Naaman, a discovery and a resolution

The bible does not only record the history of Israel. This incident is the humbling of an important and successful commander in Syria, one of Israel’s main enemies. Syria was at the junction of the North, South and East trade routes and was prosperous. It picked off neighbouring fertile lands at will, including Samaria, and of course took prisoners. The Syrian army commander was a bloke called Naaman who was popular and very important. But he had leprosy. This is a disfiguring disease and usually fatal. Sufferers were excluded from society. One of the prisoners taken from Israel was a bright young girl and she was appointed as a maid to Naaman’s wife. She told her mistress about the “prophet” in Israel called Elisha whose god could heal. With the backing of the Syrian king, Naaman immediately sets off with a huge reward in gold and silver and ten new suits for the puppet king of Samaria and asks to be introduced to this prophet he had heard of. This incident deals with the pride that he had and probably was not aware of and then a good resolution. There are a number of other incidents recorded about Elisha which we may look at one day

Panic. The Israeli king in Samaria thinks Naaman’s visit is an excuse or even challenge for war. Elisha only hears about this by chance and sends a message to Naaman that if he wants to be healed, he should go and bathe in the local river Jordan. Not just a single dip, but a complete bath seven times over. Naaman is incensed as he thought Elisha should have done a proper diagnosis and then waved his hands about or something and anyway his local mountain rivers were much cleaner than Jordan was in those days. This prophet man did not even come out to see him but just sent a message. He goes away in a temper. (Wouldn’t you?) Luckily, he had some sensible people with him who pricked his pride and told him to give the humble wash a try instead of formal ablutions just in case the preacher was right.

Results. Naaman the honoured commander decides to try the humble treatment and discovers that he is healed of his leprosy. He tries to reclaim his dignity and offers the gifts that he has brought to Elisha, but Elisha refuses to take anything. Naaman has recognised that God is God and only asks for a load of local soil. This request may seem a bit odd until you realise that the common belief at that time was that a god could only be worshipped on the soil of the nation where that god was recognised. In other words, Naaman is declaring publicly that he believes that God is the real God and so he asks for forgiveness for when he has to take part in official religious rituals in Syria. Elisha accepts this.

Fair is fair. Gehazi, Elisha’s servant who usually struggles to support his master, sees this huge fortune being taken away and returned with no benefits to Elisha. So he decides to run after Naaman and comes out with a lovely story that they had just had a visitor with a need for charity and could he spare just one of the talents. Then comes one of my favourite verbatim quotes from the Bible when food is being handed round when Naaman says “Be content, take two”. Gehazi accepts the two talents and the new suits offered and takes them home and hides them. Next time he goes in to see Elisha he is asked where he has been and denies ever going out. Elisha tells him that he has seen where he went and tells him in no uncertain terms that Naaman’s decision and cure could not be bought with money and Gehazi himself immediately displays the symptoms of leprosy.

Lessons. This story is one of several apparently stand-alone incidents about Elisha. It shows that God is not just for the in-crowd (the Israelites) as Naaman was an enemy to Israelites. He fought them and took prisoners – one of which told him about Elisha. Then Naaman is proud, too proud to wash in the inferior stream. Next his servants “advised” him to obey this apparently unhygienic and humbling action. He did it. It must have taken some courage and it worked. Elisha’s apparent approval for Naaman to participate in the rituals of idolatry seems at first sight to be contrary to the teachings of the likes of Daniel, Amos and of course, Paul. What do you think? Some things may be insignificant. See the full story in 2 Kings chapter 5.

Conclusions. Naaman first made a fearsome discovery. He was a leper. He was one of the most successful army commanders of the time, greatly honoured and rewarded. But he was a leper. He had to forget his pride to make a desperate resolution. An interviewer once asked Sir James Simpson. “What was your greatest discovery?”. “That I was a sinner and that Jesus Christ is my saviour” replied that brilliant chemist and obstetrician. Sir James whose discovery of the use of chloroform mitigated the pains of so many people and enabled operations to take place saving people from agony. What a benefit to society. Naaman’s similar discovery and resolution effected his recovery from leprosy where he also found God to his great benefit. Naaman kept his word and did not attack Israel, but his replacement did attack which led to perhaps one of the most extraordinary victories recorded both in contemporary documents and in the Bible.