Session 8 2 Kings 5:1-14
2 KINGS 5:1-14
MEMORY VERSE: 2 KINGS 5:13
We all know people who ignore their doctor’s advice. The doctor may encourage them to change their diet, get more exercise, or more sleep. For some, receiving any medical advice, especially when it involves a simple change, appears to make them more determined to do it their way. Our pride can get in the way of making changes that could help us in the long run.
Israel’s King Ahaziah became sick but chose to inquire of Baal-zebub rather than the Lord over whether he would recover (2 Kings 1:1-2). Elijah told Ahaziah’s messengers the king would die (1:3-8). Elijah later came to the king personally and confirmed Ahaziah’s impending death, which happened just as Elijah said (1:9-18).
Elisha stayed at Elijah’s side as the time of Elijah’s earthly departure approached (2:1-8). Elisha requested a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, and Elijah told him he would have it if he witnessed Elijah’s departure (2:7-10). Elisha saw this moment and immediately received power from God (2:11-14). Prophets in the area wanted to search for Elijah, though Elisha discouraged them from doing so (2:15-18).
When Israel’s King Jehoram faced a threat from Mesha, king of Moab, he joined forces with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah (3:1-7). Jehoshaphat suggested the two kings consult Elisha, and Elisha promised victory (3:11-20). Moab was defeated just as Elisha said (3:21-27).
A widow of one of the sons of the prophets faced financial hardship after her husband’s death (4:1). Elisha multiplied the amount of oil she had so she could pay her debt and live on the rest (4:2-7).
A prominent woman of Shunem and her husband provided Elisha food and lodging when he passed through their city (4:8-10). Elisha blessed the woman and told her she would bear a son the following year, which she did (4:15-17). After the child became a young man, he died suddenly (4:18-20), but Elisha raised him from the dead (4:21-37). Elisha also demonstrated God’s power through other miracles at Gilgal (4:38-44).
Naaman, a captain of the king of Aram’s army, contracted a serious skin disease, but his wife’s Israelite slave girl said she was sure Elisha could heal him (5:1-3). When Naaman came to the king of Israel, the king did not know what to do, but Elisha did (5:4-8). Through a messenger, Elisha instructed Naaman to dip seven times in the Jordan River (5:9-10). Naaman grudgingly followed Elisha’s instruction and experienced healing (5:11-14). Elisha then refused a reward from Naaman and sent him away in peace (5:15-19). Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, saw an opportunity and deceitfully collected a large sum of money and goods from Naaman (5:20-24). However, the Lord had revealed the matter to Elisha, who told Gehazi the skin disease that had rested on Naaman would now fall on him (5:25-27).
EXPLORE THE TEXT
1 Naaman, commander of the army for the king of Aram, was a man important to his master and highly regarded because through him, the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was a valiant warrior, but he had a skin disease.
Second Kings 5 introduces the reader to Naaman, commander of the army for the king of Aram. The country of Aram was also called Syria, and Aram’s king was probably Ben-hadad II, who had battled King Ahab in earlier years (1 Kings 20:1-34; 22:1-40). Naaman was a man important to his master. Further, he was highly regarded because through him, the LORD had given victory to Aram. God was working in Aram and in Naaman’s life, though Naaman did not realize it.
Naaman was a valiant warrior who had seen much military action. However, he had a skin disease. Some translations render the term skin disease as “leper,” and that may be the sense here. Naaman’s condition provoked fear in others and caused him to seek a cure.
2 Aram had gone on raids and brought back from the land of Israel a young girl who served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his skin disease.” 4 So Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 Therefore, the king of Aram said, “Go, and I will send a letter with you to the king of Israel. So he went and took with him 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, and it read: When this letter comes to you, note that I have sent you my servant Naaman for you to cure him of his skin disease.
Over the course of time, Aram had gone on raids to nearby territories. The Bible records how Aram and Israel rarely were on good terms with each other. In fact, Aram had invaded Israel during the days of Baasha, king of Israel (1 Kings 15:20-21), and also of Ahab (1 Kings 20:1-34). The word raids here probably refers to smaller bands of soldiers who went out on more localized missions. On one of those raids, they had brought back from the land of Israel a young girl who served Naaman’s wife. God had prepared the scene to work a miracle for Naaman.
Naaman did not know the power of Israel’s God (see v. 1), but the Israelite servant girl did, and she spoke with her mistress about Naaman’s problem. She apparently spoke confidently and assured Naaman’s wife, If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his skin disease. The prophet to whom she alluded was Elisha, and she knew enough about him to know God was with him. We do not know how old this girl was, but she was old enough to have faith in God and in Elisha. She provides a great example of the childlike faith Jesus affirmed (Matt. 18:1-5).
Naaman went and told his master the king of Aram what the girl from the land of Israel had said. Some interpreters have noted the unusual scenario—the army commander placed confidence in a young female slave in his household. Most likely, Naaman viewed his situation as desperate. If he did nothing, the skin disease likely would end his life. Probably he had prayed to the gods of Aram, but no healing had come. It appears God used this gentle nudge of encouragement from his slave girl to direct him to the one true God.
The king of Aram responded favorably to Naaman’s request. He encouraged him with the words, Go, and I will send a letter with you to the king of Israel. This letter would indicate the reason the king of Aram had sent Naaman to Israel and probably would request safe passage for Naaman through Israelite territory as he sought healing. Foreign officials sometimes visited another kingdom’s royal court to conduct business (Isa. 39:1-2). The large gift of 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing indicated the great value Aram’s king placed on his commander.
When Naaman arrived in Samaria, he did not go directly to Elisha. Instead, he brought the letter from the king of Aram to the king of Israel. Probably protocol required someone in his position come first to the king, or the king of Aram may have assumed Elisha was part of the royal court. The letter notified Israel’s king, I have sent you my servant Naaman for you to cure him of his skin disease. Perhaps the king of Aram assumed he should work through the king of Israel, though Elisha had God’s power to heal. In any case, the request came because Naaman had chosen to trust his Israelite servant girl, and the king of Aram had chosen to trust Naaman.
God often uses relationships to bring about His purposes. Naaman’s slave girl proposed the right solution to her diseased master, and the master chose to act on her counsel. Salvation is about a personal relationship with God through Jesus His Son, and most of us have become believers because someone else introduced us to Jesus. In that case, a relationship led to our supreme relationship with God. When the disciple Andrew first found Jesus, he immediately brought his brother Simon Peter to Jesus (John 1:40-42). God can and does work through believers to accomplish His purpose.
(In PSG, p. 76)
7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a man of his skin disease? Recognize that he is only picking a fight with me.”
The king of Israel read the letter the king of Aram had sent to him. King Jehoram had no answer for the Syrian king, and he tore his clothes. Tearing one’s clothes was a sign of dismay or deep distress. Joshua and Caleb, Moses’s two faithful spies, tore their clothes when the other spies brought a bad report about Canaan (Num. 14:6). Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes on their first missionary journey when they realized the people were worshiping them as gods (Acts 14:14). Israel’s king lamented because he knew of no solution for Naaman’s problem.
The king of Israel asked a rhetorical question: Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a man of his skin disease? Only God had the power to take life or to restore it. Yet somehow the king of Aram thought Israel’s king could cure Naaman.
The king called those in his court to recognize that he is only picking a fight with me. Sending such a high-ranking official to a foreign king might lead that king to presume the official had ulterior motives. The expression translated picking a fight suggests Jehoram believed Aram’s king had a hidden agenda.
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? Have him come to me, and he will know there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your skin will be restored and you will be clean.”
Somehow Elisha learned the king of Aram had asked Jehoram to cure Naaman of his skin disease, and that Jehoram had torn his clothes in dismay. Elisha sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes?” Israel’s king could not cure Naaman, but God’s prophet Elisha could. Elisha directed the king: Have him come to me, and he will know there is a prophet in Israel. Elisha wanted both Naaman and Jehoram to know God still reigned in Israel.
The king of Israel listened to Elisha and instructed Naaman to meet him. The words Naaman came with his horses and chariots signify the relatively large and impressive size of Naaman’s delegation. Such an important dignitary would not travel alone, and his delegation would provide both security and evidence of his importance. Naaman’s entourage arrived and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.
Naaman was a significant foreign official; however, Elisha sent him a messenger rather than responding to him in person. Naaman was probably used to sending messengers to subordinates, but he was not accustomed to receiving messages through messengers. After all, Naaman regularly met with the king of Aram.
Elisha’s message to Naaman was simple: go wash seven times in the Jordan and your skin will be restored and you will be clean. If Naaman decided to obey Elisha’s instructions, he had a bit of a journey. The closest point of the Jordan River to Samaria lay approximately twenty-five miles to the east. Naaman needed the faith to travel that far to pursue healing.
Believers can view challenges as opportunities to demonstrate God’s character. Naaman’s slave girl knew Elisha had the power of God in him to heal Naaman. Elisha used Naaman’s appearance as an opportunity to point to the one true God of Israel. The apostle Paul told the Ephesian church God was able to do above and beyond all they could ask or think (Eph. 3:20). God displays His power through us when what He does surpasses what we can do.
11 But Naaman got angry and left, saying, “I was telling myself: He will surely come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the skin disease. 12 Aren’t Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and left in a rage.
Naaman did not appreciate Elisha sending a messenger instead of coming himself. Further, Naaman already had rehearsed in his mind how his healing would occur. First, he told himself, he will surely come out personally. Second, Naaman was confident Elisha would stand and call on the name of the LORD his God in some public, visible ceremony. He expected some amazing demonstration of God’s power rather than simply going twenty-five miles to the Jordan River to dip himself seven times. Finally, Naaman assumed Elisha might wave his hand over the place and cure the skin disease. Such an extraordinary gift as curing his skin disease certainly would feature much pomp and grandeur.
Naaman also questioned the nature of Elisha’s directive. Why should he go wash in the Jordan River? He asked aloud, aren’t Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? As his question implied, the Abana and Pharpar, which flow near Damascus, are more substantial than the Jordan River, which usually meanders lazily down the Jordan Valley. Whenever I have taken groups to Israel, people are amazed how small the Jordan River is, so perhaps Naaman was somewhat justified in his thinking. He wondered aloud, couldn’t I wash in them and be clean? Why did he have to go all the way to the Jordan, a very small river, and dip himself there, when he had abundant water back home? Naaman turned and left in a rage.
Pride often gets in the way of people experiencing God’s help. Many gifted and privileged people find it hard to come to Christ because they believe they are better than everyone else. However, the Bible tells us all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). People whose lives are quite difficult know they need help and may find it easier to turn to Jesus. On the other hand, sometimes successful and fairly righteous people by human standards find it difficult to believe they need a Savior from sin.
(In PSG, p. 79)
13 But his servants approached and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more should you do it when he only tells you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” 14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean.
Naaman’s servants approached and intervened in the situation. They knew how profoundly his skin disease impacted his life, and they knew he had come a long way to seek healing. They saw the blow to Naaman’s spirit and ego when Elisha did not come out to meet him personally. They also witnessed Naaman’s disappointment at Elisha’s simple directive to go wash in the Jordan River.
Nevertheless, the servants recognized Elisha had indeed given NaamaLifee solution to his problem. They addressed their commander respectfully with the words my father, and asked him if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? Indeed, the waters of the Jordan did not match the power of the Abana and Pharpar Rivers by Damascus. Yet, based on what they knew, Elisha was a man of God, so Naaman should at least try Elisha’s prescription for healing. The servants encapsulated that thought with their follow-up question: How much more should you do it when he only tells you, “Wash and be clean?”
The servants’ counsel prevailed and Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times. The words went down should be taken literally; Naaman would have descended about 2,500 feet from Samaria to the Jordan Valley, which lies below sea level.
As soon as Naaman obeyed Elisha’s directive, his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy. He no longer displayed the painful features of his disease. The expression emphasizes Naaman’s complete healing from his disease. The text further states he was clean. Naaman was cured of his skin disease, and any Jewish person then would have shown himself to the priest to have the healing verified (Lev. 14:1-32). The text here emphasizes Naaman’s literal cleanness. Naaman was cleansed from his skin disease and got his life back.
Healing awaits those who obediently follow God’s directions. God’s healing takes many forms, and sometimes He chooses not to bring physical healing in this life. However, He does extend compassion to people who follow His commands.
(In PSG, p. 80)
Man
Every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. (See Leviticus 19:18; Romans 12:3-5.)
Examine other references for insight.
Review Luke 4:27 and the surrounding verses, noting how Jesus referenced Naaman as an illustration. What was the point being made by Jesus? How did the healing of Naaman demonstrate that Jesus’s point was true prior to His coming? How does the Luke passage help us better understand the significance of Naaman’s healing?