Context: Israel and Syria (v1-2,Genesis 25:20, Deut 26:5, 2 Samuel 8:5-6, 1 Kings 11:25)
- According to scholars, Israel and Syria share the same ancestry, going back to Shem
- Isaac’s wife Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian
- Rebekah’s brother Laban is also Syrian
- Jacob (half Syrian?) married Laban’s daughters Leah and Rachel
- Rebekah’s brother Laban is also Syrian
- Moses calls out that Israel’s forefather (Jacob) was a Syrian
- While they were related, there was constant war between Israel and Syria
- Sometimes direct and sometimes because Syria was helping Israel’s enemies
- Absalom hid in Syria
- There was peace during David’s time as he had subdued the Syrians
- However, unrest and war were back on, during Solomon’s reign and continued
- Sometimes direct and sometimes because Syria was helping Israel’s enemies
- God is in control – not just over Israel but Syria too
- Elijah anointed Hazael as the next king of Syria
- Ben Hadad was the king during Naaman’s time?
- Elijah anointed Hazael as the next king of Syria
Who was the little maiden? What was her wish? (v1-4)
- Little maiden was one of the victims of Syrian raids
- She was brought as a captive and ended up serving Naaman’s wife
- She wished that Naaman was in Samaria with the prophet Elisha
- She believed Elisha could heal Naaman of his leprosy
- Food for thought: Captive thinking of and wishing for the best of her captor?
How did the king of Syria and the king of Israel respond to the little maiden’s wishes? (v5-8)
- King of Syria not only permitted Naaman to go on this mission
- He wrote a letter of recommendation?
- Doesn’t look like there was any question / doubts about this mission
- Both Naaman and the king of Syria believed the little maiden
- Naaman $180K worth of silver, $3.8M worth of gold
- Elisha didn’t take any – healing belongs to God – freely given
- The King of Israel thought this was just a provocative act to start a war?
- King of Israel knew that only God could kill and make alive – and heal
- But he didn’t turn to God?
- Neither did he know there was prophet in Israel
- So tore his clothes?
- Neither did he know there was prophet in Israel
- But he didn’t turn to God?
- King of Israel knew that only God could kill and make alive – and heal
- Food for thought: Syrians had more faith than the Israelites?
- A little captive maiden knew more about God then the king of Israel?
What was Naaman’s expectation? How did it turn out? (v9-14)
- That he would be respected? Looks like Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him!
- That it would not involve dipping in Jordan seven times
- Apparently Damascus (Syria) had much better rivers
- His servants convinced him by saying why don’t you “wash and be clean” 🙂
- His flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child – he was clean!
Conclusion
- Are we willing to pray for those who don’t treat us well?
- In times of crisis, do we turn to God?
- Do we try to define how God should help us or trust in God?
Main Passage 2 Kings 5:1-14 – World English Bible (WEB)
5 Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Yahweh had given victory to Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 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 She said to her mistress, “I wish that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy.”
4 Someone went in, and told his lord, saying, “The maiden who is from the land of Israel said this.”
5 The king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
He departed, and took with him ten talents[a] of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “Now when this letter has come to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.”
7 When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes, and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But please consider and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.” 8 It was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your 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 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be clean.”
11 But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper.’ 12 Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them, and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 His servants came near, and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had asked you do some great thing, wouldn’t you have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you, ‘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 was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Footnotes
- 5:5 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds
Notes / Cross References
Genesis 25:20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife.
Deuteronomy 26:5 You shall answer and say before Yahweh your God, “My father (or forefather Jacob) was a Syrian ready to perish. He went down into Egypt, and lived there, few in number. There he became a great, mighty, and populous nation.
2 Samuel 8:5-6 5 When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck twenty two thousand men of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went.
2 Samuel 13:37 But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, king of Geshur. David mourned for his son every day.
2 Samuel 15:8 For your servant vowed a vow while I (Absalom) stayed at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If Yahweh shall indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve Yahweh.’”
1 Kings 11:23 God raised up an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah.
1 Kings 11:25 He (Rezon) was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, in addition to the mischief of Hadad. He abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
1 Kings 19:15 Yahweh said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.
Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give.
