Our story begins with a five star General of the armed forces of ancient Syria whose name was Naaman. His name means "delightful, pleasant, beautiful" and has the idea of someone who is "well formed." Just from what his name means, we can consider that Naaman grew up with the idea that he was God's gift to the world. This little nugget is a peek into his character that will become obvious a little later in our story. (2 Kings 5:1-19)
The irony is that even though Naaman was seemingly some kind of Adonis he had leprosy. There's no doubt that this skin disease had taken a toll on his looks. For a guy who grew up believing that he was the best looking guy on the planet this disease had to be torture not just physically, but, emotionally and psychologically, too.
The Biblical disease leprosy now known as Hansens disease, unlike the modern strain was considered contagious, spread by multiple skin contact and nose excretions. It was a slow moving disease that wasn’t fatal but was degenerative. Leprosy attacks the nervous system over a period of time and those inflicted with the disease lose all feeling in the affected areas. In 3rd world countries some lepers have experienced their fingers eaten by Rats in their sleep. It wasn't uncommon for a leper who had suffered for many years to lose appendages like, fingers, toes, and their nose.
So Naaman was a leper. And understandably he was freaking out about it. Not only was Naaman a handsome leper but he was also a General. A commander of a mighty army that served the king of Aram, where Syria is today. Naaman was a successful General. He won a lot of battles and he was a popular guy with the king for this reason. It didn't matter to the king that Naaman was a leper, as long as he kept beating up on his enemies. But Naaman was becoming more worried about his disease by the day.
On one of his raids into Israel Naaman had captured an Israelite girl and he gave her to his wife as a maid. It's possible, even likely, that on this raid the girls family, including her parents were killed or also captured and slaves in other homes. It would make sense that she would feel hateful and resentful. She probably read my blog on why it's destructive to hold a grudge...she reveals an attitude in captivity that was more like Daniel and his friends. One day she mentions to Naaman's wife that she knows of a prophet who could heal Naaman. This guy is so desperate for a cure that he takes the word of his captive slave girl and asks the king for a leave of absence.
Not only does the king grant Naaman his request but he loads him up with gifts worth about 30 million bucks to present to his healer, with a letter. But, Naaman's king misunderstands. He thinks that the king of Israel has the power to heal Naaman. When the king of Israel reads the letter that basically says, "please regard the 30 million dollars as a gift and heal my general. thank you." The king of Israel believes that Naaman's king wants to pick a fight. How can one king assume another king could heal his general of a disease? So now the king of Israel is freaking out, believing that Naaman is going to destroy him.
Elisha hears about the king of Israel's problem. Elisha is the one that the slave girl was referring to. So Elisha sends for Naaman. This guy just wants to be cured of the disease he doesn't care who does it, but, you have to remember that because of the way he's been raised and treated all his life, he's full of himself. Naaman believes that he's God's gift to the world. He's only second to the king in importance and value.
It must have been a real challenge to his ego to wait outside Elisha's house once he arrived. It seems Elisha took the same "how to make people wait 101" in med school that all doctors ace. Then adding to the insult of waiting outside some commoner's door, Elisha doesn't even bother to appear before the great Naaman himself. He sends his servant Gehazi with a message. He relays to Naaman that Elisha's instructions are simple. To be cured of his leprosy all he has to do is dip himself in the Jordan river seven times.
This is too much for such an important and beautiful man as Naaman. He flies into a rage, we can only imagine what he really said, but the Bible just records that he is really upset about taking a bath in a river as dirty and disgusting as the Jordan. So he takes his stuff and heads home. That's right. He's so upset about how he was treated that he would rather suffer from his disease than give a cure a chance.
After he settled down and presumably before they got too far his friends talked him into trying the cure suggested by Elisha. I'm guessing that it's been a long time since forever that Naaman had to take orders from someone else. He's always the most important person in the room unless the king is in it. But Naaman is being introduced here to the most powerful ONE. He dunks himself one time and a second, and a third, and four more times in the Jordan river. Probably whining and complaining with every dip. But it's after that last one, the seventh time, that Naaman becomes aware that he's not the most important one at all. He looks over his skin, and he has not only been cured, but, his skin is as smooth and young as a child. Not only is he cured of his insufferable disease but he looks younger than his age. Now that's a gift to a guy like Naaman.
There is no way in the world Naaman would've claimed that Israel's God was more important, and more powerful than himself. Moments before his healing he would've chuckled at the very thought. But now he claims, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel." (2 Kings 5:15) This isn't just a claim of knowledge. This is a claim of conviction. Naaman has been changed and not just his skin tone, but, his heart, too. Naaman is going back to his wife and his king as a convert.
You see what God did here. He took a guy who in his heart thought he was in control, and showed him who really was. Here's what Naaman learned that day in the Jordan river and what I hope you understand today: God is in control. He does what He does, when He does it for His glory.
There's a popular scripture in Romans that is quoted all the time, usually when someone needs encouragement. You're probably familiar with it. "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28) Have you heard this one? One of the things that we do too often is take a verse like this and fail to see it's context. In other words we apply a meaning to a Scripture that is not intended. So if you're having a bad day, or something terrible has happened and a well meaning person says, "Well, God is going to take this thing and he's going to work it out for your good." Or something like that, you need to know that is not what this verse is talking about.
This verse is talking about heaven. You need to read all of Romans 8. The chapter begins by discussing our freedom from sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit and our inheritance as children of God, and then our home in heaven, and then Paul says, "God works these things out for the good of those who love God." Your home in heaven is what God has worked out for you. What is God's purpose for you? He wants you to live in heaven. Everything about what God has done for you, especially with His gift of Jesus and the Holy Spirit is about this one thing. God is in control. He does what He does, when He does it for His glory.
Naaman made what we might think a strange request. He asked Elisha if he could take some dirt home with him. In that day people believed that gods could only be worshiped on the soil of the nation they represented. So Naaman didn't believe that he could worship his gods on Israel's soil, and he didn't think he could worship Israel's god on his. He wanted to take some of Israel's dirt home so he could set up an altar on it and worship Elisha's god. And then he says this, "From now on I will never again offer burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the Lord." (2 Kings 5:17)
We can only wonder how many people in Syria Naaman converted to the God of Israel as he told his story and worshiped at the altar he made back home.
God is in control. He does what He does, when He does it for His glory. We know that Jesus stopped a hurricane. (Mark 4:35-41) That doesn't mean He stops them all obviously, or causes them either, but, He can. When God takes action in anything it's for the same purpose every single time. His glory. For His worship. Jesus makes this clear in his ministry.
He teaches us that all the good we do has this purpose, so that others will praise God. (Matthew 5:16)
Jesus tells us that just moments before He was arrested in the garden that the glory of His father was His purpose for dying on the cross. (John 17:1)
And Paul chimes in and says, "whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)
The Glory of God is a big deal, you know why? Because He is the only One worthy of it. He's the only One worthy of our praise. He's the only One who deserves the kind of credit that Naaman gave himself. God is in control. He does what He does, when He does it for His glory. (Revelation 5:11-14)l
Our role is simple. To make the Name of God more famous. To share the Good News of Jesus with as many as we possibly can. We can live for ourselves if we want to. But that doesn't mean we'll end up where we should be. God works it out for us to live with Him forever for those who live according to His purpose and not their own.
I'm glad Naaman learned this lesson in his lifetime. Have you?
