4 people at entrance of city gate

4 people at entrance of City gate (2 Kings 7:1-7)

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.’” 2 So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”  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? 4 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.” 5 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. 6 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!” 7 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. Intro) Today's background took place in where Aram's king Benhadad failed to invade Israel , and attempted second tries. Aram is where nowadays Syria located. Aram army had a plan to starve Samarian in their castle to death or to give up. Later on, people in Samaria ran out of food and tragedy happens like parents are eating their own children. king of Israel took this as bad sign from Elisha's prophecy, so he sent out his army to kill Elisha. Let's take a look at 2King  6:26-31. 26 Then, as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27 And he said, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?” 28 Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.” 30 Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and there underneath he had sackcloth on his body. 31 Then he said, “God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today!”    Elisha noticed the army came to kill him Elisha says ( 2King 7:1-2) '1 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.’” 2 So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And day after somehow army of Aram disappeared and brought good news to their starving people, which was because 4 leprous men. People who earns from God is often not who are doing great in his society. Body) A) God who takes weak man in his use God usually uses people who are not in wealth and power. This is why it gives us hope and challenge. 4 leprous men who are living near castle gate was tossed out of castle, but when they became worker of God they became people who save other people. In 1 King 7:3 shows how they became workers of God. 3 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?' What are they saying? they could have just face the death until their disease kills them, but by questioning 'Why are we sitting here until we die?' shows they will fight against their fate.  So, they decide to go to their enemies saying 'If we die we die.' They challenged with their lives. God bought their strong will and gave hope to every people in Israel.   4 people in today's text are Jewish leprous men. In Jew's tradition if someone catches Leprosy they kicked the patient out of their castle, and family of patient gives food by rope. However, during the war they couldn’t receive any food because people in the castle are barely eating so Leprous men had to starve to death first before disease kills them.

Leprous man at entrance of gate talked about their past and foods, but at the end they decide to go to enemies' base to surrender. They were scared, but approached to Aram's army. However, during the war God felt pity about Israel and gave confusion to Aram's army and made them hear that Israel was united with other countries armies to fight back. Aram's army ran away as soon as they heard the news. When 4 Leprous men arrived to their base everyone was gone, but foods, clothes, and treasures.

 

 As result 4 leprous men earn their lucky day ate as many as they could, and told great news to people of Israel. Secretaries of the army who were trying to take all foods and supplies from people to put everything in order got crushed to death like Elisha's prophecy.

 

 

Just like recent news in Saudi Arabia, which is about 800 Islam Pilgrims were crushed to death in Saudi Arabia Mecca.

 

 

People at the entrance of gate were leprous men, but their Resolve and courage showed miracle through God.

 

B) Lesson that we have to learn

 

In modern world our followers need strong will and courage to face the harsh challenge, and belief that God will be on our side to help us out.

 

If we give up our lives, because life is hard that is act of ignorant.

There is no way we have to just die, because when we depends on God there is always way out in this world, and we all have each other. Therefore, when we are in unbearable hardships and situation we have to pray to God, read God's word, and communicate with other followers, then in that God will give us wisdom and solution in our life.

 

 In book of James 1:5 says

 

	5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. , in Proverbs 24:16 says  16 For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.
	, and in 1 Corinthians 4:8-10 says 8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us—and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you! 9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! Con) God is our hope. God will not turn away from who are depend on him. God does not scold who asks for wisdom. In this week we should all trust and depends on God with our hardships, and I hope we all achieve victory in our life! Hallelujah!