2 Kings 7:1-9: a reflection

1Elisha said, “Hear the LORD’s word. The LORD says, ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’” 2Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, “Behold, if the LORD made windows in heaven, could this thing be?” He said, “Behold, you will see it with your eyes, but will not eat of it.” 3Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate. They said to one another, “Why do we sit here until we die? 4If we say, ‘We will enter into the city,’ then the famine is in the city, and we will die there. If we sit still here, we also die. Now therefore come, and let’s surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we will live; and if they kill us, we will only die.” 5They rose up in the twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. When they had come to the outermost part of the camp of the Syrians, behold, no man was there. 6For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians to hear the sound of chariots and the sound of horses, even the noise of a great army; and they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us.” 7Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. 8When these lepers came to the outermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank, then carried away silver, gold, and clothing and went and hid it. Then they came back, and entered into another tent and carried things from there also, and went and hid them. 9Then they said to one another, “We aren’t doing right. Today is a day of good news, and we keep silent. If we wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let’s go and tell the king’s household.”

During a terrible famine and siege, four starving outcasts, with nothing to lose, stumble upon the enemy camp and find it abandoned, God having driven the besieging army away and left all their food and goods behind. The men eat and drink and gather spoil for themselves; but then their conscience stirs: We aren't doing right, they say. Today is a day of good news, and we keep silent. There is a starving city that needs to hear of this deliverance; and they resolve to go and tell rather than keep the good news to themselves.

Notice the conviction that stirred the four men: they could not, in good conscience, keep the good news to themselves. They had found deliverance, food and plenty where there had been famine; and their first impulse was to enjoy it for themselves. But they realized this was wrong: a whole city was starving, and they had good news of deliverance that others desperately needed to hear. To keep it to themselves, when others were perishing for want of it, was not right. Good news of deliverance was not to be hoarded, but shared.

That conviction is worth taking to heart, for we who have received the good news of God's deliverance can be tempted to keep it to ourselves. We have found in Christ a deliverance that others, still in their need, desperately require; and yet we can enjoy it privately, saying nothing, while others perish for want of the news we hold. But like the four men, we are not doing right if we keep such good news silent. Do not hoard the good news of God's deliverance, enjoying it privately while others who need it hear nothing; it is a day of good news, and to keep silent when others are perishing is not right. Share the good news you have received, as the four men resolved to go and tell the starving city, rather than keeping to yourself a deliverance that others need to hear of; for good news of deliverance is not to be hoarded, but told to those who need it, as the four men told the city that was perishing for want of it.

Lord, during a terrible famine and siege, four starving outcasts, with nothing to lose, stumbled upon the enemy camp and found it abandoned, you having driven the besieging army away and left all their food and goods behind. The men ate and gathered spoil for themselves; but then their conscience stirred: we aren't doing right, they said; today is a day of good news, and we keep silent. There was a starving city that needed to hear of this deliverance; and they resolved to go and tell rather than keep the good news to themselves. Show me the conviction that stirred them: they could not, in good conscience, keep the good news to themselves. They had found deliverance where there had been famine; and their first impulse was to enjoy it for themselves. But they realized this was wrong: a whole city was starving, and they had good news others desperately needed to hear. To keep it to themselves was not right. Take that conviction to my heart, for I who have received the good news of your deliverance can be tempted to keep it to myself. I have found in Christ a deliverance that others, still in their need, desperately require; and yet I can enjoy it privately, saying nothing. But like the four men, I am not doing right if I keep such good news silent. Keep me from hoarding the good news of your deliverance, enjoying it privately while others who need it hear nothing; it is a day of good news. Help me share the good news I have received, Lord, as the four men resolved to go and tell the starving city.