Herald Of Faith, Inc.   www.heraldoffaith.com
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3 Elisha: Naaman

I guess you would be suspicious too. A heathen king sends his top military man with some gifts and a letter asking you to cure him of his leprosy. So here comes Naaman with a huge entourage, expecting a miracle because of what a little Israeli servant girl had said. He’s got ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing to offer as a reward. Imagine what kind of resources the word of that little slave girl was able to move. A gazillion dollars plus a credit card at Nordstrom’s. You can have it all. Just get rid of my leprosy.

Leprosy was a generic word for skin diseases, kind of like Kleenex is for facial tissue. I suppose Naaman’s disease was more serious that a case of zits, but given the soldier’s continuing authority, it probably wasn’t the full blown leprosy as we know it, where your fingers fall off and all that, though it might have been. Maybe shingles: the pain and constant irritation can drive you out of your mind. Here I am, King, and my king authorizes you to cure me of leprosy.

How would you react if you were the king of Israel? “Look, I’m just a working king in a small nation, not the cure for cancer. Don’t you think I have enough problems with the fawning sycophants flattering me all over the place, and then undermining my authority behind my back? Isn’t it enough to keep the court counselors out of each other’s hair? And then there’s the mooches, who all come with their sad stories. Besides all that I have to keep the military subject to my authority. And now you want me to cure leprosy! I’m a king, not a doctor!”

“But I’ve got leprosy. I’m a valiant soldier, responsible for my country’s independence. I’m a big man in Aram. Everybody knows me. But my skin is eating me alive, and I’m going crazy from this itching and pain. Everything was good in my life, but…”

But. We all face it, don’t we? But...I’ve got a problem, and it’s beyond my ability to deal with. I’m a high control person, but I can’t control this. Everything in my life is terrific, but... Now I’ve heard that you can help me.

“Look Naaman. We’ve got lepers up to our kazoo here in Israel, and I haven’t found a solution. Nobody, not one, has ever been healed. Not by medicine and not by magic. And we’re Israelites. So why should there be special treatment for a heathen like you? That’s simple logic. This isn’t Camelot; we can’t pass a law stating that July and August cannot be too hot. These matters lie with God; you know that. Maybe you’re looking for an excuse to pick a fight, eh? Go away. Just let me be king in my own country.”

Elisha the prophet had people who informed him of the palace activities, and sent word to the king. “Maybe I can help. Send the guy over here, because God wants him to know there is a prophet in Israel.” That’s what the little girl had said: there is a prophet in Israel who can help. So they give instructions. “Go down this road, turn left at the alfalfa field, and head up the hill. First turn to the right, and head off about a hundred cubits, and there on the right you’ll find Elisha’s house. There’s no dog; he doesn’t need one.” And so Elisha the prophet relieves the king of a problem.

The horses and chariots from Damascus head off to meet the man who was known as the horses and chariots of Israel. They stop at Elisha’s house, and as the servants are helping Naaman down from his chariot, a messenger runs out with Elisha’s instructions: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be cleansed.”

“You mean he’s not coming out to see me himself? I’m a big guy, and I get special treatment. I say to this solder come, and he comes. And to this one go, and he goes. And the rewards I have make the Sweepstakes look small. This treatment embarrasses me; it won’t play well at all on the five o’clock news. Imagine, he tells me to go take a bath! he’s no better than my mother. And in the Jordan river besides! Pooh! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus much better?”

“I thought he would do this wonderful ceremony. Stand and wave his hand over me, and call on his god. He isn’t following my script. I’m taking my gifts and going home. Hmmf!”

Burocratic types have a certain advantage. They have counselors they have learned to listen to. Naaman’s servants had more faith than he had--remember the whole thing started with a slave girl’s story of the prophet in Israel. “Suppose,” they asked, “he had asked you to do something hard, like build a temple for God, for example. You would have responded to that challenge, wouldn’t you? But this is simple; just go wash seven times in the Jordan. It’s not difficult at all.”

“That’s what’s so hard about it! It’s too simple, and it’s unsuited to my dignity. I want to look good, and bring attention to myself. This doesn’t do anything for me. Oh well, we’ve come a long way and I suppose I can’t get any worse from it. Let’s go.”

Talk about an unbelieving act of faith! If you were God, would you have healed him? It’s not what I expected, but it’s what God commanded. It’s harder for me to humble myself than it is to give a million dollars. But here goes. I hope the water isn’t too cold.

Well, I was tempted to use a sermon title I read many years ago today: Seven Ducks in a River. Naaman didn’t understand the logic, but he was obedient, dipping himself seven times in the Jordan. Down he went the first time. Nothing, at least he couldn’t see any change. Twice. The Bible doesn’t tell us if he was instantly healed the seventh time, or if the healing took place gradually through the seven washings. We can’t always see the results while we are going through the process God has for us, but we can always hope in God’s word. Three times. Four. Five. Does somebody up there have a towel? This water is very wet. Six times. And finally seven. Look at Naaman. No zits. All his fingers are in place. No rashes. No pain, but his nerve endings are completely restored. And look at his skin. He’s a pre-adolescent!

What’s with this water in the Jordan? It’s medicine for Naaman. It’s conversion, baptism. Naaman comes out believing in Israel’s God. It’s washing, cleansing him from leprosy and all that the word stands for. The washing of the water of the word of God.

Both of those aspects hold truth for us. Baptism is a one time, sudden experience. (If you want to be baptized, we promise not to dunk you seven times; once is quite enough.) Our redemption is accomplished once and for all through Calvary. God makes covenant with us, and He keeps his promise of salvation.

But there is also the continuing washing that comes through the constant bathing in the word of God. The washing of the water of God’s word. Day by day, week by week, we immerse ourselves in the scriptures, obeying their injunctions. And so we are cleansed of the “buts” in our lives. The leprosy, the sin that so easily gets into our craw.

Peter said when Jesus washed his feet that he should wash his whole body too. Jesus responded that he was clean, but the dust of the road was on his feet. We need that constant reminder--wash away the contamination that comes by just living in this world, just by turning on the TV, just by overhearing things at work and all that.

“Are you washed,” the old song asks, “in the blood? In the soul-cleansing blood of the lamb? Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb?”

Naaman washed himself in the river Jordan, and came up clean from his leprosy, but more importantly, he came up believing in the God of Israel.

Not all lepers are quick to give thanks when they are healed, we know from Jesus’ own experience. But Naaman was. This time Elisha talked to him when he came. He had humbled himself.

Naaman made a confession of faith. “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant.”

It’s an interesting phrase. No God in all the world except in Israel. Naaman hasn’t leaped to full maturity in an afternoon, but he does realize that the religious system in Damascus, Rimmon worship, isn’t true. Rimmon was a storm god--the name means thunder, and it might indicate something about the climate in the region. But Naaman realizes Rimmon is not a god who helps; he only threatens. Now he has found a God who helps.

But he says this God is only in Israel. He limits His presence, which we see when he takes soil from Israel with him back to Damascus to make an altar back home. The thinking was that the gods were regional, not universal. They thought in terms of gods of the mountains and gods of the valleys. That’s why God is often defined in the Bible as the one who created the heavens and the earth and sea and all that is in them. He isn’t limited to one place.

Anyhow, Naaman still had an immature concept of God, and Elisha understood this. When Naaman asked for permission to accompany the king into the temple of Rimmon, it was granted. 

There’s a challenge there too, isn’t there? I’m not sure I would have gone along with it. Of course Naaman returned to Damascus, the capitol of Aram, extolling the God of Israel, but you can’t escape wondering if he was bought off with the healing. Naaman wasn’t sure his personal miracle could persuade the king of Aram to become a believer. I suppose he hoped so, but he also realized that if the king made an open conversion, he would have a major revolution on his hands. It would create huge social unrest. And so he was ready to go along with the king’s wishes. He realized the futility of Rimmon worship--he said there was no god but the God of Israel. But he had a job to do. Maybe it could be a way to keep the avenues of communication open.

It’s important when we are with people of other religions that we don’t shut the door to dialogue. If we see the religions of the world as demonic things, straight from the pit of Hell, we can’t reason with people. If we see them as perversions or misunderstandings of the original one-God religion, we may find some bridges that help us communicate. It’s usually possible to dialogue and find some common ground without compromising the Gospel. 

I asked an expert once about the social function of religion. He said that most religions help to preserve order in society. They help people be nice to each other, and they reinforce the core values in their cultures. So while we boldly declare that there is no salvation apart from Jesus, we can agree that there are certain benefits to society found in virtually all the religions. And that fact can keep the dialogue open. Don Richardson implies this in his book, Eternity in their Hearts.

Another bit of evangelistic advice that I don’t always follow myself. When we discuss these issues, we need to deal with their best arguments, not their worst. Maybe I want a Catholic to become an Evangelical, and I argue about some priest that got drunk and abused children. We know that happens, and that the Catholics don’t approve of it either. Besides, we have those who have fallen into sin too. We need to face the core issues, not the peripheral ones.

Now I doubt that all this evangelistic advice was included in the instructions when Elisha said, “Go in peace.” Intentional evangelism really doesn’t show up until the New Testament, even though Israel was called to be a light to the nations.

Oh yes, and then this little issue about the money. Ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. Don’t weigh me down with those things, Elisha says. They aren’t important. Even when Naaman urged him to take the gifts, Elisha still refused.

Can you imagine that? A preacher refusing an honorarium. I never do that! But it was part of the teaching. Naaman still wanted to buy his blessing, or at least pay for it. He still didn’t get it about grace. It’s good that his heart was generous; the Bible tells us to be liberal in our giving. It’s not a political comment when the King James Versions says, “The liberal soul shall be made fat.” It has to do with our generosity.

Abraham had also refused a reward when he delivered some kings. He said, “I don’t want you to think you have made me rich.” No man can take credit when blessing that comes on the prophet. We know from the story of Balaam that the temptation to greed is always there, and it must be kept in check.

The servant Gehazi was more street smart, he thought. Why let this kind of blessing get away? This guy is ready to write the check. If Elisha is too spiritual to realize that, I’m sure I can at least get some advantage. So off he goes, chasing Naaman, and he tells him a bald faced lie. “Two prophets have come. Please give them a talent of silver and 2 changes of clothing.”

Naaman is only glad to do it. In fact, he gives more that he was asked for, because his is grateful and generous. Gehazi takes the stuff and stores it in his house. Two talents of silver and two changes of clothing.

There are people who use the Gospel for personal gain. We live in a happy age when it’s quite popular to be Christian, and that translates into profits (with an f, not a ph) for businesses that cater to the needs of Christians. It also means nice contracts for popular singing groups and writers. And so the temptation comes to sell your soul to evangelicalism. There’s profit to be made in the Gospel. We don’t oppose those who meet legitimate needs in the Christian community. We appreciate that the provide tools to help us grow in faith.

Anyway, Gehazi goes out to do a little fund-raising outwardly, but inwardly it is pure greed; not a shekel went to the prophets he used on his fund raising poster. Personal aggrandizement. And it was a lie. Naaman believed it, but Gehazi couldn’t fool God and he couldn’t fool the prophet of God.

The result? Leprosy. The leprosy that was on Naaman came on Gehazi. He was marked by his sin for the rest of his life. The huge blemish in his life was apparent to everyone.

I’m afraid sometimes, aren’t you? What if that spirit, or some other evil thing, takes hold of me? What if I drift into a sin that brings scandal on the church, or tarnishes me, or causes others to fall? That’s why we need the church, and we need to give its leadership a clear welcome to examine and correct our lives.

Gehazi had spent all his time with the prophet, as Elisha had spent his time with Elijah. Still this came about. Did familiarity breed contempt? Was he interpreting everything Elisha did carnally? Or was it just a lapse of the moment? I don’t know. But I’m told that Satan often attacks in the area where we think we are strong. He tries to creep into any area of life that we leave unguarded.

Naaman, however, came through with his skin clean. He humbled himself, obeying what the man of God instructed him. He washed in the Jordan.

And that’s our question today. It’s an old time revivalist’s question. Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Have you left your sin at the cross, and quite relying on your ability or on your wealth? Are your motives clean and are your actions righteous?

It’s time for the leper to be cleansed. I invite you to come to Christ in open repentance. Probably you realize you have drifted, but you want to get back on track today. We don’t judge you; neither do we speculate about your shortcomings. We simply invite you to make a public commitment to Christ. 

“But my altar at home is sufficient,” you argue. Perhaps so, but we know Naaman argued that way too about the rivers in Damascus. He thought they were just as good. The issue was pride, and it stands in the way of your cleansing. but he overcame it, and was cleansed from his leprosy. He dipped in the Jordan.

Come, be reconciled to God. Be restored to the joy of your salvation.

God of Salvation:
An old song says, “The cleansing stream I see, I see. I plunge and, oh, it cleanseth me.” Today we ask that you cleanse us from all that contaminates and hinders us from fulfilling your purpose in our lives. Keep our hearts and motives clean. Amen.


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