2 Kings 5

In Luke 4:27, when Jesus was rejected in His hometown of Nazareth, He said, “There were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” The cleansing of Naaman was an occasion to consider the merciful plan of God to bring His life-changing love to the nations.

The king of Israel had no sense of this moment. He saw the letter from the king of Syria requesting healing for Naaman as a provocation. He 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.”

This request for healing had not originated with Naaman or with the king of Syria, but with a little servant girl from Israel who had been carried off to Syria in a raid against Israel! This girl saw the need of Naaman and believed that the God of Israel, working through His prophet Elisha, could bring healing to this valiant enemy commander.

The faith of the little girl touched her mistress, Naaman's wife, and then touched Naaman, reaching even the ears of the king who wrote the letter to the king of Israel. The king of Israel was not able to receive these events in faith but only in fear. He could not see that the true God was working personally through various people who cared for each other. God was making His power and His being known through the people He chose to use.

When Elisha heard about the panic and despair of the king of Israel, he understood how the Lord was working. Elisha was used to confront the king of Israel and to heal in a way that greatly surprised Naaman. Once again, Naaman's servants played a very important role in the Lord's display of power. They convinced Naaman that God might work in ways that the commander had not anticipated. Naaman needed to submit to Elisha's instruction. “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’?”

Naaman was cleansed, though not in the way that he had imagined the miracle would happen. He was not only delivered from leprosy. He was changed spiritually. He knew that the God of Israel was the only God, and he was determined that he would only worship Him for the rest of his life.

Naaman wanted to bestow riches on Elisha. Here again, the prophet understood the moment. This was not a time for the Lord's servants to get rich by telling lies. It was a day for God's people to testify to the truth and to give without receiving.

It was also a day to record a testimony that would be further understood in a future generation. When Messiah came, He would add the final commentary to this amazing episode. This healing of a Syrian was a sign that God's powerful kingdom love would be rejected by the faithless in Israel but would be extended even beyond the borders of Israel to those who would believe and be cleansed.

Sadly, Gehazi, Elisha's servant, could not see the wisdom in declining Naaman's generosity. The result was that he received Naaman's disease.

How are we to know God? How are we to experience Him? Do we see that He calls us to hear and believe, and that He loves to work through the weak? The Lord knows that His servants cannot serve two masters. We cannot serve God and also look for evil gain. We must see what God's purpose is in Jesus Christ, and especially in His cross and resurrection. We must find our place in His unchanging eternal counsel.

When we do, we will begin to see that God gives His instructions to us through His authoritative Word revealed in community. We are to be with one another, together considering the times, and waiting for the voice of God in the Scriptures. The Lord knows how to lead us. He opposes the proud and the greedy, but He gives grace to the humble.