July 17, 2016 - Naaman the Leper

TONY & MICHELLE PAWLAK

MEMORY VERSE

O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. (Psalm 30:2)

Have you ever accidentally touched something hot and pulled back to avoid getting burned?  Maybe you’ve changed your shoes because the ones you wore were too tight.  Perhaps you touched something sharp and stopped because it hurt.  God gave us the ability to feel things so we can avoid getting hurt. What would happen if you couldn’t feel anything?  Maybe you’d stand too close to a fire and get burned.  Maybe you wouldn’t realize you stepped on a nail.  There are all sorts of ways you could get injured if your body doesn’t warn you of the danger.  This is one of the things that can happen if get a terrible disease called leprosy. 

Long ago, in a country called Aram, there was a great warrior, a Captain named Naaman.  He was highly respected and brought great victory to Aram.  There was only one problem…  he had Leprosy!  Naaman and his wife had a little servant girl

who had come from Israel and one day she told them that there was a prophet in Israel named Elisha than could heal Naaman.  Naaman immediately went to the king with this information and the king sent him to Israel.  He also sent money, clothes, and other gifts along with a letter asking the King of Israel to heal Naaman.

When Naaman arrived before the King of Israel with the gifts and the letter, the King was baffled.  He said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?” (II Kings 5:7b)  The King knew that he couldn’t heal anyone but thought if he didn’t, the king of Aram might try to start a war with Israel.  He didn’t know what to do.  He was so upset that he tore his clothes!

Elisha, the prophet, heard that the King had torn his

clothes.  He knew that the King could not heal Naaman, but he could!  So Elisha sent his servant to see the King with the message, “Why have you torn your clothes? Now let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” (II Kings 5:8b)

When Naaman, with all his men, arrived at Elisha’s house, Elisha didn’t even come out.  Instead he sent his servant, Gehazi, to tell Naaman to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River and he would be healed.  You would think

that this would make Naaman happy but instead he was furious!  “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.” Naaman said.  (II Kings 5:11)

So Naaman decided to ignore what Elisha had said and began to leave. However, one of Naaman’s servants said to him,”…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’!” (II Kings 5:13)  Naaman realized that leaving without being healed simply because it wasn’t in the way that he expected was rather foolish.  So, Naaman turned around and headed for the Jordan River.  He washed

once…nothing.  Twice…still nothing.  Three times, four times, five and then six times, Naaman still wasn’t healed.  Naaman washed one last time and when he came out of the water his leprosy had been completely healed!

Naaman was so happy that he went back to Elisha’s house and offered him all sorts of gifts to show how grateful he was.  Elisha turned them all down and wouldn’t accept anything!  So Naaman had one final request.  He no longer wanted to serve or worship any god but the one true God that Elisha served.  However, his King worshipped other gods and it was Naaman’s job to go with the King to do this.  Naaman asked Elisha to ask for God’s forgiveness for this.  “Go in peace.”  Elisha said.

Elisha’s servant Gehazi thought that they should have

accepted something from Naaman.  He decided to run after Naaman and see if he could get something from him.  He made up a lie and convinced Naaman to give him some clothes and two talents of silver.  This angered God so much that

He gave Gehazi the leprosy that He’s cured Naaman of!  It never pays to disobey God, especially just because you are greedy.