Elisha and Namaan
June 19, 2012
I think that almost all of us are masters of our own lives.
We want and wish that every matter be done according to our fancy and likings, and whatever material things we desire, we would want to posses them.
In today’s Bible passage, which I believe many of us are very familiar with, Naaman is quite a representation of this attitude that I’m talking about.
Bible Passage: 2 Kings 5: 1 – 15
In v.1, we learn that Naaman, who was a commander of the army of the king of Syria, 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.
Even though the Syrians were not worshippers of the True God, but from the v1, we read “the LORD had given victory to Syria”. This tells us that our God is the controller of the history of all nations in the world no matter what these nations’ beliefs were.
He is the Creator of all things; He is the True Master of the universe and of course, our lives.
When the king of Israel read the letter from king of Syria to heal Naaman of his leprosy, he tore his clothes.
He became angry because of the outrageous and unreasonable demand from the king of Syria, and he also became afraid because he knew Syria could easily defeat his nation.
What happened to the king of Israel, the king of the people of God?
He had lost sight of the Master of the universe, the Almighty God of Israel.
But when Elisha heard that the king tore his clothes because of the request of king of Syria, he came to the king with the confidence of 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.
v.8
Then, when Naaman came to Elisha, he already had the pre-conceived expectation of the action of Elisha,
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.
v.11
and when Elisha’s messenger came to tell Naaman about Elisha’s command, he became furious and went away because Elisha’s command was not what Naaman had expected.
But fortunately Naaman was wise enough to heed his servants’ advice to go back to Elisha.
In contrast, Elisha was a man of God; he had his mindset tuned to the frequency of God. No matter how unimaginable God’s commands may be, he would still obey and do them.
In this situation where the king of Syria demanded the healing of Naaman’s leprosy, if Elisha were not able to heal him, not only the king of Israel would taste the wrath of the king of Syria, Elisha’s life and the whole nation of Israel would also be in jeopardy.
So with the confidence and the power of God, instead of carrying out what Naaman had expected him to do, he commanded Naaman to wash himself seven times in the Jordan.
Now what can we learn from this aspect of the whole incident in this passage?
We must know whom we have believed, and to know for sure that He is able, for He is the Master of our lives.
Whatever hardships we may face now or in the future, or whatever difficult decisions that may come our way, we must not forget who is in control.
Not our elders nor any of the ministers of the church, and definitely not ourselves but God and God alone is our Master, and He is control of all things.
For if we continue to be the masters of our own lives, we are actually heading towards our own downfall.
Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18
We are all nothing without God, we really need God every moment and in every aspect of our lives.
May God bless all of us with Godly wisdom to truly listen and obey His commandments; and to put full trust in Him in everything.
Shalom
One Comment
YSL
God heals and he has the power to do what man can’t. I think that’s my biggest takeaway, that he can heal, and make a person clean again both physically and spiritually.