INTRODUCTION: The famine continues, but Elisha prophesies its end. In a wonderful picture of salvation, four leprous men find hope (food for survival) in the camp of the Syrians and leave to tell their people. The spoil of the Syrians clears the way for better days in Israel.

1. THE PROPHECY OF ELISHA (2 Kings 7:1-2 [1] Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. [2] Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
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1. Elisha Prophesied an End to the Famine (2 Kings 7:1Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
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1. Hear ye the word of the Lord.
2. The time of fulfillment – To morrow about this time
3. The proof of fulfillment – the price for food
1. The coming price
1. A measure of fine flour for a shekel
2. Two measures of barley for a shekel
2. The present price (2 Kings 6:25And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
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1. An ass’s head for fourscore pieces of silver
2. The fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver
4. The place of fulfillment – in the gate of Samaria
2. The King’s Steward Declared It Impossible (2 Kings 7:2Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
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1. The lord on whose hand the king leaned (compare 2 Kings 5:18In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.
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2. Not possible if God would make windows in heaven
3. Note: God says there are windows in heaven; they are mentioned five times in three different passages.
1. A source of water in Noah’s flood (Genesis 7:11In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
   See All...; Genesis 8:2The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;
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2. The object of doubt by the king’s lord (2 Kings 7:2Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
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3. A source of blessing to those who give (Malachi 3:10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
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3. Elisha Prophesied Judgment on the King’s Steward (2 Kings 7:2Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
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1. The king’s lord to see the fulfillment
2. The king’s lord not to eat of the blessing
3. Note: Compare this with Moses’ judgment (Deuteronomy 34:1-5 [1] And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, [2] And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, [3] And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. [4] And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. [5] So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.
   See All...) which, as in this lesson, was caused by lack of faith (Numbers 20:12And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
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2. THE DISCOVERY OF THE LEPERS (2 Kings 7:3-11 [3] 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. [9] 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.
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1. They Reasoned in Their Bondage (2 Kings 7:3-4 [3] 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.
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1. Their bondage (2 Kings 7:3And 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?
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1. Four leprous men
2. Outside the city gate
3. Without food to eat
4. With no hope in sight
2. Their reasoning (2 Kings 7:3-4 [3] 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.
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1. Their crisis – Why sit we here until we die? (2 Kings 7:3And 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?
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2. Their options (2 Kings 7:4If 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.
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1. To enter the city and die
2. To stay where they are and die
3. To fall to the Syrians and possibly die
3. Their decision – to take their chances with the Syrians
2. They Rose Up in the Blackness (2 Kings 7:5-7 [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.
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1. They entered the camp of the Syrians (2 Kings 7:5And 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.
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1. They rose up in the twilight.
2. They came to the uttermost part of the camp.
3. They found no man there.
2. The Syrians were not in the camp (2 Kings 7:6-7 [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.
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1. They heard a noise (2 Kings 7:6For 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.
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1. The Lord made them to hear it.
2. It sounded like the noise of chariots, horses, and a great host.
2. They said one to another (2 Kings 7:6For 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.
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1. The king of Israel has hired the Hittites against us.
2. The king of Israel has hired the Egyptians to come upon us.
3. They fled from their imagined opponents (2 Kings 7:7Wherefore 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.
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1. In the twilight
2. For their lives
4. They left everything behind (2 Kings 7:7Wherefore 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.
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1. Their tents
2. Their horses
3. Their asses
4. They left the camp as it was.
3. They Were Rewarded for Their Boldness (2 Kings 7:8And 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.
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1. They found food for their hunger.
2. They found riches without measure.
3. They gathered and hid these treasures.
4. They Reported of Their Blessing (2 Kings 7:9-11 [9] 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.
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1. They reflected on their actions – We do not well (2 Kings 7:9Then 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.
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1. This day is a day of good tidings.
2. We hold our peace.
2. They resolved to tell the good news (2 Kings 7:9Then 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.
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1. If we tarry until morning, evil will come on us.
2. We will therefore go and tell the king’s household.
3. They reported the retreat of the Syrians (2 Kings 7:10-11 [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.
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1. They told the porter of the city (2 Kings 7:10So 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.
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2. The porters told the king’s house (2 Kings 7:11And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.
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3. THE CONFIRMATION OF THE RETREAT (2 Kings 7:12-15 [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.
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1. The Sovereign Suspected a Trap (2 Kings 7:12And 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.
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1. The Syrians have hidden themselves in the field.
2. They plan to ambush us when we come out.
2. A Servant Suggested They Investigate (2 Kings 7:13And 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.
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1. Take five horses that remain.
2. Let us send and see.
3. The Scouts Surveyed the Camp (2 Kings 7:14-15 [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.
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1. They went with two chariot horses (2 Kings 7:14They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.
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2. They followed the trail of the Syrians (2 Kings 7:15And 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.
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1. Full of garments and vessels
2. All the way to the Jordan River
4. THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY (2 Kings 7:16-20 [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. [17] 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.
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1. The Famine Ended (2 Kings 7:16And 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.
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1. The people spoiled the tents of the Syrians.
2. The word of Elisha came to pass.
2. The Steward Died (2 Kings 7:17And 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.
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1. The king’s lord was appointed to have charge of the gate.
2. The people trode upon him that he died.
3. God’s Prophet Was Vindicated (2 Kings 7:18-20 [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.
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CONCLUSION: The famine ends and the Israelites spoil the tents of the Syrians. The king’s faithless lord dies before partaking of any spoil, just as prophesied by Elisha.