2Ki 7:3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
2Ki 7:4 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. 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.
2Ki 7:5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.
2Ki 7:6 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.
2Ki 7:7 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.
2Ki 7:8 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.
2Ki 7:9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.
etc.
In the sermon "Four Leprous Men," Peter L. Meney addresses the theological theme of divine providence and human agency, illustrating how God uses unlikely individuals to carry His message of salvation and hope. The sermon presents the leprous men as symbols of despair who, upon recognizing the grave situation they are in, choose to act rather than wait passively for death. The key Scripture references from 2 Kings 7:3-9 highlight the miraculous intervention of God in causing the Syrians to flee, demonstrating that salvation often comes in unexpected ways. Meney emphasizes the importance of sharing the good news, as the lepers realized that their discovery of provisions was not meant to be hoarded but to be shared, paralleling the Christian mandate to evangelize. The message calls believers to be proactive in their faith, trusting in God’s providential care.
Key Quotes
“Why sit we here until we die? This question challenges us to consider our own paralysis in the face of despair.”
“The lepers did not wait for a sign; they moved in faith, understanding that sometimes action is required to experience God's deliverance.”
“This day is a day of good tidings; we cannot remain silent when we have experienced the grace of our Lord.”
“In sharing the bounty they found, these leprous men exemplify the calling of every Christian to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
The story illustrates God's mercy and deliverance in dire circumstances.
The account of the four leprous men in 2 Kings 7 shows a powerful picture of God's grace in desperate situations. Surrounded by famine and despair, these outcasts recognized that their only hope was to seek mercy from the Syrians. In their desperate state, they exemplified the reality of sinners before God—hopeless and in need of grace. When they discovered that the enemy camp was empty and full of provisions, it became evident that God had acted on behalf of His people in an unexpected way. This narrative reflects the sovereign grace of God, who provides for His people even when all seems lost.
God's actions in history, like in 2 Kings 7, confirm His promises.
In the story of 2 Kings 7, the deliverance of Samaria from famine illustrates the certainty of God's promises. Despite the king's unbelief and ridicule of the prophet Elisha's word, God's plan unfolded dramatically. The miraculous provision came as a surprise, reminding us that God's ways are higher than our own and often come in unexpected forms. When we face dire circumstances, we can trust in God's faithfulness and the assurance that His Word will not fail. The leprous men's transition from despair to abundance exemplifies that the Lord is always at work for the good of His people, affirming His promises in tangible ways.
Sharing the gospel is a response of gratitude for God's gracious salvation.
The leprous men's realization of their bounty led to the conviction that they must share the good news with the city of Samaria. Their journey from death to life not only filled their physical hunger but also ignited a sense of responsibility to convey the hope they had found. This mirrors the Christian call to evangelism, where the recipients of grace are compelled to share that grace with others. As believers, we are called to share the gospel because it brings spiritual nourishment and life to those who are lost. Just as the lepers recognized the urgency of their message, Christians today are urged to communicate the good news of Jesus Christ, who satisfies the deepest longings of the heart.
2 Kings 7:9
Sermon Transcript
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So we're in 2 Kings 7, and reading from verse 3. And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate. Now, this is the gate of the city of Samaria in the land of Israel. This is after the kingdom of Israel had divided into two. The kingdom of Judah now exists with their own king, and the kingdom of Israel exists with its own king. Judah has its capital in Jerusalem. Israel has its capital in Samaria, and Jehoram is the king of Samaria. And it's the city of Samaria that we are talking about during the lifetime of Elisha.
And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate, and they said one to another, why sit we here until we die? Let me just break in there once again. I'm sorry, I need to give you another little bit of context. The Syrian army has surrounded Samaria, and there is a terrible famine in the land, and there is no food in the city, and everyone is dying. In fact, we read last week that they've started eating their children. So that is how horrendous this time was in the experience of Sumeria. And these four leprous men are at the gate. So you don't let lepers into your city at the best of times. You certainly don't let them in during times of famine.
And this is the men that we're talking about now. So let's read. There were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate, and they said one to another, why sit we here until we die? 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. Now therefore come and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we shall live. If they kill us, we shall but die.
And they rose up in the twilight to go unto the camp of the Syrians. And when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. 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. Then they said one to another, We do not well. This day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace. If we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us.
Now therefore, come, that we may go and tell the king's household. So they came and called unto the porter of the city, and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied and asses tied, and the tents as they were. And he called the porters, and they told it to the king's house within. The king arose in the night and said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry, therefore they are gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, when they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive and get into the city.
And one of his servants answered and said, let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city. Behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it. And behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed. And let us send and see.
They took, therefore, two chariot horses, and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. And they went after them unto Jordan. And lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king, And the people went out and spoiled the tents of the Syrians.
So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. The king appointed the Lord in whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate. And the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria. And that Lord answered the man of God and said, Now behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. And so it fell out unto him, for the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died. Amen. May the Lord bless to us this reading from his word.
So there had been this terrible famine in Israel, and Ben Hadad, the king of the Syrians, used the opportunity to attack Israel in the to attack Israel to attack Samaria to attack the king of Israel in his city of Samaria. Jehoram the king of Israel was not a believer in God so The king of Syria, Ben-Hadad, was an idolatrous man, and Jehoram, the king of Israel, was an idolatrous man. And yet the Lord had in Samaria his people whom he preserved. Jehoram did not worship the Lord. In fact, he hated the Lord and he hated the Lord's prophet. He hated Elisha. He blamed God and he blamed Elisha for the famine and the siege and all the terrible things that were happening in the city of Samaria. He threatened to cut off Elisha's head.
The prophet told him that the famine would soon be over. He said in less than 24 hours this famine will be done. In 24 hours there will be food for everyone, so much so that barley and flour will be sold for just a few pennies in the marketplace. As we read together, one of Jehoram's generals laughed at Elisha and said that that was impossible.
He could not conceive of circumstances that would possibly allow that to happen. And Elisha looked him in the eye, and he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. I thought about that as we were preparing and thinking about this little service, and how sad it is, how terrible it is. when people are so close to the gospel, so close to life, so close to the bread of life, that they could almost taste it. They can see it, they can hear it, but they never experience it. You know, I think that there are people who read their Bibles, there are people who go to church, there are people who see and hear and participate in church life, perhaps for years and years, And yet they have never tasted and seen that the Lord is good. That's what was going to happen to this man. Because he mocked God, because he laughed at Elisha, because he was so full of unbelief, Elisha said, you'll see it, but you won't taste it. That was to be the judgment of God upon this man.
As the afternoon turned into evening in the city of Samaria, there wasn't any change in the situation. Yes, the king had spoken to Elisha. Elisha had spoken to the king and told him what was going to happen. The king shrugged his shoulders and he went to bed. It was getting late on in the day. The people of Samaria prepared themselves for another night of empty bellies. And the king went to sleep.
But down at the city gate, four leprous men were talking. These were men who had been shunned by the society. They had been put out of the city because there was An anxiety that they would infect the people with the disease of leprosy, which they carried in their bodies. Now, in the Bible, leprosy is a picture of sin. And so when we are being told here that these are leprous men, the picture that we are to have, if we think about this story typically, if we think about this story Spiritually, is that these men are a picture of sinners.
And they were down at the city gate. They were on the outside of the city. They had been pushed. I suppose, in a sense, these would be the first people to be killed if the Syrians attacked the city. But the Syrians were happy to wait. They could starve Samaria out. And that's what they were doing. These men said to one another, why sit we here until we die?
They knew that they were on their last legs. They knew that there was nothing to eat in the city, certainly for a leper. They would get no help there. And I think there's a picture there too for us, because those who know that they are sinful and feel a need of spiritual life from God, discover that there's nothing for them in this world. They might try all that they can, they might want to experience all the things that they can in the world, but what they discover is that there is nothing for them that satisfies them in the world.
Out in the darkness was the Syrian army. They were still surrounding the city of Samaria. The lepers knew that if they went out there, they would likely be killed by the first man that they encountered. Anyone leaving the city would be. So what a choice they had. If they stayed, they would starve to death. There was nothing else for it. They would throw themselves on the mercy of the Syrians. If they die, they die, but what else could they do?
They rose up in the twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. And I imagine that all the way through, because you wouldn't be able to see things as it was getting dark, I'd imagine that all the way along the road they were expecting someone to jump out on them and slay them with a sword or stab them with a spear. They must have been very anxious as they made their journey. But something was odd, something was strange. They reached a sentry post and there wasn't anyone there. They passed by that defensive position and came to the camp and it was all quiet. They went into the first tent that they came to. There was no one there. What was there was food and drink and treasure. There was silver and there was gold.
So they ate and they drank all they could And they took the silver and the gold and they went and hid it. Probably this was booty that the Syrian army had seized as they were making their way through the country of Israel. And the lepers took all they could carry and they went away and they hid it. And then they came back to the next tent. And they did exactly the same. They ate the food, they drank the wine, and they stole the gold and the silver. Eat, drink, steal, repeat. And that was how they spent the first part of the night. What the men didn't know was that the Lord had been at work. 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 the Syrians had panicked. You know, I can well imagine you sometimes see that happening in a crowd. where someone at the edge of the crowd begins to panic for something. They've seen something, they've heard something.
There's a rumour and they turn and they start to push through the crowd and they say, I've got to get out of here. And the person in front of them thinks, what's happening up ahead? I've got to get out of here as well. And suddenly there's a big wave of people running for their lives. And everybody begins to panic and think that there's something terrible happening.
And I'm pretty sure that's what happened here. The people assumed, because they were hearing noises, they assumed that the king of Samaria had recruited mercenaries, Egyptians and Hittites, in order to save the city. Now, if my geography is right, and it may not be, but where Samaria is and where Syria is in relation to Samaria, they probably heard the noise of an army coming from the north and the noise of an army coming from the south and recognised that they were trapped in the middle and fled back to the Jordan River to get across and into Syria and back to Damascus. And this is what they were doing.
They didn't even take their food. They didn't take their weapons. They didn't take their plunder. They didn't take their horses. They didn't take their asses. They probably thought, if we can get away from here as fast as possible, that's the only chance of life that we've got. They ran away and they threw off their garments all the way to the River Jordan in their haste to get home. And tent after tent was empty of soldiers but full of provisions. The lepers realized that the Syrian camp was completely abandoned and they were the only ones who knew it.
These men reasoned. We've heard them reasoning at the gates of the city. They reasoned once again. These were thoughtful men. We do not well, they said to one another. This isn't right, what we are doing here. This day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace. We know good news, and we're not telling anyone about it.
They knew that they must go and tell the king's guard. So back to the city they went with the news that they had discovered. But getting that news to the king wasn't easy. They told the porter at the gate. He told the porters of the king. They told the king's guards. They told the king's servants. It was the middle of the night and the king was asleep.
I probably imagine there were conversations about whether they were going to even waken him up and tell him this. But he was awakened and then the questions began. Surely this was a trap to trick the people of Israel to open the gate, the people of Samaria to open the gate. It was most likely an ambush. One of the servants had an idea. Send out a scouting party to see what really was happening.
So we read, they took, therefore, two chariot horses. And the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, go and see. So that despite Elisha telling the king something amazing just within 24 hours, that something amazing was going to happen, that God was going to change the circumstances, the king was still full of unbelief. We read, so they went after them unto the Jordan, and lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king, Well, I don't know how long it took for those men on their horses to follow the Syrian army, discover what was happening, and get back. But I can tell you this, the King of Israel wasn't going to keep the people of the city at peace if they had heard that the camp of the Syrians was abandoned.
And so there was a great surge of people out of the city and past the city gates. The king tried to restore order. He commanded his general to control the crowds at the city gate, but he couldn't do it. And instead, according to the words of Elisha and to the word of the Lord, The people trod on him in the gate, and he died. So it was fulfilled, all that God had promised by his prophet, and the city of Samaria was saved. I think there are some lessons that we can learn from this little account. And right at the very beginning, there's a beautiful gospel lesson.
These men, these lepers, are pictures of sinners. They were without hope. As they sat at the city gate, they were without hope. They were starving. There was nothing in the city for them. There was death in the camp of the Syrians. They were outcasts. And they knew that the Syrians would slay them if they approached. They could but throw themselves on mercy.
And this is what guilty sinners must do. Guilty sinners are aware that there's nothing for them in the world. They've tried that. They've tried the things that might satisfy them, but they haven't given them the satisfaction that they'd hoped for. And yet they know that they are in danger from God. They know in their conscience that they are sinners. They know that they deserve to be judged for their sin.
So what can they do? They must throw themselves on the mercy of God. And that's what these men did. They threw themselves on the mercy of the Syrians. A sinner will say, if Jesus kills, I can but die. That would be just, that would be right, that would be proper. But what do they find when they go to Jesus?
They find free grace. They find mercy. They find sufficiency. They find all that they can desire in the way of peace with God and the blessings of the gospel. They find Jesus ready, willing, able to save. all who come to him by faith. He says to the starving sinners, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger. He that believeth in me shall never thirst. Another thing that we learn from this passage is that just as the Lord promised, he saved his people in Samaria.
And no one could have imagined such a deliverance. The Syrians simply ran away. I mean, of all the possibilities, who would have come up with the idea that the whole Syrian army would have turned and fled? They didn't make some sort of ordered retreat where they collected up all their stuff and went home. They ran away and they left everything behind them. They simply ran off, leaving all behind.
And when the Lord delivers His people from their troubles, from their trials, it often happens in very surprising ways. And I think this is an encouragement to you and to me, to trust in the Lord even when times seem dark. Sometimes, sometimes to just pick up the analogy and apply it, sometimes there is a famine in a believer's soul. Sometimes there are cold times, dark times, when we don't have spiritual nourishment. but the Lord will feed his sheep.
He leads us into the green pastures. He leads us to the still waters. It is when we are weakest that he comes to deliver us. When we are down, that he picks us up. When we are lost and alone and helpless, that he comes and proves himself to be a worthy and faithful savior. The idolatrous king Jehoram wouldn't believe, but Elisha and God's people were vindicated and justified in waiting upon the promises of the Lord.
One last point. When these leprous men discovered their salvation, their first reaction was to help themselves to all that they could. But do you see what happened afterwards? They realised, after they had satisfied themselves, that they had to carry that good news back to the city. We do not well, they said, this day is a day of good tidings and we hold our peace. The men of the city wouldn't feed the lepers, but they could feed the city.
And when a sinner comes to know that their sins are forgiven, when a sinner realizes that he has blessings from the Lord Jesus Christ, and that there is a plentiful blessing in Christ, that there is more grace in Christ than we ever can need personally. Then he wants to share that news with others, just as these lepers wanted to share their news with the people from the city. And that's true evangelism. That's real outreach. It is the sharing of the good news of what we have received from the Lord. with others who are in a similar need. These Old Testament accounts are all pictures of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The poor lepers could hardly believe all the blessings that they received. And all who come to Christ for salvation will obtain greater blessings in the riches of his precious blood than they could ever hope or imagine. You will never be let down if you trust the Lord Jesus Christ. how their hearts sang in Samaria the next day.
The king's general, well, he wouldn't believe. He mocked God, he despised the word of Elisha, and he paid for his unbelief with his life. So here's a final verse for you and me today. Don't be like this general. Do not despise the riches of God's goodness and his forbearance and his long-suffering, knowing that the goodness of God leads us to repentance. May the Lord bless these thoughts to us today. Amen.
About Peter L. Meney
Peter L. Meney is Pastor of New Focus Church Online (http://www.newfocus.church); Editor of New Focus Magazine (http://www.go-newfocus.co.uk); and Publisher of Go Publications which includes titles by Don Fortner and George M. Ella. You may reach Peter via email at peter@go-newfocus.co.uk or from the New Focus Church website. Complete church services are broadcast weekly on YouTube @NewFocusChurchOnline.
Pristine Grace functions as a digital library of preaching and teaching from many different men and ministries. I maintain a broad collection for research, study, and listening, and the presence of any preacher or message here should not be taken as a blanket endorsement of every doctrinal position expressed.
I publish my own convictions openly and without hesitation throughout this site and in my own preaching and writing. This archive is not a denominational clearinghouse. My aim in maintaining it is to preserve historic and contemporary preaching, encourage careful study, and above all direct readers and listeners to the person and work of Christ.
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I spent the majority of my adult life building something I didn't know had a name. It started with the Scriptures and a lot of late nights. It ended with one sentence that generates every theological position I hold, from the nature of God to the nature of heaven and hell, without contradiction. One sentence. Thirty chapters. Sixteen appendices. And if you accept the sentence, everything else follows.
Most systematic theologies start with a list of doctrines and work through them one by one. This book starts with an ontological claim - that everything that exists is a thought in the mind of God - and derives everything from that single proposition. This is not a rearrangement of existing theology. This is a paradigm shift. Since Augustine imported Plato's metaphysics into the church in the fourth century, every major system of Christian theology has been built on a foundation the Scriptures never laid. This book identifies that foundation, names it, traces its influence across sixteen centuries, and replaces it with an ontology derived from Scripture alone. If the claim holds, this is the most significant shift in the theological starting point since Augustine. And I believe it holds.
This is not a devotional. This is not a commentary. This is a systematic theology built from the ground up by a computer programmer with no seminary degree, no denominational backing, and no one's permission. It uses the vocabulary of information theory, computer science, and quantum physics to describe realities that traditional theological language has never been able to reach. If you are a scientist who suspects that information is fundamental to reality but can't bring yourself to call it God, this book speaks your language. If you are a sovereign grace believer looking for a system that follows the logic all the way, this book does that. And if you have been told that the sharpest doctrine produces the coldest heart, this book ends with the widest arms you have ever seen in a Reformed theology.
The digital edition is free. The truth doesn't come with a price tag. - Brandan Kraft
Where this book stands in the tradition
4th century BC
Plato
Idealism — forms over particulars
The Republic ethic: “God is not the author of evil”
“Everything that exists is a thought in the mind of God, sustained by His will, authored by His purpose, and held together by personal covenants of love.”
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