Naaman was furious. Never in his life had he felt so humiliated.😡
Do you remember this guy? His story is found in 2 Kings, chapter 5. This successful commander of the Aramean army was used to being respected - by both his king and his men, according to scripture. It appears he even won over a foreign Hebrew girl captured on a raid into Israel.
Naaman was a popular military commander, but also suffered from tzaraat, a skin affliction translators often call “leprosy”. Historical descriptions of tzaraat vary widely, from conditions that sound like psoriasis to large patches resembling wasp stings. While Naaman clearly wasn’t isolated, as true leprosy requires, he obviously longed for healing. And this Hebrew girl, who became his wife’s servant, encouraged her mistress to send her husband to Israel to be cured by God’s prophet.
With the Aramean king's blessing, Naaman crossed into enemy territory carrying gifts for the king of Israel. The shaken Israelite king sent Naaman to the prophet Elisha at the prophet’s own direction. But when Naaman’s chariots arrived at Elisha’s house, the prophet simply sent his servant out to instruct him to wash in the Jordan River seven times to be healed.
This was NOT what Naaman had in mind. He had pictured Elisha publicly calling on God and waving his hand over the diseased spot, making it disappear before his eyes. He was tormented for years by this disease. He suffered so much, that he went to all these lengths, lowering himself enough to visit an adversarial foreign leader, who then passed him off to a prophet. And now that prophet sent his servant to the door and told him to take a bath in a muddy river. He was not used to this kind of treatment.
Naaman stormed off in a rage. Thankfully, a wise servant stopped him before he returned home. Naaman would have happily performed a great deed if Elisha had asked, the servant reasoned, so what could a quick dip in the Jordan hurt? The army commander relented. He dipped in and out of the water seven times, and was healed.
It’s easy to criticize Naaman’s initial reaction, but are we really that different from him?
At times, most of us have probably:
Balked at something God told us to do because it wasn’t what we had in mind
Hesitated to apologize because we were too embarrassed
Failed to take steps toward healing because they seemed hard or humiliating
Deep down, for most of us, making grand, dramatic gestures feels better than taking up our cross daily. Praying for rescue from self-inflicted wounds is easier than making hard changes in our lives. And humbling ourselves is, well, humbling. We have the luxury of critiquing Naaman thousands of years later, knowing how his story turned out. But how do we react when we’re in his shoes?
In 2 Timothy 3:16, we’re told that all scripture is inspired and is useful for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Naaman’s story, found in 2 Kings 5, does all of these and more:
It teaches us that God cares about those who are not yet believers. And that we, like the Hebrew girl, can lead others to God.
It warns us to walk in humility so we don’t risk thinking too highly of ourselves. Otherwise, our pride may get in the way of our healing and God’s blessing.
It reminds us that God is sovereign, and His ways are always better than ours.
It reassures us that God wants the best for us, and that He is always ready for us to turn back to Him, no matter how we’ve reacted in the past.
Naaman had one fair point - there was nothing special about the Jordan River. Most of the object lessons in the Bible aren’t about the “things” themselves, but about the faith required to follow through, even when it doesn’t make sense. Despite his initial pride and anger, Naaman was blessed when he stepped out in faith. And we will be, too.
Where is God calling you to step out in faith?
Is your pride getting in the way of your healing and God's blessing?
How will today be different?
Kristin Yarbrough, Worthy Content Writer
*This is part of our quarterly series: Empowered to Repent. Join our discussion on our social media platforms.
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