God uses many different methods to instruct His people on the earthly pilgrimage. Many of God’s instruction are clear and to the point, other are hidden in parables, Proverbs, and stories. I am fascinated when I discover how God speaks through stories like those found in the book of Esther. As you know, the name of God is not mentioned anywhere in the book, yet you can sense God’s presence and His guiding hand throughout the Book. 2 Kings 7:3-11 is like that. The story centers around four leprous men, forced out of the city by a dreaded disease, during a time when the capitol city, Samaria, was besieged by a powerful army of Syrian. Usually, preachers focus on God’s provisions for these four men and the inhabitants of Samaria as a result a prophetic word from God to Elisha. We will certainly revisit those truth, along other valuable lessons that can be applied. I would like to lift some lessons taught by the lepers.
Many of us realize that life is really a series and seasons. The truth is everyone, Christians and Non-Christians alike, go through different season of life. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
Although, God may not send every season, but He certainly allows them, and uses them for His own design and purpose. The four lepers of our story in the city of Samaria are caught in the grip of a down cycle. If we live long enough, we will also experience a down cycle in our lives. The pandemic has taught us that some down turns can affect the whole world. Life can take us to the point of desperation. It is wonderful to know that even in desperate times, our God can provide deliverance despite down turns. Times of desperation require us make to important decisions. These four lepers needed to make a choice. Consider the following the things:
A Choice To Make – 2 Kings 7: 3, 4 “And 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? If 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.”
In their desperate situation, the lepers had a choice to make! The city was besieged, the famine was severe, and the people were in despair. This period in Israel was so severe that some mothers were actually cooking and eating their own dead children. People were doing things they never thought they would do. The lepers were in a category of their own. The lepers were facing a critical medical crisis, forced to live in isolation, outside of the city wall with little prospects for the future. They were dying of hunger and living in desperation. The Law was against them, in Le 13:45, it says, “And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. 46 All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.”
The lepers reasoned among themselves, “if we go in the city, there is nothing for us in the city. Sitting still means certain death and time was working against us.” They discovered that they still had options. The more they thought about the situation, surrender to the enemy and even prison life started to make sense. We don’t like to admit it, but there have been times when we all have felt like we were between a rock and a hard place. Right now, during the pandemic, there is a housing crisis, and many people find themselves in desperate place. I recently talked to several people on the brink of eviction and now foreclosure and bankruptcy sounds like the best option. Are you facing a desperate situation in your life? Has the pandemic left you feeling boxed in? Life’s crisis can make you feel boxed in, you feel “besieged.” Your troubles may include a wide range of crisis, broken relationships, economic short falls, homelessness, diseases, unemployment, it’s real and it’s difficult for you. What should you do? What will you do? Like the lepers of our lesson, you must consider your options and make a choice. Secondly, you must take a chance. You see there is a choice to make and there is a chance to take.
A Chance to Take - 2Ki 7:5-7 “And 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. 6 For 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. 7 Wherefore 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.”
This text does not mention faith or prayer, but it does talk about taking a chance. Can you imagine what must have gone through their minds? These lepers did not know about Elisha’s prophesy of change and abundance. They did not realize that God was making plans for the deliverance of His people, neither did they know the part they were to play. As a matter of fact, Leprosy was considered to be a curse and evidence of God’s displeasure. So, these men were taking a chance.
I believe the lepers made the best decision they could and moved forward with incomplete knowledge. They decided to face their problem, and when they stepped out, they stepped into a miracle. Our God is not limited in his provisions, He can use anything to bring about his will and purpose in the world. God has used thunder, lightning, wind, rain, a tree limb, a spider web and countless other things to bring deliverance, confuse the enemy and bring the victory. God has caused the sun to standstill, move in reverse direction, and in this lesson, God uses noise. If we will trust God and let him fight our battles, we will discover that God can do more in a moment than we can accomplish on our own in a lifetime. God had already promised deliverance and would bring it to pass even though the lepers had no knowledge of it. God brought deliverance and used the leper’s footsteps to make a noise. They had a choice to make, A Chance to take and they received a blessing to appreciate.
A blessing to Appreciate - 2Ki 7:8 “And 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.”
When the lepers came into the camp, they discovered a blessing to appreciate. These lepers were overwhelmed with abundance in the camp of their enemy. They started to plunder their enemy and collect the booty without a fight. They found all kind of valuables in abundance. They started eating, drinking, and making merry. If you noticed, these men had not prayed or sought God about their decision. They simply went out in faith and something good happened to them. Children of God are different! The believer can pray with confidence and seek God’s presence and power. The believer can claim the promises of God, so that we can move forward in faith and can expect a blessing to appreciate. God is able to handle our desperate issues in power ways that we can celebrate and appreciate. You may think your situation is desperate and hopeless. Please know God can turn things around in a moment of time. Finally, after we make a choice, take a chance, and appreciate God’s blessings, there is a responsibility to reciprocate. Sharing our story with other is the best way to show our appreciation for God’s blessings.
An Opportunity to Reciprocate - 2Ki 7:9-11 “Then 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. 10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were. 11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within."
The lepers understood their responsibility to reciprocate. The psalmist asked in Psalms 116:12-14 “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? 13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. 14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.” The psalmist decides to celebrate his salvation, maintain a vibrant prayer life, pay my vows to the Lord and do it all in the presence of His people. How often people receive great blessings from God and fail to practice goodwill towards others.
I believe God allows us to reach points of desperation that God might show His mighty power of deliverance, That He might bless us with delightful blessings that we cannot experience any other way; that we might bring glory to God and our testimony to the world. Read again what these lepers did and said, 2Ki 7:9 “Then 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:…”If you find yourselves in a desperate situation, don’t forget this point. When you come out, we must not fail to give God glory and give your witness to others.
In the middle of their good fortune, they came to their senses and realize that selfishness is not good. They were enjoying fulness, freedom, and happiness, but in the city, people were suffering hunger and fear. They realized that it would be wrong to not share the good news with others. They recognized their responsibility. Although, they were lepers, they had an opportunity to give back. They felt that God would not hold them guiltless if they withheld the good news. Something so wonderful must be shared. Please know these men had been overlooked, outcasted, and still had a problem, but they had a great message to share. Even though the city did not appreciate them, would allow them to enter the city, they shouted the good news over the walls. I find it impressive how these four men with leprosy cared about the fate of the people in the city. They chose to care about people who would normally avoid them, take precaution around them, and even considered them to be people with no value. They chose to share the message of good news of happiness and freedom.
I wonder how deeply does this feeling live within us as believers. Do we care about people around us like God cares about us? Do we feel any responsibility for people who are walking in darkness? God loves us too much to leave us in sin and dark ness. Someone shared the good news with us, we should share it with others. Now we are somewhat like the lepers who found freedom, fulness and joy. Jesus Christ changed our lives. We are no longer outcast, no longer desperately trying to find the life we desperately needed. We have good news to share. I wish I could tell you that these men received their healing and acceptance by the community. They had good news in broken vessels. Like many of us, who are saved, blessed with abundance, true wisdom from God, and real gratitude for what we have received. We should share the good news even if we are not perfect. When we faithfully share our story, God’s story, those who hear us can benefit and we will benefit. We will rejoice as others begin to enjoy the blessings of God. The good news is we found the way out. We found the door. Joh 10:9, 10 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
The question today is, “How much do we care about the people around us?” How much do we care about those trapped in the city of sin, devouring one another, prisoned by doubt and unbelief? Do we care about people who are so desperate that they are sacrificing their own children? Do you take seriously the responsibility of sharing the good news with others? Are we will to reciprocate? Are we willing to give back? I hope you are, I certainly pledge to be. Amen.
