Naaman

2nd Kings 5:1-13

INTRO: Good morning church. I will start this morning with 2nd Kings. In chapter five is one of the most popular stories in the Old Testament. Jesus specifically mentions this event in Luke 4:27 – “And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”[NKJV]

As you can see, our story is about Naaman and how he was cleansed from his leprosy.

I. Let's begin by reading at 2nd Kings 5:1- “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 he was a leper.” This is the first time we see Naaman mentioned in scripture so let’s see what we learn.

A. He is a Gentile commander of a Gentile army, the Syrians. We learn that he was considered by his king to be a very honorable man.

1. This next part, at first look, is surprising and some people have marveled that God in this text is accredited with the victory of Syria, but this is in full keeping with scripture. What you will discover as you read through the Old Testament is that God would use Gentile nations to punish the children of Israel when they were not following after God.  You will also find that God would use the Gentile nations to fulfill prophecy.
2. In Romans 13:1 we read – “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”  This tells us that God is in control.
3. He can use the righteous and He can use the unrighteous to bring about His providential care.

1. B. We also learn that Naaman is a leper. Even though he was a great commander and did many things to further his nation's cause, he was still a diseased man. In a similar way, all people on the face of this planet, no matter who they are, how honorable they may be, they are all stained with sin until they obey the Gospel.

II. Now 2nd Kings 5:2 – “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.”

A. One of the prisoners was this young girl who was made to serve Naaman's wife. Next we read in verses 3-4 – “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.''”

1. The unsung heroine of this whole narrative is this young girl who had been captured by the Syrians and made a slave to the house of Naaman. Instead of becoming bitter against her exploiters and harboring an undying hatred of them, she accepted her fate with meekness and exhibited friendship and compassion for Naaman and his wife.
2. She tells Naaman's wife of a way that he could be free from that awful disease of leprosy. It was this captive maiden who enlightened the great lord of the Syrian armies and through him the king of Syria, of the existence of a true prophet of God in Samaria, and of his ability to cure leprosy.

B. When we think about this young girl, it should remind us of how every Christian should be today. We should have the same type of compassion for all those who are still in their sins.

1. We should be willing to share the good news of Jesus with them so that they can know how they can be cured of that awful disease called sin.
2. Put yourself in the shoes of Naaman and imagine if you had a disease that was eating away at your flesh, wouldn't you try to do just about anything to find a cure? Of course you would.
3. When Naaman found out that Elisha could cure him, he immediately went to his king and told him what this young girl had said.
4. Imagine if our sins could be seen like leprosy. If we could physically see how ugly our sins are, I strongly suspect we would have a desire to find a cure. If we were already a Christian, we would work harder at keeping sin out of our lives.

III. The king receives Naaman’s report and responds in 2nd Kings 5:5-6 – “So 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.''”

A. The king had great respect for Naaman, especially for all the victories he had accomplished for their nation. He was willing to do whatever he could to help Naaman out.

1. He writes a letter to send to the king of Israel to make it official that he wants Naaman to be healed. And the king was willing to pay for this service, so Naaman was sent with silver, gold and ten sets of clothing.
2. We read next how the king of Israel receives this letter in 2nd Kings 5:7 – “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.''”
3. The king of Israel, knew he did not have the ability to heal Naaman because he was not God. I believe this confirms that what we are talking about here is indeed Hansen’s disease, leprosy, for the king of Israel rated the king of Syria's request for the healing Naaman as the equivalent of God's ability to "kill and to make alive".
4. Since there was no way for him to heal this disease, he assumes that it's just an excuse for the king of Syria to battle against him. He tears his clothes, thinking that this is a no win situation.

B. 2nd Kings 5:8 – “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.''”

1. We're not informed how Elisha finds out about the situation. But when he does, he sends word to the king to have Naaman come to him, so that it will be known that there is a prophet of God in Israel.

IV. Let’s continue reading about what happens when Naaman reaches Elisha in 2nd Kings 5:9-12 – “Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 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 (ah-ban-ah) and the Pharpar (far-par), 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.”

A. Again, imagine yourself in the shoes of Naaman. Here you are, a very important man who has the backing of an entire nation, and you arrive at Elisha's house expecting you would receive a special welcome. That didn't happen. Elisha didn't even come out of the house.

1. Instead, he sent his servant with a message to go dip seven times in the dirty Jordan River! Think about how this would make you feel. We know that it made Naaman furious.
2. Naaman tells us that in his mind, he thought Elisha would come out and meet him, call upon God, and then wave his hands, and then all of a sudden, Naaman’s leprosy would be healed.

B. Elisha didn't meet his expectations, that was not only disappointing but it made him angry, and he wasn't about to go dip seven times in the Jordan River, especially since he could do the same thing in the rivers of Damascus which were much cleaner than the Jordan. He went away in a rage.

1. In thinking about this I realize that Naaman represents a lot of people in the world today because there are many who have the same reaction to God's truth.
2. Elisha gave requirements that were necessary for Naaman to be healed. He had to go dip seven times, not six, and it had to be in the Jordan River. If Naaman obeyed God's instructions, he would be cured from his leprosy.
3. This is the pattern you will see throughout the Bible. God provides His grace, which we do not deserve, but He never just gives it to us. God always requires us to accept His gift of grace by obeying His commands.
4. For instance, Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord in Genesis 6:8, but in order to be saved, he had to build an ark, just like God told him. It wasn't until Noah finished the ark, and went into the Ark with his family, that God closed the door and saved them from the flood.
5. Joshua and the walls of Jericho are another great example. Joshua 6:2 – “And the Lord said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.” Joshua and his men didn't do anything to deserve or earn this gift from God, but it was God’s to give, and He gave it to them.

a. However, they had to accept this gift, and God tells them how starting at verse 3. “3. "You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4. "And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5. "Then it shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.''”
b. Even after the wall fell, they still had to go in and defeat the people of Jericho.

6. This is the pattern you will find repeatedly when it comes to God's gift of grace. Just as we have seen in our story with Naaman.

C. In the New Testament, we find that God has made the gift of His grace available to everyone. Ephesians 2:4-5 – “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”

1. None of us deserve God's grace. If people got what they deserve, Naaman would never have been offered the freedom from leprosy, and we would never have been offered the freedom from our sins.
2. Glory be to God that He loves us so much that He has offered you and me this wonderful gift of grace so that we can be healed from our sins that stain our souls.

V. But just like in the Old Testament examples, God doesn't give His gift of grace without us accepting it by obeying all His commands. This is why you will never find a verse that says we are saved by God's grace or faith alone. In fact, when you look at Ephesians 2:8 it says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith”. And as we know, the faith that is being spoken of here… is not merely believing.

A. All you have to do is look at James 2 and you'll see that we are not saved by faith alone because we must also have works. And these works are not works of merit, but works of obedience.
B. I want you to look at Ephesians 2:5 again and notice it says that we were dead in our trespasses. That means we were spiritually dead in our sins, but we were made alive together with Christ. It was only at the point of being made alive together with Christ that our sins were taken away.
C. When did this happen? At what point in the plan of salvation does this occur?

1. We can see this in Colossians 2:11f – “11. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12. buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,”
2. Do we see what Paul has just taught us? He tells us clearly that when people are baptized, they are being buried with Christ. It's by their faith in the workings of God that they can know when they are raised up out of the watery grave of baptism that they are made alive with Christ and their sins have been forgiven.

D. We know that the Bible also teaches us that we must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, John 3:16, that we must repent, Luke 13:3, and we must also confess Jesus as our Lord, Romans 10:9. These things are certainly necessary for our salvation, but our sins are not removed, and we're not made alive with Christ until we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.

1. Paul also makes this same statement in Romans 6:3f – “3. Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4. Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6. knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7. For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,”
2. A person would have to try really hard not to see the clarity of these passages. Again, baptism is the point that we are buried and united with Christ. At the point of baptism is when we put off our old sinful self and we die to our sins and we are raised no longer being a slave to sin.

E. Baptism is not an option. Just like dipping in the Jordan River seven times to be healed of his leprosy was not an option for Naaman.

1. That is why Peter says in 1st Peter 3:21 – “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism…” At the birth of the church, once again, Peter says in Acts 2:38 – “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins;”
2. That is why Ananias tells Paul in Acts 22:16 – “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

VI. The reason I'm stressing baptism in this lesson is because many in the religious world will try to tell you that baptism is not necessary and that your sins are forgiven before you're baptized. That is not what the word of God says.

A. Sadly many today have the same attitude that Naaman had. When Elisha's servant said that he needed to go dip seven times in the Jordan River, he became furious because he wanted things done as he thought they should be. He even wanted to substitute the rivers of Damascus for the Jordan.

1. This is exactly what many have done with the plan of salvation. They have substituted baptism with grace alone or faith alone. Others have added the sinner's prayer, which does not exist in the Bible. Still others claim christening as an infant is enough, or sprinkling or pouring. Anything other then what God actually commands in His word.
2. When you point out God's truth about baptism, people will get angry and they will not listen, and they will run off in a rage because they don't want to listen to and understand what the word of God says.
3. This is really sad because many of these people are good and honorable people, just like Naaman was. Until they are willing to obey all of God's commands regarding the plan of salvation, they are not going to have their sins forgiven because they're not being baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. Until they obey, their soul is going to remain stained.

B. One of Naaman's problems was that he thought that Elisha should come out to him and wave his hands over him. We can tell ourselves all day long that we think that God will accept this, or we think that He will accept that based on how we feel. I got news for you. God is not concerned about what we think or how we feel, because He is the one in control.

1. We must submit ourselves to His will and His way, or we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. It is that simple.
2. Does not Christ say in Matthew 7:21 - “Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

VII. Naaman learns. Let's look at 2nd Kings 5:13-14 – “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.”

A. How fortunate Naaman was to have a servant that was able to make him see the light. I would that all who are lost have someone to point out their error. Naaman now realized that if Elisha had told him to accomplish something great, then he would not have questioned it, but have simply done it. This makes him realize how foolish he was being not submitting to the command of God.
B. He went to the Jordan River and dipped himself. This is fully immersing himself seven times. It wasn't until the 7th time that his flesh was restored. Not only was it restored, his flesh was like that of a young child. No evidence of the disease, no missing flesh, now he is completely whole. There was nothing magical about the Jordan River. It was simply the place that God designated for this miracle to take place.

1. This same principle is true today because God has designated water baptism as the point that we receive the forgiveness of our sins. Again, there's nothing magical about the water. It's just the place that God cleanses us of our sins.
2. People are a funny lot. They are willing to do all sorts of things, believe all sorts of things, yet are unwilling to just do what God commands. His commands are not difficult, but following them is absolutely necessary for our salvation.

VIII. Naaman returns in 2nd Kings 5:15-19 – “15. Then 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.'' 16. 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. 17. 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. 18. "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.'' 19. Then he said to him, "Go in peace.'' So he departed from him a short distance.”

A. Naaman knows the only reason he was been healed from leprosy is because he followed the instructions of Elisha and because God is the only God. He makes this commitment that he will only serve God Almighty. Yet, he still holds the ancient idea of gods being identified with a certain land. Much as he honored God, he did not at that time understand that God Almighty is God of ALL lands. Remember Jonah learned that he could not get away from God's presence merely by going to a different country, but the common superstition of that time is evident in this request.
B. He tries to offer Elisha a gift for what has been done but Elisha would not take it because the gift that Naaman received came from God. This shows us that God's gift cannot be purchased. That is why we cannot earn or merit our salvation. We can only accept it by obeying all of God's commands.

IX. Let's finish up this chapter. 2nd Kings 5:20f – “20. But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.'' 21. So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, "Is all well?'' 22. And he said, "All is well. My master has sent me, saying, `Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.' '' 23. So Naaman said, "Please, take two talents.'' And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him."

A. Now Gehazi returns to Elisha in "24. When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed. 25. Now he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, "Where did you go, Gehazi?'' And he said, "Your servant did not go anywhere.'' 26. Then he said to him, "Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? 27. "Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.'' And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.”

1. Great example of how one lie will lead to another. First, Gehazi lies to Naaman, and then he lies to Elisha. Gehazi's greed and his lies end up with him receiving the leprosy of Naaman.
2. This story should serve as a strong warning against those who try to make a profit from people who are willing to help in God's cause. Those false evangelists on TV who deceive people and tell them that if they send in money, that God will give them back tenfold or 100 fold or whatever, and then they take that money and line their pockets. I can tell you their punishment is going to be far worse than that of Gehazi, because they will receive eternal judgment when Jesus comes again.

CONCLUSION:
Gehazi’s sin is such a contrast to Naaman’s healing. Naaman’s healing caused him to serve the Lord alone. He even admitted that he has to bow with his master before the god Rimmon. Naaman hides nothing! He bears his heart and soul before Elisha and God, but Gehazi hid his actions before Elisha and the Lord. What did hiding his sin accomplish?

Sin: Hiding Is Pointless. Christians, hiding our sin before God is pointless. Numbers 32:23 says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” One day our sin will be completely uncovered and our secrets and the content of our character will be exposed. We think that admitting our sin will cause us pain now, but Naaman only found God’s grace when he humbled himself. Gehazi’s prideful lies and secrets only resulted in God’s wrath and unthinkable consequences.

Sin: Consequences Are Terrible. How valuable were Gehazi’s treasures once Naaman’s leprosy was on his body? How enjoyable and valuable are our sins in the place of eternal punishment? Sin only has a spark of fleeting pleasure. We think we can hold onto pleasure, but the only thing we hold on to are sin’s damning consequences. Leprosy was pronounced not only on Gehazi, but on his descendants as well. Imagine what Gehazi’s reaction would be if we asked him if the treasures were worth it. Was the silver worth the leprosy? Are our sins worth eternal shame and torment in Hell?

As Psalm 32:1-11 says, “1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. 2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile. 3. When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. 4. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah 5. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,'' and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6. For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him. 7. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you. 10. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. 11. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”

Yes, we live in a fast paced world where it seems like we don't have enough time, but I want each of us to be encouraged to find time out of each day to sit down and to study God's word. Life is great, and there's nothing wrong with being busy, but we must be careful that we don't get to the point where we get so busy that we fail to take time to feed ourselves spiritually from God's Word.

We must remember that God is to be our number one priority.
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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins… If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

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Based on Sermon by: Cougan Collins