The Story of Naaman
2 Kings 5:1-14
"1 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 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!” 8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” 11 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. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy."
I love this miraculous account from the Bible. It's a story we can all relate to because it’s packed with lessons of faith, humility, salvation, and God’s grace. It demonstrates the importance of trusting in God’s plan, even if it’s not what we would expect, and reinforces the need to venture out of our comfort zones. Each of the characters we are introduced to played a vital role in Naaman’s healing, and it is a valuable and essential reminder to us today.
First, Naaman, the main character, is introduced with a glowing resume. He was a commander, a great man, highly regarded, an experienced victor, and a valiant soldier. People admired him as a mighty hero who had everything going for him as a successful leader. But, the passage says, he had leprosy. A disease that was contagious, seemingly incurable. In more extreme cases, lepers were quarantined and died from the disease. So, it was not a small ailment for someone in such a high position, rendering him vulnerable and desperate.
Then a young, captive servant girl who served Naaman’s wife shared a message of hope: “I know someone who can cure him of his leprosy.” What a bold testimony to relay. Oh, that we would be as fearless to share with others what we know about salvation through Jesus. It’s very easy to show our love for the Lord to our Christian friends by offering a prayer or sharing Bible verses of encouragement and expressing to them His faithfulness. But it is not as easy to invite someone to church or share our testimony with a non-believing co-worker, the person at the gym, a classmate, a neighbor, or a hairdresser who needs to know about God’s saving grace.
When the king of Israel read the letter asking for a cure, he was distraught and didn’t understand why the king of Aram would ask him to do such an impossible task. Yet Elisha, the man of God, stepped in and delivered words of reassurance, knowing that all things are possible with God. Many times, we are the same. When something we desire seems out of reach, a relationship is difficult, or a diagnosis is heartbreaking, and our struggles, questions, and fears become more than we can handle, God graciously steps in to reassure us and provide peace. Maybe not a way out, but a way through the difficult circumstances we face.
Naaman was told through a messenger exactly what needed to be done to be healed—wash seven times in the Jordan; a river that was small, dirty, and disgusting. His anger may have seemed like an overreaction—he felt disrespected, frustrated, and skeptical. This task was beneath him. Naaman was ready to call the whole thing off. We see his reaction as quite foolish, but are we any different? We’ve sought God’s help, pleading for hope, wholeness, or a miracle, wishing that God would just wave His arm over us and providentially fix or deliver us from what is afflicting us. It is easy to become upset and impatient when God doesn’t come through in the way we had hoped for or when his timing doesn't align with ours.
Thankfully, Naaman’s servants reminded him that humility and obedience were being asked of him. That it wasn’t the water that healed, but the one true God. God asks for our obedience, to trust His wisdom, to place our hope in Him alone, and to remember His promises. It can be so difficult, but the outcome of a transformed heart and life, along with a deeper relationship with Him, is rewardingly restorative. What a great lesson and reminder for us today of the mighty God we serve, who provides hope, healing, salvation, and grace.
May this song, Mighty to Save, be a blessing to you today.