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Scripture: 2 Kings 6:24-29; 7:3-9

2 Kings 7:3–9 (KJV 1900)

3And 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?

4If 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.

5And 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.

6For 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.

7Wherefore 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.

8And 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.

9Then 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.

I want to read that last verse again from the New King James Version:

2 Kings 7:9 (NKJV)

9Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”

Prayer:

Tonight, I’d like to preach for just a few minutes from the title: It’s Not Right To Be Silent

Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria declared war against Israel and brought the entire army of Syria and besieged Samaria. The Bible says that the siege eventually caused a famine in the city. And that’s the purpose of a siege, the enemies would surround a city, and they would burn down the farms and block any merchants from entering because they wanted them to starve them into surrender.

The famine was so bad that it says in 2 Kings 6:25 “a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five silver.”

Five shekels of silver was a little more than half a month’s wages. A kab was a unit of dry measurement and a fourth of a kab was the smallest amount of dry measurement you could get anywhere...it would be the equivalent of 1/8 teaspoon for my bakers here. That means that people were so hungry spending their 2 week paycheck with a little overtime on it just to be able to afford 1/8 teaspoon of bird poop… WHY?!?! … because they’re hungry.

The Law allowed them to eat animals that “chew the cud and split the hoof” according to Leviticus 11:3, they could eat ox, sheep, deer, gazelle, antelopes...but they are forbidden from animals such as camels, horses, and donkeys...Yet here they are...paying 50 shekels of silver..more than half a years wages… WHY?!?!?! …. Because they’re hungry.

Then the king hears a commotion outside his door, a woman is crying out over and over “Help me, O King...I need your help!”... and the king robes himself and comes to meet the woman. “What's the issue?” he asks “How can I help?”

“Let me tell you the issue, me and this woman had an agreement, and she backed out...I DEMAND JUSTICE! We made an agreement that we would eat our children. And yesterday we took my son, and but today it was her turn… and she hid her son.”... WHY?!?! To go as far as to sacrifice their children… Because they’re hungry.

All around this city there are people that are hungry. THEY’RE STARVING. They’re dying.

Tonight there’s a young lady who’s hungry for the love of God, but instead she’s gonna try to find it in the love of a man… dove’s dung and donkey’s head

Someone is so hungry they’re going to shoot up, smoke up, or drink… dove’s dung and donkey’s head

Someone in this city, someone is SO hungry...they’re so helpless and hopeless...they’re going to take their own life or someone else’s life… dove’s dung and donkey’s head.

AND THAT SOMEONE COULD BE YOUR COWORKER, YOUR FAMILY MEMBER, YOUR NEIGHBOR!

HERE WE ARE WITH THE VERY THING THEY’RE STARVING FOR, AND PEOPLE CONTINUE TO DIE OF HUNGER… because we chose to hide it.

Why don’t we lift our hands all across this building right now.

These men were lepers! They were outcasts! They had to leave their homes and their families and live on the outskirts of town. They were scavengers, forbidden to have any contact with people. They had to wear certain clothes and carry a special bell that they would ring and cry “unclean, unclean.” That’s why they were OUTSIDE of the city gates.

Living that kind of life, no one can blame them when they decided to look out for themselves, they had to get what they could….But thank God SOMEBODY got a burden… IT’S NOT RIGHT TO STAY SILENT! The city is dying, We have to tell the king!