May 2025

03-May-2025

Metzora

Haftarah Reflections 28

Torah portion Leviticus 12 : 1 to 13 : 59

Listen to the Prophets

We need to understand the background to this parashah.

Elisha was prophesying in Samaria, the capital city of the Northern kingdom. God had given him insight into the thoughts of the king of Syria, so that all his plans were laid open to Elisha. The city was besieged by the Syrians, and that resulted in a severe famine there. We do not know how long this siege lasted, but we do know it brought the inhabitants to a perilous state. The price of the little food which was available was astronomic. Then the king of Israel was told that some were even resorting to cannibalism. He was distraught. And he blamed Elisha for their predicament, threatening to put Elisha to death if he could find him.

Then the king of Israel uttered words which have been oft repeated by those who are ready to blame Him for everything that goes wrong in society. In paraphrase he said “What sort of God is it that brings such things on us. I cannot worship a god like that”.

Elisha knows what the king has just said, and he counters with this:- “Tomorrow, at about this time, a seah of fine flour will sell for one shekel, and two seahs of barley for one shekel”. Cheap as chips so to speak. (it is difficult to be precise, but my research suggests that a ‘seah’ COULD be about 5 Kg.)

An officer of the king heard Elisha’s prophecy and ridiculed him. “even if it fell out of the sky it would never be that cheap”. Elisha, never shy or short of a comment, told the officer that he would see it with his own eyes, but he would not eat any of it. Another bold prophecy, since everyone was hungry.

So to the story, and the lesson, in this week’s parashah.

Four unfortunate men, stricken with leprosy, had been sent outside the gates of the city. This was strictly in accord with the Levitical law in order to prevent the spread of the disease. They were just as hungry as the people inside the walls of the city, and relied on those inside for their food. They had not eaten for some considerable time, and were obviously approaching desperation. They reasoned together. If we stay here, we die. If we go into the city, we die. If we surrender ourselves to the besieging Syrian army, they might feed us, if so, we live. If they don’t, we die. Better for us to take the one chance we have to survive. So they did.

When they arrived at the Syrian camp, it was empty of people. God had caused the Syrians to hear the sounds of a great advancing army. So they left in great haste and left everything behind. The four lepers set about eating the plenteous supply of food, and plundering the valuables. A short while into their binge, one of them stopped, called the others and said “what we are doing is not right”. The Spirit of God moved on them to see that they had found the means of survival available for the besieged city, but they were selfishly contenting themselves, and remaining silent. This was a day of good news, but they were keeping it to themselves.

An important lesson.

We might consider ourselves analogous to those lepers. We were lost, outside the camp, every option we had led to death, except one. In that analogy, the well-stocked Syrian camp, may be likened to the boundless grace of God, in Yeshua, who provided the means of our salvation. Many of us are content to ‘plunder’ the camp for all the goodies we can get, getting fatter, but not growing! The voice of the Holy Spirit is prompting us in this parashah to consider if what we are doing is right. Should we keep this good news to ourselves, or should we, like the lepers in our parashah, go back to the city, and give them the good news that salvation is available to any who wish to step out of the starving city, and receive it.

Of course, in our story, eventually, the people heard the good news and rushed out to receive the food which was available.

The parashah ends with the confirmation of Elisha’s prophecy. In the gateway of the city, one seah of fine flour sold for one shekel, and two seahs of barley for the same. Such was the rush at the gate of the city that the king’s officer, who had been so sceptical, saw it all with his own eyes, but was trampled to death in the stampede of people.

Another important lesson.

God speaks as clearly today as He did in the days of Elisha. Often, that word comes as a still small voice, sometimes as a ‘rhema’ from the Holy Scriptures. It could even be through a ‘reflection’ on this parashah! Occasionally it may come from a person with a prophetic gifting, but that is quite rare in our day, and we are cautioned in Scripture to test such prophets before we take notice of them. But however that word is received, it is very unwise to treat it with contempt. God’s Word will always accomplish the purpose for which it is sent.

Shabbat Shalom