Naaman's Leprosy

Naaman’s Healing

#Foundation

Introduction

We are in week 5 of our series “By His Stripes”. We are going to continue build a foundation through the Word of God.

Our journey continues in the Old Testament to a man name Naaman. He was the commander of the army of the king of Syria. He was a man of great status, respected and honored by his king and his people.

However, despite his many successes, Naaman was struck with leprosy—a condition that not only affected his body but also made him ritually unclean, isolating him from society.

Leprosy, in those times, was more than just a physical ailment. It symbolized uncleanness and separation. For a man of Naaman’s stature, this disease was a curse that stripped him of his dignity. Despite his power and wealth, he was utterly helpless in the face of this disease.

His desperation was so great that when a young Israelite girl, a servant in his household, suggested that he visit a prophet in Israel for healing.

Tension

The real challenge he faced wasn’t just physical, but spiritual: Would he humble himself, set aside his pride, and trust in the unlikely path God provided through a simple servant’s message?

Let’s find out together..

2 Kings 5:1–19 NKJV

Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.” Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.” So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord. Yet in this thing may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord please pardon your servant in this thing.” Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.

Main Points:

Main Point #1:The Unexpected Messenger

2 Kings 5:3 NKJV

Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.”

1 Corinthians 1:27 NKJV

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

It not about the messenger, but the message.

Fill-In the Blank

Fill-In The Blank: God uses unexpected paths and people to fulfill His purpose.

Transition:

Main Point #2: The Unexpected Method

2 Kings 5:10–11 NKJV

And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’

Pride puts up walls; humility opens doors.

John 9:6–7 KJV 1900

When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Naaman’s healing came through an ordinary action—dipping in water—but with extraordinary results.

Its not the method that matters, its the results.

Fill-In the Blank

Fill-In The Blank: God’s methods may be unexpected, but they are powerful.

Transition:

Main Point #3: The Unexpected Results

2 Kings 5:14 NKJV

So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Ephesians 3:20 NKJV

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Fill-In the Blank

Fill-In The Blank: God’s healing power often bring unexpected results.

Transition:

Main Point #4: The Unexpected Transformation

2 Kings 5:15 NKJV

And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”

Acts 9:18 NKJV

Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

Naaman acknowledged that there was no God in all the earth except in Israel.

Fill-In the Blank

Fill-In The Blank: God’s healing transforms both the body and the soul.

Conclusion:

Prayer

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