There is no class of men that is beyond God’s reach to use in fulfilling his word. Most times, He uses the least likely people to achieve His ends. God’s choice of a noble instrument for His use, is not based on human qualification or merit, but on His mercy and grace. Just take a look at the four leprous men whose account is recorded in 2 Kings chapter 7. Their experience aptly demonstrates the truth that, “… God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” (1Cor 1:27-29).
Elisha had spoken prophetically of God’s decision to transform the economy of Israel within twenty-four hours. “Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’ ”” (2Ki 7:1). The prophetic word sounded so impossible that the man on whose arm the king leaned responded thus: “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” (vs 2). A reminder of the prevailing political and socio-economic conditions, within which the man asked that question, is important for our instruction.
“… Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. And there was a great famine in Samaria; and indeed they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-fourth of a kab of dove droppings for five shekels of silver” (2Ki 6:24-25). Indisputably, the siege on Samaria had strangulated her economy to the extent that two women resorted to cannibalism. It was that bad. Any human promise of an overnight relief, under the circumstance, would understandably arouse doubts and suspicion. However, the promise of a turnaround was not from man, but from God. Therefore, Elisha prefaced the prophetic utterance with the words, ““Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord:” We need always to find out the origin of a promise, otherwise we risk repeating the mistake the king’s aid had made, which attracted the following words of judgement on him: “…you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it”” (2Ki 7:2).
Man’s difficulty in believing God has always been because of his inability to know how God will fulfill His promises. However, what we really need to know is that, ““God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num 23:19). If, given the current economic situation of Samaria, the promise had been farfetched, then the means God chose to fulfill it was even more. Lepers in ancient Jewish culture were social outcasts. The thought or sight of them did not remind one of prosperity or usefulness. Nevertheless, God choose them for that assignment, because His ways are not man’s ways, neither are His thoughts man’s thoughts (Isa 55:8).
It is noteworthy that the scene shifts to the lepers, immediately after the prophet’s pronouncement. When God makes a promise, He orchestrates events to bring it to pass: “I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.” (Isa 48:3 NIV). If God has chosen you for an assignment, never struggle to make it happen or to become what God has already made you. It is not your feelings, other people’s opinions, or the circumstances that surround you, that should define you. God’s word concerning you is what should define you. God wants your heart to rest confidently in Him. He wants you to trust in Him and not to lean on your own understanding (Prov 3:5). Never let go of God’s word to you, irrespective of how impossible its fulfillment appears to be. You may not look it, but you are who or what God says you are. Shalom.
