(1) “Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Jehovah had given victory unto Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. (2) And the Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maiden; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. (3) And she said unto her mistress, Would that my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! then would he recover him of his leprosy. (4) And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maiden that is of the land of Israel. (5) And the king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. (6) And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, And now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. (7) And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.
(8) “And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? 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 chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. (10) And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the 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 Jehovah his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper. (12) Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the 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 to 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 the 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.”
Golden Text.—“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved.”Jer. 17: 14.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What does the Scripture say of the standing of Naaman the Syrian? Of what disease was he afflicted? Verse 1. Note 1. (2) Who had a raiding Syrian band captured in Israel? In whose service was she at this time? Verse 2. Note 2. (3) What ardent wish did she express to her mistress? Why? Verse 3. Note 3. (4) What further was said about the maiden’s desire? Verse 4. (5) When the king heard of the prophet in Samaria, what did he say to Naaman? As Naaman departed, what did he take with him? Verse 5. (6) To whom did Naaman take the letter? What did the letter say? Verse 6. (7) When the king of Israel read the letter, what did he do? What did he say about such a demand? Why did he think such a demand had been made? Verse 7. Note 4. (8) Who else heard of the matter? What word did Elisha then send to the king? Verse 8. Note 5. (9) What then did Naaman do? Verse 9. (10) What message did Elisha send to Naaman? Verse 10. (11) How was Naaman affected by this simple message? What did he do and say? Verse 11. Note 6. (12) How did the Syrian express his contempt for the waters of Jordan? How is his condition of mind again expressed? Verse 12. Note 7. (13) What significant questions did Naaman’s servants ask him? Verse 13. Note 8. (14) How did Naaman show that he saw the force of their argument? And what was the result? Verse 14.
NOTES.
1. That the Lord has something to do in overruling the affairs of earthly kingdoms is shown in His giving victory to Syria over her Assyrian enemies—both of which nations were heathen. For years Benhadad II had withstood the power of the Assyrian Empire, and it had been mainly through the genius and prowess of Naaman. “But he was a leper,” notwithstanding the fact that “he was a mighty man of valor.” Although leprosy is a loathsome disease, it is generally of slow progress, and a man may be afflicted for years without any serious detriment. In Israel, however, the leper was segregated on the first appearance of the disease. Sin is compared to leprosy, in that it is extremely offensive to God, and is incurable by any human remedy. Therefore, no matter how noble in appearance or how gifted in mental endowment one may be, if he be a sinner—a spiritual leper—his natural or acquired qualifications go for naught in the sight of God.
2. These Syrians who had taken the little girl captive were no doubt roving bands of marauders, such as infest the country yet, who went out for robbery and other depredations. The little maid was part of their booty, and they had given or sold her to the great captain’s wife. Girls are still liable to capture throughout that region, as they always find a ready sale.
3. This young maiden seems to have been of a kindly, sympathetic nature, notwithstanding the great wrong that had been done her, and evidently she was now kindly treated. However, the Lord used her as His agent to bring His name to the attention of Naaman, whom He knew to be susceptible to the truth. And through Naaman the power of the God of Israel was manifested to all Syria. God’s plan of missionary work is to set the truth before those of great influence; for, if they will accept it, their indorsement goes far toward a favorable impression upon the lower classes. The Lord will have His name and His truth brought to the attention of kings and others in authority, even if His children have to be forced through oppression or chastisement to bear the message. Thus Joseph came before the king of Egypt; Daniel and others before Nebuchadnezzar and Darius and Cyrus; Paul before the governors of Judea, and before the emperor of Rome; Luther before the dignitaries of Germany; and many other instances that might be mentioned.
4. Jehoram, king of Israel, was the son of Ahab and Jezebel, and we learn from 2 Kings 3:13, 14 that Jehoram was too close a follower of his parents to be on friendly terms with the prophet of God. And it may have been for this very reason that he lived in constant dread of the king of Syria.
5. The same Spirit that moved the Jewish maid-servant in Damascus to mention the prophet in Samaria also moved the prophet to have Naaman sent to him. And the main purpose was beyond the mere physical healing of the Syrian captain; it was that he, and others through him, might know that there was a prophet in Israel, and through that knowledge find salvation.
6. Naaman’s pride came near losing him his opportunity. His oriental love of display, and his being accustomed to personal flattery received a decided reproof. Had the imaginary insult not been overcome, no doubt there would have been more trouble for Israel in future. Yet Elisha had not been discourteous; he had simply treated the great officer as a common man. The prophet of God was dealing with a leper, and not with a great captain. He was prescribing for the needs of the leper, and not entertaining a nobleman. Therefore he simply told him what to do in order to be healed. So all spiritual lepers must stand on an equality before the great Healer. “There is no respect of persons with God.”
7. The only difference between the waters of Jordan and those of the rivers of Damascus was the command of God. No washing in any of earth’s rivers could heal the Syrian’s physical or his spiritual leprosy. The power of God alone could do either.
8. Naaman’s servants evidently had faith that their master was to be healed, and they were loath to have it otherwise, when the thing required was so small. Hence their wise counsel, the reasonableness of which appealed to the better judgment of Naaman. But many a poor sinner is losing eternal life because he is too proud to accept the humble conditions, or to observe the simple commandments and ordinances of God. “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
