09/07/2016 WATER HEALING
2 Kings 5 Naaman, Commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little maid from the land of Israel, and she waited on Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord [Naaman] were with the prophet [Elisha] who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” So Naaman went in and told his lord [the king of Syria]….So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman was angry, and went away, saying “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his GOD, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. [Revised Standard Translation]
Summary
2 Kings 5 is a chapter worth reading again and again. The story of Naaman is a story with many layers.
Naaman is described as a great man, highly regarded, a man who had tasted victory; however, no matter what he did, he was saddled with some would call a “handicap.” No matter what great things people might say about him—skilled, warrior, mighty soldier, commander, feared, they would always insert a “but”----“but he was a leper.” It bothered Naaman. It was a visible. It defined his existence. Not matter what he did, people would always see his skin color first.
Naaman was also a military man. He understood the chain of command and military power. In Naaman’s mind, he reported to the king of Syria. As the victor over Israel, Naaman thought he had the right to “be respected.” He thought that if he went to see the prophet from Israel, the land he had defeated, the prophet should, come out and greet him, especially given Naaman’s credentials. That was the least the man could do, for a great military leader, like Naaman. But, what Naaman did not understand was that GOD was in control the entire time. He didn’t understand that Syria was victorious because GOD allowed Syria to be victorious over Israel.