Four leprous men

by Roger Pepin
(Niagara Falls, Ontario)

Four leprous men (2 Kings 7:1-20)


The Syrians had besieged the city of Samaria and the people inside were being starved out. At the gate of the city there were four leprous men. In those days lepers were put away from the people and would be fed with what was brought to them. In this case nobody was bringing food to them because people in the city had nothing to eat themselves.

For days they sat there with nothing to eat expecting others to feed them. When they finally realized that food was not coming they said “ Why sit we here until we die? “ They finally woke up. Waking up is one thing but they had to also make a decision. So what are they going to do? They said if we go in the city there is no food there so we will die.

"If we sit here we will die because nobody is feeding us." Then they said we can go to the camp of the Syrians If they feed us we will live, if they kill us, well… we die, (in other words, they will put us out of our misery).

They decided to go to the camp. Along the way they must have been questioning, “Did we make the right move here?” To their surprise when they got to the camp they found it deserted. They had no idea that God was working at the same time they were walking to the camp.

Here we have four desperate lepers walking toward a camp of soldiers well armed and ready for battle. God used sound effects. He made the Syrians hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host. The enemy thought that they hired some armies to come against them, probably the Hittites and the Egyptians. So they fled to save their lives and left everything behind.

These four lepers had a feast with food and drink. Then they found silver and gold and plenty of raiment which they hid then came back for more and repeated the same procedure several times. In the mist of all this greed they realized they were not doing right. The people in the city were starving so they decided to tell them that there was plenty of food for them also.


These men had three choices:


- Stay outside the city wall.
- Go into the city.
- Go to the Syrian army.


They were in control of what they would do. They had no idea of what God was about to do. But if their choice would have been the first two options, God would never have stepped in. They had to make the right move. Where are you in your life? Content outside waiting for someone to feed you? Inside a dying church? Or on your way to do something great?

Too many people today are just waiting on the next person to get things done. They are happy to be where they are living their mundane life, not happy of what is happening but don’t have the guts to do anything about it.

Some say, “I am in church every week. I’m in the “city”. Is it alive or dying? Some people don’t even know what I mean when I talk about a church. They think we have this great big building worth millions of dollars we’re doing fine.

My friend, that is not a church, a church is an assembly of believers where Christ is the corner stone and the foundation of the church. If Christ is not preached and does not have the pre-eminence, you are in a dying church or just a cult. And the size of your organization does not qualify you as a church either.

But wait, “I am an independent fundamental Baptist and we only use the King James Bible,” you say. Great my friend, but have you left your first love? When was the last time someone got saved in your church? Are you waiting for them to show up on your door step or are you fulfilling the great commission?

Matthew 28: 19 says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” 20 “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

God said, “Go”, not build a building, put a sign in front, and wait for them to pour in. I have nothing against big buildings. We need them, but God is more impressed by your obedience than He is with your building.

Are you in motion? Those lepers had no idea what the outcome would be, but they made a decision to go and they did. Is God tugging at your heart? Is He putting you in a place where you see that you need to do something? You have three choices also. Are you going to die by the wall? Are you going to die in the city (“church?”) Or, will you start walking?

Just remember that whatever you decide will not only affect you but many people around you also. Are your friends and family dying without Christ or suffering around you because you don’t have the courage to walk? Yes… I know that there is a bunch of people much more qualified than you and I are, but they are dying by the wall or in the city. I encourage you to take the first step, God might just walk with you or pave the way for you.

The first step in your walk is to make sure you are saved.
John 6:47 says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”


Roger Pepin
Bethel Baptist Church
Niagara Falls, Canada
Christian Mentor and Home Business Builder