“Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.” And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there. For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!” Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives.” (2KI 7:3-7).
There is no doubt that God led those lepers on their mission to the Syrian camp. However, the means by which He did so, was neither dramatic nor spectacular. God simply initiated the process by introducing the idea into their minds, and as they mulled over it, they became increasingly convinced that it was the right thing to do, and the way forward. Often, we wait unnecessarily for a dramatic form of guidance from God, when all the while He has been giving us ideas of what to do. This is not to discount the validity, or even the necessity, sometimes, of the dramatic and spectacular forms of guidance. However, the common way God guides or leads people is through their thoughts: “Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; HE WILL CAUSE YOUR THOUGHTS TO BECOME AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed” (Prov 16:3 AMP) (emphasis added). This why it is important to meditate on the word of God day and night (Josh 1:8).
The lepers did something commendable: they acted on their conviction. “And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; …”(2KI 7:5). However, it is important to note that the lepers did not just accept the first thought that occurred to them, uncritically, as being the right course of action to take. Rather, they weighed their options carefully, and chose the one that would lead them forward: “… they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.”” (2Ki 7:3-4). God is not averse to the subjection of His ideas or thoughts to precautionary, and scriptural examination or scrutiny for authenticity. The Bible says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1Jn 4:1). However, once you, like the lepers, have sufficient grounds to accept the divine origin of an idea or a thought, you must act on it. Otherwise, you will miss an opportunity to see God at work. It is failure in this regard that has hindered many people from making significant progress in their spiritual lives. Remember, you may never be 100% sure of the divine origin of your Ideas, until you cautiously, but steadily follow the path they lead. Walk the path and see if it proves to be “… the path of the just…, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Prov 4:18).
“And when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there” (2KI 7:5). That was the experience of the lepers when they arose and went forward. Who knows what pleasant surprises await your positive response to the light God has given you. Though the leprous men had approached their intended destination with fear and trembling, they discovered that the enemies whom they dreaded were gone. Their courage had paid off handsomely. Your availability, rather than your natural might or strength, appeals to God, and largely determines your eligibility for a divine assignment. God has often demonstrated that, “He does not delight in the strength of the horse; [and]… takes no pleasure in the legs of a man” (Ps 147:10). The Bible tells us the kind of people who delight the Lord: “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy” (Ps 147:11). These are people who refuse to rely on the arm of flesh.
The lepers found no one in the Syrian camp because “… the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!” Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives” (2KI 7:6-7). Note the expression, “the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses.” The lepers did not need to do anything out of the ordinary to create the effect their approaching steps had on the Syrian army. Contrast the outcome their efforts with that of the Israelites, who had shouted at the appearance of the Ark of covenant on the battlefield, when they fought the Philistines: “And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook.” (1Sam 4:5). Though “all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook” and frightened their enemies, “…the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died” (1Sam 4:10-11). It is not primarily a question of intensity or loudness of action, but of origin. While the footfalls of the leprous men were bearly audible and seemingly insignificant, they were the response of faith in a divinely initiated idea, and, therefore, produced the miracle of the Syrian unplanned flight. However, Israel’s loud shout was merely of human origin, and, though it had caused some tremors, it was counterproductive.
In conclusion, the basic lesson for us here is that we should never attempt to dictate a preferable method or means of guidance to God. We should, rather, accept His offer of guidance (whatever form it takes) with gratitude, and act on it with focus and diligence, bearing in mind that, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (1Thess 5:24). Shalom.
