“And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate; and they said one to another, why sit we here until we die? If we say, we will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians; if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.”
These four leprous men couldn’t go into the city because the law demanded that if you were unclean with leprosy you had to dwell alone outside the camp (Lev. 13:46). So they sat outside the gate of the city, starving to death, living in condemnation. However, at some point in the night they realized that what was on the inside of the gate would bring them death and being on the outside looking in was also bringing them death. So they said to themselves, “why sit we here until we die?” They rose up at twilight and went to the camp of the Syrians. When they arrived no one was there because the Lord had caused the host of Syria to hear noises of chariots, horses, and a great host. The Syrians were so afraid, they thought the king of Israel had hired the Hittites and the Egyptians to come and help them. They rose up and fled in the twilight and left all their stuff. (2 Kings 7:3-7)
Many christians today are like these lepers, living on the outside of the gate but still looking to what’s on the inside. Inside the gate is the law outside the gate is grace. Hebrews 13:12 says, “wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.” Jesus has meant all the demands of the law and has taken all of our sins, guilt and shame. Therefore, “let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach” (Heb. 13:13). Since grace is on the outside this means they were on the outside looking in with their backs to grace and their faces to the law. Turn away from looking at what’s inside the gate and face forward to Jesus Christ and the finish work of Calvary and live!
When they went forth they found no one there to condemn them. No one to cry out unclean, unclean, unclean. And because there was no one there to condemn them they were free to take all that their hearts desired. You’re clean, you’re clean, you’re clean! You know what to do from here.
dcm Blog 