When God promises

2 Kings 6:24-7:19

Date: Offender’s name: Offender’s status: Number of victims: Crime: Reason:

February 1960 Yi Wucheng Poor Peasant Four Exhumed the victims’ corpses and consumed the flesh To survive

Date: Offender’s name: Victim’s name: Relationship with offender: Crime: Reason:

February 25, 1960 Yang Zhongseng Yang Ecshun

Younger brother Killing and eating victim To survive

Date: Offender’s name: Punishment: Crime: Reason:

November 30, 1960 Wang Ziyou One ear chopped off, both legs tied with iron wire, 10-kilogram stone dropped on his back, branded with sizzling tool Digging up a potato to eat To survive

When God promises 2 Kings 7:1-4

1 Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord.

This is what the Lord says: About this time

tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for

a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel

at the gate of Samaria.”

2 The officer on whose arm the king was

leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if

the Lord should open the floodgates of the

heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it

with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you

will not eat any of it!”

When God promises 2 Kings 7:1-4

3 Now there were four men with leprosy at the

entrance of the city gate. They said to each

other, “Why stay here until we die?

4 If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’ - the famine

is there, and we will die. And if we stay here,

we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the

Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we

live; if they kill us, then we die.”

2 Kings 6:24-7:19

Samaria under siege by Aramean army

Terrible famine gripped the city

Food became scarce

Resorted to cannibalism

Elisha prophesied of God’s providence

King’s officer doubted

Scene shifts to four lepers at city gate

2 Kings 6:24-7:19

Lepers ostracised because of leprosy

Asked themselves: “Why stay here until

we die?”

Weighed their options

Decided to enter Aramean camp

Aramean army fled in fear

Left all their food and supplies

2 Kings 6:24-7:19

Lepers filled their stomach & pockets

Returned to Samaria to inform the King

King sent messengers to check out

Messengers confirmed situation

Israelites rushed out to get food & supplies

Doubting officer trampled to death

Famine ends as prophesied

When God promises

2 Kings 6:24-7:19

1. God made a PROMISE

2. Lepers made a CHOICE

God made a PROMISE Promise Made - 2 Kings 7:1

"Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is

what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a

seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and

two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of

Samaria.”

Promise Fulfilled - 2 Kings 7:18

"It happened as the man of God had said to the

king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of the

finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of

barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria."

Russell Herman

Conditional

Unconditional

Because He is….. TRUTHFUL

Numbers 23:19 “God is not

human, that he should lie,

not a human being, that he

should change his mind.

Does he speak and then not

act? Does he promise and

not fulfill?”

Because He is….. TRUTHFUL

Hebrews 10:23 “Let

us hold unswervingly

to the hope we

profess, for he who

promised is faithful.”

FAITHFUL

Because He is….. TRUTHFUL

1 John 4:8-9

“8 Whoever does not

love does not know

God, because God is

love. 9 This is how God showed his love

among us: He sent his one and only Son into

the world that we might live through him.”

FAITHFUL

LOVING

Because He is….. TRUTHFUL

Psalm 103:19

“The Lord has

established his throne

in heaven, and his

kingdom rules over

all.”

FAITHFUL

LOVING

POWERFUL

Russell Carter

(1849-1926)

Lepers made a CHOICE

Options Consequence?

A. Enter the city Die

B. Remain at the gate

C. Go to Aramean camp Live?

v.3 “Now there were four men with leprosy at the

entrance of the city gate. They said to each other,

“Why stay here until we die?”

Lepers made a CHOICE

Faced facts

Made a choice

Moved forward

Acted in faith?

When God promises

2 Kings 6:24-7:19

1. God made a PROMISE

2. Lepers made a CHOICE

“I'll walk with you

Wherever you go

Through tears and joy

I'll trust in you

And I will live

In all of your ways

And your promises forever”