Elisha - Part 5

Intro

We continue our study in the life of Elisha…

1.) Naaman Needed God

2 Kings 5:1–3 (KJV 1900)

1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

Seems to be concentrated to one spot from vs. 11

Never underestimate the power of a “small witness” - her witness went from a slave girl to a king

Though I doubt Naaman verbally admitted “I need God”… It did not change the fact that He needed God…

He may have not KNOWN he needed God… But it did not change the fact that He needed God…

He may have not WANTED God… But it did not change the fact that He needed God…

Naaman had an incurable disease that no one but God could deliver him from…

Naaman was a general of the Syrian army… He was respected… he was shown honour… he was obeyed… He was of high prestige…

Yet what lay below that prestige, honour, fame and respect in a uniform was a diseased body…

People all around us in the world today may know admit they need God… they may not know they need God… they may not believe they need God… It doesn’t change the fact THEY NEED GOD…

2.) Naaman Sought God

2 Kings 5:4–10 (KJV 1900)

4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. 5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. 7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. 8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

Did Naaman have full faith in God when he came to Elisha?

No idea…

But one thing is for sure… what he received from God was not what he expected…

He came to the man of God expecting one thing but got something completely different…

Many people who seek after God are expecting something much different than what God gives sometimes…

They’re looking for a feeling… an experience… or a grand ceremony from the angels of God because God should be so lucky to get them…

However… Naaman got a servant with some instructions to dip in a dirty river…

It wasn’t what he expected… it wasn’t what he wanted… It wasn’t what he believed he deserved…

When we come to God… we get spiritually healed of our sin when we come to Him His way following His instructions…

Leave your preconceived notions behind of what you THINK the “experience” of coming to God should be like and submit to His way…

3.) Naaman Resisted God

2 Kings 5:11–12 (KJV 1900)

11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

Since the “experience” wasn’t what he expected… Naaman walked away in anger.

His pride literally stood between his being healed of a miserable life-ending death and going through the miserable, life-ending death…

It’s almost as if he forgot:

He would be separated from his friends and family

He would be disassociated with society

He would be ignored and avoided at all costs

He would eventually die a painful and miserable death all alone…

Leprosy in the Bible is often a picture of sin…

We have sin… God has made a solution for that sin… yet our pride causes so many to walk away from God’s way because they desire their way instead…

4.) Naaman Trusted God

2 Kings 5:13–15 (KJV 1900)

13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.

Regardless of his great or little faith… the fact Naaman went to the river and dipped 7 times as the prophet instructed is what caused him to be healed…

You don’t come to God your way… You come to God HIS way…

5.) Naaman Served God

2 Kings 5:15–19 (KJV 1900)

15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. 16 But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. 17 And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord. 18 In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. 19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

God intends for us to serve Him once he cleanses us from our sin…

1 John 1:9 (KJV 1900)

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God wants fruit-bearing Christians…