2 Kings 7
Four men, who were lepers, and could not live with other people, sat near the gate of Samaria. It was near night and they were hungry, but it was no use to go in the city, as the big army of Syria, camping nearby, kept the people of Israel inside, from getting food. So the lepers decided to go to the enemy’s camp, and perhaps someone there might have pity and give them something.
They came near the camp, but could not see nor hear any soldiers; they went close and looked in a tent, no one was inside; they looked in other tents, but there were no men.
A strange thing had happened: early that evening God had caused all the big army to hear sounds in the air as though many horses and chariots were coming toward them. Kings then had heavy carts for war, some were of iron, and made much noise over the stony roads. These soldiers thought the armies of Egypt, or other lands were coming to help Israel; they were so frightened they left their tents and supplies; and ran toward their own land, not even taking their horses, perhaps thinking they could go more quietly and better hide themselves, if need be in woods or hills.
The hungry lepers took much food and other things for themselves from the tents; then they thought of the people inside the city, whom they knew were starving, and they returned to the city gate to tell the guards how they had found the enemy’s camp deserted. The guard sent this news to the king. At first he thought the soldiers were hiding in the fields near, ready to take the men of Israel if they went to the tents. So he sent men to ride about, to learn if they really were gone.
The men came back, certain that the army of Syria had fled.
Then men went to the deserted camp, and so much food was brought from the tents, that a measure of flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel at the city gate, just as Elisha had said. In those cities the markets were at the gate, and people went the to buy or sell.
We can imagine how those hungry people rushed to get food, and how many were going out to the tents and others coming in, so there would be a great crowd at the city gate. The king set his chief officer to keep order. This was the same man who had heard Elisha say there should be plenty of food, and had not believed him. Now the crowd of people did not heed him, in their rough pushing of one another, he was knocked down and tramped upon, and so killed. He saw the food brought in but did not live to eat of it, as Elisha had told him.
Read this story over in your Bible.
How far did the king’s men ride, and what did they find dropped by the way? Verse 15.
Notice what the lepers said after they had eaten and taken much for themselves:
“We do not well....this day is a day of good tidings....come....and tell the kings household” (Verse 9).
ML 07/16/1939