Shalom.

We begin our service in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.

Hymns

Today we are going to be reading about the life of a powerful military and political figure, a man of great wealth, position, and power. This man was Naamam, the commander of the Aramean Army. We find this story in the 5^th Chapter of the Book of 2 Kings in the Old Testament.

2 Kings 5:1-16(NLT)

1 The king of Aram had great admiration for Naamam, the commander of his army, because through him the LORD had given Aram great victories. But though Naamam was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.

Leprosy is a disease that now has been eradicated. But in this day it was a very horrible disease. Those who had it became outcasts from their families and their society and they would face a slow, painful, and disgraceful death. I am sure that Naaman had tried everything to rid himself of this disease – except seek help from the Lord who had given him many victories. It is likely that Naaman did not even know or acknowledge that the victories had come from the Lord.

We are a lot like Naaman today. We think we have control over our own life. We don’t see that the blessings we have are from God. We go about our life assuming that we are in control, all that we have has come from our hard work and determination, and that we don’t need any help from anyone. We keep thinking this way as our life starts to spin out of control, going down and down until we are at the bottom of the barrel.

2 At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. 3 One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.”

People who have reached their last straw and are hurting deeply enough will try almost anything to find relief from their troubles. This young girl was used by God giving Naaman one last hope.

4 So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. 5 “Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.”

The king did not want to lose this great commander of his army to this horrible disease, so he sent him off with great gifts and a letter to the King of Israel. This setup may seem strange to modern day Christians and the freedom we enjoy but in Old Testament Israel there was a certain protocol that was observed. Naaman would not just take off and go seek out the prophet; he needed to get the travel cleared by the king. And, the king would not want to interfere with someone else’s charge, so he sent Naaman to the King of Israel to get permission to seek out the prophet. Many of you will not understand this protocol but those called to the biker ministry do.

So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.” 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.” 8 But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” 11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.

Isn’t it interesting how we perceive things especially when they are from the hand of God? Here God was directing this commander down a path that would lead to his healing and yet at every corner he and others were perceiving things incorrectly. The King of Israel thought that the King of Aram was messing with his mind sending this commander to him to be healed of leprosy. To his credit the King of Israel did understand that he was not God or have the power to heal anyone of anything.

God caused the prophet Elisha to send a letter to the king imploring him to not be upset but to send the commander to him. We also see that Elisha did not claim that he was going to heal this man. Elisha understood that all healing comes from God although he does use people as tools in the process at times.

We see that Elisha told him something very simple to do: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” Instead of going to do it the commander got angry, he wanted a magic and instant healing.

13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed!

Is not this human nature, the commander’s officers reasoned with him that if the prophet had told him to do some difficult thing to acquire this healing, he would have done it – but no, Elisha was directed by the Lord to tell him to simply go and wash in the Jordan River seven times?

This is a type of us and our relationship with God. We yearn for healing of our sin and our human nature. God simply asks us to love and surrender to Him and turn from our old ways. Very simple, but we often don’t listen because our human nature wants something more difficult to do so that we can feel like we are earning it from our own human effort. God’s comfort and help in this world and eternal bliss with Him are free and cannot be earned by anything that we do.

15 Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” 16 But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept any gifts.” And though Naaman urged him to take the gift, Elisha refused.

Thankfully Naaman did understand that the healing came from God but he wanted to pay for the healing.

As Elisha would not accept any payment for his small part in God’s healing we are called to serve each other without regard to getting anything back as payment. Jesus came to this earth to give us the greatest healing ever and He asks nothing in return but that we would love Him and each other as He loves us [John 13:34].

You owe us nothing for bringing you the words of God and music and we owe you nothing for making us feel loved. We are to serve each other’s needs as the Holy Spirit calls us to do and do it out of love and concern – not out of obligation [2 Corinthians 9:7-8].

May God bless you and bless the study of His Word.

Pray and Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13

9 … … Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Lord’s Supper

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

… the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, "This is My body , which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. NASB

May the precious body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you unto eternal life. Amen. Go in peace.

Hymns

Benediction

Numbers 6:24-26

24 The LORD bless you, and keep you;

25 The LORD make His face shine on you,

And be gracious to you;

26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you,

And give you peace.'

NASB

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.