Elisha and Naaman

GOLDEN TEXT: “He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” —Psalm 33:5

II KINGS 5:1-15

ONE of the important aspects of today’s lesson is the emphasis it places on the fact that God’s blessings are not limited to any one nation or race. It is true, of course, that throughout the Jewish age God was dealing with the natural descendants of Abraham in a special manner. He had given them his Law. He sent his prophets to them. And in other respects they were his exclusive people.

This did not mean, however, that God did not love the other peoples of earth. Indeed, he had promised Abraham that through his seed “all families of the earth” would be blessed. (Gen. 12:3; 22:18) While, in the outworking of the divine plan, the time had not come for the fulfillment of this promise on a world-wide scale, the great principle of love which prompted it was operative and, when suitable opportunity offered, God showed his willingness to bestow his blessings upon others than those of the nation of Israel.

We have an example of this in the case of “Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria.” (vs. 1) This man was highly honored by his king because under his leadership of the army Syria had been delivered from her enemies. But there seemed no special reason why the Lord should bless him. Indeed, the opposite seems to be true. “Companies” of the Syrian army, which was under the leadership of Naaman, had raided Israel and brought back captives to serve as slaves. This might well have merited severe punishment from the Lord.

Among these captives was “a little maid” who had been assigned as a servant to Naaman’s wife. Naaman, although a mighty man of valor, was a leper. In that ancient time leprosy was considered incurable. Naaman was apparently aware of this, and making the best of life as long as it lasted. But the “little maid” from Israel knew of a prophet of God in Israel who could by the power of God, perform miracles, which meant that he could cure the “incurable.”

This “little maid” had sufficient reason to be resentful of what had happened to her under the leadership of Naaman. If she was, her great faith, and her desire to witness to the greatness of the God of Israel, overcame selfish considerations; so she reported to her mistress, Naaman’s wife, that there was a man of God in Israel who could heal her husband.

This information was relayed to Naaman and to the king, who sent Naaman to the king of Israel, laden with silver and gold and apparel as a reward for the great favor that was expected. Apparently both Naaman and his king had faith in what the “little maid” had reported.

The heathen king of Syria, and the captain of his army, seemed to have more faith than did the king of Israel to whom Naaman was first sent. Beginning with Jeroboam, the first king of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, none of the kings over this segment of the nation of Israel had much faith in the God of Israel. Jehoram was king of Israel at the time. The message to him from the king of Syria was, “I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.” Jehoram’s reaction to this was, “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”—vss. 6,7

Jehoram must have known of Elisha, but instead of sending Naaman to him, rent his clothes in anguish, supposing that the king of Syria was plotting against him. But Elisha heard of the incident and sent for Naaman. He saw in this a wonderful opportunity to glorify the God of Israel. When Naaman arrived, Elisha did not so much as go out to meet him, but simply sent his servant to tell this mighty man of valor to go and take seven baths in the Jordan river, adding, “Thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.”—vss. 8-10

With this reception and these instructions, “Naaman was wroth,” the record states, He thought much more attention should have been given him. He started to return home, but his servants persuaded him at least to try what Elisha had asked him to do. He was willing to “swallow his pride” if he could get rid of his leprosy, so he complied and bathed in the Jordan. His leprosy was cured.

It was only natural that Naaman should want to reward Elisha. But Elisha took the proper stand by refusing a reward. It was not possible then, nor is it possible today, to buy the grace of God. Leprosy is used in the Bible as a symbol of sin, which leads to death. Only by the blood of Christ is it possible to be cured of the leprosy of sin, and this is through God’s free grace. In God’s due time, all will be given the opportunity thus to be healed, and to live.

QUESTIONS

What is one of the important facts to be learned from this lesson?

What virtues were possessed by the “little maid” of the lesson?

Who was the king of Israel at this time, and why did he rend his clothes?

How and when is the leprosy of sin, leading to death, to be cured?

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