SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 5
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. [2 Kings 5:1] “”Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.” 2 Kings 5:15]
Is God limited to just a few people, or is He the God of all people?
Some christians act as if God belongs to them, that he works for them.
But God works for all people – for God so loves the world…
It is God that gives victory to Aram through Naaman.
And Naaman learns that there is only one God for the whole world.
“I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed–only Naaman the Syrian.” [Luke 4:24,27]
Jesus laments the fact that His own hometown will not accept His message.
He shows them that this is a recurring pattern, that God has often worked outside of His chosen people because they were not open to Him.
In 2 Kings we see how God’s people forget who He is, and reject Him.
This chapter highlights how a foreigner gets it, while the king, and the prophet’s servant, forget it.
Naaman shows what happens to those who humble themselves before the Lord, and Gehazi shows what happens to those who run after worldly pleasure and gain.
This story also anticipates what happens to Jesus: it is the lowly (like the slave girl) and the outsiders (like Naaman) who get Jesus, while the proud ‘insiders’ reject and lose Him.
Jesus also challenges those who think they are “in” to consider carefully their heart response to Him.
Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [Matthew 7:21]
We may be more like Gehazi than we think…
What are we running after?
What are we clinging to?
What are we covering up?
PRAYER:
Lord, help me to be like the slave girl, hoping in you even when living in exile. And like Naaman willing to be humbled before you.
Make me a servant, humble and true, help me live LORD, my life for You; and may the prayer of my heart always be- make me a servant, make me a servant, make me a servant today
Make me a servant, humble and meek, LORD let me lift up those who are weak; any may the prayer of my heart always be- make me a servant, make me a servant, make me a servant for YOU, today!
LORD, I long to be a follower of You, the only One true leader……
Naaman was a commander and he knew it. He was different than the commander in the NT who said to Christ, Just say the word and my daughter will be healed. Naaman focussed on pomp and circumstance. He focussed on formality rather than just believe. Just do what is told. He expected his men to do just that, but not he himself. He was blinded by his life style, until Jesus came along and opened his eyes so that he could see.
Gehazi’s focus was on himself and the worldly pleasures. He desired to have the toys and wealth of this world. He was in the presence of the Lord and ‘serving Him’ with his master, yet it seemed only to be lip service. He was blinded by the things of this world. They were more important than the gifts of God’s presence. He wanted the good life. He was free to serve and served himself. The slave girl was captive and freely served her master.
As Naaman was given total health freely, do I accept the the gift of salvation freely? Why am I here? What’s my purpose in life? Whose am I? These basic questions surface from time to time. All I need is Jesus to dwell within me and live for Him.
God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name,
I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name,
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share His love as He told me to.
Chorus:
He said, Freely, freely you have received;
Freely, freely give.
Go in my name and because you believe,
Others will know that I live.”
All power is given in Jesus’ name,
In earth and heaven, in Jesus’ name;
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share His power as He told me to.