2 Kings 7:6-8

Our story in 2 Kings of the Samarians under siege by the Syrian army continues. Now the focus shifts to four leprous men who were in such a terrible condition that they were not even afforded the comfort of the city walls.

Due to their leprosy, they were outcasts just waiting to die (verse 4). In the depth of their desperation, these men recognized that their situation was dark. Their only hope was to seek mercy. The Bible tells us that the Lord is of great mercy (Psalms 145:8) and that He rewards those that seek His mercy (Psalms 86:5).

We see that these four leprous men had come to the end of the line. Their self-sufficiency was of no value. The former comfort of the city walls had ceased to offer protection. The king himself was exposed for his own miserable condition (6:30). Their lives were in the hands of their captors. As these men surrendered themselves to seek mercy, we see that God had gone before them to drive the Syrians away.

“For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.” (2 Kings 7:6-8)

Deliverance comes when we surrender; however, not to the instruments of our bondage, but to the One with the power to break our yoke of bondage and drive out the armies of the adversary that have laid siege to our lives. So often we are able to identity our problem, we even know the solution to it. But the deliverance in our surrender indicates an application of the solution to the problem we face.

How bad does our siege have to get before we stop crying about our problems and apply ourselves to seeking deliverance? How much do we have to endure before we turn from our own sufficiency and trust in the mercy of God?

The lepers in our story were in a bad situation. To all perspectives, they were facing their deaths. But they trusted in mercy and were rewarded. Rather than stand around and complain about their problems, the lepers decided to do something about their problems and put legs on their prayers, so to speak (verses 3-4).

We see that they were rewarded with the spoils of their former besiegers. But these men did not allow greed to consume them. Having just experienced the goodness of God, the lepers chose to share their blessings with others by announcing the “good tidings” of deliverance from their besieged life (verse 9).

Reader, do you feel the inward oppression of your lustful desires and the outward oppression of worldly pursuits? Are you sickened by your condition and tired of desperately seeking satisfaction in things that only cause more hurt, more harm, more shame? Is your life under siege because you have rejected the Lord’s leadership and set up an idol of your own choosing?

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

You have but to turn from your bondage of sin and seek liberty in Christ. The price of your deliverance has been paid. His mercy extends to you; and He will dispel the besieging armies and usher in a life of victory and abundant living. Surrender to the Lord and trust Him to break every yoke and fetter that binds, besets, or besieges us.