1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
11 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. 12 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.
13 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’!
14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
Like so many others in the Bible Naaman recognized that God is the giver of good health and healing. It was through this most unusual experience that he also found the Lord Jehovah to be the one true God. This story and testimony is of a man of great position and honor. Namaan had great respect for those in positions of leadership, but for him his healing was only possible through humility. Namaan had to go to a foreign land and a foreign prophet. But he never even got a chance to see him. Instead, Elijah’s servant came out to instruct him to dip seven times in the muddy waters of the Jordan.
By this act of humility and obedience, the Lord answered the prayers of his heart and healed Namaan of his leprosy and restored him to health. He stood humbly before Elisha and acknowledged “Now I know at last there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift...”
Elisha did not accept the gifts. He was not in it for the money. He was not to receive gifts for services that the Lord did. But for Naaman out of thanksgiving, it was important for him to give and to acknowledge the benefactor of his good fortune.
This is a day to think and thank the Lord of heaven and earth for not only for all you have received but gave Jesus to die in your place for your sin.
What might be different ways you can express your thanksgiving to God?
Dale
