~ A Man of God: Interactions With
Sinners ~
The Book of 2
Kings provides three differing views in three successive chapters regarding
Elisha—a “man of God”—and his relationships with others.
In Chapter 4 we see Elisha’s
interaction with the Savior.
In Chapter 5 we see Elisha’s interaction
with the sinners.
In Chapter 6 we see Elisha’s interaction
with the saints.
Elisha Was A “Man of God”
~ Like
Chapter 4 there are clear statements that Elisha was a “man of God” (2 Kings 5:8,
14 15, 20).
Elisha Interacts With Naaman ~ “Now Naaman,
commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him
the Lord had given victory to
Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a
leper. And the Syrians had gone
out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of
Israel. She waited on Naaman’s
wife. Then she said to her mistress, ‘If
only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy’” (2
Kings 5:1-3). Leprosy in that day was
like a “dead man walking.” It was
symbolic of sin—and there was no cure except directly from God.
As
this historical account of the miracle of healing leprosy continues (5:1-19) we
find some very interesting interactions.
First, note the words of witness
from the captive young Jewish girl (5:2-3). Next we find words of cleansing in the letter from the King of Syria to the King
of Israel (5:5-6). Next are words of assurance from Elisha to the
King of Israel (5:8). Then we see more words of assurance to Naaman himself
from his servants (5:11-13).
additional comments ~ “And Elisha sent a
messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in
the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you
shall be clean’” (2 Kings 5:10). Two
quick comments. First, the Jordan River
is a muddy dead river, known as “the river of death,” which ends in the Dead Sea—hardly
a place for cleansing from a human perspective.
Second, as is well known, seven
in Scripture often represents completeness and perfection.
applications ~ First, as we see in
verse 11 Naaman was expecting drama, but was given simplicity. Second, verse 12 confirms what we often have
to learn: God’s ways are different than man’s ways! Third, in contrast to Captain Naaman who was a
free man but dead the Israeli captive girl was actually the one who was
free! Fourth, Naaman was able to make a
change in thinking based on evidence (verse 15, “now I know”). Have you, like Naaman, come to know the One
and only True God?
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
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