2 Kings 5:20-24 Greed

 “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.” 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?” 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.’ ” 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. 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.”

‭‭II Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬-‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. I will run after him and take something from him: As Gehazi heard Naaman and Elisha speak, he was shocked that his master refused to take anything from such a wealthy, influential, and grateful man. He figured that someone should benefit from such an opportunity, and he took the initiative to run after Naaman and take something from him.

i. Gehazi thought that Elisha deserved a reward (my master has spared Naaman). He also became exactly what Elisha avoided: becoming a taker (take something from him).

b. Please, take two talents: Gehazi probably thought that God was blessing his venture. After all, he asked for a talent of silver and Naaman was happy to give him two talents.

i. The fact that he handed them to two of his servants shows that this was a lot of silver. “It required two servants to carry these two talents, for, according to the computation above, each talent was about 120 lbs. weight.” (Clarke)

c. Stored them away in the house: He deliberately hid them from Elisha. Gehazi knew that he did wrong. (Guzik)

Greed

Because of our sin nature, greed is one of the sins that the devil uses to snare us. 

Gehazi allowed greed to become the instrument to removing the glory of God from Naaman’s healing!

Let this be a lesson for us! Just because you are a servant of the most High, doesn’t mean you are immune to sin! On the contrary you are held to a higher standard!

What do you think will happen to Gehazi?

Blessings 

2 Kings 5:17-19 Go In Peace!

 “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. 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.” Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.”

‭‭II Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth: Like many new believers, Naaman was superstitious in his faith. He held the common opinion of the ancient world that particular deities had power over particular places. He thought that if he took a piece of Israel back with him to Syria, he could better worship the God of Israel.

i. “The transporting of holy soil was a widespread custom. Naaman’s faith was yet untaught; and with his personal need to follow publicly the state cults, Elisha may have felt that available Israelite soil may have afforded Naaman with some tangible reminder of his cleansing and new relationship to God.” (Patterson and Austel)

b. When I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD please pardon your servant in this thing: As an official in the government of Syria, Naaman was expected to participate in the worship of the Syrian gods. He asked Elisha for allowance to direct his heart to Yahweh even when he was in the temple of Rimmon.

i. “The Hebrew ‘lean on the hand’ does not imply physical support but that he was the king’s ‘right hand man’ (cf. 2 Kings 7:2, 17).” (Wiseman)

c. Go in peace: By generally approving but not saying specifically “yes” or “no,” it seems that Elisha left the matter up to Naaman and God. Perhaps he trusted that the LORD would personally convict Naaman of this and give him the integrity and strength to avoid idolatry.

i. Some commentators (Clarke and Trapp among them) believe that Naaman asked forgiveness for his previous idolatry in the temple of Rimmon, instead of asking permission for future occasions. Apparently, the Hebrew will allow for this translation, although it is not the most natural way to understand the text.

ii. Nevertheless, we can certainly agree with Trapp’s application: “Let none by Naaman’s example plead an upright soul in a prostrate body.” (Guzik)

Go In Peace!

I am reminded about a blessing pastor Robert would say upon ending a service.

““The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

May this prayer give you peace and that you go in peace throughout the day!

Blessings 

2 Kings 5:15-16 True God in All the Earth!

 “And 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.” 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.” ‭‭II Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. And he returned to the man of God: This was a fine display of gratitude. Naaman was like the one leper out of the ten Jesus healed who came back to thank Jesus (Luke 17:12-19). He was also a foreigner, like the one thankful leper of Luke 17.

i. Before, Naaman expected the prophet to come to him. Now he returned to the man of God and stood before him.

ii. “It is often the case that those who have least to value themselves on are proud and haughty; whereas the most excellent of the earth are the most humble, knowing that they have nothing but what they have received. Naaman, the leper, was more proud and dictatorial than he was when cleansed of his leprosy.” (Clarke)

b. Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel: It wasn’t just the healing that persuaded Naaman of this. It was the healing connected with the word of the prophet. Together, this was convincing evidence to Naaman that the God Elisha represented was the true God in all the earth.

c. Please take a gift from your servant: We can say that Naaman only meant well by this gesture. He felt it was appropriate to support the ministry of this man of God whom the LORD had used so greatly to bring healing. However, Elisha steadfastly insisted that he would receive nothing from Naaman. (Guzik)

True God in All the Earth!

Has God done something for you, like healing Naaman that you said and proclaimed to everyone “that He was the true God in all the earth “?

Earlier this year I was felling a tree that went wrong and ran as it was coming down and hid behind a small tree and the V of the tree top fell on both sides of me and removed a glove on my hand. I was unscathed and knew only by the hand of God that He wasn’t done with me yet! 

And then there was the rain storm when the electricity went out. I put my raincoat on and walked the electric line to see if there was a tree down causing the outage. As I was returning a great wind came up and I prayed and ran for the door! Later I found out we had 70 mph straight line winds that uprooted a dozen trees!

God had His angels watching over me and I proclaim it here and now that He is the true God in all the earth!

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”” I Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Have you ever had a Naaman moment?

Blessings 

2 Kings 5:14 Step of Faith?

 “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.” II Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. According to the saying of the man of God: Naaman did exactly what Elisha told him to do. Therefore we can say that each dunk in the Jordan was a step of faith, trusting in the word of God through His prophet.

i. Wiseman on the ancient Hebrew word translated dipped: “Naaman ‘plunged’ in the River Jordan. This signified total obedience to the divine word.”

ii. Spurgeon saw Naaman attacked by two enemies: Proud Self, who internally demanded that Elisha come out and see him, and Evil Questioning, who questioned why he should wash in the Jordan when he had better rivers back in his homeland. Naaman overcame these two enemies and did what God told him to do.

b. And his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean: Naaman’s response of faith was generously rewarded. God answered his faith with complete and miraculous healing.

i. “The simple method of this miracle, performed without the prophet there, did give God the credit. It was obvious that the healing came from Yahweh rather than from the sort of magical incantation that Naaman had anticipated.” (Dilday)

(Guzik)

Step of Faith?

Throughout our lives God speaks to us and asks us to do something for His kingdom. All we have to do is take that step of faith. It could be something as simple as feeding a homeless person, helping a widow or adopting a child. Naaman fought two enemies, the proud self and the evil questioning before he took the step of faith. 

Satan will use anything in his arsenal to keep you from taking that step of faith!

I encourage you to take the step of faith instead of listening to the lies of the proud self and evil questioning. 

Blessings 

2 Kings 5:13 Good Advice

 “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’?”” ‭‭II Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. His servants came near and spoke to him: Thank God for faithful subordinates who will speak to their superiors in such a way. Naaman was obviously angry, yet they were bold enough to give him the good advice he needed to hear.

b. If the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it: The servants of Naaman used a brilliantly logical approach. If Elisha had asked Naaman to sacrifice 100 or 1,000 animals to the God of Israel, Naaman would have done it immediately. Yet because his request was easy to do and humbling, Naaman first refused. (Guzik)

Good Advice 

“Naaman was obviously angry, yet they were bold enough to give him the good advice he needed to hear.” This has never happened to us, right?

The Bible is full of good advice that we need to hear! This verse says it all!

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,”

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Blessings 

2 Kings 5:10-12 Humbling!

 “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 and the Pharpar, 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.” ‭‭II Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Elisha sent a messenger to him: Naaman took the trouble to come to the home of Elisha, but Elisha refused to give him a personal audience. He simply sent a messenger. This was humbling to Naaman, who was accustomed to being honored.

b. Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean: These were simple, uncomplicated instructions. Yet as Naaman’s reaction demonstrates, these were humbling instructions.

c. 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: Naaman had it all figured out. In his great need, he anticipated a way God would work, and he was offended when God didn’t work the way he expected.

d. He turned and went away in a rage: Because his expectation of how God shouldwork was crushed, Naaman wanted nothing to do with Elisha. If the answer was in washing in a river, Naaman knew there were better rivers in his own land. (Guzik)

Humbling!

Christian, don’t let this comment slip by you! “In his great need, he anticipated a way God would work, and he was offended when God didn’t work the way he expected.” (Guzik)

This often happens to everyone because we have a tendency to let pride and our earthly needs blind us to the way the Lord works.

“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.””

Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” ‭‭

James‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Like Naaman we need to humble ourselves before God will perform His work in us. 

Will Naaman humble himself?

Blessings 

2 Kings 5:8-9 Relationship With God

 “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.” Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house.” II Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Why have you torn your clothes: Elisha gave a gentle rebuke to the king of Israel. “This is a crisis to you, because you have no relationship with the God who can heal lepers. But it is a needless crisis, because you couldhave a relationship with this God.”

b. Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel: Naaman would never know there was a prophet in Israel by hanging around the royal palace. The true prophet in Israel wasn’t welcome at the palace. 

(Guzik)

Relationship With God

Like the king of Israel, there are people in our lives that could have a relationship with God but refuse to. God made them in His image but He gave them free will.

All we can do is pray for them and continue to be an example and love them like Jesus.

Because the bible says, ““Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Do you know someone that needs a personal relationship with God? 

If so, don’t stop praying for them!

Blessings 

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