Interesting passage. Never even noticed it before. So revealing about our human nature.
I first came across the story of Naaman while reading the book "Counterfeit Gods" by Timothy Keller. He shared this story while explaining our tendency to worship our abilities and accomplishments instead of God. The story is found in 2 Kings 5:1-14.
"1Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. 3She said to her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." 4So Naaman went in and told his lord, "Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel." 5And the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel."
So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy." 7And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me."
8But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean." 11But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, "Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. 13But his servants came near and said to him, "My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" 14So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."
I think some of why this story really resonates with me is seeing how earnest Naaman was. He did not hide his astonishment or rage, and he heeded the advice of his lowly servants. Now, there are many "issues" in this story - how Naaman tried to pay the king with riches to heal him, how he tried to use his reputation to save himself and how he expected a big show in his being healed - but ultimately it is a story of human nature and what it means to have faith in action. How interesting that he would be so upset at the idea of simply dipping in a river to be cleansed... that he was so stubborn, he actually went to leave without being healed!
We are SO like Naaman. We all know people who "know" about God and Jesus, yet for some reason, they choose not to believe it. They think they believe in God, but not enough to actually be saved. Just how Naaman believed that Elisha's God would heal him, but at first, not enough to actually do the simple task he was explicitly told to do. Naaman knew he was going to die from Leprosy, no questions there, and yet he almost walked away, while fully knowing the cure! We know that every person living on earth will someday die (besides those still alive at the Lord's coming) but we act like there is nothing we need to do about it. Really folks, what do you think will happen if you let sin continue to control your life?
It will certainly not be just the consequences of your actions. Let me challenge you with this: be like Naaman. If you believe there is a God, go find Him! For goodness sake, don't sit there pursuing things in the world that will perish along with your body. Seek after God and He will not let you down. Don't try to be your best while fooling yourself into thinking it will be enough. The answers are in God's word, and if you really think He is God yet continue to put every other thing in life above pursuing Him, you will be very disappointed to say the least. In this life and after your body perishes.
My hope is that you will choose a side and that it would be God's side. Be bold enough to follow Him. There are enough people claiming to be Christians while loving only themselves... the world does not need more of these. The world does not need or benefit from those saying they think there is a God and that's it. Either trust Him as God, as the ultimate authority of life on earth, or reject Him completely. Someday, we will all find, that there is no middle ground. Don't do what Naaman almost did and stay terminally ill. Follow through with the promise God has given. He will never leave us or forsake us, our salvation is coming and we must take action to attain it.
I first came across the story of Naaman while reading the book "Counterfeit Gods" by Timothy Keller. He shared this story while explaining our tendency to worship our abilities and accomplishments instead of God. The story is found in 2 Kings 5:1-14.
"1Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. 3She said to her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." 4So Naaman went in and told his lord, "Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel." 5And the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel."
So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy." 7And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me."
8But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean." 11But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, "Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. 13But his servants came near and said to him, "My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" 14So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."
I think some of why this story really resonates with me is seeing how earnest Naaman was. He did not hide his astonishment or rage, and he heeded the advice of his lowly servants. Now, there are many "issues" in this story - how Naaman tried to pay the king with riches to heal him, how he tried to use his reputation to save himself and how he expected a big show in his being healed - but ultimately it is a story of human nature and what it means to have faith in action. How interesting that he would be so upset at the idea of simply dipping in a river to be cleansed... that he was so stubborn, he actually went to leave without being healed!
We are SO like Naaman. We all know people who "know" about God and Jesus, yet for some reason, they choose not to believe it. They think they believe in God, but not enough to actually be saved. Just how Naaman believed that Elisha's God would heal him, but at first, not enough to actually do the simple task he was explicitly told to do. Naaman knew he was going to die from Leprosy, no questions there, and yet he almost walked away, while fully knowing the cure! We know that every person living on earth will someday die (besides those still alive at the Lord's coming) but we act like there is nothing we need to do about it. Really folks, what do you think will happen if you let sin continue to control your life?
It will certainly not be just the consequences of your actions. Let me challenge you with this: be like Naaman. If you believe there is a God, go find Him! For goodness sake, don't sit there pursuing things in the world that will perish along with your body. Seek after God and He will not let you down. Don't try to be your best while fooling yourself into thinking it will be enough. The answers are in God's word, and if you really think He is God yet continue to put every other thing in life above pursuing Him, you will be very disappointed to say the least. In this life and after your body perishes.
My hope is that you will choose a side and that it would be God's side. Be bold enough to follow Him. There are enough people claiming to be Christians while loving only themselves... the world does not need more of these. The world does not need or benefit from those saying they think there is a God and that's it. Either trust Him as God, as the ultimate authority of life on earth, or reject Him completely. Someday, we will all find, that there is no middle ground. Don't do what Naaman almost did and stay terminally ill. Follow through with the promise God has given. He will never leave us or forsake us, our salvation is coming and we must take action to attain it.
