The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Kings 7:9,
"They [the four lepers of Samaria] said to each other, 'What we're doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves.'"
The king of Aram, Ben-Hadad, laid siege to Samaria, where the throne of the northern ten tribes of Israel was located. It caused a great famine in the city such that people were killing and eating their children. It was horrific.
According to the prophetic declaration of Elisha, the Lord declared a miraculous deliverance of the city. We are told in verses 6-7, "The Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, 'Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!' So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives."
"They [the four lepers of Samaria] said to each other, 'What we're doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves.'"
The king of Aram, Ben-Hadad, laid siege to Samaria, where the throne of the northern ten tribes of Israel was located. It caused a great famine in the city such that people were killing and eating their children. It was horrific.
According to the prophetic declaration of Elisha, the Lord declared a miraculous deliverance of the city. We are told in verses 6-7, "The Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, 'Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!' So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives."
That very evening there were four men with leprosy at the city gate who decided to go to the Aramean camp and ask for mercy since the city was in such desperation. When they arrived at the camp they found it empty of all the soldiers, with only their animals, equipment and possessions remaining.
Initially the four lepers entered one of the tents and ate and drank. They took silver, gold and clothing and hid it and went back to plunder the camp some more. It was a huge encampment and as they were helping themselves, they came to their senses and decided to take the message of the Lord's deliverance into the city for all to partake.
Four men of desperation. Four men who faced death. Four men who found deliverance the Lord provided. These four men took the message of the Lord's deliverance to an unknowing people.
I can't help but think of all of us today who have found the Lord's deliverance. Do we partake in the wonderful provision of the Lord and fail to take the message of it to the unknowing? Or, like these four lepers, will we take the message into the city to proclaim the Lord's deliverance and his lavish provision for all who will embrace him in faith?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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