Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha
Move: Refuse to be immobilized and rooted o a spot.
The four lepers at the gate of Samaria moved from the city and gate of Samaria
where there was famine to the camp of the Syrian army where there was
abundance. Please see 2nd Kings Chapter 7 verses 3 to 9.
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The four leprous men at the entrance of the gate at
Samaria were probably beggars which explain why they sat at the gate to receive
alms. But alms were not forthcoming because of the long siege by Ben-Hadad,
King of Syria against Samaria. The siege resulted in a famine that made people
eat up their children (2nd Kings Chapter 6 verses 24 to 33). Prices
of food also skyrocketed. The King and people of Samaria were in a dilemma.
When would the famine end? When and how would the siege end considering that
they had no military might against Ben-Hadad? Besides inflation would continue
to soar as long as the siege continued; and cannibalism would become the norm. Something
had to be done and quickly too. The King threatened to kill Elisha and wondered
why he should wait for God any longer when he was quite sure that the calamity
was from God.
That was when Elisha chose to prophesy and what did
he prophesy? A drastic reduction in the prices of food stuff; not in the near
future but the following day! Was the prophet joking? Did he not realize the
severity of the times? Did he not know about the skyrocketing inflation that
had made people turn to cannibalism? But Elisha had spoken the mind of God and
even as an official of the King attempted to create doubts in the minds of the
people by asking if such abundance that would bring about drastic reduction in
the price of food was possible, Elisha silenced him by decreeing that the man
would see it but would not partake of it. Elisha was done for the day and he
retired home.
But the four leprous men were not done for the day.
Hunger was dealing them a hard blow and no one was giving them alms. So they
took a decision – why sit at the gate of Samaria and the city of Samaria that
had nothing to offer and die? Why not surrender to the army of Syria and hopefully
obtain favor and live? So they set out for the camp of the Syrian army at
twilight. Beloved, inaction is not of God. The lepers acted. Do not sit
immobilized hoping for miracles. Yes, miracles do come but most times, God also
wants people to act to experience the miracles.
Eventually, they got to the camp. No one was there,
a great and pleasant surprise because the army of Syria had fled their camp in
haste because of what God did. What did God do? God caused them to hear the
noise of chariots, horses, the noise of a great army and they concluded that
the King of Israel had hired mercenaries from the Hittites and the Egyptians to
attack them. Therefore, they fled in a hurry and left all their resources intact
– they did not take anything. The four leprous men had walked into overwhelming
abundance because of the decision they took.
First, they ate and drank to their fill to satisfy
the hunger and thirst after which they took silver and gold and clothing for
themselves. It was after they had taken more than enough for themselves that
they realized they had to share the god news. So they went back to Samaria and
told the gatekeepers who told the King. While
the king and his household deliberated as to whether the Syrians were playing a
game on them and eventually confirmed that the Syrians were gone, it was
morning – the tomorrow Elisha prophesied about and the Bible records that food
was sold at exactly the amount Elisha prophesied about. Unfortunately, the
officer who had attempted to create doubt died in the stampede as people rushed
to get the food.
Beloved, the word of God does not return to Him
void. When God gives a word, He alone brings about the fulfillment of the word
in His own ways and in His own time. Significantly, positive actions lead to
and culminate in abundance and wealth. Those four leprous men will never have
to beg for alms again as I believe they carted enough material resources to
last them a life time. Positive decisions and actions beget wealth while wrong
decisions and inaction beget stagnation, retrogression and poverty.
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