I don't normally do such a long scripture reference..or a whole chapter.
But twice last week Naaman and I crossed paths.
And since I do not believe in coincidence, I looked at 2 Kings and Mr. Naaman more closely!
5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 18 But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.”
19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said.
After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”
21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.
22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’”
23 “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.
25 When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”
“Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.
26 But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? 27 Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.
So many elements are in this story of a man great in the eyes of his master, the king.
Faith, humility, misunderstanding, anger, forgiveness, greed, deciet.
The first time I came across this passage was while doing the book Power of a Woman's Words by Sharon Jaynes, a book our Ladies Bible study is doing, the second was in the daily devotional I read.
The author od the book was looking at the faith that was evident.
A young servant girl, who had been captured and forced into service for Naaman's wife told her about a prophet who healed.
😳 (surprise) This young lady could have been resentful of her captures. "He has a disease...serves him right, let him suffer!"
Instead she has FAITH that the prophet who serves the God of Israel, her people, can cure this man. She is so confident she approaches her mistress with this.
AND they listen!
Naaman then goes to the king with this information. The king puts some stock in what has come from a young slave girl...so much so he writes a letter, asking for healing for his servant....putting some clout behind the request...a bit of royal persuasion.
The letter goes to the king of Israel instead of directly to Elisha. Misunderstanding who the letter was intended for the king gets enraged, believing someone thinks he has the power to heal, or is trying to goad him into a fight.
Of course Elisha hears this and knows that he is the man Naaman is seeking..
Naaman sends men on ahead to find this man who has the ability to heal. He has brought gifts of all kinds for this man, traveled some distance all on the word of a young girl, with what seems to be faith that it can be done.
But when Elisha sends word to Naaman with instructions...Naaman is thrilled?...immediately does what has been prescribed!?
NO...he becomes angry, indignant that there are instructions, not what he expected for an answer.
😳 seems crazy doesn't it?! But how often do we pray, beg God for healing, for help, for an answer and when one comes we argue with Him because "this isn't right! You were supposed to answer it THIS way." "Let me tell You how it is supposed to work!"
Again, servants, those lowly people on the socioeconomic food chain, come to their master and try to change his perspective....and he then does the simple task Elisha has said.
And he is HEALED, his flesh restored to that of a young boy! (Give me some of THAT!)
and Naaman is grateful and acknowledges the God of Isreal! He wants to give many gifts to Elisha, but Elisha declines, he is a humble servant of God, he isn't in this for the money, fame or glory.
Naaman asks one thing, that Elisha intercede on his behalf, wanting to worship the One true God, but knows in being the faithful servant to the king he will have to enter the pagan temple with his king, and wants t,o make sure he is forgiven for that. Which seems to me that he has had a true change of heart!
😳 I am surprised by where the deciet comes into this story. A servant of Elisha...a man of God., decided that Elisha should have taken some of the reward that had been offered, and if Elisha didn't want it he might as well help himself! So he devises a fairly elaborate ruse and first he lies to Naaman, then once he has cunningly recieved the goods and is questioned by Elisha he lies to him! What surprises me is that Gehazi really seemed to miss the point..didn't seem to grasp the great God that Elisha served, the justice and righteousness that Elisha stood for....and so Gehazi's skin became leprous...for the rest of his days, a constant reminder of his greed and error in judgment. And not just Gehazi, but it said his descendants!
We have to be careful...our sin; whether it is; greed or jealousy, or pridefullness, or _________(you fill in the blank) it can leave a "residue" if we don"t repent of it and allow God's forgiveness to wash it away. Sometimes the consequences of our sin can leave scars...they are our reminder of the error of our ways...but they can also be our reminder of how God brought us through and has forgiven us.
I know that that was a lot! But I wanted to share all the things that popped out at me when I reread this scripture. I actually condensed it a bit!😉
🙏I pray that some of the lessons from Naaman speak to your heart as well!❤
