“Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.” And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there.” II Kings 7:3-5 NKJV
a. Now there were four leprous men: These men stayed at the entrance of the gatebecause they were not welcome in the city. Their leprous condition made them outcasts and untouchables.
i. “If you were to take out of the Scriptures all the stories that have to do with poor, afflicted men and women, what a very small book the Bible would become, especially if together with the stories you removed all the psalms of the sorrowful, all the promises for the distressed, and all the passages which belong to the children of grief! This Book, indeed, for the most part is made up of the annals of the poor and despised.” (Spurgeon)
ii. Unfounded Jewish traditions say these four were actually Gehazi and his three sons. Gehazi was afflicted with leprosy because of his greed toward Naaman (2 Kings 5:27).
b. Why are we sitting here until we die: Their logic was perfect. They would soon die from the famine if they stayed by the city. If any food became available, they would certainly be the last to receive it. So they decided that their chances were better if they surrendered to the Syrians.
i. “Now you perceive that there are just two courses open to you; you can sit still, but then you know that you must perish; or you can go to Christ, and your fear is that you will perish then. Yet you can but die if you go to him, and he rejects you; whereas, if you do not go to him, you must surely perish.” (Spurgeon)
c. When they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there: This huge army surrounded the city of Samaria for many months, and the camp was the home and supply center for thousands of men. When the lepers came upon it that morning, they discovered an empty army camp – fully supplied, but empty of men.
i. The words to the outskirts of the Syrian camp imply that they came not only to the edge of the camp, but that they walked around to the furthermost part of the Syrian camp, the part away from the city. They came to the camp as someone from afar would approach, not as someone from Syria. They figured that this was their best chance, coming as if they were not from the besieged city and to the least fortified positions of the camp.
ii. This approach of the lepers to the camp “… may provide the occasion for the miracle itself; perhaps the Lord had in some way magnified the stumbling footsteps of the men as they made their way around the camp’s opposite end.” (Patterson and Austel)
(Guzik)
Children of Grief!
The Bible, “This Book, indeed, for the most part is made up of the annals of the poor and despised.” (Spurgeon)
I’ve always liked this acronym, B.I.B.L.E. stands for: “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”.
Spurgeon’s commentary hits the nail on the head and the Bible shows us that people just like us find grace and mercy with a loving God.
“Within its pages, the Bible contains stories of faith and devotion, as well as accounts of struggles and triumphs. It offers lessons on love, forgiveness, compassion, and justice, urging individuals to live righteous and fulfilling lives. The Bible also provides a roadmap for salvation, showing believers the path to eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.” https://biblewisdomhub.org/basic-instructions-before-leaving-earth-bible/
There are several people in the Bible that stand out to me, Job when his wife tells him to curse God and die. David when his faith gives him the courage to take on a giant. Elisha when the youths yell at him, go up you bald head! The ministry of Jesus and His compassion and mercy!
Who can you relate to in the Bible?
Blessings
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