3-3-07 We Do Not Well "ll King 7:1-11"

Memory Verse: ll Kings 7:9: Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace. . . .

Samaria was under siege.

The Syrians had decided to wait and let hunger win the battle for them.

Inside the city, conditions were chaotic. Faced with starvation the people began to reassess their values. Large sums of money were exchanged for small amounts of food.

Four lepers were caught between the invading army and the defenders of Samaria. Being outcasts because of their leprosy, they had survived outside the city gates by begging. Now that there was no traffic either in or out of Samaria, the lepers faced death.

Weighing their alternatives, these four desperate men decided to surrender to the Syrians. They reasoned: ". . . . if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die" (ll Kings 7:4). With that statement, they headed for the enemy camp.

To the surprise of the lepers, they found the Syrian camp deserted. The Lord had cause the Syrians to hear a noise that sounded to them as if a great army was coming upon them. Thinking the king of Israel had hired the fierce Hittites to fight them, they fled, the four outcasts found themselves surrounded with food and bounty. Like many today, they immediately started looting.

Then they came to their senses.

It was not right for them to feast while others were starving. Their discovery of this miracle obligated them to share it with others.

We have heard the wonderful Gospel of Christ. This is a day of good tidings.
If we keep silent, we do not well!!