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 

Personal-relationship with God.html

2 Kings 5:4-7 Relationship With God!

“And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.” Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.””

‭‭II Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel: Considering the record of wars between Israel and Syria described in the previous chapters, it seems strange that the king of Syria would send a letter of recommendation with his General Naaman. It seems that 2 Kings is not necessarily arranged chronologically, so this probably occurred during a time of lowered tension between Israel and Syria.

i. And took with him ten talents of silver: Dilday estimated that by the values of his own day, Naaman took more than $1.2 million with him to Israel. All this together shows how desperate Naaman’s condition was, and how badly the king of Syria wanted to help him.

b. I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy: When the king of Israel (Jehoram) read the letter, he was understandably upset. First, it was obviously out of his power to heal Naaman’s leprosy. Second, he had no relationship with the prophet of the God who did have the power to heal. He thought the king of Syria sought a quarrel.

i. The king of Syria assumed that the king of Israel was on a much better relationship with Elisha than he really was. It is easy for others to assume that we have a better relationship with God than we really do. (Guzik)

Relationship With God!

“It is easy for others to assume that we have a better relationship with God than we really do.” (Guzik)

I am reminded of the Pharisees and how Jesus chided them!

““Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

If you were alive during that time you would assume that the Pharisees had a great relationship with God, but Jesus called them out for hypocrisy!

What about you, do people see Jesus in you?

Blessings 

2 Kings 5:2-3 Knowledge of the True God!

“And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.”” II Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel: This girl was an unwilling missionary, taken captive from Israel and now in Syria. Yet God allowed the tragedy of her captivity to accomplish a greater good.

i. The young girl illustrates the mysterious ways God works. She was probably raised in a godly home, yet taken from her family at a young age. It was an irreplaceable loss for her parents, and one they no doubt grieved over every day. Yet, she was greatly used in a simple way.

b. If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria: This young girl was an outstanding example of a faithful witness in her current circumstance. She caredenough to speak up, and she had faith enough to believe that Elisha would heal him of his leprosy.

i. “And see the benefits of a religious education! Had not this little maid been brought up in the knowledge of the true God, she had not been the instrument of so great a salvation.” (Clarke)

(Guzik)

Knowledge of the True God!

My parents raised us in the knowledge of the true God but unfortunately Catholicism didn’t do anything for me as an adult. I really don’t believe I was born again as Jesus explained to Nicodemus until I went to a Bible teaching church and surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. 

But my parents and Catholicism planted the seed in my heart. 

I now jokingly refer to myself as a recovering catholic to new Christian brothers and sisters that I meet when they tell me that they were raised as a catholic. 

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

My friend, have you put your soul to the test by asking yourself if you are born again? 

If you are unsure please study John chapter 3.

Blessings 

Knowledge of the true God!

2 Kings 5:1 Leprosy

 “Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper.”

‭‭II Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man: Naaman was the chief military commander of a persistent enemy to both Israel and Judah. As recently as the days of Ahab and Jehoshaphat, Syria had fought and won against Israel (1 Kings 22:35-36). His position and success made him a great and honorable man, and personally he was a mighty man of valor.

i. This same title was applied to Gideon (Judges 6:12), Jephthah (Judges 11:1), David (1 Samuel 16:18), Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:28), and Eliada (2 Chronicles 17:17). It seems that this is the only specific Gentile mentioned as a mighty man of valor.

ii. According to Jewish legends, “The Rabbins tell us that it was he [Naaman] who shot the arrow wherewith Ahab was slain.” (Trapp)

b. But a leper: Naaman had a lot going for him, but what he had against him was devastating. He was a leper, which meant that he had a horrible, incurable disease that would slowly result in his death. No matter how good and successful everything else was in Naaman’s life, he was a leper.

i. “Here was a heavy tax upon his grandeur; he was afflicted with a disorder the most loathsome and the most humiliating that could possibly disgrace a human being.” (Clarke)

ii. Ancient leprosy began as small, red spots on the skin. Before too long the spots got bigger, and started to turn white, with sort of a shiny, or scaly appearance. Pretty soon the spots spread over the whole body and hair began to fall out – first from the head, then even from the eyebrows. As things got worse, fingernails and toenails become loose; they start to rot and eventually fell off. Then the joints of fingers and toes began to rot and fall off piece by piece. Gums began to shrink and they couldn’t hold the teeth anymore, so each of them was lost. Leprosy kept eating away at the face until literally the nose, the palate, and even the eyes rotted – and the victim wasted away until death. (Guzik)

Leprosy 

Leprosy can be compared to sin as leprosy starts out with small red spots before too long rots the whole body until death. Likewise sin starts out small and eventually ravages the whole body rotting the soul bringing the second death! But there is hope in Jesus Christ!

“that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Life is short and tomorrow is uncertain! Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ?

Blessings 

2 Kings 4:42-44 Our Weakness!

“Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.” But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the Lord: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’ ” So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.” II Kings‬ ‭4‬:‭42‬-‭44‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread: “These had been brought to Elisha as firstfruits (verse 42). Normally these portions were reserved for God (Leviticus 23:20) and the Levitical priests (Numbers 18:13; Deuteronomy 18:4-5). Because the religion in the Northern Kingdom was apostate, the loaves had been brought by their owner to the one whom he considered to be the true repository of godly religion in Israel.” (Patterson and Austel)

b. Give it to the people, that they may eat: In a miracle that anticipated Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000, Elisha commanded that a small amount of bread be served to 100 men.

i. “This is something like our Lord’s feeding the multitude miraculously. Indeed, there are many things in this chapter similar to facts in our Lord’s history; and this prophet might be more aptly considered a type of our Lord, than most of the other persons in the Scripture who have been thus honored.” (Clarke)

c. For thus says the LORD: “They shall eat and have some left over”: God promised not only to provide, but to provide beyond the immediate need. Elisha trusted the promise of God, acted upon it, and saw the promise miraculously fulfilled. (Guzik)

i. “What can these few cakes do towards feeding a hundred men? They forget that God can multiply them. Ye limit the Holy One of Israel. Do you think he needs our numbers? Do you think he is dependent upon human strength? I tell you, our weakness is a better weapon for God than our strength.” (Spurgeon)

Our Weakness!

“I tell you, our weakness is a better weapon for God than our strength.” (Spurgeon)

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;” I Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Why does God choose to weak? For the same reason he chose David to take down a Giant, so people will see God was with him!

So if God chooses you in your weakness and your excuse is I can’t do that, remember He will strengthen you so you can bring glory to His kingdom!

Blessings 

2 Kings 4:38-41 Child of God!

“And Elisha returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. Now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were. Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. So he said, “Then bring some flour.” And he put it into the pot, and said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.” ‭‭

II Kings‬ ‭4‬:‭38‬-‭41‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. There was a famine in the land: “The famine mentioned in verse 38 may be the seven-year famine alluded to in 2 Kings 8:1-3.” (Dilday)

b. Man of God, there is death in the pot: Elisha felt a special responsibility to help in this situation because he told the men to gather ingredients for the stew, and they gathered the wild vine that poisoned the pot.

i. “The gourds were probably colocynth. Popularly called ‘wild cucumber,’ the vine still grows near the Dead Sea. When the gourds are cut open the pulp dries rapidly and forms a powder, which in that part of the world is still used as a cathartic medicine. It has a very bitter taste. If eaten in enough quantity, it induces colic and can be fatal.” (Dilday)

ii. “You have been trying to find pleasure in the world, and you have found wild vines… you have gathered wild gourds, a lap full, almost a heart full. You have been shredding death into the pot, and now you cannot feel as you used to feel, the poison is stupefying your soul. While we were singing just now, you said, ‘I want to sing as saints do, but there is no praise in me’… If you are a worldling, and not God’s child, you can live on that which would poison a Christian, but if you are a child of God, you will cry out, ‘O thou man of God, there is death in the pot!’” (Spurgeon)

c. And there was nothing harmful in the pot: There was nothing inherently purifying in the flour Elisha put in the pot. The real purification was a miraculous work of God.

i. “There is death in the pot; how is the Church to meet it? I believe it is to imitate Elisha. We need not attempt to get the wild gourds out of the pot; they are cut too small, and are too cunningly mixed up; they have entered too closely into the whole mass of teaching to be removed. Who shall extract the leaven from the leavened loaf? What then? We must look to God for help, and use the means indicated here. ‘Bring meal.’ Good wholesome food was cast into the poisonous stuff, and by God’s gracious working it killed the poison; and the Church must cast the blessed gospel of the grace of God into the poisoned pottage, and false doctrine will not be able to destroy men’s souls as it now does.” (Spurgeon)

(Guzik)

Child of God!

Spurgeon has a way with words and scripture that are even relevant today! 

ii. “You have been trying to find pleasure in the world, and you have found wild vines… you have gathered wild gourds, a lap full, almost a heart full. You have been shredding death into the pot, and now you cannot feel as you used to feel, the poison is stupefying your soul. While we were singing just now, you said, ‘I want to sing as saints do, but there is no praise in me’… If you are a worldling, and not God’s child, you can live on that which would poison a Christian, but if you are a child of God, you will cry out, ‘O thou man of God, there is death in the pot!’” (Spurgeon)

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:” ‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”

‭‭I John‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Are you a worldling or a child of God? 

Blessings 

child-of-God