Beggars Can Be Choosers

During the days of the prophet Elisha....

The city of Samaria was under siege by Ben-Hadad, King of the Arameans. There was a great famine in the city, severe enough for its citizens to resort to cannibalism.

There were four lepers outside the city walls - outcasts because of their disease.


Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate.

They said to each other, "Why stay here until we die?

"If we say, 'We'll go into the city' -- the famine is there and we will die.

"And if we stay here we will die.

"So let's go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we will die."



So they went over to the enemy's camp.



At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, not a man 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 Egyptians kings to attack us!"

So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their donkeys and horses. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.



The four outcast lepers found the camp empty of all soldiers -- they ate and drank their fill and gathered silver and gold ornaments and clothing.



Then they said to each other, "We are not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves...let's go at once and report this to the royal palace."



So they went to the city gates and proclaimed the good news...and everyone in Samaria was saved!


Someone once said, "Evangelism -- sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ -- is just like one beggar telling another beggar where to find food!"

I was one of those beggars......




[This great story is in the Old Testament, 2 Kings, Chapter 7.  Read it for yourself!]