So, the famine within Samaria was devastating. However, Elisha told Jehoram, king of Israel that God would provide a miracle and by morning there would be life and joy in the streets because of an abundance of supplies. Yet, the king and the people of Israel with hardened hearts laughed at Elisha and did not believe God’s promise. Their idolatry, lack of faith, and even disdain toward God lead them to this place of desperation. Yet, God had reached out His hand of grace and promised hope, life and joy to these rebellious sinners. He does that still today. His hand reaches out with grace to every sinner. His desire is to fill each heart with His Joy and to give life eternal to each wandering soul. If only they would come to Him.
Even to those who know Him as Savior, He calls to us to live a life of Abiding, Steadfast Joy in His presence. Ah, the depth of desperation our souls face when we march through this world in our own strength. Yet, always He is there ready to provide all that our heart truly needs for life and joy, if only we seek Him and trust Him. Every moment of desperation that He allows to enter our life as believers is merely to draw us closer to His side. Because He knows apart from Him there is no hope in this world to experience life and joy, He allows even to tragedies that we might learn to let go of all the counterfeit joys we cling to and come to the cross where His life and Joy abound.
Desperation
Ah, but back to our story in 2 Kings 7. God had promised abundance to be theirs by morning. Yet, the king did not send out his troops in faith to see what God had done. The people went to bed in their hunger, despair and disbelief. Indeed, they were angry with God. They could not see that it was their sin which had led to their desperation and depraved state. Yet, however grave was their desperation it still did not compare to that of the 4 lepers outside the gates. If the famine had touched Samaria, it had completely wiped out any hope for the lepers who depended upon the generosity of the people to share their left-overs. But if there were no left-overs to be thrown over the wall to them, the lepers truly had nothing to eat.
In their utter desperation, the lepers determined their only hope was to turn themselves in to the Syrian Soldiers encamped around Samaria. Of course, the soldiers might immediately kill them; but even then, the death would be quick rather than to sit still and starve to death slowly. They had not heard of what the prophet told the people of hope; yet, it would be the poorest most desperate sinners God would use to save the people of Samaria.
Salvation by Grace Alone
God went before the lepers to prepare the way of their salvation. These the lowest of sinners, outcasts-He chose to save. 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. 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. 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. (2Kings 7:5-7).
The Syrians had fled and left behind all their food, provisions, gold, silver and livestock. The lepers were overwhelmed. They ate and relished in their find. But they stopped and remembered the people of Samaria. They knew that they must share with the people what God had done. For you see, they knew this was a miracle of God. In their utter desperation, they were able to see God’s glory and grace. Overwhelmed with His Gracious Kindness, overflowing with the joy that salvation by grace brings, they set off to tell the king of Israel what they had found.
The king, skeptical still sent out troops to scout the land, only to find that what the lepers proclaimed was true. Everything that Elisha told them had come from the mouth of God came true. The king’s servant who mocked God, died in the stampede of people rejoicing at God’s provision, as foretold.
Desperation that Leads to Life and Joy
Whatever desperation you may face today, remember this: God is waiting with arms outstretched offering life and joy in Him through faith in Jesus Christ. I want to share with you these excerpts from a sermon by Dr. W. A. Criswell on 2 Kings 7.
When there is mercy and aplenty, when there is God’s love and to spare, and we perish in the grave, and in the night, and in death, and in judgment, why, why, until we die?
You know, that’s a pretty good question. Why sit we here until we die? To be done with doing nothing, oh! There may be fifty ways to be lost; there’s one way to be saved [John 14:6]—move toward God. Move. (Just) Move! “Why sit we here until we die?” [2 Kings 7:3]. Move, move. Sometimes it may not be more than like a drunken man, in his wretched and miserable sleep, turning over on his pallet of straw, but move, move, move! Seek, seek. Ask! Come! “Why sit we here until we die?”
“Oh!” said these lepers, “Come. Come. Come! There is bread enough and to spare.” God hath opened the windows of heaven [2 Kings 7:2, 10]. And when the king and his people arose and came to the camp, behold, it was even as those lepers had said [2 Kings 7:14-15]. God had opened the windows of heaven. There was bread for the soul. (He offered them) life for death. There was freedom for captivity. (Furthermore,) There was the blessing and the fullness of God [2 Kings 7:15-16]. Come. (Oh, do)Come….[1]
Come Just As You Are
Why starve when God has spread the banquet of heaven before us? (Or) Why be lost in perdition and damnation when God hath opened the windows and the doors and the palaces of glory to us? Why live cooped up in a little segment of this mortal life when God hath given us the freedom and the liberty of the forever life that is yet to come? [John 10:27-30]. (Ask yourself) Why live small and beggarly and wretched in this world when God hath given us songs for our souls and praises for our lips and everyday’s happiness for our pilgrimage in the way? (Or) Why would a man choose to die when the crimson cross is so nearby? Why doesn’t a man come, come to Jesus? Come. Come.
That’s His message to our souls tonight. That’s His glorious announcement to our people tonight. We’re not speculating. We are not philosophizing. We’re not metaphysicians who are analyzing. We are announcers and proclaimers that the riches of glory in Christ Jesus are yours for the having, for the taking, for the asking [Ephesians 3:14-19; Philippians 4:19],and they endow our souls now and forever. Come. Oh, Come. Come and see for yourself. (Get up and) Come. Come.
If nothing else, let the judgment and the grief and the death that we inevitably face, let them drive us to Jesus. [2]
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because, He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
ARE YOU IN OF NEED PRAYER?
If you have a prayer request email me by clicking here
Furthermore, if you would like to tell me your story or thoughts comment here
Books Available
If you want to know more about books I have written. Then, please click on this link to discover a world of Book Resources.
Or you can find all my books on Amazon.com, search just by searching Effie Darlene Barba. Or click this link to be taken there
Furthermore, for inspirational photos or home decor click here.
Previous Posts in This Series:
Moralizers so Blinded to God’s Truth and Their Guilt
Do You Really Know God as Omnipotent, Omniscient Lord?
Does God Really Care About the Little Stuff?
How Can Someone So Close Not Know God?
Can a Missed Opportunity Leave a Nation to Fall?
One Unlikely Believer and the Grace of God
Do You Trust God in the Famine?
Is Love Really Worth the Heartbreak?
Are you Really Seeking God in All You Do?
Do You Believe God is Your Provider?
What Can One God Fearing Man Do?
What Happens When We Fail to Teach Our Children?
How to Revive Barren Lands with Living Waters
Who will Carry the Torch for God Against Evil?
What if God’s Work Leaves You Alone and Depressed?
Can You See The Army of God Surrounding You?
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2018
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Footnotes and Credits
[1] https://www.wacriswell.com/sermons/1962/the-story-of-four-lepers/
[2] https://www.wacriswell.com/sermons/1962/the-story-of-four-lepers/
Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash