“At dusk [the four lepers] got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives. The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also. Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.” 2 Kings 7:5-9
“As he had done when Elisha was surrounded at Dothan, God defeated his enemies with an unseen army.
Imagine the look on the faces of this leprous quartet as they sneaked to the edge of the enemy camp! There, spread before them, was enough food and water to feed an army. And not just food, either. There was enough of everything an army needs to wage war: tents, horses, donkeys, weapons, armor, silver, and gold. But the whole camp was quiet and still. Not one single soldier was stirring.
So the lepers blinked, looked at one another with wide eyes, and realized taht they were rich beyond their wildest dreams!
The experienced – and this is the first point to draw from this passage – the surpassing joy of finding good news… The lepers ran from tent to tent, looting with abandon. It was like the world’s biggest shopping spree. They must have been deliriously happy – rummaging through the sacks, trying on clothes, munching on snacks, guzzling wine. “Hey look at this!” one might have said as he opened a purse of God. “these must be worth a fortune!” Or, “Check this out! I’ve been needing a new robe.”
The whole giddy experience can be summarized in a single phrase full of spiritual significance: “This is a day of good news”… Good news is meant to be shared. Consider: when was the last time you heard really good news and kept it to yourself? Probably never.
Good news always travels fast, which is why the lepers started to have second thoughts… If the king ever found out that they had kept the good news to themselves (not to mention the plunder), their lives would be forfeit… These men realized that keeping good news to oneself is a sin and thus they felt the urgent necessity of sharing good news.”
Philip Graham Ryken in 2 Kings (REC; Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2019) 138-140.
This is such a powerful scene. God defeats another enemy with an unseen army. Then, indescribable wealth and untold favor fall upon the least likely characters: four lepers.
Don’t miss what happens. They label it good news and resolve that the only right thing to do is to share the news (and the spoils) with others. This is a great lesson of generosity.
We need to be like those lepers. We are undeserving. So, as God supplies us with wealth, though our proclivity may be to keep it for ourselves, to honor the King the only right thing to do is enjoy and share it.
Assess your situation? Do you have more than enough? Pick a person or ministry with whom you might choose to share more generously today. Celebrate this situation as good news and share generously!