"It Pays To Obey"

II Kings 5:1-17 "It Pays To Obey"

I. Naaman's Position 1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

(a) He was a Virtuous man. Captain of the host

3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

He had the prestige and prominence that went with such a powerful position.

(b) He was a Vigorous man was a great man with his master

He was the king's right hand man. (c) He was a Victorious man. by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria:

(d) He was a Valiant man. "He was a mighty man in valour." He had all the awards, the accolades, the applause, & the approval that his king and his country could give him.

II. Naaman's Problem but he was a leper

Notice that little three-letter word "but." - "But he was a leper."

Luke 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

As valiant, as virtuous, as vigorous, as victorious as Naaman was, he was still a leper. in the Bible leprosy is a picture of sin.

Note the Bible never speaks of leprosy being cured or healed. It is always cleansed. Because leprosy is the biblical picture of sin. We are never cured of sin, or healed of sin, we are cleansed of sin.

Luke 17:17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

He had tried every ointment, every salve, every medicine, every doctor, every hospital, every cure, every remedy, but to no avail.

Now normally, Naaman probably never paid any attention to his little slave girl. But you see, Naaman was not only a diseased man, he was a desperate man. Just as a person will not go to a doctor until they realize they are sick, a person will not seek to be saved until they realize they are lost.

III. Naaman's Presumption 5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

He receives:- the king's release, "Go" the king's ransom, "silver & gold" & the king's recommendation."and I will send a letter to the king of Israel'

(a) He went to the wrong Person (the king of Israel not the prophet in Samaria?)

(b) He went to the wrong Place 7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

(c) He went with the wrong Price A. He Presumed God Could Be Bought Naaman had in his pockets the equivalent of two million pounds.

B. He Presumed God Could Be Bribed v.7

All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Naaman together again.

You cannot buy God with money, and you cannot bribe God with morality. C. He Presumed God Could Be Bluffed v.7

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

IV. Naaman's Prophet 8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

(a) Elisha was God's Man 8 Elisha the man of God Naaman did not just need a man to do God's work. He needed a man to preach God's word. He didn't just need a man to call on God. He needed a man who was called by God.

Acts 8:30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.