GOOD NEWS, AND WE REMAIN SILENT July 2023
2 Kings 7:3-13 (NKJV)
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? 4 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.” 5 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. 6 For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!” 7 Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives. 8 And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it.9 Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king’s household.” 10 So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, saying, “We went to the Syrian camp, and surprisingly no one was there, not a human sound—only horses and donkeys tied, and the tents intact.” 11 And the gatekeepers called out, and they told it to the king’s household inside.12 So the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “Let me now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.’ ”13 And one of his servants answered and said, “Please, let several men take five of the remaining horses which are left in the city. Look, they may either become like all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; or indeed, I say, they may become like all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed; so let us send them and see.”
Everyone welcomes a little good news anytime. The constant war between Israel and Samaria affected the population in such a way that the Israelites became fearful. Elisha, the prophet, had to ask God to open their eyes so they could discern spiritual things. If there is ever a time that we need revelation knowledge from God, it is now.
Famine, wars, shortages, empty promises, and many prophecies were the norm in Israel. Even the king had to decide whether he believed Elijah’s prophecy concerning the cost of living. Not only did the demand for food surpass the supply, but also, there was a need for adequate healthcare. Samaria seemed like some places in our world today.
It was during this time that four lepers made a conscious decision to effect change. Their situation warranted them to be social outcasts. Just imagine, if someone was getting too close to them, they had to announce that they were unclean. It was bad enough to have the disease, but worse, to be forced to broadcast it. They were also isolated outside of the city gate where both the entry and exit were controlled. It was an opening to what may be otherwise unknown. Also, it was the place where social identity was discovered. The lepers’ existence was the ultimate form of homelessness.
Leprosy was highly contagious and would result in permanent disfiguration. It breeds fear, stigma, and negative assumptions. Think about the emotional scars of the victims and their relatives. Against all odds, the four diseased men, made a conscious decision to enter the city. They discovered that regardless of their reality, they would die, but at least, they would die trying. What is our resolve when our stance may not be applauded?
Sometimes we are caught between a rock and a hard place. That is the time we need to seek divine revelation. “Occupy, till I come,” Luke 19:13, is a real command. God expects us to be productive by our use of the gifts He has given us.
Who would have thought that such people could have been beneficial to society? The very people that may seem like a liability to the culture could be the ones with the solution to the problem at hand. Despite their condition they did not lament their fate. Instead, they reasoned among themselves and planned to use their lot in life, as an asset to the community.
The first step of faith came after they said, “Come”. Then they stood and put feet to their faith to go to the Syrian’s camp. Astonishingly, the camp had been deserted. Isn’t that just like God? Before they made that rash decision, they had no idea that God had already cleared the way for them. So, all their preconceived ideas were dashed to pieces.
God worked while they were speaking. They experienced abundantly above their expectations. One way or the other, their destiny was sealed, so they chose the lesser of two evils and proceeded. Either their personal situation or their society’s decision would produce the same outcome. Hope caused them to thrust forward.
It took courage and faith for them to plunge ahead even in the face of seeming impossibility. The Syrians were determined to fight Israel, but God had a different plan. Four diseased rejects would become vessels of importance. The most unlikely ones are whom God may use to let people recognize that there is good news regardless of the circumstances.
Wise counsel dictates that no-one should be discounted because of their status in life. Whomever God may select is entirely His decision, without our input. The lepers went from tent to tent, unhindered, got the plunder and stored it. Time was kind to them because their life was being used to fulfill a God-given purpose. The discarded four realized the benefits they had.
They traveled to the back of the camp, under cover of darkness. Since they ventured out to do the unthinkable, it was obvious that their expectations were, do or die at the hand of the enemy. In desperation, they decided to surrender to the enemy’s army, under cover of darkness, quietness, and lonesomeness. When we become hungry enough for God, (Psalm 42: 1,2), we should find a way to harness His presence. Circumstances may dictate difficulties, but like David in Psalm 63:1a, we are encouraged to seek God early in the morning, under cover of solitude.
Based on Proverbs 16:7, God promises to let our enemy be peaceable to us if our actions are pleasing to Him. What a surprise! The Syrians were nowhere in sight. The enemy had disappeared. God gave even more than those lepers imagined. He miraculously let the Syrians hear all the noises of war and assume that Israel’s allies had conspired against them. Their wives and children would become prisoners of war. Chattel slavery was a price the Syrians were unwilling to pay. Therefore, they also escaped under cover of darkness.
Apparently, they left hurriedly because all personal belongings were abandoned. Food, drink, jewelry, and clothes were among the prized, plundered possessions. The tide turned for these unwanted beings. The enemy had now become fugitives while God did His job. The loot was more than the lepers could handle, even after they divided it among themselves. Hungry, thirsty, and probably smelly is what described the ones who were enriched with information and wisdom. What can’t God do?
We are blessed with things that are necessary for life and godliness. Above that, we have been commissioned to share the gospel. The prophet Jeremiah, when he decided to stop delivering God’s message, said that he felt like he would explode. We are inclined to get and keep, even when we have more than enough for ourselves.
The lepers would have been able to satisfy their physical needs and have an excess amount of merchandise to become entrepreneurs. What a change in status! The newly-found circumstance was a discovery that was worth sharing. It was no longer about their situation. Suddenly, the focus was on evaluating what they possessed. They labelled it, “Good News”.
In a time of war and famine, finding food was good news. The kind that was welcomed, regardless of who brought it. Without hesitation the lepers concluded that such precious findings had to be publicized. Introspection will let us answer the following questions: Why were we born? What is our passion/ dream? Where is our pain and what is its purpose? Have we assessed the worth of the information we possess? Do we know the potency of the Word of God?
The Word is: life and health, (Proverbs. 4: 20-22); a lamp and a light, (Psalm 119:105); sharper than any two-edged sword, (Hebrews 4:12). Those are a few examples of the power of the Word. Above all, God promises that His Word will prosper wherever He sends it, and it will accomplish what He pleases. God expects us to carry it without reservation. He decides who is worthy of receiving this universal message, with all-inclusive impact. Our decision then should be to share the good news of Christ, the Anointed One.
The gatekeepers chose to listen to what the lepers had to say. They became the platform that was used to share the good news. There are so many choices of platforms that we have today. Which one will we use?
On the surface, the lepers’ situation was not viewed as circumstances for the common good, although it would eventually produce God’s desirable outcome. The untouchables weighed the possibilities and decided to be risk-takers. Let us examine some what ifs: What if the lepers decided among themselves that no one would listen to them? What if the gatekeeper did not believe them? What if the Syrians decided to return? What if the king imprisons them?
God orchestrated the event, (Proverbs 28: 1). He let Israel’s enemy then, the Syrians, hear the sounds of defeat and run for safety. This prepared the path in the perfect plan for the lepers. We may never know what God will cause our enemies to do.
The treasured good news had to be shared. Its value could only be measured by the advantages it had for those who heard it. Should we realize the prized possession of the message of salvation, we would be anxious to share it. Just like the lepers, we must dismiss the what ifs, and declare the news anyway. Our audience is wherever we are. The lepers were on the outside. Our platform may not necessarily be inside four walls, so we should not feel confined.
The famine presented the urgency of the time. Likewise, there is currently an emergency, owing to the scarcity of the meat of the Word. If we fail to expose the riches of love in Christ, the result will be spiritual malnutrition. There is a famine for deeper depths in the Word, (Amos 8:11).
How can we disobey Acts 1: 8? Our home is the first platform, then our neighbors, then elsewhere. Let us learn from those unexpected news carriers, discern the time, and determine whether we are doing the right thing. As ambassadors of God, we cannot have good news and we remain silent.
Dr. O. A. James.
REFLECTION: What are some things that may deter us from sharing the Gospel.?