II Kings 6:24-7:20

Surrounded By The Enemy And Starved To Death

Introduction

1. So the bands of Syrians came no more into the land of Israel (6:23)…no more secret invasions

by small bands plundering their harvests and capturing Israelites. (6:24) speaks of an all out

war situation…a mass invasion by the nations armed forces!

2. What do you do when you are surrounded by the Enemy and starved to death?

3. This is the condition in Israel in II Kings 6:24-7:20. It is a complete story. Let’s note a phrase

and a word: It came to pass (24, 30) speaks of God’s Sovereignty and God’s Supremacy.

Behold (6:25, 30, 33; 7:2, 5, 10, 13, 19) speaks of scrutiny and surprise. Both are evident

when surrounded by the enemy and starving to death.

Do you find yourself surrounded by the Enemy and starving to death?

I. THE PLIGHT when surrounded and starving 6:24-29

Three words describe their plight: Dominated…Desperate…Devastated

A. Dominated 24

1. Benhadad gathered all his host, went up, besieged the city. He was going to starve Samaria out.

2.At times every BIG gun is pointed in our direction. It came to pass: God is still sovereign regardless of what happens to us.

3.God works according to His time table. If it can happen to lost people it can happen to those who are saved.

B. Devastated 25

1.Besieged (24, 25) is totally surrounded. There was a great famine.

2.Ass’s head which was forbidden to eat was selling for 80 pieces of silver. Kab of dove’s leavings…a kab was 3/5 pints of dove droppings sold for 5 pieces of silver. In 1316 during a famine in England the English people ate pigeon dung. 5 pieces of silver…they had money, but no food!

3.We in America have everything, but are starved to death. Never have we had so many things, but were so lean of soul!!

C. Desperate 26-29

1. The children always suffer. Leave God out and a nation will kill its children.

2.The King: How cold! (27) Out of the barns or passes: “What ails you?” There is no thought of God. There is no word about God except contempt. We live as though there is no God. We wonder: “What’s wrong with God?” Our view of God is based on what happens to us!!

3.The shock of cannibalism and callousness is seen.(28) The rub is not that the son was boiled and eaten, but the other mother would not boil her son today!

4.As believers the ones who suffer when we are selfish and starving to death is our children. We are too concerned about ourselves to care about anyone else! Watch when you are always chewing on the children!

II. THE PRESSURE when surrounded and starving 6:30-33

A. Blame God’s Messenger 30, 31

1. The king had an outward sign of remorse, but no inward reality. We can get pretty low and never be broken. Behold Look down to the sackcloth. We can say the right words. We can feel really bad. The sackcloth was there. Was it all a show…a performance?

2.“May God do so to me and more also if the head of Elisha remains on him today.” It’s Elisha’s fault. It’s the Christians, the Bible believers in America, that’s the problem.

3.You are surrounded and starving. You have a spiritual problem. Do you always blame someone else?

4.But Elisha sat in his house (v. 32) He is at rest in the midst of the storm. God knows all about it. He knows the circumstances. The messenger comes for his master (murderer).

B. Blame God’s Majesty 33

Behold…Behold…Look: This evil is of the LORD. “Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?

1. Elisha was surrounded and at REST.

2.The king instead of confessing sin he said, “It’s God who did this.” Yeah right: who is to blame? The negative circumstances did not bring them to the end of themselves!

III. THE PROMISE when surrounded and starving 7:1, 2

Give me 24 hours. Hear the word of the Lord…thus saith the Lord.

A. The Details of God’s Word 1

1. You will need absolute truth when surrounded by the Enemy.

2.It will take time, effort and energy!

B. The Doubting of God’s Word 2

1. They didn’t know God! They are caught by circumstances.

2.Surrounded and starving…how is God going to do it? That’s His business. Our business is to act upon His word.

3.Become aware of what God is doing to fulfill His Word!

IV. THE PERFORMANCE when surrounded and starving 7:3-11

A. The Pain

1. Four lepers are at the gate (can’t get in). These were outside and untouched by the Syrians.

2.Why these 4? God did it!

B. The Proclamation

1. Why sit we here until we died?

2.Where did they get that thought at that precise time? God did it!

C.The Plan 4

1. Let’s go to the Syrians.

2.Where did they get those thoughts? Go to the Syrians…God did it!

D.The Precision 5

1.They went at twilight…there was no man there.

2.Where did they get the courage to go? God did it!

3.Behold there was no man there…why? God did it!

E.The Power 6

1.This verse tells us how they weren’t there. (6:17) became audible.

2.Actual angelic host…heard the noise… “King of Israel hired the king of the Hittites and the kings of Egyptians.” God did it!

3.God will do whatever it takes to accomplish His purpose!

F. The Process 7

1.Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight…they left everything and the camp as it was…they fled for their lives.

2.God worked out every detail of His plan. God did it!

G. The Problem 8

1. Let’s keep all of this for ourselves. SELF!!

2.What did those of Samaria ever do for us?

H. The Privilege 9-11

1. Let us tell the king’s household. Where did they get those thoughts? God did it!

2.(Read 10, 11) They tell their story and pass it on…God did it!

3.Become aware of what God is doing. He is always at work around us…in us…through us. He is using normal, available things to accomplish His purpose.

V. THE PROCURMENT when surrounded and starving 7:13-20

A. The Skeptics 12

1. The king thinks it is all a trick…all a scheme.

2. When God is at work don’t expect the non-believer to see it.

B. The Servant 13

1. One servant…where did he get that thought?

2. What do we have to lose? God did it!

C. The Substance 16, 18, 20

1. God fulfilled His promise to the letter (compare 16, 18, 20 with 7:1, 2)

2. My word will not return void but will accomplish the purpose to which I send it. (Is.

55:11)

Do you find yourself surrounded by the Enemy and starving to death?

Get Into God’s Word.

God is always at work…become aware of what He is doing.

Trust in God step by step as you walk.

Be willing to wait on God for the outcome.

The Enemy will flee and you will feast on what God has provided.