The Kiss

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  “Ryabovitch pulled the bed-clothes over his head, curled himself up in bed, and tried to gather together the floating images in his mind and to combine them into one whole. But nothing came of it. He soon fell asleep, and his last thought was that someone had caressed him and made him happy—that something extraordinary, foolish, but joyful and delightful, had come into his life. The thought did not leave him even in his sleep. When he woke up the sensations of oil on his neck and the chill of peppermint about his lips had gone, but joy flooded his heart just as the day before.” The Kiss By Anton Chekhov (1860–1904)

chapelblog: 2 Kings 7 "The Good Samaritans"

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(MJones)

No, not the one Samaritan Jesus spoke of. There was more than one good Samaritan.

Israel was in the sunset years. Elisha was the prophet of the Day (see Ch. 6). Ax heads were not readily available then as they are now. Elisha's servant was freaking out because the King was upset with his boss, but Elisha saw something the servant did not. We are not accustomed to using these kinds of tools in ministry.

Setting 6:24ff the King of the nation was bringing the wages of his sin onto his nation. Then he blamed God. He was not listening and unrepentant.

7:1 Gas prices are dropping (as it were).

Four lepers were sitting there and decided to do something. They encouraged each other. They thought they would see the end of the spear, but all they found was food and plunder. V.9 they realize they are not doing right and go back to announce the enemy was gone. One wise man urged the king to go see.

God will work in the most awful situations.
3 kinds of people:

  1. The unwilling and unrepentant among whom you must minister;
  2. The ones who just will not believe so matter what they hear;
  3. Leprous men who go out and do something that God uses to bring victory.

    Which person are you called to?
    How do you spend your time and resources?

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