“‘If you will not”’ said Naaman, “‘please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD.”
~ 2 Kings 5:17
Hi James and Ellen,
Have you ever seen a guy or gal who has leprosy? Do you know what leprosy is? Leprosy is a skin disease. A name for leprosy is Hansen’s disease. Leprosy destroys nerves. Leprosy causes guys and gals to lose fingers and/or toes. Leprosy is symbolic of sin. Leprosy 2850 years ago was a very bad disease. If a guy or gal began to suffer with leprosy today, the leprosy with care can be controlled. Any guy or gal can be affected and afflicted by leprosy. It is extremely unlikely though that you will meet a guy or gal anywhere today who has leprosy. The land area of Aram was located just north of the land that God had given to His specially chosen guys and gals to always to have to live in as their very own land. Naaman was an Aramean army commander. When Naaman was a commander in Aram’s army, Ben-Hadad II was Aram’s king. Ben-Hadad II and his Aramean army – 853 years before Jesus was born, defeated Assyria’s army in the battle of Qarqar. The Kings Books historian in 2 Kings 5 gives God the credit as he recounts the victory that Ben-Hadad II and Naaman had over Assyria’s army. Ben-Hadad II had a lot of confidence in Naaman. Naaman was a valiant, brave soldier. Naaman though had leprosy. Ben-Hadad II was very concerned about his arm commander. Ben-Hadad II wanted to help Naaman. After a raid that Beh-Hadad II and his Aramean army made into the land that God had given to His specially chosen guys and gals to always to have to live in as their very own land, a young Israelite people group’s gal who was captured during this Aramean foray ended up in Naaman’s house as one of his wife’s servants. This young gal told Naaman’s wife that she knew about a prophet who was living in Samaria who she was certain would be able to cure Naaman of the leprosy that he had. When Naaman went to his king – Ben-Hadad II, to tell Ben-Hadad about the prophet who the Israelite people group’s gal knew who was living Samaria, Ben-Hadad II gave Naaman ten talents of silver, six thousands shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing to give to the prophet to cure him. Talents and shekels were probably not coins. Talents and shekels were the weight of silver and gold that was paid to another guy. Three thousand shekels equaled one talent.
Instead of going to Samaria to . . . Naaman went directly to Joram – the Israelite people group’s king at the time, with the talents, shekels and sets of clothing for Joram to heal him. Your grandpaa has no idea why Naaman when directly to Joram but . . . Ben-Hadad II had also given Naaman a letter to give to Joram asking Joram to heal Naaman. When Joram read the letter from Ben-Hadad II, Joram became so upset that he tore his clothes. Joram thought that Ben-Hadad II was trying to trick him into fighting the Aramean army – which he really did not want to do. When the prophet who was living in Samaria – Elisha, heard what had happened. Elisha sent a messenger to Joram to have Joram send Naaman to him because he knew that Naaman would be cured of his leprosy. When Elisha told Naaman to go to the Jordon River to wash himself seven times in the Jordon River for the leprosy to go away, this did not make Naaman happy. Naaman really did not want to wash himself in a dirty river seven times. After his servants insisted that he do exactly what Elisha had told him to do, Naaman went to the Jordan River and washed himself seven times in the river. The leprosy was completely gone from Naaman’s body when Namaan finished washing himself the seventh time – leaving his body like a young guy’s body. This made Naaman very happy. Naaman understood that Elisha’s God was Who had cured him of the leprosy that he had. When Elisha refused to accept from Naaman the silver talents, the gold shekels and the clothing for curing him, Naaman asked Elisha in verse 17, “‘If you will not”’ said Naaman, “‘please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD.” Naaman changed from worshipping a god called Rimmon to worshipping the God of Elisha – Who is the one true God. Naaman took with him dirt from the country where the one true God was worshipped to Aram – the country where he called home, because Naaman wanted to kneel on this dirt when he worshipped the one true God.
This happy story would end up with a sad twist to it. Gehazi was Elisha’s servant. Gehazi saw Elisha refuse to take any of the silver talents, gold shekels and sets of clothing. Gehazi fooled himself into thinking that he would not be seen if he caught up with Naaman to tell Naaman that Elisha had sent him to ask him for two talents of silver and two sets of clothing for a couple of young guys who had suddenly showed up at Elisha’s place. Naaman gladly gave Gehazi the silver and clothes that Gehazi said that Elisha had . . . Gehazi lied to Naaman as Gehazi really was asking Naaman for the silver and clothes for himself. When Gehazi got back to where Elisha was hanging out, Elisha asked Gehazi where he had gone. This time Gehazi lied to Elisha – telling Elisha that he had not gone anywhere. Elisha told Gehazi that he had seen in his spirit a guy get out of a chariot to talk with him and . . . Elisha then told Gehazi that the leprosy that Naaman once had now would make his body as white as snow and that his descendants would also be afflicted with leprosy. Do you think that the sin of one guy or gal can affect the lives of the guys, gals and kids who are in his and/or her family? Naaman is an example of obedience in action. God rewarded Naaman for obediently doing something that he really did not want to do. Gehazi is an example of disobedience in action. God rewarded Gehazi for disobediently doing something that he really was not to do. Do you want your lives be like Naaman’s cured life or Gehazi’s leprous life? Your grandmaa and grandpaa pray that you both will pull a Naaman.
2 Kings 5 (325)