Hi friends,
Hope you are doing fine. Today I’d like to share about
the kind of belief we shouldn’t have and the kind of belief that we should
have. This post is based on 2 Kings chapter 7. Let me divide this story into 2
portions for easier understanding.
The Officer’s Unbelief in spite of the
Promise-
The first portion is in 2 Kings 7 verses1&2 and
17-20. The story starts by prophet Elisha bringing the Word of the Lord to the
King and nation of Israel. Though it is a time of famine, and the king blames God
for the calamity, Elisha brings them a good word which is God’s promise that
within 24 hours there would be a favorable reversal of the economic situation in Samaria.
He says that there would be such abundance in place of scarcity that the food
prices would drop drastically in the city. On hearing this , the king’s officer
full of unbelief makes a comment “even if the Lord would make windows in heaven
…could this thing be?” In response, God pronounces a harsh judgment upon the doubting
officer through Elisha saying that “the Word of God would be fulfilled, and he
would see it, but he would not benefit from it.” Later, we see the king
appointing this particular officer to have the charge of the gate and hungry
people on knowing that there was abundance of food rush at the gate where the officer is trampled to death. Just like the man of God says, he sees the food but is
unable to eat of it.”
How grave is the sin of unbelief in the eyes of our God!
Unbelief is a deliberate refusal to have faith and accept the goodness of God.
It is different from doubt. Henry Drummond explains it beautifully: “Christ
never failed to distinguish between doubt and unbelief. Doubt can’t believe.
Unbelief won’t believe. Doubt is honesty. Unbelief is obstinacy. Doubt is
looking for light. Unbelief is content with darkness.”
In verses 5-7 we see how we see a fully stocked Syrian
camp is suddenly empty of men.
Israel was powerless against the besieging army, but
God wasn’t powerless. We see how God attacked the Syrians simply by causing
them to hear the noises of an attacking army. Imagining the worst, they flee
for their lives leaving behind everything as it is.
The Belief of the Four Lepers despite their
hopeless condition- (verses 3-20)
The 4 lepers were sitting near the gate as they were
untouchables and not welcome in the city. They wanted to surrender to the
Syrian army as they knew that if they remained at the gate, they would die of
hunger anyway. They had nothing to lose in other words. Imagine their surprise
when they find the camp deserted but full of food and other supplies. They ate
and drank to their heart’s content and carried gold, silver, and clothing from
tent to tent and hid them.(vs 8) For some time, the lepers enjoyed the blessings,
but they soon realize their responsibility to share it with others. They knew
it would be sin to be silent and selfishly enjoy the blessings and so they
inform the gatekeepers. Since they were not allowed inside the city, they share
the good news with those who they can.
A lesson we can learn from the lepers is that we too who have known Salvation and experienced the love and blessing of the Father have a responsibility to share the Good News of Jesus Christ faithfully with those we can. Another thing is that the lepers enjoyed the feast first before they told others about it. We too can share the Gospel with others only when we ourselves are truly enjoying it.
We may be having our own problems, we may be anxious
about many things or broken in many areas of our life like the lepers, we may
be misunderstood, unwanted, rejected or even social outcasts, but we must
believe that the Lord can take all of us and use us for His Glory. He can give
us what we need – Healing, Deliverance, Answers, Restoration and when He puts
people in need into our lives just like those grateful lepers, we too have a responsibility
to share Jesus as Savior with those who don’t know Him in their lives.
We may often think that it would be the officer who had heard the Promise who would be used by God, but God used the unworthy, unlikely lepers to do His work. Similarly, often God will choose not the great or influential but the ordinary and the foolish things of this world to do His work. That’s how we know it is Him and not us. Let us listen to the words of this song MY STORY YOUR GLORY by Matthew West which summarizes this aptly.
https://youtu.be/_KZJznKgHqU?si=pqWNDwZMO3ZUPx4S
Have a blessed week,
Sparky laurie