Chapter Summary

Jehovah's terror upon the Syrians.

Discussion Questions for 2 Kings, Chapter 7

1. Why do you think, of all days, after this long of a siege, this would be the day the Lord would send the Syrian army away?
2. Have you ever tried to handle a difficult situation your own way, then run out of yourself and had to depend on God? How did He show up in your situation?
3. What did the captain express in his answer to Elisha? What was wrong with his response? While God has not changed, how has the covenant He made with us through Christ changed the way He interacts with people?
4. What does repetition signify in the Bible? Why do you think the first two verses are repeated in verses 18 and 19? Do you think the captain was questioning Elisha's prophecy, or God's ability? What is the difference between whether the captain questioned Elisha's prophecy, or God's ability? Do you think they punishment would carry the same consequences? Why or why not?
5. What motivated the lepers to enter the Syrian camp? Why do you think that people often ignore God’s call on them because they think they stand to lose too much (in terms of finances, time with family, creature comforts, etc.)? Do we stand to lose more than we would gain by doing what's right in God's eyes?
6. How did the Lord fight for His people? Does He still fight for His people? How have you seen the Lord fight for you or others around you?
7. What positively motivated the lepers to inform the king of the Syrian retreat? Why is it important that we celebrate good news with others? How does corporate celebration complete our joy? (Think about having a baby and not telling anyone, or your team winning the championship, and you can’t cheer or high five anyone. Would that good news seem hollow to some degree?)
8. What negatively motivated the lepers to inform the king of the Syrian retreat? Is punishment a healthy motivator? How has aversion to punishment helped you make better decisions?
9. Do you think the king was wise in his skepticism? Is skepticism a good thing, a bad thing, or does it depend? If it depends, what makes skepticism good or bad? How was the king's skepticism different than that of his captain? Where do you see healthy or unhealthy skepticism in yourself?
10. Why did the captain die? Was this fair? Why didn't the king die as a result of his skepticism? What did the rest of the city’s inhabitants do to deserve any better fate than the captain? Why are we often skeptical of God's provisions?

Key Words/Phrase

Promise fulfilled, vv. 1, 16.

Characters

God, Elisha, Jehoram, captain of Israel, four lepers.

Strong Verse(s)

6, 7.