The wisdom of the four lepers
2 Kings 7:3-4 (King James Version)
3 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? 4 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.
I admire people with the courage to face hard choices, make a decision, and move forward in faith.
In 2 Kings, Benhadad, king of Syria, laid siege to Samaria, the capital city of Israel. The result was a famine so severe that a donkey’s head sold for 80 pieces of silver, dove feces sold for five, and the women of the city cannibalized their own children.
Four lepers, outcasts from society, sat at the gate of Samaria. Because of their disease, it is doubtful anyone in the city cared what became of them. Like the rest of Samaria, these four men were starving to death. Unlike the rest of Samaria, they decided to do something besides eat bird droppings and each other.
The lepers began by asking the most important question: “Why sit we here until we die?” Unfortunately, most people never even reach the point where they ask that question, choosing instead to sit around and complain about their circumstances.
The lepers also realized they had just three options:
A. Enter the city and starve
B. Sit at the gate and starve
C. Go the camp of the enemy on the slim chance the Syrians would give them something to eat.
Of the three, only option C offered any hope whatsoever. There was a better than average chance the Syrians would kill them outright, but perhaps they would have mercy…
So at twilight the four lepers began walking towards the camp of Syria. And as they went, God worked a miracle that saved the city. God didn’t use the king or his cautious counselors (2 Kings 7.2): He used four societal outcasts who were willing to face the facts, make a decision, and move forward in faith.
At some point in life, we all face what appear to be no-win situations. Sometimes it seems every road leads to ruin. But when we step out in faith, we open the door for God to work a miracle.
Make that choice today and move boldly forward, knowing God will go with you.
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michelleIL on May 5th, 2009
THat’s great! You reminded me of one of our sisters, Shay Johnson saying that in defensive driving, when you reach an intersection and are trying to get through, there is what is called a “point of no return,” where if you are going to get through that light, you just have to gun it. So we, as Christians, have “come too far from where we started from…” and t’s time we just gunned it!