By way of introduction this morning I want you to notice 2 things, #1 The problem that existed #2 How God supernaturally provided what they needed.
We find in chapter 6 that syria once again was at war with Israel, we find where Benhadad the King of Syria had gathered together his great army and surrounded, or beseiged Samaria. Now Benhadad thought that this would be his final invasion and he would conquer Israel once and for all, we find that he had surrounded samaria for some time and because no one could go in or out of the city that a famine had developed, and about this time circumstances were getting desperate, it looked as if their was no relief in sight, they had according to v29 turned to canabalism, some had began to boil their sons to eat them, you see they were getting desperate, they had become discouraged, THEY NEEDED TO BE RESCUED, THEY NEEDED RELIEF. I also believe that many of them had realized that if relief was to come, it would have to come from God, even though they were doing everything within there means, I think they realized that they could no longer help themselves, but needed God’s help. YOU SEE THEY HAD A PROBLEM....
But you know I believe that the same conditions exist in the world today, we may not have turned to canabalism, but look at the MURDERS, ABORTION, RAPE, ROBBERY, HOMOSEXUALITY, ALCOHOLISM, SEXUAL IMMORALITY, AND LET’S NOT FORGET DRUGS, AND NOW TERRORISM AND JUST LOOK AT WHAT WE CALL T.V., I mean 20 yrs ago the #1 program was Andy of Mayberry, and you look at what this world watches today, even the cartoons are full of violence, is it any wonder that are world is filled with so much violence, and hatred, YOU SEE MY FRIEND THIS WORLD HAS A PROBLEM AND THEY TOO NEED TO BE RESCUED, THEY NEED RELIEF, but just as then we need to realize that if help is to come it will have to come from God.
Now let’s read Chapter 7 and see HOW GOD SUPERNATURALLY PROVIDED WHAT THEY NEEDED..Now remember their desperate, and discouraged, their starving to death, their at there all time low, they have hit rock bottom, and to top it all off it looks like their is no relief in sight....(READ) You know I thank God that we serve one who knows what we have need of, and can meet that need no matter what it is, no matter had desperate the situation may be, or how bad the circumstances may get, you see the problem that exist in the world today is not all those things that I mentioned, no they are the by product of the real problem that exist, and that is SIN, THAT’S RIGHT SIN and God has met that need already, how you say by sending his only begotten son to die on calvary, and paying the sin debt, by dieing for each and every one of us, you see when God created man in the garden of eden, he told him he could have it all but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and he told him that in the day that he ate of it he would surely die, that is be eternally seperated from God, lost without any hope.. Now in order for us to be redeemed or reconciled back to God someone had to die in our place and that one had to be perfect without sin, and my friend their has only been one who ever walked on this earth that was perfect and that was the Lord Jesus Christ, he paid the price that we could never pay and then to top it off we were made righteous through his blood.. You see my friend the answer to what this world is searching for is Jesus Christ... I look at my self and how I searched in the things of this world, I tried a lot of things to find that peace, to find that acceptance, but I just couldn’t find what I was looking for, untill I finally realized that what I needed this world just couldn’t give, and I realized that if I was gonna be rescued, if I was gonna find relief it would have to come from God... Now I know their are those that will say how can trusting Christ help me.. that’s how I felt too untill I tried everything else and then realized he was my only hope...
But I want you to notice something about this passage, BEFORE GOD COULD MEET THEIR NEED, HE NEEDED A VESSEL. Someone willing to be used of God.. You see I believe that is the problem today many aren’t willing to surrender their lives to God, I mean we get saved and we never tell anybody else what God has done for us, and that he can do the same for them, but listen to me my friend before God can meet the needs of this world he needs vessells, people just like you and me.
But lets notice who it was that he used, look at V3 A LEPER. The lowly, the down and out, the outcast, you see society didn’t want to have anything to do with them, in fact as the sat begging they had to cry out that they were a leper, now they had proably set at the gate begging for years, well what was it that cause them to be used of God..Look at V4 they became DISATISFIED with the way things were, look at what they said if we go into the city, then the famine will kill us, if we sit still here then we will die also. You see that’s what has got to happen to you and I, We must realize that therre’s more to serving God that just sitting in church Sunday after Sunday, Let me ask you DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR MISSING SOMETHING???? ARE YOU DISATISFIED??? DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE’S GOT TO BE MORE TO IT???? But let me show you something else look at V9. Now they went out into the host of the assyrians and guess what they found that’s right all the food they needed and more, and on top of that, they found Silver, gold, raiment all that they needed, they had it all and then they realized that the city was starving to death, that’s right even those that had mistreated them, and they felt the CONVICTION they they needed to go and tell them that God had met the need, you see they became DISATISFIED, AND WITH THAT CONVICTION, BUT MOST IMPORTANT THEY BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT OTHERS. Lissten they could have taken it all and rightly so I mean afterall how had they been treated by the city.. but in closeing let me say this how are we sometimes treated by the world, we need to be as these lepers were, to be concerned about those around us why because if they don’t get saved one day they will spend eternity in hell, listen WE HAVE THE GOOD NEWS, NOW LETS GO TELL THE WORLD.. Listen we have good news to tell and don’t, when are christian life is only coming to church, singing a few songs, hearing a short message and it never moves us, something is missing in are christian life...
