“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.”
Naaman the Syrian was a great man and had a lot of influence with the King of his country. In fact, he was probably number two man in the kingdom, particularly because of his abilities in battle. He was a commander of the army of the King of Arman. He had a position of responsibility.
Now I realize that some people have a position of responsibility but aren't capable of handling it. Some people are born kings and have no ability. Naman had to earn his way to be respected in his field. He had success and victory by discipline, training, and wisdom. He gained the respect of his soldiers, and he was a great man in the sight of his master.
A self-made man concentrates on his accomplishments. A self-made man has rewards, bank accounts, and businesses that speak of his achievements in the eyes of the world. I can't help but think of the foolish statements that Ted Turner made as a self-made man. Speaking to a group of broadcasters he bragged," Delegates to the United Nations are not as important as the people in this room. We're the ones that determine what the peoples' attitudes are. It's in our hands."
Although he is powerful in the media world, he told one religious group he is looking forward to going to hell because that is where he is headed. He has repeatedly called Christianity a religion for losers. A self-made man often sees little beyond their immediate accomplishments.
There is a phrase in the verse however, we do not want to overlook. “Because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram.” In other words, it was not Naaman that was responsible for the strong army, it was the Lord. I would normally think that when Aram fought against Israel the Lord should have been with Israel instead of Aram, but that was not the way the Lord was working. Many prophecies of the Bible remind us pagan nations, often more sinful and godless, were used of God to teach his people lessons and bring others to a point of repentance.
One successful Christian businessman has a picture in his office of a turtle on a fence post. He reminds himself; he did not get there on his own. Someone put him up there.
God used Naaman to bear witness for His glory. Syria gave Naaman birth, fed him, educated him, amused him, honored him, played for him, entertained him, filled his life with riches but there was one thing that with all his power they could not do - they nor he could heal himself of the disease of leprosy. He was ostracized by all people, for he was considered unclean and infectious. Greatness in our achievements, soon fades away.
Application: Be aware - Sin is like that in our lives. It is a plague from which, regardless of position, we cannot cleanse ourselves. We are doomed to destruction.
Prayer: Lord, protect me from any wrong attitudes of my accomplishments and from buying into the worldly views of the media sources I encounter
