Is it not singular that the story of four leprous men should be inserted in the Book of the Kings of Israel? No; not for the Bible. If you were to take out of the Scriptures all the stories that have to do with the poor and afflicted, what a small book the Bible would become, especially if together with the stories you removed all the psalms of the sorrowful, all the promises for the distressed, and all the passages which belong to the children of grief! This Book for the most part is made up of the annals of the poor and despised.
Think what a space is occupied with the life of the man who was separated from his brethren, sold for a slave, and put in prison in Egypt. What a large part of the Bible is occupied by the writings of one who was a babe exposed on the Nile, and afterwards kept a flock for forty years in the desert. We could not part with the account of the man who lost all his property and children in one day, and sat among the ashes covered with boils. Or the story of two widows who came empty-handed from Moab, one of whom went to glean in the fields of Boaz; nor the history of that woman of a sorrowful spirit, and her little boy, around whom the hope of Israel gathered in the dark days of Eli.
Page after page of holy writ is enriched with the experience of that youth who was taken from tending the flock to become the champion of his country, and was afterwards hunted like a partridge on the mountain by the envious king. We could not give up the history of of the fugitive who was cast into the sea, nor even the minor incidents of the widow of Sarepta and her barrel of meal, and the prophet’s widow whose creditor was about to seize her children for her husband’s debts. Nor do lepers fall behind; we have two stories of lepers close together–Naaman the Syrian, and the four in our text at Samaria’s gate. They were wisely put forth from Israel, but they were not put forth from Israel’s God.
You who are poor and needy, you who are sick and sorrowful, listen to this discourse, and may the Lord comfort your hearts. On a future day, when the great books of history (as yet only known to the recording angel), shall be read of all, your story will appear; and maybe it will be as memorable as that of Hannah or Joseph, and God will get as much glory out of what He has done for you as from any of the deeds of His love recorded in the inspired page.
The New Testament runs in the same strain. Under the economy of grace our Lord Jesus is seen living among fishermen and peasants, and calling the poor to be His disciples. “God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen; yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are” (1 Cor. 1:27-28). It is worthwhile to be among the poor, despised, and sad, to have your record on high, and to magnify the condescension of the Lord.
In 2 Kings 7, the city of Samaria had been besieged for some time by the Syrian army; famine had fallen on the people and driven them to horrible straits. One can hardly bear to read of mothers devouring their own babes through stress of hunger. God sent his servant Elisha to tell them that the next day there should be an abundance of food in the gates of Samaria, but the message was received with open ridicule.
It is God’s way to be true to His word. However great the promise, it is as sure as it is great. And so before the moon arose, the Lord had caused Israel’s enemies to flee, and had provided food for Samaria.
The siege was raised from around the city. The troopers had fled on foot and left their steeds tethered in rows: captains and common soldiers had alike taken to their heels like frightened sheep. Samaria sat on its hill in the twilight, lonely and free. Yet in the city they thought themselves cooped up. They were as free as the harts of had they known it: their ignorance held them in.
The Lord had defeated all their enemies–they had run for their lives because of the sound of approaching chariots. Without aid from Hittite or Ethiopian, the God of Israel had driven the whole host of Syria like chaff before the wind. Yet Israel knew not that the Lord’s right hand and His holy arm had gotten Him the victory. They set guards to protect them from a foe no longer present; the sentinels paced the walls, guarding against an imaginary foe. O Samaria, had you known the gift of God, your silent streets would have rung with shouts of joy. God works and men perceive it not; therefore is man unhappy, and God is not praised as He should be.
God has provided plenty for them. Within a stone’s throw there was more flour and barley than they could consume. They were starving in the midst of plenty, pining when they might have been feasting. Was that not a strange thing? A city besieged, and not besieged; girt with enemies, as they thought, and yet not an enemy left; starving, and yet near to a feast. See what unbelief can do. They had been promised plenty by God’s prophet; but they did not believe the promise. Had they been looking for it, they might have seen the unusual movement in the Syrian camp, and noticed the absolute stillness which succeeded it.
I know a sad parallel. The Lord Jesus Christ has come into the world and has put away the sin of His people; yet many complain that their sin can never be put away. The Lord has routed every enemy, yet they are afraid of innumerable evils. None is left to harm them, but they do not remember that the Lord reigns. They are afraid of this, and afraid of that, yet in one tremendous battle the Champion has routed all their foes. They are no longer prisoners; the Lord has brought them liberty, but they are not aware of it by reason of their unbelief.
Another thing to be noticed about these leprous discoverers is that they dared not have joined themselves to God’s people. They were not allowed inside the city: their wretched place was without the gate. Yet these poor creatures whom Israel would not acknowledge were the first to find out what the Lord had done.
These men at last were driven to give themselves up. They said, “We will fall unto the Syrians; and if they kill us we shall but die.” Blessed is that man who has given himself up, not to the Syrians, but to the Saviour! As long as we can do something, we keep on doing that something to our ruin; but when it is all over with us and we can do no more, then man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. The man who struggles as he sinks is hard to be rescued; but when the drowning man is going down for the third time, then is the opportunity for the rescuer who brings him safely to shore.
You lost ones, listen to this, “The Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” You self-righteous people, how can you talk about being saved? What saving do you want? You are as full of good works as you can be, and your pride shines on your brows; how can you be saved? They that shall be saved by Jesus are those that are in themselves lost, ruined, and undone. Until you know your ruin, and confess your sin, you will never accept a Saviour. While you feel that you can save yourselves, you will attempt it; but when you can do no more, then you will fall into the arms of your Saviour, and a blessed fall that will be.
These lepers went to the Syrian camp and saw for themselves. A supper was ready. The hungry men needed no persuasion. And they had feasted they said, “To whom does this gold and silver belong? The prey belongs to us, for our enemies have left it behind.”
There was no sound of revelry that night, nor tramp of guard, nor talk around the watch-fire. The lepers tasted more of the forsaken dainties, drained other goblets, and took more gold and silver. Who can conceive the delirious joy of those four lepers in the midst of such abundance? Do you see what these men did? They went and saw for themselves and then took possession for themselves. Now they are fully qualified to go and tell the starving city of their discovery, because they know they have made no mistake. They have satisfied their own hunger and handled the riches for themselves, so they can speak as men who know and are sure.
He knows the grace of God best who, in all his hunger and faintness and weariness, has come to Christ, and and taken the blessings, and made himself rich with hidden treasure. Such a man will speak convincingly because he will bear a personal witness. This man does not argue, but testifies; he is not a pleader, but a witness. The lepers, fed and enriched, stand outside the city gate, and call to the porter, for they have news worth telling. The believer can speak with conviction, and thus imitates his Master, who spoke with authority.
The Lord made a good choice when He selected these lepers to be discoverers of His great work. He does wisely when He takes those who are saddest, and fills their mouths with laughter and their tongues with singing, for these will command attention. These poor wretches could not have made up so amazing a story, nor feigned such joy: sorrowing castaways could not have invented the story of free grace. It must be true.
Notice how they came to make the discovery. Truly necessity is the mother of invention; and the mother of that blessed invention which finds the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished salvation is the awful necessity of a perishing soul. Let some souls feel the burden of sin, and they will never rest till they come to Jesus. I would to God that some of you were reduced to so great a necessity that you were driven to the only One who can succor you. Oh, that you were utterly bankrupt! Not a kind wish, you say. Yes, it is. Our complete emptiness constrains us to seek the divine fullness. Look at the prodigal son; so long as he had anything left he did not go home to his father; but when he had spent all his substance, and had become so hungry that he envied the very hogs he fed, then he said, “I will arise, and go to my father.” Spiritual necessity is that which nerves the soul to cast itself on the grace found in Jesus Christ.
Poor soul, is your case desperate? Well, then, try faith. You cannot be any worse, and you may be better. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. If He should reject you, you cannot be any worse; but then, He cannot reject you, for He says, “Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” I cannot be blamed for trusting One who has saved so many. There is no risk in the matter. Come and try Him. Come at this moment.
Again, these men saw there was no reason why they should not go, for they said one to the other, “Why sit we here until we die?” They could not find a justification for inaction. Nor can you say that you remain ungodly and unbelieving because the Lord bids you do so. Far from it. He bids you forsake your way and your thoughts, and turn to Him and live. He promises that He will receive you, and cries, “Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die ?” The lepers could not say that they sat there because they were chained. They could move to the Syrian camp; this was their one liberty. You also are not compelled to be as you are. Is there any reason why you should not pray? Is there any barrier to your trusting the Lord except it be in your own heart? You are not compelled to remain ungodly, thoughtless, prayerless, faithless. You are not compelled to be lost: there is no compulsion put upon you to force you away from Jesus and eternal life. Oh, that you would pluck up heart and say, “Why should we sit here until we die?”
Recall how the people of Nineveh humbled themselves before God with nothing to encourage them, but “Who can tell…?” Jonah said, “Forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” and they could get no more comfort than the question, “Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?” Oh, troubled heart, who can tell? The full, rich, eternal mercy of the Lord may be enjoyed by you before the sun goes down. Your head could yet wear the starry crown; about your naked loins there could yet be girt the fair linen of Christ’s righteousness. Do not believe the devil if he says you must die. You need not die. Venture now to Christ.
These lepers went to the Syrian camp because they were shut up to that one course, “If we say, we will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also.” Only one road was open. I am always glad when I am in that condition. If many courses are open to me I may make a mistake; but when I see only one road I know how to go. It is a blessed thing to be shut up to faith in Christ, to be compelled to look to grace alone.
These lepers were not men to theorize. They were in such a plight that they must come to prompt action. Many speculate on theology as if it were part of a liberal education, but by no means a practical matter, but those who are ready to perish look on matters in another light. We are not chemists analyzing the bread of life; we are fainting souls who feed on it with eagerness.
They entered tent after tent: nobody forbade them. They were possessors of all they saw. When I came to Christ, I could not believe that I might take the promises, but nobody said me nay. I have gone on appropriating promises ever since–exceeding great and precious promises. I can be most free in Christ’s house, and the more free I am, the better He is pleased. His rule is: “Ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.”
Perhaps the leper felt some little question when he saw a golden cup or a silver bowl. What have lepers to do with golden cups? But he overcame his scruples. Nobody was there to stop him; therefore he took what was provided for him. I take up my parable, and without scruple invite you to deal thus with salvation. When I came to Jesus, I hardly dared to appropriate a promise; it looked like stealing. I did not, could not believe, that I had a right to any of the good things provided for the Lord’s people. But now I venture to take what grace has put in my way. I take possession of everything that I can find in Christ. I have never yet found either conscience, or the Word of God, or the Lord Himself upbraid me for appropriating the precious things laid up for believers. One of these days I, who am the least of all saints, expect to stand among the bright ones near the throne, and sing, “Hallelujah to God and the Lamb.” I do not think that I shall be ashamed to stand there. I am ashamed of myself for ten thousand reasons, but I shall not be ashamed for enjoying the fullness of His grace.
You poor lost and ruined ones, come to my Lord Jesus! Believe it, the whole land is before you: the land that flows with milk and honey is for you. This world is yours, and worlds to come. Christ is yours; yea, God Himself is yours. Everything is to be had for nothing. Heaven and all its joys are yours upon believing. God make you the discoverers this day of His wondrous grace, and to Him shall be praise forever!