Sometimes attaining peace is as easy
as being obedient and doing something simple.
Today’s story is about a man named
Naaman, the supreme commander of the king of Syria's army. He’s got a lot
of good character traits, but he’s also got one, big looming problem. He’s got
an embarrassing and dreaded disease that overshadows all of his finer points.
Aside from knowing Naaman is the army’s 5 star general, we know some other
things about him:
1. Naaman is a
great man, a man of high social standing. A superstar.
2. Naaman is
considered to be an honorable man by the king of Syria. Because of Naaman’s
military victories, the king has great respect for him.
3. Naaman is
very brave and very wealthy.
4. And Naaman
has the dreaded skin disease leprosy, which he hopes to have healed by a prophet from a country he’s
disdained, raided, and conquered.
On one of Naaman’s raids into Israel,
he has captured a young Israelite girl who ends up serving Naaman’s wife. And
it is this girl who passes on critical information to her mistress about who
can heal Naaman of his leprosy. But let’s stop right there for a minute.
A young girl who Namaan has captured
is passing on information that will be of benefit to her captor. What she says
to Naaman’s wife is: “If only my master were with the prophet who is in
Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” She expresses complete
confidence that the prophet (Elisha) can and will heal Naaman, if only Naaman
can get an audience with him.
Fast forward some verses, and we
learn that Naaman does get an audience with the esteemed prophet of Israel,
Elisha. Well, sort of.
Naaman shows up at Elisha’s door
with his horses and chariots. I’m going to guess he’s outfitted in all of his
full military regalia, in order to impress Elisha with his standing. But Elisha
doesn’t come out himself. Instead, he sends a messenger out to Naaman. The
message from Elisha is: Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh
shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”
Well, old Naaman doesn’t respond
well to that treatment, and he stomps off in a real huff. He’s an important
man, his ego’s been bruised, and he’s having a tantrum. Scripture says he
became “furious.” And then, after he stomps off, he says, “Indeed, I said to
myself, ‘He will surely come 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 and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of
Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?”
Let’s look at what Naaman is really
saying: First, he outright rejects what Elisha has instructed him to do out of feeling
slighted. He expected the prophet to give him his full attention, and that’s
what he’s going to insist upon. He wants protocol followed, he won’t stand for
less. Elisha’s going to do it Naaman’s way. (Since Naaman’s the one with the
skin issue, that sounds ridiculous and childish, doesn’t it? Who’s the one with
the problem?)
Second, Naaman says that Elisha is
going to come out and “call on the name of the LORD his God…” Catch that? Naaman
calls the LORD his God—Elisha’s God.
Not Naaman’s God. So Naaman is stating his unbelief in the One who is actually
going to do the healing. Just exactly how is Naaman going to be healed if he
doesn’t believe?
Third, Naaman says, “…and wave his
hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.” Uh, wave his hand over the place? Not wave it over me? Naaman presumes to instruct Elisha
in how to heal, the procedure he’s going to follow, which is laughable. And it
also seems clear that Naaman still can’t bring himself to admit that he’s a man
with a problem. He won’t state it plainly.
Fourth, Naaman admits the low
opinion of Israel and its resources when he compares the Jordan River to the
great rivers in his country. He’s arrogant, and, I think, he finds the
suggestion and process embarrassing and beneath him.
Fifth, and probably one of the most
important reasons: Naaman thinks the cure is too simple. If all he had to do
was wash, why couldn’t he just have stayed home, not subjugated himself to an
Israelite, and dunked his ulcerous bod in his own rivers?
Then Naaman goes away in a rage.
Thankfully, though, Naaman’s got some wise servants, who evidently aren’t
afraid to speak their mind to their master. The fact that they feel comfortable
doing this, and the way they address him when doing it says a lot of Naaman, I
think. I think it’s also the reason his wife’s Israelite slave is so concerned
about Naaman. Naaman’s servants draw near to him and say, “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’?”
His servants know Naaman well. They
know he’s a mighty man of valor, not the kind of guy to shirk from a fight.
They know he’s quick to demonstrate bravery and greatness. They know he’s
willing to do anything to be cured. And they address him as “father.” An
unusual title of affection from a servant to his master. They must have had a
tremendous amount of respect and love for him. And they effectively tell him
that there’s nothing to be ashamed of by doing something simple to be cleansed.
What do you have to lose?
And Naaman must have the same kind
of respect for them, because, without saying another word, he gets up, goes
down to the Jordan River, dips himself seven times in it, just as Elisha had
instructed him to do through his messenger, and Naaman’s flesh is so perfectly
restored that it looks like that of a child’s. And Naaman was clean.
Not only does Naaman arise from the
Jordan River cleansed from his skin disease, he is a changed man. Whatever
pride, arrogance, disdain, distrust and disbelief he had for the nation of
Israel, its God, and its prophet, was washed away from Naaman’s soul and heart
while he was dipping himself and was left behind in the Jordan River.
Naaman, with his super shiny body
and his new heart heads back to Elisha to thank him. And this time Elisha goes
out to meet him. And Naaman stands before Elisha and makes a profound
profession of faith. “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.”
Wow! Naaman humbles himself before
God’s prophet, confesses that there is only one God—the God of Israel—and he
wants to offer a gift to Elisha for the healing. Naaman now denies the pagan
gods of his own people and stands with Israel and the one true God. Naaman is
indeed a brave man and is not afraid to take a stand for truth when he
discovers it.
Even though Naaman urges him to take
it, Elisha refuses the gift, in order that Naaman can see the honor of God
only. Then Naaman asks what seems to us a funny request. “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. 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.”
As Dr. John MacArthur points out in
his study Bible, “In the ancient Near East it was thought that a god could be
worshiped only on the soil of the nation to which he was bound. Therefore Namaan
wanted a load of Israelite soil on which to make burnt offerings and sacrifices
to the Lord when he returned to Damascus. This request confirmed how Naaman had
changed—whereas he had previously disparaged Israel’s river, now he wanted to
take a pile of Israel’s soul to Damascus.” Even though Naaman believes in the
one true God, he still holds some pagan beliefs from his native land. His heart
and devotion have abruptly switched, and he now considers himself bound to
Israel, which needs to be demonstrated by having a mound of the country’s dirt
in his possession. He’s a “baby believer” and still has much to learn about God
and His ways. Two mule loads must have been a lot of dirt. But Elisha doesn’t
fault or ridicule him for the request.
I think Elisha understands the
gravity of Naaman’s situation. He has switched spiritual alliances, but that
hasn’t changed his position, his authority, and to whom he answers and
protects. Naaman is returning to a pagan country ruled by a pagan king, who worships
a pagan god. He is both a man of authority and a man under authority, and he
will return to his country, stand before his king, and say, “Oh, king, live
forever!” He will be expected to attend to the king when the king goes to his
pagan temple to worship, and he will be expected to display the same honor to
that god by bowing down. He knows he must do it or suffer the consequences. And
he asks the Lord ahead of time to forgive him for the outward action.
And what is Elisha’s response? Does
he chastise Naaman for not having any faith? Does he tell him that he must
stand up to the king and beat him over the head with his new faith, set the
king straight?
No, Elisha simply says, “Go in peace
[Shalom]. It’s okay, Naaman. I understand your position, and so does God. After
all, He’s the one who put you there. He knows your heart. You don’t need to
worry about it.
Because, after all, isn’t the heart
where God concentrates His gaze?
1. Pretend for a
moment that you’re Naaman’s captured Israelite servant girl. I can’t imagine
you’re thrilled about being wrenched from your family, dragged to a different
country where a strange language is spoken, and being conscripted into the service
of a wealthy woman and the commander who snagged you. Would your heart be
filled with hate and hopes of retribution? Or do you have the pure heart of
this servant girl, who seems to respect Naaman and not wish him any ill. In
fact, she goes one better than not wishing him ill. She passes on important information
about how he might be healed. Instead of repaying evil for evil, and watching
him suffer and possibly die of the disease, she repays evil with good.
And I think it is at this point that
the process of Naaman finding peace begins. Have you ever found yourself in a
difficult situation you felt dragged into? A situation you didn’t want to be in
and hoped you could get out of? Did you withhold information because you felt
you’d been unfairly used? Or did you alter the focus of your heart by reminding
yourself that God knows where you are and has allowed you to be dragged there,
and it just might be because He wants to use you as an instrument of good for
someone else’s benefit? Without you, your unbelieving boss would never learn
about how he can be healed and saved. You are actually in the right place at
the right time, all orchestrated by God himself. (Naaman eventually becomes a
God-fearing man, so I can imagine that the atmosphere in his household changed
after that experience and the servant girl felt more joy and some satisfaction.
She certainly seems to be a girl of great faith.)
Uncle Mordecai said about the same
thing to his niece, Queen Esther, when she was facing a life or death
situation. “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time
as this?”
It’s a phrase I pass out to my
husband and boys when they’re facing difficult situations at school or work,
usually with people. “For such a time as this, Mr. Owan! For such a time as
this.” (I need to remind myself of it more often, though!) Maybe, just maybe,
we are the vessel God will work through to bring someone else to salvation. To
be cleansed and healed. Instead of being miffed about it, maybe we should be
humbled and thank God for choosing us to be used in such a miraculous way.
2. Naaman was an important and successful man, and he held prejudices, but he knew how to listen to reason, even when it was coming from his subordinates. That’s pretty impressive, considering Naaman was in the middle of having a temper tantrum and pity party and might, instead, have dismissed the wisdom in order to save himself further embarrassment. But he didn’t. He knew truth when he heard it, and he was desperate. And the change of heart and humble reaction—his obedience to God’s instructions—open the door to complete healing, and a heart conversion. Not only does Naaman receive physical healing, but he also receives spiritual healing. Wow! How very like God to give us far more than we ask!
But my question is: Are we as
willing to listen to reason dispensed to us by those we feel are subordinate,
like our kids? Are we smart and humble like Naaman? Our family members see the
good and the ugly parts of us. Parts we’ve possessed so long that we don’t
identify them as ugly. Character or behavior warts that they can see but we
can’t. My kids and my husband have exposed a lot of my ugly parts that I would
not have admitted were ugly if I had not bit my lip, stifled my defensive
response, and listened—really listened—to their imparted wisdom about it.
Of course, Naaman’s servants didn’t
call him an idiot or chew him out; they approached him in a kind, logical way.
They just laid out the facts. And, in some way, they also appealed to Naaman’s
ego in the words they chose. What does Scripture say about getting someone’s
attention with honey? Pleasant words are as a
honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones (Proverbs 16:24). They were both to Naaman—the wise words prompted
him to do what he’d been instructed to do, and they gave him health.
Are your words timely and gentle?
Logical? Or do they sound snarky, sharp and critical, displaying your wit and
snappy comeback? Do they make the hearer feel more like a fool or someone
you’re trying to have a productive conversation with? Think about how your tone
and choice of words affect the hearer. Do they cause him to encase himself in
defensive armor, or listen to your good judgment?
3.
Part of Naaman’s problem was that he expected something grand and glorious to
happen in the healing process. He wanted all of the bells and whistles, the
fanfare. Dunking himself seven times in a muddy river didn’t meet his
expectations. Which so is what happens to us so often. We’re so busy looking
for and expecting the BIG thing, that we miss the miraculous blessing available
to us in the little thing perched on the end of our nose. We miss the healing,
the change of heart, the change of life because we go to God with expectations
about how He should accomplish
something. And sometimes our refusal to do the little thing ties His hands from
providing us with the answer or resolution we seek. And we trudge away from
Him, frustrated and dejected because we don’t think He’s heard our prayers or
cares enough about us. As Oswald Chambers said,
“All God’s revelations are sealed
until they are opened to us by obedience…
Obey God in the thing He shows you,
and instantly the next thing is opened
up… God will never reveal more truth
about himself until you have obeyed
what you know already.”
What simple thing has God told you
to do that may be keeping you from receiving He wants to bless you with? Naaman
knew that what his servants said was true, so he obeyed. He didn’t like it, but
he obeyed. And God’s revelations were immediately opened to him. Obeying is not
always easy, but it is simple. And Naaman did something simple: he obeyed and
then he dunked. In the process he met God, was cleansed by him, and was
physically healed.
How
like God it is to give us more than we could possibly ask or imagine!
So, until next Monday, may your week be
full of blessings that you receive and give, your heart be full of joy and
thankfulness, and your days be filled with laughter. Build a little heaven in
your life right now, and watch your heavenly garden grow!
Blessings,
Andrea
When the eyes of
the soul looking out meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right
here on earth. ~ A. W. Tozer
