Moving Forward In The Church Series

Moving Forward

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Text:

2 Kings 7:3 ¶ 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? 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. And he called the porters; and they told it to the king’s house within.

Introduction

Times were rough in Israel. Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, had surrounded the city of Samaria and blocked it up. There was no going out and no going in. The Bible tells us in the previous verses that a donkey’s head, which is the least likely part for food sold for 50 dollars. Then it tells us that the dung of a dove sold for three dollars in silver. In other words there was a major famine going on.

The Bible even gives us greater detail as it tells the story of two women. Both having child. It was so hard that they began to eat their child. Sadly enough we see the spiritual condition at this time. For as this woman went before the king she did not complain about the fact of having to eat her child but that the other woman would not share.

Oh how low this nation had become. Sunken so deep into rejection of God. Next we see in the verses that were read the plight of four lepers. These were standing at the gate of the city. This is where they practically lived. They were here to beg for food yet there was no food so they were here to beg.

Let me tell you these for lepers remind me of the church. The church whose sins were as filthy rags standing at the gate of decision. They remind me not of just the overall church but the Clifton church. Standing at the gate of decision. Many times God will bring us to a point of decision. He will break us down enough.

You see the devil has surrounded our church. The devil has surrounded this church. What he wants more than anything is to destroy it. What he wants more than anything is to distract you from the task at hand.

The task for Israel to do was to worship the Lord. All they had to do is to break down, repent and turn to the Lord. Yet in their stubbornness and distraction they would not bow.

The devil turned them against one another. For the King of Israel blamed Elisha and the city began to tear each other apart. There was no reason for Ben-hadad to come and capture the city for the city themselves would destroy one another.

Oh how we see a picture of the church. The claws of Satan tearing down the church. He don’t have to destroy it all he has to do is to convince us to destroy one another.