When I wrote about Naaman in 2 Kings 5, I focused on Humility and Flexibility, just mentioning the oft-used salvation by faith allegory.

Today, we’re in the story that starts at 2 Kings 6.24, continuing through chapter 7:

At a later time, this: Ben-Hadad king of Aram pulled together his troops and launched a siege on Samaria. This brought on a terrible famine, so bad that food prices soared astronomically. Eighty shekels for a donkey’s head! Five shekels for a bowl of field greens! (2 Kings 6.24, 25, MSG)

It’s a good story in its own right, but the application to evangelism or “witnessing” is unmistakable.

There’s a siege and a famine, and it’s ugly. (See 2 Kings 6.24 – 31)The king of Israel blames Elisha(?!) who proclaims boldly:

Elisha said, “Listen! GOD’s word! The famine’s over. This time tomorrow food will be plentiful—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel. The market at the city gate will be buzzing.” (2 Kings 7.1, MSG)

How will such a thing happen? Answer: through four lepers who have nothing to lose.

It happened that four lepers were sitting just outside the city gate. They said to one another, “What are we doing sitting here at death’s door? If we enter the famine-struck city we’ll die; if we stay here we’ll die. So let’s take our chances in the camp of Aram and throw ourselves on their mercy. If they receive us we’ll live, if they kill us we’ll die. We’ve got nothing to lose.” (2 Kings 7.3, 4, MSG)

They go to the camp of Aram and find it deserted.

The Master had made the army of Aram hear the sound of horses and a mighty army on the march. They told one another, “The king of Israel hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to attack us!” Panicked, they ran for their lives through the darkness, abandoning tents, horses, donkeys—the whole camp just as it was—running for dear life. (2 Kings 7.6, 7, MSG)

The lepers raid the camp, eating, drinking, and hiding looted gold and silver…until they come to their senses:

Finally they said to one another, “We shouldn’t be doing this! This is a day of good news and we’re making it into a private party! If we wait around until morning we’ll get caught and punished. Come on! Let’s go tell the news to the king’s palace!” (2 Kings 7.9, MSG)

Isn’t that a great picture of our call to spread the word? “This is a day of good news and we’re making into a private party…Come on! Let’s go tell…” It’s been said that sharing the gospel is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find food.

Forced to leave home base, the Christians all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. (Acts 8.4, MSG)

Then he said, “Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all. (Mark 16.15, MSG)

PS Elisha’s prophecy comes true to the letter down to the part I didn’t share that the king’s assistant who doubted would see it but not eat it. Read the whole story in 2 Kings 7.