The Book of Second kings

Chapter 6c

[24] And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
[25] And 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.

Samaria Surrounded 2 Kings 6:24-33

1) Trouble of the City (24,25)

vs 23 The “bands” divisions/ plunderers came no more, (their heart was changed)

BUT here we see a massive effort of war under the king of Syria (His heart was not changed)

A. Desperate Conditions

Servants Salvation- Naaman, captain of the host of Syria, had his leprosy healed

Soldiers Spared- His troops attempt to capture Elisha and were taken captive & spared and fed

The king had known the mercies of God, yet he still sought to attack Samaria (hard heart)

Starving Situation

The people of Samaria are cut off and have no outside sources to help them

The design of the enemy is not to storm the city but to starve it

In fact there is also a time of great famine to devastate the land

B. Dire Circumstances

Sins Suffering-Extreme measures which are inhumane

There are literal skeletons of people are walking around

The people have eaten all there is to eat. Rats, Cats, UNCLEAN etc.

A donkeys head sold for 80 pc of silver & 1/4 part of dove droppings was sold for 5 pc of silver

They have rejected the dove of Gods peace for doves dung- Which is Compromise

Ex 4:24-26 Moses willing to compromise and would not circumcise son keeping peace in the family

Lev 26:15-17, 27-29 Dt 28:47-53 The people of Samaria will not follow the Lord and judgment has come

Ps 105:16 when God calls for a famine no farmer, scientist or king can change it

There was No repentance, no turning to the Lord

[26] And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
[27] And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?
[28] And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.
[29] So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.
[30] And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
[31] Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

2) Turmoil of the Crown (26-31)

A. Response

As the king of Israel passed by a woman cried out for help “Help, my lord, O king”

This woman did not look to God but to an apostate king......... turned to Her government

The king said “if the Lord hasn’t helped you, how can I help you? I have no resources &what’s the need?

Remember he had fed the Syrian raiders (vs 23) BUT now cannot feed his own people

B. Revelation

The woman openly confessed to murdering her child and the cannibalism of eating her son

Her right to live valued more than the life of her child (the woman an Israelite, a woman a God)

Her real complaint was that her partner in crime had failed to keep her promise

Amazingly, the king did not rebuke her. Lawlessness abounded and the king was of no help

C. Reaction

The king rent his clothes, to show his grief, mourning and sorrow BUT no repentance

An outward display of religion BUT full of hypocrisy

He wore sackcloth and spoke against the man of God

Mt 15:7,8 All is well, sing, testify BUT ignore Gods Word in your life

Having a form of godliness BUT denying the power thereof

Joel 2:12,13 We should rent our heart not our garments

The king wanted to put the man of God to death (3 reasons)

1. Elisha had advised to let Syria escape (vs 22) and to feed them (BAD ADVICE he thought)

2. Elisha seen as troublemaker (Pronounced God’s Word Dt 28:52 (1K 18:19-Blamed Elisha)

3. Elisha had not come to rescue in famine as Elijah had (1 K 18: 41-47)

The king was angry not a self, nor the sin of a nation BUT the servant of God

The king is ready to surrender (see vs 33) and not willing to wait on the Lord

[32] But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?
[33] And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?

3) Tranquility of the Convert (32-33)

We see the rage of the king and how the king sent a messenger with the kings intent

Yet we see the man of God, Not breaking the law, not in a rage, not in a panic BUT at peace

He understood the kings wicked heart & said before the messenger came “shut the door”

The Man of God called the king “the son of a murderer” ......Ahab killed Naboth

2K7:1,2 The man of God prophesied God’s deliverance (in faith) & the messenger did not believe