II Kings 5:12-14 “12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”
Naaman knew there were better waters he could wash in. He was missing the point. God’s prophet told him, “wash in Jordan seven times” (II Kings 5:10 “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.”)
Regrettably, many today also miss the point. Whenever the Lord says to do something a certain way, that is how he means for it to be done. The creator of the universe said in Isaiah 55:8-9 “8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Romans 11:33-34 says, “33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counselor?” These should be proof enough that God’s way is the right way.
Let’s examine II Kings 5:13 (above). Naaman’s servants raise a good question. Would he have done some great thing, had been instructed to do so? Naaman was a proud man, but… “pride goeth before a fall.” God fixed a way whereby no flesh can glory. A person who desires to be exalted shall be brought down, but an humble person shall be lifted up. Naaman should have given his servants much heartfelt thanks for their council. A wise person will receive help from the Lord, even if their first instinct is, “No Way!”
Finally, Naaman relented. He went to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times. Seven is God’s number for completion. Six days God labored; made the world and everything that was in it, and on the seventh day, he rested. The Israelites were commanded to labor for six days, but to rest on the seventh.
To this writer, it does not seem a strange thing that we should give one day to the one who made us, loves us, and cares for us. Notice when Naaman completed the task as given to him by the man of God, “his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” Hopefully, this scripture will help us all the next time we think, “No Way!”
Ricky Wilborn Fort Payne, AL
