In the following, another part of the picture of how God saves comes into focus. At the end of the lesson the class will lose their spots just like Naaman did. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. 2:22). But the Bible doesnt tell us how Naaman got leprosy. 3:9; Matt. He needed to learn, as all of us do, that we must never trust in the uncertainty of riches, or power, or position, but instead, to trust only in Gods grace and work in His Son. 10Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, Go, wash(K) yourself seven times(L) in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed., 11But Naaman went away angry and said, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand(M) over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Who Was Naaman in the Bible? - Bible Study Tools 21:6; 22:1; Rom. Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. It was his simple faith in the word of God, the root. Would that cure him? (1) His position. It is so hard to realize just who we are, mere creatures, and to submit to Gods plan. The disease is systemic and involves the internal organs as well. Naaman was angry because he wanted the Lord's prophet to come out and quickly heal him. How much more, then, when he tells you, Wash and be cleansed! (2 Kings 5:13). Then they get bigger. He received salvation that day, just like the woman with the issue of blood. So now with verse 7 we see the response of the king of Israel. I will use it for sermon. The issue was his attitude and heart. 2 Now the Arameans had gone out in bands, and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naamans wife. Thinking that certain tasks are beneath us. Naaman Healed of Leprosy - Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. 2 Kings 5-6 NIV - Naaman Healed of Leprosy - Bible Gateway 46 The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 9 So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. That which he thought would buy his cure was worthless. He found out from a little slave girl that the Israelite prophet Elisha could heal him. The exact reason is not specified, only implied. After dipping 7 times, he was healed of his leprosy. In this we have a picture of the sinner before he comes to God. We note that he was cleansed according to the Word. Salvation is always and only according to the Word, and never according to our feelings or emotions or human reason (cf. Rom 2:2-8). Youre welcome Jeffrey. , i appreciate the lord for your works continue working in the vineyard of God. So, with verses 2 and following we will see how God worked in various ways, through the disease and through people to bring Naaman to the Lord. [1] When the Hebrew slave-girl who waits on his wife tells her of a Jewish prophet in Samaria who can cure her master, he obtains a letter from King Ben-Hadad II of Aram to King Joram of Israel in which Ben-Hadad asks Joram to arrange for the healing of his subject Naaman. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The servant girl tells Naaman's wife how her husband can be healed. 3 And she said to her mistress, I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Is leprosy contagious? She says: 'If Naaman were in Samaria, Jehovah's prophet Elisha could make his leprosy go away.'. Ewald thinks the king referred to was Jehoahaz,[13] while Schenkel suggests Jehu,[14] but the general view is that it was Jehoram. There is a way that seemeth right unto man, but the ways thereof are the ways of death (Prov. But his servants spoke some sense into him and he decided to follow Elishas direction. (2) His popularity and prestige. Naaman took a step in the right direction and God acknowledged it. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. The biblical meaning of Naaman means pleasant. Required fields are marked *. His Israelite servant girl suggested he go to Elisha to be healed. The Story of Naaman: The Story of Grace - cathedralatl.org There is nothing man himself can do to deal with his sin problem. Leprosy stood as a picture of sin and all its features and effects upon man and upon his relationship with God. I receive your blessings and wish the same for you. But, it was precisely this, Naamans pride and his personal opinion which was keeping Naaman from being healed. If Elisha had accepted those gifts, he would be accepting the glory that God should get. 22Everything is all right, Gehazi answered. Ordinarily, one would have thought that God would not be concerned about the politics of Syria (Aram), but 2 Kings 5:1 says, through Naaman, God gave great victories to Syria. God hates haughty eyes, or the proud look (Prov. 26But Elisha said to him, Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Naaman dipped in the dirty water 7 times because he was instructed by Elisha to do so. When there is a person whose heart has been prepared, God always has his messengers. Well, the way the servant girl talks about Elisha makes Naaman believe that the prophet really might be able to make him well. Lessons from the story of Naaman are very applicable to our lives today. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The new baptism takes place in the Jordan River where Jesus of Nazareth, also called the Christ by his followers, was baptized many centuries later. . 5:9-13; 2 Cor. Your whole face could be eaten away by this disease before you die. But what exactly does leprosy in the Bible teach us about our sin and its effect in our lives? What does the Scripture teach about the pride of man? Naaman | Encyclopedia.com The implication is: If a cure comes through bathing in a stream, then I have better streams in which to bathe myself. 2 Kings 5 New International Version Naaman Healed of Leprosy 5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. Start for FREE. Scholars are somewhat in disagreement regarding biblical leprosy, but it appears that there were two main types. Lesson: God Uses a Servant Girl to Heal Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-19) (3) His problem. [7] Naaman is understood as Moab in the expression "Moab is my washpot" (Psalms 60:10), which the Rabbis regard as an allusion to Naaman's bathing in the Jordan; the appellation "Moab" is a play on the word "abi" (= "my father"), by which Naaman was addressed by his servants in 2 Kings 5:13. [1] 2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. It could literally save ourselves. . As the Lord put it, we are to be in the world, but not of it (John 17:15-17). Those who had leprosy were deemed unclean, and no one would touch them. This is really nice bible reading you told thank you so much.. Thank you so much for sharing. And how do you do that? get to know the Bible better! Self conceit and the various ego trips of men are typical of the unregenerate heart and even of the carnal mind of the regenerate. Who was Gehazi in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Naaman was highly esteemed by the king of Syria (or Aram) because of the many victories won by the Syrian army. Related Topics: Miracles, Character Study, J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M. It was just a horrible and humiliating and absolutely slow and painful way to die. Jesus was talking Jews who were raised to believe gentiles were created for hell. The king of Israel didn't know what to do, yet Elisha (Eliseus) sent a message to the King, advising that the King tell Naaman to come to see him. Naaman proceeds with the letter to King Joram. It is important to treat others like people. He went to visit Elisha who told him to go dip in the Jordan river 7 times. All rights reserved worldwide. And Elisha, as Gods representative, said let him come to me, words which the Lord wants to speak to every unsaved person. [2][3] Why do you suppose Naaman listened to her? WE NEED TO SEARCH AND GET RID OF THE BUT IN OUR LIVES. Compare Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; 1 Tim. These verses provide us with an illustration of the first fruits of salvation. But God did not withhold his miracle. That which the prophet does in this passage may seem rude; in fact, he would be severely criticized by many church members today and our politically correct society. Thanks for stopping by. They all were afflicted with leprosy in various ways. Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? Wrap-up: Apply the message to our own lives; work on memory verse Let's review last week: What is humility? The story of Naaman - The Gospel Herald As such, it clearly reminds us of the principle that men are, by an inherited nature, sinners and that its not just what we do that is so bad, but what we are. . Notice the following points about the wisdom of their answer, an answer of the tongue as a timely word with sweetness of speech, yet honest and courageous evaluation. But something happened. God works with even imperfect faith. Stricken with leprosy, he was advised by a . 1. If youre all in, God is all in as well. Compare John 3:16-18, 36; 6:29; 1 John 3:23; and Acts 6:7, were becoming obedient to the faith. Further, Romans 1:5 and 16:26 can mean, the obedience produced by faith, or the obedience which is faith. The obedience required is faith, faith defines the obedience. Satan first appealed to Naamans reason: See how unreasonable this remedy is! Often lepers were quarantined in communities away from society, as we see in Luke 17:11-19. (11) Finally, the leprosy of sin destroys the pleasantness and beauty God meant for mankind in His creation. (5) Leprosy, like sin, begins within (with what we are) and then erupts on the skin (on the surface). Answer Naaman was the commander of Syria's (Aram's) army and well regarded as a military man, but he had leprosy. Upon his head were the laurels or wreaths of victory and upon his chest, medals of honor and valor. Nevertheless, this may also illustrate the importance of wise and timely persuasion needed in personal evangelism. They thought they could buy the favors of God from the prophet of Yahweh through the king of Israel. (2) Whenever the Lord Jesus healed a leper he always pronounced the person, not healed, but cleansed. (A) He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. 57:20-21; Eph. was a 1966 graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and a former pastor of 28 years. I am quite sure he must have already tried everything possible. Naaman ( Hebrew: Namn, "pleasantness") the Aramean was a commander of the armies of Ben-Hadad II, the king of Aram-Damascus, in the time of Joram, king of Israel . So please accept a gift(V) from your servant., 16The prophet answered, As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing. And even though Naaman urged him, he refused. The immediate cleansing illustrates the complete and instantaneous nature of salvation. Only after Naaman's slaves suggest to their master that he has nothing to lose by at least giving it a try since the task is a simple and easy one, he takes his bath in the Jordan river as a mikveh as instructed and finds himself healed. Leprosy would someday alienate him from his people and his army. Her life had been such a testimony that it gave credibility to her words. Take care. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper. He was humble enough to listen to those he led. Wherever he went he was to cry out, "unclean, unclean," and he had to wear black with a hood covering his face and live outside the city walls. Youre welcome. John 7:17; Jer. Isa. Instead of immediately pointing Naaman to Elisha, the prophet of God, he was paralyzed with fear; he was paranoid. Here again we see how the Lord uses the saved and unsaved alike to carry out His purposes and plans. No. As we step into this scene, we leave the land of Israel, a nation that was to be a light to the Gentiles and a nation of priests. Couldnt I wash in them and be cleansed? So he turned and went off in a rage. 4:1-5; Eph. We now delve into some lessons from the story of Naaman. In refusing the gifts, Naaman came to understand that his faith and obedience moved the heart of God. God bless, Youre welcome Nan. Naaman was not happy with Elishas instructions. Leprosy was one of the deadliest diseases of Bible times. But man must submit humbly to the wise plans of God or there can be no salvation, no real joy and fruitfulness, no deliverance. For the issue of water baptism, see the studies on Assaults on the Gospel in lesson 7, Part 3 of the ABCs Series. One may be great, successful, wealthy, honorable and mighty, but spiritually lost. Naaman complaining by river. It was personal faith in the command of the prophet and not the evidence of his faith, washing, which cured him. 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 that no man should say you were baptized in my name. The whole Elisha and Naaman story is way more exciting than this summary. (Ps. He was literally left holding the bag, the bag of money in his leprous hand. The king, on the other hand, considered himself accountable to no one (a serious error). Hampton wrote many articles for the Biblical Studies Foundation and on More. 6:6) So why did he refuse to accept a gift from Naaman? By faith. No matter the difference in economic or social status, everyone has something to contribute to our lives. 55:1). Elisha had accepted help from the Shunammite woman and her husband, and Scripture teaches it is right for those who are taught the Word to share all good things with him who teaches (Gal. Man is so self willed. There was no cure! 52 There are always those who claim that we are saved by human obedience, the obedience of water baptism and other good works. Naaman's leprosy is cured - Catholic Courier So with the approval of Ben-hadad, the king of . Sin is like this. NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Pride shows up in many ways. Solomon was right:Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Note that she could have thought, as many would, that he was getting just what he deserved. Naaman was a great soldier and was in charge of the army. Youre welcome :). 2 Kings 5 NIV - Naaman Healed of Leprosy - Bible Gateway Naaman, a great personage, had come to make a request of a king and pay handsomely for services rendered. One of the take away lessons from the story of Naaman is that God meets us where we are. But what Elisha did was really an act of love. The Bible calls Naaman "a valiant soldier." His story is recorded in 2 Kings 5:1-19. The biblical instructions for leprosy, the separation, isolation, and cleansing of the leper and thus the biblical foundation as a picture of sin are described for us in Leviticus 13-14. This is a story rich with meaning. So Naaman thought that the land of Israel was Gods territory. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansedonly Naaman the Syrian. The expression "So he departed from him a little way" ( ; verse 2 Kings 5:19) seems to contradict the assertion of Naaman's intention to return to Syria with the two loads of earth. 21So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. Therefore, taking the soil with him would allow Naaman to stand on Yahwehs holy ground to worship the God of Israel. No matter how feeble or misguided our faith, he is looking for that one step that shows Him that we believe in his existence and His power. (5) Two of the greatest hindrances to experiencing Gods blessing for believers and unbelievers alike are: (a) our pride--Naaman almost lost out because of his pride, and (b) our opinions--Naaman almost lost out because his thinking was contrary to Scripture. ), Naaman returns to Elisha with lavish gifts, which Elisha flatly refuses to accept. He had the utmost respect in his land.So when Elisha did not see him directly, he was not happy. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Prov. He was trusting first in power, position, and riches. Glad you found it useful Nekky. The first, and by far the more dangerous, is called lepromatous; and the other, a more benign type, is designated as tuberculoid . Naaman went from his problem to Gods solution which was more than simply the healing of his leprosy. A servant of Elisha, Gehazi, seeing Naaman being turned away from offering God offerings, ran after him and falsely asked for clothing and silver for visitors. So, the four concerned servants tactfully sought a way to show Naaman that it was not his greatness, by which he would be healed, but by the greatness of the God of Israel. Sin deforms us, but in Christ we are made new creations and can be transformed into His glorious likeness (2 Cor. Here we see a holy Gods perspective of man without Jesus Christ and the ravages of sin. God cannot and will not bless us as long as we are full of pride. Many blessings . Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet(J) in Israel. 9So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elishas house. Elisha on the other hand represents the Lord. However, Elisha, carefully and wisely refuses. The way of faith is the way of humiliation and repudiation of self worth, human ability, or religious works, which then casts us on the grace of God (Rev. People feared lepers as much as they feared the disease. Naaman had contempt for Gods solution and plan. His status made him so. 4:16-19). But what kind of messenger does God use? Irving Jensen says of this: This leprous, dying man had actually the presumption to devise in his own mind exactly the plan by which he wanted his cure to be affected.50. 344, 361, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Naaman&oldid=1151262581, This page was last edited on 22 April 2023, at 22:45. This one word gives us Gods perspective of the true condition of this man regardless of how he was seen and thought of by man. Naaman in the Bible was the commander of the Syrian army who was healed of his leprosy by Elisha the prophet. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. He had expected Elisha to treat him like a very important person and perform a special healing ritual over him. 23By all means, take two talents, said Naaman. He is the commander of the Syrian army, one who was " great and honorable man in the eyes of his master " because, wonderfully, " by him the Lord had given victory to Syria " (see 2 Kings 5:1 ). (2) Whenever the Lord Jesus . Leprosy makes your body rot while youre still living.Those red bumps become white, shiny scaly sores. 1 Cor. I hope the sermon went well. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. Thank you so much for my theology studies in Ministry have a problem with bible survey but almighty is a good teacher i have got it. 6 He brought the letter to king of Israel. When he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please take a present from your servant now. 16 But he said, As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing. And he urged him to take it, but he refused. We are human and vulnerable to this earthly life no matter how accomplished or wealthy we might seem. What a contrast to the little slave girl who thought of others rather than her own plight. Thinking that everyone should treat us the way we deserve to be treated. Elisha supported his new found faith walk by allowing him to take the soul. May I suggest that he listened because perhaps her life spoke volumes! But rather than personally receiving Naaman when the latter arrives at Elisha's house, Elisha merely sends a messenger to the door who tells Naaman to cure his affliction by dipping himself seven times in the Jordan River. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper. Naaman - Wikipedia Further, the implication is that he was also a gracious and delightful man. Naaman had everything he could need - except for good health. . But Naaman went away angry and said, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Verse 12 shows that in Naamans heart a struggle was going on between faith on the one hand and unbelief on the other. Thank you so much for sharing Dorcas. and you shall be clean. A very simple thing to do, surely, but Naaman objected. Before we continue, lets look at the subject of leprosy itself. Why? God bless you richly. But simple faith is not so simple; men object. 2:2-8; 1 Pet. If bathing is the cure for leprosy, there are far better streams than this Jordan in which to wash. He argued, Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?, Satan also played on Naamans pride, and pointed to the way in which he had been treated. My master sent me to say, Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. He did not want to wash in the Jordan because it was the muddiest, dirtiest river around. All illustrate the various good and evil persuasions of people that either aid or hinder bringing men to Christ. [a](B), 2Now bands of raiders(C) from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naamans wife. The passage ("because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria," II Kings 5:1) upon which the identification of Naaman with Ahab's slayer is based by the Rabbis is referred by G. Rawlinson, however, to the Syrian triumph over Shalmaneser II.

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