2 Kings 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?”

2 Kings 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.”

2 Kings 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.”

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The Bible is and will always be utterly amazing, it truly is the word of God, and limitless truth ready to be ministered to your spirit and soul by the Holy Spirit is just waiting in these pages… ready to save, sanctify and sufficient for every step of the eternal life that we have thereafter.

Inlaid into every page and story are the glorious doctrines of the Christian faith, and this story that I’ve quoted a small part from is no different.

… If you don’t know the context for the verses I’ve quoted from… well, let me simplify it for you! Here’s the run down!

The situation is as follows… There’s a nation called Israel, it’s God’s people with a rich history of God’s revelation and goodness to them, and they’re meant to be a witness for God and a light to the ungodly nations around them… but instead they rebel against God all the time themselves.

God sends prophets to warn them to turn back to God’s word… or else! … and the “or else” has happened here… again!

And so Israel has been invaded by the Syrian army, and they have surrounded the capital city called Samaria where Israel’s own version of “Custer’s last stand” is in progress… the Syrians are grinding them down and starving them out.

The situation is BAD, people are paying big money for pigeon poo to eat, some have resorted to eating their own children… and the man of God in the city is being blamed for it all… a guy called Elisha. Yep, God is always blamed when bad things happen.

But at the time of the quoted verses, Elisha has said “to morrow about this time” the famine will be over, food will be in abundance, and the good times will roll!… but it is barely believable given how bad the situation looks “now”! Right?

That night we are introduced to four lepers who are looking the situation over and weighing things up in life. They’re having a pretty rough life, they’re not welcome in the city, no one can or has helped them in there and they ask themselves a question that maybe you should ask yourself “why sit we here until we die”?

Their whole life they’ve been going nowhere, and they decide to make a change. Maybe you need to too.

These guys figure it’s pretty hopeless and pointless staying here awaiting death… so why not go to the Syrian camp, surrender and see what happens… our situation can’t get any worse!

… For the life of me, I’ve never understood why such smart savvy logical people of this world are so illogical when it comes to their own soul, mortality, eternity and salvation. If you’re an atheist, agnostic or whatever… you have nothing to lose by believing in Jesus and everything to gain, yet you still won’t. It’s quite remarkable.

Best, best, best case scenario you die and cease to exist. So you lose. Worst case scenario you die and go to hell. So you lose. Even if you’re right you lose, if you’re wrong you lose. They’re not good odds or options. …Maybe some lepers in Israel sometime were smarter than you! If you were a gambling man or if you truly started thinking and honestly evaluating your situation in life… you’d surely trust in Jesus Christ.

And so these lepers go to the Syrian camp to check it out… and guess what! they find an empty camp with gold and silver and food strewn everywhere!… because God has put the fear of God into the huge Syrian army and they’re long gone.

This is what finding salvation through Jesus Christ in this world is like. These lepers who are out of options stroll into an empty camp and begin feasting and grabbing whatever they want… it’s such a good deal!

Salvation is such a good deal. God’s done everything for you, the victory won, all you need to do is take what God’s given you, all you do is benefit from his goodness and grace. But you know how many people are going to miss out on what God’s done for them? because they’ve never went to check his Son out?… because they never ever took the true step of faith in Christ?

Hopefully God starts moving you as he did these guys. Because if you’re unsaved… all Satan needs to do is keep you where you are and he will win.

And yeah sure, maybe you’ll never trust Christ. There are many of those. But remember, even though many do not believe in Christ… some will and some do. Some partake, and some enjoy the spoils of a victory completely won and life provided for by Jesus Christ. It could be you, but it doesn’t have to be you. The story continues with or without you onboard.

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If you follow this story, these lepers get to thinking… why are we just keeping this to ourselves? lets tell everyone else! If you’ve ever truly gotten saved, you will not be able to contain telling someone else… Maybe you never tell anyone the gospel, because you’re yet to partake yourself.

And so they go back to the camp of Israel with good tidings… but guess what… the king of Israel doesn’t believe it’s true! He doesn’t believe… he’s suspicious of the news and the motives and the truth… like so many people when it comes to God’s word.

… Until one of his servants says… hey mate, you got a better idea? Do we have it that good that we aren’t going to check out the news? Take a honest self assessment of your life, are you really that good? …And so Israelites begin to pour out the city… they come out to check it out and partake for themselves.

I know people that think salvation is the end of life… no it’s the beginning of life. It’s not a funeral, it’s a feast. Staying in the city was a funeral, coming out to Christ and for Christ is a feast.

So many people will die having never checked out Christ for themselves. We all have been appointed once to die, so the “L” is coming, so what have you got to lose?… but in Christ, total victory has been won, over death too, it’s just waiting there for the taking. Will you?

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