Start Time:	03:11PM
End Time:	03:39PM
Date:	July 01, 2014

 

TITLE: Naaman Healed of Leprosy

Scripture: 2 Kings 5:1 – 27

God’s Message / God’s Commands / God’s Promises:

→ Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “By 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^[b] of silver, six thousand shekels^[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. The 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.”

NOTES:

Ø  God never fail to look after His children!  A young girl from Israel was captured by the Arameans and the Lord had allowed this to happen for a purpose.  Among all the Arameans, this girl was set to serve Naaman’s wife.  According to the passage, God has given victory to Aram through Naaman.  In reality, Naaman knew about God at this time but was not a full convert yet.  He served his master, the king of Aram and most likely is also serving their own god.  However he led the Arameans to victory despite of his leprosy.  Amazing, right?  I mean, a man with an illness such as leprosy, was able to lead his people to victory.  This shows God’s mercy and favor extended to the life of Naaman because of the girl who was captured and was set to serve Naaman’s wife.  Because of this situation, the girl was able to inform her mistress about the prophet, Elisha, who could cure Naaman of his leprosy, which then led to Naaman’s journey to Samaria to meet the prophet and walk in the process of his conversion to God.  Truly God knows everything and has set all things according to His purpose and plan!  Amen!

→ As 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!” 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.”  So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.  Elisha 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.”  But 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. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. 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, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!”  So 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.

NOTES:

Ø  God works in ways we cannot comprehend but when we obey, we get more than what we thought or imagine we would!  God wants our obedience for Him to do a miracle in our lives!  Hallelujah!  Naaman knew about the Lord but did not believe at first.  He had some expectations about his meeting with the prophet, Elisha, and when his expectations were not met, man’s natural reaction is to get angry and rebel.  He travelled all the way to Samaria but when Elisha didn’t meet him and just gave him instructions on what to do, he got angry and decided to go back home without receiving his healing.  Know that God requires our obedience to perform a miracle in us!  Only when Naaman obeyed the simple command of the Lord, was he able to receive his healing.  Leprosy is a skin disease and it symbolizes dirt or trash so it needs cleaning!  Most of the time, God only requires us to do the simplest things to see His hands working in wonders in our lives but again, He requires our obedience even if we can’t seem to understand the logic behind.  Because God works in faith not in logic.

→ 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. So please accept a gift from your servant.” The 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.  “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earthas a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 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 have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.”  “Go in peace,” Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance,  Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”  So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.  “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent^[d] of silver and two sets of clothing.’”  “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi.  When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.  When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” “Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.  But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.

NOTES:

Ø  God’s miracles/works in our lives result to the strengthening of our faith and the conversion of others to Him!  Know that everything God does in our lives is for His glory!  The purpose is for Him to be known thru us and for others to see His majesty and believe in Him too.  Our lives are instruments and it is all for the glory of the Lord.  So when God works, it cannot be paid for or bought or exchange for.  His work is priceless and nothing can do it the He does so if we try to sell it or exchange it for, we are ruining the integrity and purity of His work, just like what Gehazi did and so whatever God removed from Naaman, it fell to Gehazi because of how he belittles God’s work. 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, glory to Your Name and amazing praise to You alone.  Lord thank You because Your mercy, grace and love extends to the people around us.  And You always look after us even if we are in enemy’s camp.  You make sure that we are brought to the right people, in the right time and at the right place to fulfill Your purpose and plan.  Thank You Jesus because You do not only wants to be known to everyone, but You want them to believe in You.  And so You find a way to reach out to them.  Lord, help me become an instrument for this purpose and in times when I cannot understand Your work, give me the heart to have faith in You and obey.  Help me to see things in Your perspective and even if I cannot, give me the patience to wait until it’s the right time for You to tell me.  And even if that time will not come, help me to obey You completely not just like others who blindly obey but I will obey with all my heart because I know and I believe.  Let my life be a useful field where You can do Your miracles to not only strengthen my faith but also lead others to believe and know You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!