Mistakes, Missteps and Miscalculations

Intro:

Today we are going to be in 2 Kings 5. This section of the bible is what we could consider a historical record of the nation of Israel. They wanted a king like the other nations. God gave them Saul and then David.

1 Kings begins with at the very end of King Davids life, in fact the first verse states

1 Kings 1:1 (NIV)

When King David was very old...

After his death his son Solomon would take the throne. Just before his death David said to his son

1 Kings 2:1–4 NIV

When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’

Solomon started out strong, he asks for wisdom and God grants him great wisdom and along with it wealth and favor. He would build a temple for the Lord in Jerusalem, a great palace, he brought the Ark of the covenant into the temple.

When dedicating this temple he stated

1 Kings 8:23–24 NIV

and said: “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.

He was with out a doubt the most prolific builder and competent leader Israel would ever know.

1 Kings 10:27 NIV

The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.

However Solomon would make some bade decisions later in his life and when he died the kingdom of Israel would spiral and eventually split into a Northern and Southern Kingdom. The rest of 1 & 2 Kings tells the stories of the kings of the North and the South. In the final chapter of 2 Kings Babylon is invading Jerusalem.

So in 2 Kings 5 the author is primarily dealing with Israel through the preaching and miracles of the prophet Elisha. This is one small account of Elisha’s ministry and even though I just gave you all this history about Isreal this story deals with a man from Aram (modern day Syria)

Read 1 Kings 5:1-15

Body:

Naaman is described as military man. A commander of the Syrian army.

He has favor withe his master and interestingly the author attributes his successes to the Lord.

He has a lot going for him except he has leprosy.

He has acquired a servant girl. Most likely after a raid on some Israelite city.

This girl is concerned about Naaman’s health and suggests he go to see the prophet in Israel, Elisha.

Notice...

1, 2 Kings (5) Elisha Heals Naaman (5:1–27)

She is an Israelite, he is an Aramean; she is a “little maiden” (naʿărâ qětannâ), he a “great man” (ʾîš gādôl); she is a captive servant, he a commander; he has fame in the king’s estimation, … she has none, for she simply “waited upon” … Naaman’s wife (cf. Deut 1:38; 1 Sam 19:7).

Still, she shares the knowledge that her master needs most. Power and glory cannot save Naaman, but this information can.

She’s made of different stuff.

Naaman was no doubt anxious to be rid of this incurable infirmity. However Naaman made some mistakes before he got it right.

1. The first thing Naaman did wrong was to load himself down with gifts thinking it would gain him some kind of favor.

10 talents of silver=$264,000

6000 shekels of gold=$964,000

$1.2 million

10 outfits from Ralph Lauren

His mindset is more than just a fair trade, or payment. He trying to buy the prophet.

This never goes well… when Simon the Sorcerer tried to buy the HS from Peter...

Acts 8:20 NIV

Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

Giving to the Lord is important but not because it gains us any amount of favor. It’s an act of obedient generosity that comes from a life that has been transformed by the grace of God. This is not just a NT principle.

Micah 6:6–8 NIV

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

But it gets worse...

2. The second thing Naaman did wrong was to trust in the government to fix his problems.

Now some may say he was just going through the proper channels and maybe there is some truth there but the response of the King of Israel tells us that the expectation was primarily placed on him.

I believe that God uses governments and institutions but they were never intended to become a substitute.

They cannot do the things that God can do yet often we expect them too.

This is why the Psalmist wrote

Psalm 20:7 NIV

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Naaman hits the trifecta

3. The third thing Naaman did wrong was to believe that he knew better than Elijah.

Elisha calls him to come to his house but he doesn’t come to the door he sends a servant out instead. I probably would have been irritated at this too.

Then he is told to go and dip 7 times in the Jordan River.

His response

2 Kings 5:11–12 NIV

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.

He has come with gifts and an entourage. He wants personal attention. He wants some raz-a-mataz. And the rivers back home, way better than the dirty old Jordan that was 20 miles out of his way.

My guess is Elisha saw the parade and with humility sent his servant out with these instructions. Instructions he no doubt received from God.

Namaan’s servant is the voice of reason (the same girl?)

2 Kings 5:13 NIV

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’!”

Remember 7 is an important number, the number of completion, the number of perfection. Upon his 7th dip in the Jordan Naaman is healed. His skin is described as that of a young boy.

Application & Implication

The obvious application, don’t make the same mistakes Naaman made. Trusting in things and institutions to fix your problems.

But the 3rd mistake that’s the one that may be the hardest for us to not repeat.

Let’s look at our own situation, we have sickness and that sickness is fatal.

Ephesians 2:1 NIV

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

However

Ephesians 2:4–5 NIV

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

However we have a responsibility in our salvation. This is our go and dip 7 times. God healed Naaman, not the dipping in the Jordan. Naaman had to be obedient in the midst of his “salvation”.

So here we go...

Confess

Romans 10:9–11 NIV

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

b. Repent

Mark 1:14–15 NIV

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

and then when he sent out his disciples

Mark 6:12 NIV

They went out and preached that people should repent.

and Paul taught

2 Corinthians 7:10–11 NIV

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

c. Baptism

This is what is required

Excuses like Naaham

Not sprinkled or poured, but dipped.

Matthew 28:18–20 NIV

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Followers of Jesus are baptized

Acts 2:41 NIV

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Acts 8:12 (NIV)

But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 8:36–38 NIV

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

Acts 9:18 NIV

Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,

Why does it matter?

Galatians 3:27 NIV

for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

If you had been asked to do some great thing, would you do it?

Naaman made a pretty bold statement at the end. The God of Israel is the only god.

In fact listen to this. Naaman has tried to get Elisha to accept a gift and he still won’t

2 Kings 5:17–19 NIV

“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. 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,

As a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ and as your pastor I implore you, CONFESS, REPENT, BE BAPTIZED and then Go in peace.