna bring about the deliverance to the people. Doesn't doesn't say anything of this sort. He just says that's gonna happen. And knowing that God is able must be enough to win our faith.

Just knowing that he is able. Not trying to understand the intricacies and the danger also of limiting him to our methodologies. That will suffocate your faith. If you think that God is limited by how you think he should or how he can do it, that's dangerous thinking. Just give up.

Give up speculating, give up planning, give up trying to figure out how he's gonna do it. Just trust. And while you wait, worship. I find it interesting how we get a glimpse of the thinking of the king's right hand man as he hears this and couldn't help himself but respond to this prophecy. And what does he think?

He thinks, okay. If this were to happen, then the only way that it could occur is that God would make fine flour and barley rain down from the heavens. Right? Remember he says that? If they were to make heavens have windows and those windows were to open up and he was to release these things, okay.

But even then he says, could it really bring about the results that you're speaking of? But interestingly, God is not gonna literally make things fall down from the sky as he did with manna. He has a whole different idea about it. And God is going to open the heavens in a metaphorical sense, and we have to be careful thinking that the Lord is bound to our predictable solutions. Here's the last thing that we can learn from verse one.

The last the third thing. It reminds us very close to the second point how God is not bound to our schedules. He's not bound to our timing. Go back to second Kings six thirty three to know what I'm talking about. It says here, and while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him being Elisha and said, this trouble is from the Lord, why should I wait for the Lord any longer?

Why should I wait for the Lord any longer? That's what the king says. Now one would think that in the face of such desperation and devastation, the Lord would act without delay. Right? That if there's gonna be this abundant provision made, why not say by this afternoon it's gonna happen?

Why not say by this evening, you'll see it come to pass? Why tomorrow? Why tomorrow? And we're not given an explanation. Not in this story and in many cases, not in your life either.

But when things will unfold for you. When things will come to pass for me. But I think when you read the rest of the story, there is a timeless principle that can be applied to anything that we are waiting on the Lord for. Because as we're gonna discover in a moment here, there are key players that still need to be positioned and there are parallel stories that still need to be woven together that will require time to achieve. And if it will require time to accomplish, then it will demand our patience.

And we need to be patient. Study the Psalms, study study narrative, study the stories and how much is mentioned about waiting. It's almost like an inescapable discipline for the Christian, learning how to wait. It's everywhere. It's everywhere.

Imagine everything came with every prayer on the demand. What kind of faith does that pull out of you? Can God do it immediately? Yes. I And I pray that way.

I pray believing that God can come right here, right now before I even say amen. You have the right to pray that way. But if he doesn't, what do you do? You believe that he is bringing together a story, a testimony that is greater than you can imagine and it requires time. It requires time.

Let's read. Let's read on in verse two, the first part. We learned that there was not just a messenger or the king in attendance, that there was the captain on whose hand the king leaned, the right hand man of the king. And he couldn't help but react to this prophecy. And unfortunately, his reaction isn't one of gratitude and faith.

Instead, it is filled with scorn and unbelief. What does he say? If the Lord were to make windows in heaven, could this thing be? In other words, if God was able to drop this flower and barley from the skies, with the reverse of our situation as you say actually come to pass. And the captain should have known better because he should have remembered that this is not the only time where God has metaphorically provided something through the windows of heaven.

Can you think of a time before this where God acted through the symbolism of the windows of heaven being opened? Any idea you can answer if you know. Manna? Sure. But I'm looking for the specific phrase, the windows of heaven.

It goes all the way back to the beginning. Very good. Genesis chapter seven. Look at it with me in verse 11. In Genesis seven eleven, it relates to Noah.

And notice what Moses writes in Genesis seven eleven. In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth and the windows of the heavens were opened. So you see, God has opened the windows of heaven before. But for what reason according to this account? To pour out his judgment.

In a metaphorical sense, what was he ready to do in the account of second Kings chapter seven? To pour out his grace. And in many cases, some find it more difficult to believe that God is willing to extend grace than to unleash his wrath. I've met those people, and this hesitation is implied in another passage of scripture in the old testament, where the windows of heaven are referenced yet again. Any idea?

I'm talking now the right side of second Kings. Any other idea where the reference windows of heaven is brought up? Not Revelation, still in the old testament. Not Daniel? Nope.

Malachi, somebody got it. Go to Malachi chapter three verse 10. This is a very familiar passage. Malachi three ten. Here's what the prophet says, bring the full tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house and thereby put me to the test.

Isn't that fascinating? You'll be hard pressed to find another place where God tells the people to put him to the test. But in this case, he says, put me to the test. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. Here here's a translation of what the Lord is saying here.

Evidently, you people, my people, do not believe that I am willing to bless you. For your obedience to my law and in my law, there's a demand that you give a portion of your resources in order to fund the ministry at the temple and to help the priest as they minister. And you know how that was revealed? They did not give the tithe. No.

No. They didn't give the full tithe. So they gave in part. And God reveals here indirectly why they gave in part because they were hesitant. Not give everything because we're gonna lose if we give.

And God says, you don't believe my word. Put me to the test. Give in accordance to what I ask of you and watch how I'll open the windows of heaven and pour all my blessings on your life. Now many in the new covenant use this old covenant law to try to press people to obey the tithing law that was binding in the old covenant. There's a different principle of giving in the New Testament and in the New Covenant under the law of Christ.

But the principle of obedience is applied universally. Blessing will never be realized in a place of partial obedience. They gave some. They didn't give what God asked. And he said, only when you give fully will I bless you truly.

And that's true for any command of God. If we are consciously, willingly, strategically in our sin, holding back obedience, and are wondering why we're not experiencing the windows of heaven being blessed over our lives, then we have to reconsider and reevaluate the sincerity of our obedience. That's what we see here. And the most dangerous type of unbelief is to disbelieve the goodness of God in light of the gospel of Christ. And I wanna elaborate on that here.

So come back to second Kings and notice the second part of verse two. Elish proclamation of grace swiftly turns into a declaration of judgment. That's what we find. Right? He gives a personal verdict to this man who in great disdain does not believe the word of the Lord.

And so what happens? He says, you're gonna see it, but you're not gonna partake of it. You're gonna witness God's blessing, but you're not going to have a share in it. And in the same way, those who understand the call of the gospel, the glory of the gospel, the gift of the gospel, yet do not respond appropriately by faith, will have the same destiny. As available as the gospel is, you and I can reject it to the degree that it can be so close and yet never realized.

And I'm thinking of a fascinating verse. When I was studying this yesterday, I was thinking about a fascinating verse from the book of Galatians, in chapter three verse one, where he tells this group of professing Christians, oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? And then he goes on to say something profound. It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Hold on.

The Galatians are Gentiles. The Galatians came to faith shortly after. Yes. But not at any time where Christ was on earth. He already resurrected.

He ascended. What is Paul saying to these Galatians when he says, it was before your eyes that you saw Jesus Christ crucified. The only way to explain this is that when Paul preached to the Galatians, he did so with such clarity, such detail, such power. It was as though the Galatians witnessed the crucifixion. It was palpable.

It was so real. It was so vivid. The Holy Spirit translated it in such a way in which it impacted them as eyewitnesses to the actual event. And yet, they were being enchanted by false teachers. And they were being swayed to deny the sufficiency of the gospel and add works to their salvation.

And Paul reminds him, you saw it, but you're in danger now of falling from grace. By the way, that's where that term actually comes from. Have you ever heard as heartbreaking as it is, when a spiritual leader falls, even in the secular news, they'll say, so and so what? Fell from grace. Right?

And what they mean by that is, they sinned in a dramatic public way. But when you actually look at the origination of that phrase, falling from grace doesn't necessitate you doing something grievous or heinous. It actually means denying the sufficiency of the gospel. That's what the Galatian heresy was. That you need to add works to what Christ has done and if you base your salvation on addition to what Jesus accomplished at the cross, you are falling from grace.

That's where that comes from. And even though they witnessed it so clearly, they saw it, but they're in danger of not partaking in it. You might be you might be one of those people tonight. You know how to articulate the gospel, probably better than some preachers can. But are you saved by that gospel?

You might be able to explain the doctrine of justification by faith. Okay. Good. Are you justified, though? And so this is something that we have to answer for ourselves.

And if this teaches us anything else, this account in second Kings chapter seven, is that God takes unbelief very seriously. Very seriously. You think of the Israelites who came out of Egypt and all the foolery, and all the mistakes and all the acts of rebellion. And what was what was the point where God says, that's it. This generation is gonna die.

This desert is gonna become their graveyard and I'm gonna raise up a new generation to go. And what was it? Unbelief. Unbelief that after the spies came back, 10 of them says, we can't do this. Two of them says, no no no we can.

They believe the majority. They deny that God was able to bring them through and God says, that's it. That's it. Unbelief is what changed everything. This man didn't believe and he was familiar with Elisha's ministry and what God had done through him before and he still didn't believe.

Now, for the rest of this chapter, you and I are going to see how this prophecy is going to be realized. We're gonna see it come to life. We're gonna see a play by play, scene by scene, unfolding of what Elisha declares. And there's so much in this. So much in this pertaining to our walk with the Lord and the gospel of Christ.

So let's read the first two verses of this new section. Three and four, we'll pause and pluck some golden grains of truth. Verse three. Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate and they said to one another, why are we sitting here until we die? If we say let us enter the city, the famine is in the city and we shall die there.

And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives, we shall live. And if they kill us, we shall but die. So let me tell you in advance that it's going to be these four lepers who will be used by God to bring the good news that the Syrians have been defeated and that salvation from God has come.

I can think of 10 other types of candidates to do this kind of thing. Of all the kinds of people that God could have used, The most despised in this society. The outcast. The rejected. So are there more people that could have maybe had a more impressive background or appealing appearance, or more inviting presence?

Perhaps, but we're discussing about the God who chooses the foolish things in this world. The things that are lowly and despise, even the things that are not to accomplish his will. Why? So that no human being may boast in the presence of God. That's why.

And it's no different here. These lepers are not aware of how this is gonna play into a bigger picture, but God in his providence is prompting them. And they're going to be the means by which Samaria will be delivered. And here's where I'm comforted. If the holy one of Israel is willing to recruit lonely rejected diseased individuals who are barred from any meaningful interactions with average citizens, how much more is he willing to use us to make an impact?

That's the point of this, I believe. These guys that are relying on the scraps on the dump outside the city to survive, these are the ones that are gonna be used. How can you be discouraged? And if you need more encouragement, here it is. That God uses those who make the best of the opportunities they have.

Now, again, let me say this. These lepers don't know that their course of action is going to play into a massive testimony. Totally unaware. There's no indication that the Lord spoke to these lepers and said, I need you to go to the Syrian camp. There's a surprise for you And what you see there, I need you to bring it back to the people.

Nothing. No supernatural revelation. Nothing of the sort. Just them thinking logically pertaining to their situation. At the same time, what they're doing in principle is instructive for us.

How so? Because they are choosing the best possible outcome for their limited situation. With the options that they have, they choose to move in action. What if they had simply just stayed and decide to shrivel up and die? That was possible.

You know what would have happened? They would have never made that discovery of a defeated enemy and they would never have realized the treasures that were ready to be claimed. In like manner, I believe that God will honor us if we make the best out of what seems to be outside of our control. This is applicable to the giftings that you have and to the ministries that are providentially provided to you. You might look at yourself and say, I don't feel like I have much to offer.

I don't feel like I have a spectacular gift, or a significant platform, or a number of people that I can really make an impact on. Alright. What options do you have? And with whatever options you have, take the best route, the most fruitful route. And like these men who chose to move forward, God made it something better.

God made it into something more wonderful. And that's what you and I have to understand. What is before you, and what is the wisest, most righteous, most glorifying way to go about it, and God will honor that. God will honor that. If they had stayed where they were at, this would have been a much different story.

But they chose to move. And as they move forward, we're gonna see more qualities of these lepers, but there's a pause because the Holy Spirit wants to now take us behind the scenes of the miracle that these lepers are gonna stumble upon. Let's read on. In verse five, it says here, so they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there.

For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army. So they said to one another, behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us. So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses and their donkeys leaving the camp as it was and fled for their lives. You know what I find so interesting? That in the previous chapter, God opened the eyes of Elisha's servant to see the mountain full of horses and chariots, a fire.

Remember? And here in second King seven, he opens the ears of the Syrian army to hear the sound of horses and chariots. I wonder if what they heard is what the servant saw. That this sound is the sound of the very army, the celestial army that surrounded Elisha from second Kings chapter six. I like to think that's the case.

That God made them in tune with the spiritual realm and and all those horses and chariots had to do was just rev their engine a little bit. And that was enough to spook them. Moreover, I can't help but be confronted with yet another demonstration of the grace of God. You know why? Because later on in second Kings, we're gonna read of another foreign enemy that's gonna come against the people of God.

Not the Syrians, but the us Syrians. You know how God takes care of them? In one night, he sends an angel, and he will slay a 185,000 of those soldiers. One night. Close to 200,000 of them will be slain.

He doesn't do that here though. He doesn't destroy them. He just lets them hear the sound of an army, and he allows them to escape. So I see the grace of God here and allowing that. Right?

And you would think, okay. This this will finally bring the Syrian King to his knees and realize, he didn't just spare my army once. He didn't just heal one of my greatest generals. He did it again. Well, just to give you a heads up, you're gonna be disappointed in second Kings chapter eight.

But I have another thought. Another thought. I can't help it. Isn't it amazing how it takes so little for God to do something so massive? So when it came to comforting one of his servants, he just gave him a glance.

And when it came to putting an army to flight, he just let him hear a sound. That's how mighty God is. That's how big he is. He doesn't even need to necessarily act. Just see this.

Hear this. And history can be changed. So what happens? How do the lepers respond to this? Look at verse eight.

And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them. Pretty predictable. Right? You don't blame them.

Right? Well, that's not it. Verse nine. Then they said to one another, we are not doing right. This day is a day of good news.

If we are silent and wait until the morning light punishment will overtake us. Now, therefore, come, let us go and tell the king's household. So we look at this and we think to ourselves, what do they do in their destitute state? They they just pounce on the spoils. Right?

And they go from tent to tent. And not only do they devour whatever is left in terms of food, but they see all these resources, money bags and gold perhaps. And they thought to themselves, we we hit the lottery. And so they found some secluded place where they marked it and they dug up, you know, their personal savings account and they stuffed the ground with it and they thought we'll come back for that later. And and they were essentially setting themselves up for a future, never mind being a leper.

Once in a generation kind of discovery, of turnaround, of of a pivotal change. But as they are making this personal investment, their their consciences are stricken and they think to themselves, this isn't right. Because as much as we are preparing for a future that no leper has ever known in all of history, there are still mothers eating their children. And there was an entire population of a city dissolving into extinction. We have to tell others about what we found.

Now again, we we backtrack and we think, what would have happened if these lepers stayed exactly where they were and just rotted until they died? What if they have not moved forward? Makes us wonder. Now we can ask that question here. What if they had stayed in this state of mind and just accumulated for themselves and concerning their own self preservation and prioritizing their future, their prosperity?

What what would have happened? How many more people would have died? You say, oh, well somebody might have discovered it eventually. Sure. But what kind of casualties in between?

Here's another lesson that we can we can gain from these lepers. Because the moment that they chose to appropriately respond to this conviction, God guided them and led them to be the means to again bring about deliverance for the Samaritans. We best position ourselves to be used by God when we don't focus on self. If you're a person here who is preoccupied about your own accumulation, self preservation, your own gain, your own investments, your own feasting, you leave God very little to work with when he wants to touch other people's lives. But the moment you recognize that there's a bigger picture that life is it's not about your satisfaction, it's not about securing a safer future.

Then the Lord is ready to guide you into a way of life that will ultimately glorify him and in that, be the most satisfying thing that you can ever experience. So these lepers now are are not just saved in themselves, they are going to be the vessels that God's gonna use to to preserve an entire group of people. And where did it start? It started when they stopped thinking about themselves. So, hold the things of this life very loosely.

Right? And allow God through your heart that is open to whatever he would ask of you to be able to recruit you and send you and and use you for his glory. You suffocate the purposes of God in your life when you're selfish. You strangle that to death. But when you are all about whatever God is all about, you have an exciting future ahead of you.

So that's where it changed for these lepers, when they realized that it's not about them. But look at this language. It's so hard to ignore the gospel theme in it. Verse nine, then they said to one another, we are not doing right. This is a day of good news.

This is a day of good news. And then they go on to say, if we're silent, punishment will overtake us. Reminds me of Paul's words when he says, woe to me if what? If I don't preach the gospel. Woe to me.

Woe to me if I don't preach the gospel. That's what they're essentially saying here. We discovered something and it is terrible of us if we keep it to ourselves. Now many have referenced this old testament story as a way of stirring up Christians to not keep the gospel to themselves. That in the revelation of Christ defeating our ultimate enemy, sin, death, Satan, That we should not be quiet.

Right? And that's completely appropriate, but I see something else here. I I see in this story a way to help Christians share the gospel. I mean, the Bible provides many avenues, many motivations for us to be able to muster up the boldness and to be intentional about opportunities to share the gospel. And I think this is another one that you can add to your arsenal.

Say, what do you mean? Listen, if you feel unworthy, if you feel fearful about opening your mouth and telling others about this truth, this is what's helped me. See yourself as a leper. See yourself as a leper who was in the same state as everybody else, starving. And you made a discovery.

And this discovery is an abundance of provision that will change the rest of your life. And all you're doing is, as one beggar, going to other beggars and letting them know where they can find living bread. If you see yourself in that light, as one beggar who is spiritually starved, yet you made a discovery that doesn't just help you but can help anybody, then you will approach sinners with a greater humility and a greater sincerity. And there will be a tenderness, and there will be a love, and there will be the right amount of force that will at least persuade the person that you care about. You might not win them, but it's able to at least present the gospel to them in a way where they can't deny that you care about them.

That's all these lepers are doing. We were dying. We found something. It's supernatural. It's an act of God.

So is Calvary. And now you're just going to others who are in need of what you have and you're just willing to share with anybody who's willing to accept it. I found living bread. I found a fountain of living water that never runs dry. And the invitation is for you as much as it was for me.

But be prepared that as you share the gospel for a variety of responses, including the one that we read of with the king of Israel. So what happens? Let's look at verse 10. So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city and told them, we came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied and the donkeys tied and the tents as they were. Then the gatekeepers called out, and it was told within the king's household.

And the king rose in the night and said to his servants, I will tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore, they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the open country thinking, when they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city. So here's what the king of Israel is saying. No.

No. No. No. No. No.

No. It's not as you say. I I figured it out. This is a trap. So they know that we are stubborn and we're resilient and so they come up with a different strategy.

They went out to the outskirts and they know that we're in such a desperate place that we're gonna go out and try to find some food and once we do that, they're gonna ambush us. The king of Israel heard the prophecy that Elisha gave and now it came to pass and he's still denying it. What are you to make of this? That no matter how well you explain something or no matter what kind of testimonies people witness, some are determined to explain away the truth of the matter. Some are devout in their skepticism.

Some are unwavering in their ideas. And I'm not speaking about those who have an honest skepticism or inquiry. I'm talking about those who have this fatalistic trust in their human wisdom. You've probably met those people. I've met many of them.

Who are extremely critical and devoted to their conspiracy theories about the person of Jesus Christ. The emergence of the church. The formation of the Word of God. No matter what way you come, from the historical angle, from the internal evidence, from the beauty of Jesus, from the wonder of the gospel. No matter what way I just they're able to swat it away.

And and their arguments are so silly. Has no weight to it. It's fluff. It's humanistic. It's emotional.

It's shallow. Or what about these people who are extremely insufferably skeptical of Christians and Christian leaders? Where they always they always point to a hypothetical motivation of ministries that is selfish and sinful. Are there ministries and ministry team leaders out there that are wolves? Absolutely.

The Bible tells us that. But everybody, every Christian you know, Every pastor you know? Is a predator? Or is money hungry? So no, I I I know what your people I know what church is all about.

I know what I know what pastors are really like. It's an ambush. It's a setup. It's actually God's deliverance in this story. But there's some people who just no matter what you tell them, what even even supernatural invasions in their lives, they won't submit.

And it's in those moments where you have to seek the wisdom of the spirit to determine, do I move on from here and work with different soil, or do I stay here until that person's heart is thawed? And when it comes to the king of Israel, there is some pliability. How so? Look at verse 13. And one of his servants said, let some men take five of the remaining horses, seeing that those who are left here will fare like the whole multitude of Israel who have already perished.

Let us send and see. So they took two horsemen and the king sent them after the army of the Syrians saying, go and see. So a servant speaks up. Oh, king. We're dying.

We don't have much time left here. So why don't we just take a few people to just go and see? I mean, if they die, we're gonna die anyway. What do you say? Alright.

Go and see. Yet another example of how a servant remember how many times we've seen this in second Kings? How a servant exercises greater wisdom, greater insight than someone who is superior in terms of status and position. Proving to us again that your occupation or your heritage does not equate to true valuable knowledge. The servant says, why don't we go about it this way?

And the king agrees. And what happens? Look at verse 15. So they went after them as far as the Jordan and behold, all the way was littered with garments and equipment that the Syrians had thrown away in their haste, and the messengers returned and told the king. Look how specific the Bible is.

What was the primary need of the people of Samaria? Food. Food. We just need real food. I can't eat donkey's head again.

Right? I I can't try to make soup out of doves dong again. Food is what we need and I'm sure they would have been more than content to discover scraps of food. But what did they find? More than food.

Look at the word there in the middle of verse 15 and behold. In other words, okay, you've been reading but now look at this. Hey hey, pay extra close to attention here. And behold, all the way was littered with garments and equipment that the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. So Elisha prophesied, there's gonna be no shortage of food.

In fact, there's gonna be so much food, everybody's gonna be able to eat. And when they came to investigate the site, not only did they find food, they found equipment. They found garments. Meaning what? God gives more than what he says he's willing to do in many cases.

He does abundantly more than we can ask or imagine. So he prophesied food and they come and they go, no. We even have clothes. And we have practical resources. That's the goodness of God.

You ask for something, you believe God for something, and he does more. Why? So he can get more glory. That's why. So let's read the remaining verses of this chapter and conclude, shall we?

Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So Sia of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two Sia's of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gate so that he died. As the man of God had said when the king came down to him, For when the man of God had said to the king, two seahs of barley shall be sold for a shekel and a sea of fine flour for a shekel about this time tomorrow in the Gate Of Samaria. The captain had answered the man of God, if the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?

And he had said, you shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat eat of it. And so it happened to him for the people trampled him in the gate and he died. The reason for the repetition in such a close proximity is because God wants to make sure that we don't end this testimony without being reminded that what he says he will do. Every detail of it. This repetition is detailed to remind you and I that God, when he says something, he he intends to keep everything that he said.

And God is just as faithful with his warnings of judgment as he is with his provisions of grace. So he came through and provided exactly how he said he would provide, but he also judged exactly the way he said he would judge. And there's that phrase again. Right? That he would see with his own eyes, but he would not eat of it.

And the way this story ends, I'll end it this way, is the way that the end of the grand story will come to pass. So what are you talking about? I'm talking about the story of human history. I argue that this is a little preview of a universal experience. This man saw God's provision, God's promise come to pass, but he died.

Turn to Revelation, our final verse tonight. In chapter one, and look at verse seven. Behold, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, Even those who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so, amen. Just because every eye will see him does not mean everyone will be saved.

And just because this man, this captain saw the promise come to pass, it didn't mean that he would partake of it. That's gonna happen when Jesus Christ comes. What God had said about his return, about his reign, about what he's done, what he will come to do, it's gonna be realized. And even those who didn't believe it will see it. But when they see it, it will be too late.

And I end this bible study hoping that nobody here will be in that situation. That you should look on him now, as Isaiah says, and be saved. Not look on him when he comes to judge. I hope you know Jesus Christ. This time of the year is very meaningful to me, not just because it's Christmas.

Because in 2011, I was a beggar, spiritually. I was a 20 year old college student who felt like growing up in the church was just a way for my parents to keep me morally good and controlled and civilized. And I responded to, I forgot how many alter calls and youth conferences and plays that would pull on your heartstrings and demand an answer. I responded to so many of them. But I wasn't saved until the age of 20, and I always wondered why.

And it wasn't until a few years ago that it dawned on me. It's because every time I sat in a meeting like this, or went to an event or a conference, and when there was a call to be saved, though I answered positively, affirmatively, I never really gave my heart, because down deep inside I believe that the world had something to offer. And so, I would try to try to bargain for both. I mean, I'll I'll I'll take what Jesus has to give me, but but with one hand and and this hand will just kind of, flirt with the cookie jar here. And it wasn't until I realized at 20, I was eating donkey's head and the dung of doves.

And it dawned on me that just outside of the city gate, God made a provision for my soul. And I'm just a beggar, willing to tell other beggars about where they can find living bread. And and why again I say this is a meaningful time of the year? Because it happened around this time, and New Year's of twenty twelve is when I became a follower of Jesus Christ. 2025 can be a new year for you too.

If 2024 and every year prior was a faulty walk with Christ, it can change in 2025. Why waste another year? Why reserve yourself from the one who made you, who died for you, who wants to walk with you, and who wants to use you, but he's waiting for you to deny yourself. Just like these lippers, as long as you go from tent to tent, experience to experience, country to country, job to job, girl to girl, guy to guy. You can hop around all you want.

It's not until you realize this whole thing about life and my existence, it's bigger than me. There's a more important and glorious and eternal story that's being written. This universe doesn't revolve around me. Only when you realize your sin, your selfishness is what's holding you back from true life, not an eternal life to come, will Christ become attractive. And the and the person that will deliver you and position you to know a life that you've been searching for all along.

And so I invite you into that. I invite you into that because it's real. It's real because this book says it's real. And it's available to you. And if you are skeptical for whatever reason, have you ever been skeptical of your own skepticism?

You're a skeptic. So be skeptical of your own skepticism. Have you ever tried that? What if you're wrong? What if you're wrong?

Are you so confident that you're in the right? That Jesus Christ, maybe in your thinking, is not even real, or Jesus Christ is not worthy to be followed? Why? Question your questions. I pray that this might be the beginning of a new journey for some of you.

Maybe some who might be watching. I don't know. I'm just the messenger. God does the saving. Let's pray.

Lord, we thank you that you've been faithful to us in 2024. And, Lord, you've been faithful to us in these bible studies. Every week you speak to us. You speak to us because this word is opened and it's dissected, and it's explained hopefully in your power. And we ask, Lord, that tonight as we reflect on these truths that they would translate in in real life change.

And so, Lord, we humble ourselves as we sit here and we bask in your glory, and we ask that you would receive, more glory as we sing in Thanksgiving to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. As the praise team comes, I invite you to just sit and reflect and just enjoy what was heard, commune with the Lord.

We're gonna sing in a few moments here, but just take your time and commune with God, and we'll close very shortly. But take advantage of this time.