II Kings 5:1 “1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.”
Leprosy is a disease that causes the skin to be white as snow. It made the one who had it unfit to be in society and gross to look upon. At certain stages of the disease, leprosy is highly contagious as the boils burst and run. However, once the disease has fully taken over the person’s skin, then they are no longer contagious so they were no longer considered unclean, although they were hideous to look upon. Try to imagine being a person of honor and position, as Naaman was, yet stricken with a disfiguring disease that made people want to turn away from you.
II Kings 5:2-4 “2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. 4And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.”
A young Israelite captive was a servant to Naaman’s wife, and the maiden had such a desire for her master’s leprosy to be healed that she told the lady of the house about Elisha, the prophet from her homeland, that she believed could heal Naaman.
II Kings 5:5-6 “5 And the king of Syria said, Go… and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, … 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, … behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.”
When the king of Israel received the letter from the king of Syria he was angered and assumed that the king of Syria was taunting him.
II Kings 5:8-11 “8 … when Elisha the man of God had heard … he sent to the king, saying … let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.”
This instruction from Elisha angered Naaman because it hurt his pride. There was “No Way” he was going to do this simple act. Unfortunately many people today are as Naaman. They desire pomp and circumstance when simplicity and humbleness would be better. Many go unhealed, unsaved, and unblessed because there’s “No Way” they will do things “God’s Way.”
Ricky Wilborn Fort Payne, AL
