Sunday School at 9 am | worship at 10 am

Who Are We?

There is a fascinating story in 2 Kings 7 which takes place during the long and impressive ministry of the prophet Elisha, the successor to Elijah.  Here’s the setting: The city of Samaria, the capitol city of Israel, is suffering through a severe famine. The famine has come as a result of the Syrian army laying siege to the city.  No one could come into the city, and no one could come out. The situation was so desperate in Samaria that the people had resorted to cannibalism. Joram, the king of Israel, was so disturbed that this sort of thing was going on that he decides to do something about it.  He makes an oath to God—not as an act of repentance for having sinned against God, but as an act of rage toward his prophet, Elisha.  He swears an oath before God to have Elisha’s head cut off.

 

So, King Joram goes to Elisha’s house. Elisha, being the prophet he was, knew beforehand that the king was coming, and what he intended to do. But instead of delivering a well-deserved rebuke at the king, Elisha gives him some
interesting news—great news!  It’s recorded for us in 2 Kings 7:1. Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the LORD; thus says the LORD, ‘Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.'”

 

In other words, the famine will be over, and food will once again be plentiful—and cheap!  The very next day grain and flour will be sold at normal prices. That would require a miracle, given the desperate situation at hand. But that’s exactly what is being promised. Did the people of Samaria deserve such a miracle? Absolutely not. These
people had rebelled against God.  So why would God rescue a rebellious people?  Because He is good and merciful. After all, if God only rescued the deserving, where would that leave you and me? Mankind would long ago have ceased to exist if God’s mercy depended on us.

 

Fast forward with me a bit to the next scene.  A group of four lepers are pondering their dilemma.  They’re hungry.  As lepers, they are not allowed in the city.  But even if they were, there is no food there.  So they consider going to the Syrians and asking them for food.  What do they have to lose?  The Syrians might take pity on them and give them some food.  But if the Syrians kill them, it doesn’t really matter.  They’re starving; they’re going to die anyway.  So, the lepers approach the camp of the Syrians and find no one there.  The Lord had caused them to hear the sound of horses and chariots and a great army.  As a result, the Syrians ran off, leaving all of their stuff behind.  The lepers take advantage of the situation.  First, they gorge themselves.  Then they carry off and hide the gold and silver and clothing that the Syrians had left behind.  Then it hits them. Their consciences are pierced.

 

Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”

 

The lepers realize they should not keep the good news to themselves and they act on it by announcing it at the city gate.  We who have found grace and mercy in Christ are like these lepers.  For a short while we revel in our
discovery, but quickly come to understand that we need to broadcast this Good News, because our people are
dying for the lack of it. And so we have the answer to our question, “Who are we?”  We are messengers of Good News!  We are like one starving person telling another starving person where we found bread.