The scriptures have great stories in them, many can be found in just a few verses – this story is one of them.
The Four Lepers by William Brassey Hole (7 November 1846 – 22 October 1917).
In the days of Elisha, the prophet, (2nd Kings 7) the King of Syria lay siege to Samaria, the capitol of northern Israel. Nothing was allowed in or out of the city. And inside the stone walls of the city it was getting grim – people were eating donkey’s heads, the bodies of their dead children and worst (2 Kings 6: 24 – 29). Now if it was bad inside the walls, it was even worse on the other side of the walls of the city. Near the other side of the city gate sat four outcasts, four men who had been pushed out of Samaritan Society – four Israelite lepers. They sat between two dangerous options. On the other side of the city walls were the starving of Samaria. Directly in front of them lay the well fed, but battle hungry army of Syria. Dejected they sat, stagnating in frustration, when one of the group made an inspired observation: “Why sit we here until we die?” And then he proposed and inspired proposition, “If we (stay here) there is (only the) famine….. and we shall die….Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians; if they save us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall, but die.. (Something they were doing already)” 2nd Kings 7: 4.
Now these spiritually well, but physically feeble four realized that all of the normal options wouldn’t work. So they search their inward signals and decided to leap towards the Syrians. To live they had to try something different. Lounging against the gate of starving Samaria wasn’t solving anything.
Now, unbeknown to our starving lepers, God had a plan. He had revealed it to His prophet Elisha and it involved the four outcasts. God wasn’t going to abandon Samaria, but to make the plan work he would need the courage of four gamey Samaritans. They pondered and determined that God was on their side so their best move was to jump, and so they did. Interlocking arms they marched to possible death, and left certain death behind them.
The Prophet Elisha, inspired by the Lord, had promised that on this day, the day the lepers leaped out for the Syrian army, there would be food for the hungry in Israel. No one had been told how it would be done, but our lepers were about to find out.
As the brave four entered the camp of Syria they founds it empty. The book of 2nd Kings explains that in the early morning God had caused the sound of an advancing army to be heard in the camp of Syria (2 Kings 7: 6). Syria assumed that Israel had hired an army of mercenaries who were now rushing to Israel’s aid. In the panic and the dark, frightened Syria turned on itself and those who were not harmed in the pandemonium grabbed what they could and “High Tailed” it for home.
The painting above depicts our brave group walking into the camp of Syria and finding it overflowing with goods and supplies, more than enough to supply hungry Samaria. Elisha’s prophesy would be fulfilled. At first the lepers gorged themselves on the bounty, but soon they remembered those who remained behind the walls, hungry. One of them said, “We do not well: this is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace.”( 7: 9) Carrying samples to prove there veracity they stood outside and below the walls and tried to prod the hungry, but unbelieving to come and partake of God’s goodness. As in our day, many were frighten, and would not move outside to food and freedom. The king of Samaria sent his representatives to investigate, the lepers were validated, and hungry Samaria was fed.
So, it seems, the bounty of life is reserved for those who will leap, or even just fall. If we move in the direction of our internal promptings, or at least in the direction of our best options we just might surprise ourselves. If hungry lepers can do it, surely timid leapers can. We must assume that God is with us, that within us lies the capacity to make it happen, and finally if we sin or come up short in a righteous cause the Grace and love of Christ will be there to aid and heal us.
But we must move, leap, fall, or maybe be pushed to make it happen.
Leaping Lepers
We like smelly Lepers laying frighted on the ground.
Can hang inert unmoving, or a new route can be found.
Some climb or drop in courage – confident that faith will hold.
While others move unknowing, but walking tall and bold.
It’s a story that needs retelling of folks both brave and true.
That each of us are heroes and we might know what to do.
We must look and move in Jesus – Who is our life’s support.
He’s our partner in the journey and will never leave us short.
We must hitch up all our courage and in trust His cause engage
And be we saint or leper take our place upon the stage.
The hungry and the frightened need a hero to walk and see.
Who knows, but that that leaping hero might just be you or me.
Oh I know, we’re rough and stinky and the end is yet to tell,
But Father’s plan is working and he over looks our smell.
So let’s lock arms and wander – check out that Syria thing,
Then as heroes we can show and tell our story to the king.
Of Prophets true and Scriptures sound – that Father backs our crusin.
And and when the dust has settled down His plan has backed our bruisin.
A.D.T.
Something from Elder Jeffery Holland –