Naaman

Naaman (2 Kings 5) A. Jesus referred to Naaman, the leprous Syrian, in LUK 4:27-29. 1. Naaman was cleansed at a time when many lepers in Israel were not cleansed. a. Naaman was an uncircumcised Gentile who would be immersed in Jordan. b. Naaman was a proficient military leader who had success against Israel. 2KI 5:1-2. c. This great man was a leper, a societal outcast by Israel's law. LEV 13:45-46. 2. The Jews were outraged as a result of Jesus bringing this to their attention. Mind that all Jesus was doing was pointing out to them obvious facts from their own scriptures. a. The Jews' rejection of Jesus was owing to their rejection of their own scriptures. JOH 5:46-47. b. The Jews' slaying of Jesus was owing to the same fault. ACT 13:27. 3. Naaman's cleansing and conversion anticipated the cleansing and conversion of the Gentiles under the gospel. c/w ACT 10:28. B. Naaman was a mighty man in valour, like Gideon (JDG 6:12) “...BUT he was a leper” (v. 1). 1. Ironically, Naaman's name means pleasantness. 2. “Note, (1.) No man's greatness, or honour, or interest, or valour, or victory, can set him out of the reach of the sorest calamities of human life; there is many a sickly crazy body under rich and gay clothing. (2.) Every man has some but or other in his character, something that blemishes and diminishes him, some allay to his grandeur, some damp to his joy; he may be very happy, very good, yet, in something or other, not so good as he should be nor so happy as he would be. Naaman was a great as the world could make him, and yet (as bishop Hall expresses it) the basest slave in Syria would not change skins with him.” (Matthew Henry) 3. We do well to come to terms with our weaknesses and infirmities by which God saves us from proud self-destruction and magnifies His grace and strength in our weakness. 2CO 12:7-9. 4. Naaman's condition is analogous to every sinner's condition before God no matter how otherwise favorable his circumstances may be. PSA 39:5; ISA 64:6; ROM 7:18. C. God had arranged for a little maid of Israel to be taken captive by the Syrians and made to wait upon Naaman's wife. vs. 2-3. 1. By her, God would introduce Himself to Naaman. God used dispersion to spread abroad His name. c/w ACT 8:4. 2. Like Joseph in Egypt, she is a model of submission to God's will in difficult circumstances. If she must be a captive servant, she will be a good one. c/w 1TI 6:1. 3. Her faith was not abandoned in all this. She still deferred to the prophet of Israel's God as hope for Naaman's relief. c/w 2TI 3:15. 4. Her childish simplicity and humility is the basis for service to Jesus Christ. MAT 18:3. 5. When disruptive things happen, trust the outcome to God and quietly await His salvation. LAM 3:25-27 c/w PHIL 4:6-7. D. A bird of the air (ECC 10:20) carried her words to the Syrian king, who took them seriously and acted upon them. vs. 5-6. 1. The Syrian king mistakenly assumed that the prophet Elisha was a tool of the king of Israel to do his bidding. c/w NUM 22:5-6. 2. Men of God are sent from God to do God's bidding, which may include rebuking kings. 1KI 18:17-18. 3. The Syrian king also assumed that the gift of God may be purchased with money. c/w ACT 8:20. Naaman 9-7-25 Page 1 of 4 E. The king of Israel reacted hastily in shock and jumped to a bad conclusion. v. 7. 1. We are to avoid evil surmising (framing of conjectures; suspicion, esp. of evil). Beware of defaulting to bad constructions on other’s words or actions. 1TI 6:4. 2. Charity “...thinketh no evil...” (1CO 13:5). 3. Whereas he recognized that it would take the power of God to heal a leper, he apparently did not think of Elisha, whose miracle working fame had spread abroad but who had earlier rebuked him. 2KI 3:10-14. a. (PRO 15:12) A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise. b. The little maid had more faith and character than the king of Israel. c/w PSA 8:2. 4. Elisha reproved the king again and told him to send Naaman to him that he might know that there is a prophet in Israel. v. 8. a. Elisha did not go to Naaman. b. If men would receive relief from Christ, they must come to Him. MAT 11:27-30. F. Although Naaman came to Elisha with wealth, great retinue and preconceived expectations, Elisha gave no indication of being impressed. vs. 9-10. 1. Elisha was not someone who had respect of persons and would cater to wealth or gay apparel. c/w JAM 2:1-6. 2. Ministers of God are to show no partiality (1TI 5:21) and believers in general are to strive to abstain from appearances of evil. 1TH 5:22. 3. That Elisha did not personally appear to speak to Naaman did not diminish the value of the instruction for the power is in the message, not the messenger. G. Elisha's method of dealing with Naaman did not meet with Naaman's expectations, which made him angry. vs. 11-12. 1. Sometimes church members come to a pastor for help, expecting that his help will really be only a rubber-stamp upon their own ideas. 2. Naaman wanted a grand show; he wanted to be humored and entertained by the prophet. c/w JOH 12:9; LUK 23:8. 3. Naaman saw no importance in keeping the ordinance as delivered. c/w 1CO 11:1-2. 4. Naaman seemed to be confusing the benefit with the physical properties of the water. a. The perceived aesthetics of the rivers of Damascus did not make them superior to Jordan. b. God's work and honor is according to the beauty of holiness, not the holiness of beauty. PSA 29:2 c/w 1CO 1:27-29. 5. Naaman went away in a rage, his dignity and intellect insulted. His pride was his enemy. “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy” (JON 2:8). a. Satan was controlling Naaman's mind to hold him in bondage to his leprosy and to his idolatry. b. Naaman's internal conflict peaked just before he submitted. Satan fights hardest when he is about to lose (LUK 9:42). Remember this when trying to convert others to the truth about God and themselves. H. Naaman's servants respectfully bade him to reconsider by virtue of a simple but profound argument. v. 13. 1. Wise men will receive good advice regardless of its source. PRO 1:5. 2. How many, like Naaman, will not follow simple gospel order because they deem that God's purpose is hindered by such simplicity? I. Naaman yielded to the word of God, which yielded salvation for him. v. 14. 1. Having to wash himself seven times would test his faith; six times would not get results. 2. Naaman's washing in Jordan is explained as dipping himself in Jordan. It was a self- Naaman 9-7-25 Page 2 of 4  baptism. a. The Hebrew word translated wash is rachats, which means “to lave (the whole or a part of a thing): bathe (self), wash (self).” b. Examples of rachats are also found in SON 4:2; PSA 60:8. c. Rachats obviously depicts immersion. d. This was a saving cleansing by immersion in water. c/w ACT 22:16. 3. Naaman forsook his pride to find mercy and grace. JAM 4:6. 4. His flesh that had been consumed by disease came again in youthful freshness. See here the hope of all believers suffering with infirmity. JOB 19:25-27. J. After this, Naaman no longer viewed Elisha as someone who should serve him; rather, he viewed himself as Elisha's servant. v. 15. 1. Whereas God could have judged Naaman for turning away in a rage, He left open for him a door of mercy which resulted in Naaman returning to God in humble gratitude. 2. Naaman confessed, “...now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel...” Elisha's prophecy (v. 8) came to pass. 3. Naaman emerged from Jordan with not only a renewed body but with a renewed mind! He was converted from the “...power of Satan unto God” (ACT 26:18). K. Elisha refused with an oath to accept Naaman's offer of a reward of gratitude. v. 16. 1. There is a need for discernment in accepting gifts. 2. Receiving a gift could sometimes give the wrong message. GEN 14:22-23. 3. Sometimes not taking a gift teaches a lesson. 2TH 3:8-9. 4. Naaman could return to Syria with a report that God had taken nothing from him but his idolatry and leprosy. L. Naaman requested two mules' burden of earth, declaring that he would henceforth offer burnt offering and sacrifice to no other gods, but the LORD only. 1. He was no ecumenist who believed that Deity is known and approached by many names. c/w ACT 4:11-12. 2. Note again his humility. He asked for the earth and considered himself Elisha's servant. 3. The request for the earth was obviously for the purpose of sacrifice. An earthen altar would meet with God's requirements. EXO 20:24. 4. This renewed man desired to serve and worship God. 5. Elisha's response, “Go in peace” (v. 19) indicated his approval of Naaman's resolve. a. Mind that Naaman would be offering sacrifice outside of the prescriptions of Moses' law. b. This anticipated the abolition of “...the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances” (EPH 2:15) which existed between Jew and Gentile. M. Naaman sought the pardon of the LORD for whenever he would bow in the house of Rimmon because his master would be leaning on his hand. v. 18. 1. He was not trying to avoid identity with the true God. His confession and honor of God were very public, done before “...all his company...” (v. 15). 2. If he was trying to “fudge,” why would he even open himself up to rebuke by mentioning this? Mind that Elisha did not rebuke him but bade him, “Go in peace.” 3. His presence and bowing in the house of Rimmon would be a matter of assisting his master as a civil servant, not a matter of devotion to Rimmon. N. This incident compares with a gospel conversion. 1. Naaman was like a sinner prior to conversion: full of pride and self-conceit and thinking he can purchase God's favor with something he has. 2. Conversion begins with hearing the report of salvation as Naaman heard of healing. 3. The process involves obedience to instruction from a man of God. ROM 10:14. Naaman 9-7-25 Page 3 of 4  4. One's own thoughts and pride must be renounced. 5. The command of the gospel to be baptized or washed must be obeyed. ACT 2:38. 6. A converted soul confesses God before men. MAT 10:32. 7. A converted soul wishes to express gratitude for God's favor by giving of his substance. 8. A converted soul embraces the service of God. 9. A converted soul must still live in and deal with a contrary world. 10. Newly converted persons often struggle with scruples of conscience in trying to practice their new faith in an unbelieving world. O. “Thus must we take to ourselves the shame that belongs to us, and with broken hearts call ourselves by our own name, Unclean, unclean - heart unclean, life unclean, unclean by original corruption, unclean by actual transgression - unclean, and therefore worthy to be for ever excluded from communion with God, and all hope of happiness in him. We are all as an unclean thing (Isa 64:6) - unclean, and therefore undone, if infinite mercy do not interpose. (2.) He must give warning to others to take heed of coming near him. Wherever he went, he must cry to those he saw at a distance, ‘I am unclean, unclean, take heed of touching me.’ Not that the leprosy was catching, but by the touch of a leper ceremonial uncleanness was contracted. Every one therefore was concerned to avoid it; and the leper himself must give notice of the danger. And this was all that the law could do, in that it was weak through the flesh; it taught the leper to cry, Unclean, unclean, but the gospel has put another cry into the lepers' mouths, Luk 17:12, Luk 17:13, where we find ten lepers crying with a loud voice, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. The law only shows us our disease; the gospel shows us our help in Christ.” (Matthew Henry on LEV 13:45-46). Naaman 9-7-25 Page 4 of 4