2 Kings 5:1-19
If you haven‘t love in your heart, you should throw your hope to the four winds, and go and get a better one.
CD. L. Moody
Naaman Was Not Exempt from Life‘s Calamities: vv. 1-12
1. He was a great leader . v. 1
Now Naaman was. . .a great man.
2. He had a terminal illness. v. 1
. . .he was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
3. He lived outside the blessings of Israel. vv. 2-3
Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3She said to her mistress, >If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’
4. He tried to save himself. vv. 4-7
Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5By all means, go,’ the king of Aram replied. I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.’
7As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, >Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!’
5. He illustrated the parallel between sin and leprosy. vv. 8-12
When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.’ 9So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.
10Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.’
11But Naaman went away angry and said, >I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?’ So he turned and went off in a rage.
When Naaman Obeyed God, Something Wonderful Happened: vv. 13-19
1. Disobedience is a statement of unbelief . vv. 11-12
2. He was healed through obedient faith. vv. 13-14
Naaman’s servants went to him and said, >My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, AWash and be cleansed!’ 14So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
3. Every crisis in life is a challenge to our faith. vv. 15-19
Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant.’
16The prophet answered, As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.’ And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
17If 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. 18 But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.’
19Go in peace,’ Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance,
