2 Kings 5 Good News Translation (GNT) - Naaman Is Cured
1 Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, was highly respected and esteemed by the king of Syria, because through Naaman the Lord had given victory to the Syrian forces. He was a great soldier, but he suffered from a dreaded skin disease.
2 In one of their raids against Israel, the Syrians had carried off a little Israelite girl, who became a servant of Naaman's wife.
3 One day she said to her mistress, “I wish that my master could go to the prophet who lives in Samaria! He would cure him of his disease.”
4 When Naaman heard of this, he went to the king and told him what the girl had said.
5 The king said, “Go to the king of Israel and take this letter to him.”
So Naaman set out, taking thirty thousand pieces of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of fine clothes.
6 The letter that he took read: “This letter will introduce my officer Naaman. I want you to cure him of his disease.”
7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and exclaimed, “How can the king of Syria expect me to cure this man? Does he think that I am God, with the power of life and death? It's plain that he is trying to start a quarrel with me!”
8 When the prophet Elisha heard what had happened, he sent word to the king: “Why are you so upset? Send the man to me, and I'll show him that there is a prophet in Israel!”
9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariot and stopped at the entrance to Elisha's house.
10 Elisha sent a servant out to tell him to go and wash himself seven times in the Jordan River, and he would be completely cured of his disease.
11 But Naaman left in a rage, saying, “I thought that he would at least come out to me, pray to the Lord his God, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and cure me!
12 Besides, aren't the rivers Abana and Pharpar, back in Damascus, better than any river in Israel? I could have washed in them and been cured!”
13 His servants went up to him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. Now why can't you just wash yourself, as he said, and be cured?”
14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan, dipped himself in it seven times, as Elisha had instructed, and he was completely cured. His flesh became firm and healthy like that of a child.
15 He returned to Elisha with all his men and said, “Now I know that there is no god but the God of Israel; so please, sir, accept a gift from me.”
16 Elisha answered, “By the living Lord, whom I serve, I swear that I will not accept a gift.”
Naaman insisted that he accept it, but he would not.
17 So Naaman said, “If you won't accept my gift, then let me have two mule-loads of earth to take home with me,because from now on I will not offer sacrifices or burnt offerings to any god except the Lord.
18 So I hope that the Lord will forgive me when I accompany my king to the temple of Rimmon, the god of Syria, and worship him. Surely the Lord will forgive me!”
19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said. And Naaman left.
He had gone only a short distance,
20 when Elisha's servant Gehazi said to himself, “My master has let Naaman get away without paying a thing! He should have accepted what that Syrian offered him. By the living Lord I will run after him and get something from him.”
21 So he set off after Naaman. When Naaman saw a man running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him, and asked, “Is something wrong?”
22 “No,” Gehazi answered. “But my master sent me to tell you that just now two members of the group of prophets in the hill country of Ephraim arrived, and he would like you to give them three thousand pieces of silver and two changes of fine clothes.”
23 “Please take six thousand pieces of silver,” Naaman replied. He insisted on it, tied up the silver in two bags, gave them and two changes of fine clothes to two of his servants, and sent them on ahead of Gehazi.
24 When they reached the hill where Elisha lived, Gehazi took the two bags and carried them into the house. Then he sent Naaman's servants back.
25 He went back into the house, and Elisha asked him, “Where have you been?”
“Oh, nowhere, sir,” he answered.
26 But Elisha said, “Wasn't I there in spirit when the man got out of his chariot to meet you? This is no time to accept money and clothes, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, or servants!
27 And now Naaman's disease will come upon you, and you and your descendants will have it forever!”
When Gehazi left, he had the disease—his skin was as white as snow.
What can we learn from the testimony of Naaman?
NAAMAN
Naaman lived in Syria where they worshipped idols it was a spiritually dark place. Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper. He had position, he was the General of the Syrian or the Aramean Army, second in command to the King. He was a man of great authority and position. He was very popular and highly respected. On his chest he must’ve had many medals of honor and valor. He was a man whom God had used just as He had Pharaoh and the Kings of Assyria and Babylon. So we see that the Lord can work through whoever he likes to carry out His purposes and plans. But this doesn't save a person. Naaman’s name means beautiful which would imply that he was very handsome, physically but spiritually he had a problem, his problem was that he was a Leper. In Scripture leprosy is a picture of sin and man’s true spiritual condition without God’s salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Regardless of how men may see us or how we may see ourselves, in God’s Holy eyes, we are leprous without the righteousness of Christ. This one word ‘leprosy’ tells us how God saw Naaman regardless of how men saw him. Even today many are perishing due to the leprosy of sin. Someone may be great, successful, wealthy, honorable and mighty, but spiritually lost. When someone realises they need God this is the first steps toward salvation.
Naaman wanted to be set free from leprosy. Naaman and his wife were humble enough to listen to their servant girl when she suggested that Naaman should ask for healing from Elisha Gods prophet. They also had faith in The God of Elisha to believe that he could heal.
SERVANT GIRL
We don't know the servant girl's name very often God can do more through those people who don't want to publicise themselves. The young servant girl had faith in what God could do thru the prophet Elijah. But she didn't keep the good news to herself she thought of something good, she thought wouldn't it be brilliant if my master Naaman/ my boss was healed. She obviously cared about the people she worked for that's Naaman and his wife. She must've had a good relationship with Naaman wife because she could talk to her and she and Naaman took her advice. So from that good thought she planted a seed of faith.
Sometimes we have good ideas or thoughts but we do nothing about them.
It's amazing that the high ranking officer should listen and take the advice of a servant girl. She wasn't a normal girl she was a girl who had faith in a big God who could heal. She was a girl who knew her God and was ready to do great things in his name.
Very often we think God cannot work through us because: we are not good enough; educated enough; we're too young; we're too old; or we're scared.
This servant girl had a big God, a big heart of compassion, a big wish, and she had a lot of courage to do whatever she could, which is far better than doing nothing.
KING OF SYRIA
It's quite amazing that the king of Syria had faith to believe that the God of Israel could heal Naaman.
KING OF ISRAEL
Surprisingly the king of Israel looked to his own strength and started to panic, got upset, and totally misunderstood the situation. He was the king of Israel but he didn't know the God of Israel.
This is what happens when we leave God out of our life, situations, and decisions. We try to do the impossible in our own strength and it all becomes too much to handle and then we panic.
ELISHA
Elisha was a simple Godly man he didn't need a long title or recognition. He Didn't need all of that because his security was in God he knew his God and he knew Gods power so he didn't need the strength of men. Elisha was a lowly servant of the most high God above all gods and King of all kings.
When you know this God that’s all you need to know. For those who know there God shall stand strong and do great exploits in his name.
When Naaman came to Elisha he came with his riches, title and position. He came to be healed carrying rich gifts in fine chariots to give to Elisha, but Elisha was not interested in this.
God is interested in your faith not your finances. Healing is from God and it can’t be bought because the price has already been paid by Jesus Christ.
Elisha just sent a simple prescription out to Naaman with a servant telling him to wash seven times in the river Jordon and he would be healed. But this isn't what Naaman was expecting, this was too simple. Naaman thought the Israeli Jordon river was dirty and other rivers in Damascus were better and cleaner. But it wasn't about the cleanliness of the water it was about doing what God had said. Why the need to dip seven times wasn't once enough? Seven is the number of perfection, maybe it not only perfected his skin but his spirit too.
Very often we expect prayers to be answered the way we expect, we want a visiting preacher, maybe from India, someone whose very popular to come and prophecy, and lay hands on us. Some folks think that to experience God you have to fall down when prayed over. Or that you need to do pilgrimage or go to a certain place. Sometimes we analyse God’s word too much and end up doing nothing. But if you receive Gods word into your situation and do as God’s word says you don't need anything else. Sometimes God wants you to do something to receive your miracle.
Naaman came all the way to Israel and was about to miss out on his blessing because of his pride. But thanks to his faithful servants who persuaded him to bath seven times as prescribed and he was miraculously healed from Leprosy. Naaman wanted to give money and gifts to Elisha but he refused the princely gift offered to him.
Those who serve God do not do so for financial gain but out of love and simple obedience to the Lord. God is a giver, not a taker, and His gifts cannot be bought.
Naaman’s healing from leprosy is a wonderful picture of our salvation from sin—freely bestowed by the grace of God in response to faith (Ephesians 2:8–9).
GEHAZI
Gehazi’s greed and deception are warnings to us. The Bible warns us against “pursuing dishonest gain” (Titus 1:7). We are called to be honest in all of our dealings, knowing that God sees everything and will judge accordingly. We can be sure that our sins will find us out (Numbers 32:23). Gehazi's spiritual sin is evident as he becomes a leper.
WHAT DOES JESUS THINK ABOUT THIS STORY?
Jesus used the story of Naaman and Elisha as an illustration of Israel’s problem of unbelief. In Luke 4:27, Jesus tells the crowd in the synagogue of Nazareth, “There were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” The lepers of Israel overlooked the healing that could have been theirs through Elisha, so God healed a Syrian instead. In the same way, the Israelites of Jesus’ day were missing the power right in front of their eyes. But God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34–35), and the Gentiles eventually received the gospel that Israel rejected.
CONCLUSION
Our God is not prejudice he doesn't look to see if we are Israelites or not, he looks to see if we've got faith in him.
If we have faith in him then God can do the impossible in our lives. All the Honour and glory goes to God for he is the miracle worker not the prophet.
He is God in heaven and we are here on earth as his vessels that he can work through.
JESUS said According to your faith be it unto you. (Matthew 9:29)
