“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
