UNROLL
Twilight in the valley below Samaria: a vast camp of dark and pale tents in long rows, horses and donkeys tethered, no fire lit and no one moving, the dark walls of the city on its round hill behind.

The Book of

2 Kings 7

Four starving outcasts walk into an enemy camp at twilight and find no one there.

20 verses≈ 6 min4 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–8ElishaThe prophet's double portionChapter 7
  2. 9–12JehuThe house of Ahab falls
  3. 13–17Last kings of IsraelSamaria falls
  4. 18–20HezekiahTrust in the LORD
  5. 21–23JosiahThe Book found
  6. 24–25ExileJerusalem falls

Elisha’s Prophecy of Plenty

Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel.’”

2 Kings 7:1

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The king’s officer

But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?”

Elisha

“You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”

The Arameans Flee

Late afternoon outside Samaria's shut gate: four thin men in patched gray-brown cloaks and hoods sit in the dust against the wall, a cracked bowl between them, one looking down toward distant tents in the valley.

Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die?

If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’ we will die there from the famine in the city; but if we sit here, we will also die. So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”

Twilight at the edge of a vast tent camp: four ragged figures seen from behind stop at the first row of tents; tents stand open, horses and donkeys tethered, a pot over a cold fire, a cloak on the ground, no one anywhere.

So they arose at twilight and went to the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the outskirts of the camp, there was not a man to be found.

For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.”

Thus the Arameans had arisen and fled at twilight, abandoning their tents and horses and donkeys. The camp was intact, and they had run for their lives.

Finally, they said to one another, “We are not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will overtake us. Now, therefore, let us go and tell the king’s household.”

2 Kings 7:9

Question

Quick question

The lepers walked into the enemy camp and found it empty.

Why had the Arameans run from their camp?

Deep night below Samaria's shut gate: four thin men in patched hoods stand in the dust calling up, one with arms raised; on the wall above a gatekeeper leans out with a small clay lamp, another turning to run inside.

So they went and called out to the gatekeepers of the city, saying, “We went to the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a trace—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents were intact.”

The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported to the king’s household.

Joram

So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “Let me tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving, so they have left the camp to hide in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and enter the city.’”

A servant of the king

But one of his servants replied, “Please, have scouts take five of the horses that remain in the city. Their plight will be no worse than all the Israelites who are left here. You can see that all the Israelites here are doomed. So let us send them and find out.”

Then the scouts took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and see.”

Early morning on a dusty road dropping east toward the Jordan valley, strewn with cast-off cloaks, round shields, waterskins and cooking pots; far down the road two light chariots follow the trail.

And they tracked them as far as the Jordan, and indeed, the whole way was littered with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown off in haste. So the scouts returned and told the king.

0:11

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Reflect

A day of good news

The lepers found food and silver and kept it to themselves, until they said, “We are not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news.” What good news from God have you kept quiet about? Write down the name of one person who needs to hear it from you this week.

Elisha’s Prophecy Fulfilled

Morning at Samaria's open gate: sacks of fine flour and barley slumped open on cloths, sellers measuring grain into baskets, thin buyers weighing small lumps of silver on wooden hand balances, glad faces, donkeys bringing more sacks up the road.

Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. It was then that a seah of fine flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

Now the king had appointed the officer on whose arm he leaned to be in charge of the gate, but the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king had come to him.

It happened just as the man of God had told the king

2 Kings 7:18

The king’s officer

And the officer had answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?”

Elisha

So Elisha had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!”

And that is just what happened to him. The people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

Pray

About this time tomorrow

“It happened just as the man of God had told the king.” Thank the LORD that He keeps His word to the letter, overnight if He wills. Ask Him for faith that does not scoff at His promises as the officer did. And ask for courage to carry the good news to people who are still starving behind the walls.

You’ve experienced

2 Kings 7

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A verse to carry with you

Finally, they said to one another, “We are not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will overtake us. Now, therefore, let us go and tell the king’s household.”

2 Kings 7:9

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