Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria. Sermons
I. A CITY IN DISTRESS. Once more the people of Samaria were in great straits. A besieging army was at their gates, and, most terrible of all, the horrors of famine were within their walls. They were reduced to the greatest extremities. The women were actually beginning to cook and eat their own children. Whichever way they looked, the prospect was dark. To open the gates to the Syrians meant death or captivity. And the longer they remained within their walls, the more certainly death and starvation stared them in the face. See here the evil result of forsaking God. To such extremities they had brought themselves by their own sins. They had forsaken the living God, and now their false gods were not able to help them in the day of their calamity. It is an evil day in a man's history when he turns his back upon God's Word, upon God's commandments, upon God's Son. As it often happens, their calamities had hardened their hearts and blinded their eyes. There was one man in their midst who had often before proved a wise counselor and friend. They had Elisha, the man of God, in their city - the man who, by counseling them to make the valley full of ditches, had delivered the Moabites into their hands; the man, too, who had revealed Benhadad's secrets, and smitten the Syrian army with blindness. But they had forgotten all that. Instead of locking to Elisha for guidance or help, they blame him for all their troubles. How often does it happen that, when people get into difficulties, they throw the blame upon others! When troubles and difficulties come upon us, our first business should be to search our own hearts and lives, and see whether the trouble may not be of our own causing. II. A PROPHET IN DANGER. The king was a partaker in the wickedness of the people. He encouraged the prevailing idolatry. Now he shares their suffering. But he never thinks of looking to God for deliverance. He never thinks of humbling himself before God, and confessing his sins. On the contrary, he shows a disposition to cast the blame both on God and on his prophet. When the poor woman in her hunger and distress called to him for help, he answered, "If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?" Though he wore sackcloth, the outward sign of mourning or penitence, there was no sign of inward penitence or humility in his heart. How blind and infatuated he is in his anger and defiance! He threatens to take away the prophet's life. Jezebel had once said to Elijah, "So let the gods do to me and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them [the prophets whom she had slain] by tomorrow about this time." So here Jehoram says, "God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day." Even Jezebel's threat had apparently more reason for it than Jehoram's. Elijah had undoubtedly slain the prophets of Baal. But in this case Elisha was innocent of any charge. Jehoram quite gratuitously holds him responsible for the famine in Samaria, and threatens to take away his life. But man proposes and God disposes. Although Elisha is in danger, he is never in dismay. When the king's messenger came to take off his head, Elisha bade the elders to hold the messenger fast at the door till the king himself, who was close behind, should arrive. Elisha had had dealings with Jehoram before. He would hear his sentence from the king himself, if at all. Well for those who, like Elisha, live near to God. "Serve the Lord in fear," said John Knox on his death-bed," and the flesh will not fear death." Dangers do not distress them; death brings no dismay. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." - C.H.I.
Take thence every man a beam. — I. THE SONS OF THE PROPHETS PROCURED FOR THEMSELVES WHAT THEY WANTED. The college had become too small. There was not room enough for the increasing numbers who gathered to be instructed at the feet of Elisha. Now in their difficulty these young men might have reasoned something after this fashion. A college is for the good of the nation. The instruction we receive here is to be used by us hereafter in the religious service of the country. The country should, therefore, build us a larger and better house. They might have reasoned in this way and made an appeal to the religious public to help them. And so, instead of appealing to others, they resolved that as they wanted a larger building they would lay down their books, take up their axes, and go out and cut down the trees, building the place with their own hands. In this we have an illustration of an old maxim, that if you want anything done it is best to do it yourself. As regards the ordinary duties of life and the claims of business the preacher has little need to dwell upon this maxim. But we may be permitted to apply the maxim in the realm of church life and work. In every church there are men who are great talkers but little doers. They are ready enough to suggest improvements, to point out what others should do; but as to giving a helping hand themselves, nothing is further from their thoughts. Now I hold that no man has a right to suggest an improvement unless he is prepared to do his part in working it out. If every one who has a knowledge of music took an active part in the psalmody, and allowed his voice to be heard in the song of praise, how much better the worship would be. We are conscious of the need above all things of spiritual blessings, of conversions and spiritual revival in our churches. If every one so conscious would only express himself so in private and at the prayer-meeting, what hallowed prayer-meetings and what glorious revivals there would be among us! Some churches seem to live on the begging system. II. EVERY MAN WAS PREPARED TO DO HIS SHARE OF THE WORK. It was a serious matter even in these primitive times to build a house. The timber had to be felled and cut up into planks of convenient size. This called for the expenditure of strength and skill. By united effort and mutual assistance the arduous task was easily and quickly accomplished. And when there is unity among the members of a church, when every member is actuated by the same spirit of earnest desire for the prosperity of God's cause, how powerful the church becomes, how manifold the organisations that gather around it, and how efficiently conducted. In a well-ordered church there should be a task for every member. All cannot carry the same "beam." But every man should carry the load which his strength will allow, and render as much service as he is able. In ordinary churches a considerable sum of money is needed in the course of the year to carry on the ministry and maintain the schools and other societies. When every member conscientiously gives to the cause, not what others give, but what God enables him to give, there would never he crying out for lack of funds. If all who could teach would volunteer for the Sunday school, if all who could pray would show their faces at. the prayer-meeting, it would be better for them and for our churches. (J. Menzies.) (L. A. Banks, D. D.) People Aram, Benhadad, Ben-hadad, Elisha, Shaphat, SyriansPlaces Dothan, Jordan River, Samaria, SyriaTopics Afterward, Afterwards, Aram, Army, Attack, Benhadad, Ben-hadad, Ben-ha'dad, Besieged, Camp, Entire, Forces, Gathered, Gathereth, Got, Host, Laid, Layeth, Marched, Mobilized, Mustered, Pass, Samaria, Sama'ria, Shutting, Sides, Siege, Syria, TownOutline 1. Elisha, allowing the young prophets to enlarge dwellings, floats an axhead8. He discloses the king of Syria's counsel 13. The army which was sent to Dothan to apprehend Elisha, is blinded 19. Being brought into Samaria, they are dismissed in peace 24. The famine in Samaria causes women to eat their own children 30. The king sends to slay Elisha Dictionary of Bible Themes 2 Kings 6:21-248728 enemies, of Israel and Judah 4823 famine, physical 4438 eating Library Young Man! a Prayer for YouTHIS YOUNG MAN waited upon a prophet: he could not have had a more instructive occupation; yet his eyes needed to be opened. He was well disposed towards good things, for the tone of his language to his master shows that he was heartily at one with him; but his eyes were not yet half opened. Being in great alarm for his master's safety, he ran to him to warn him: good servants should be their master's best friends. In return, his believing master prays for him. If we desire the good of our servants, … Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891 Of the Practice of Piety in Fasting. Whether a Mann is Bound to Correct his Prelate? The Absolute Godhood of God is Seen in Administration The Christian Convert Warned Of, and Animated against those Discouragements which He must Expect to Meet when Entering on a Religious Course. In the Creation of the World, and all Things in It, the True God Distinguished by Certain Marks from Fictitious Gods. The Helpless State of the Sinner under Condemnation. Prayer May one Lose the Blessing? Meditations for the Morning. Letter xix (A. D. 1127) to Suger, Abbot of S. Denis The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It. A Cloud of Witnesses. Kings Links 2 Kings 6:24 NIV2 Kings 6:24 NLT 2 Kings 6:24 ESV 2 Kings 6:24 NASB 2 Kings 6:24 KJV 2 Kings 6:24 Bible Apps 2 Kings 6:24 Parallel 2 Kings 6:24 Biblia Paralela 2 Kings 6:24 Chinese Bible 2 Kings 6:24 French Bible 2 Kings 6:24 German Bible 2 Kings 6:24 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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