Gift Of Naaman

But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him”. 2 Kings 5:20

This verse reveals a lot about Gehazi. Gehazi has seen Naaman’s gift, but he has not seen the curse or the leprous nature attached to Naaman’s gift. The leprosy which left Naaman was still clinging to Naaman’s wealth. Elisha did not accept Naaman’s gift after the healing of leprosy because he might have seen the leprous nature still attached to Naaman’s belongings. Since Elisha sees God and stands before God, he might have seen the leprosy attached to Naaman’s wealth. We don’t know how or why Naaman got leprosy.

But we know that the leprosy is attached to Naaman and his belongings. The prophet Elisha since he stands before God, understood that as soon as he accepts the gift, the leprosy would be coming to his household. As a result, he immediately refused the gift. He even refused to meet Naaman before the healing. Elisha instructed Naaman to wash in the Jordan River in order to be healed. Perhaps Elisha noticed the tremendous nature of Naaman’s leprosy and realised that he would need to be washed and cleansed in a large river. The tremendous nature or great magnitude of Naaman’s leprosy needed the use of a big river to wash him. Elisha did not even come to see Naaman and did not want Naaman to come near him.

Elisha might have sensed the great magnitude of Naaman’s sin and leprosy that he did not want to see him and sent a messenger ahead of him. Gehazi did not sense what Elisha sensed. When Elisha sensed something terribly wrong with Naaman’s gift, Gehazi also should have sensed it. When Elisha refused Naaman’s gift, Gehazi should have done the same. Instead, he accepted Naaman’s gift. The gift of Naaman brought with it the disease of leprosy.

Elisha recognised that the healing belonged to the Lord and that the Lord must be repaid. Nowadays, many healing preachers accept gifts immediately after healing. Perhaps, like Gehazi, they are unaware that the sickness has left the person but it’s still attached to the gift. Be careful when accepting gifts after a healing. The sickness might affect you also. The healing is the Lord’s, and it is the Lord who must be repaid, not you. If you continue to accept gifts after healing(without the Lord’s guidance), sometimes the sickness of the healed person might affect you. Naaman had leprosy for his generation, but Gehazi got the leprosy for his and future generations as well.

Be careful that you don’t charge or receive a gift for a healing. The gift you receive is money or something good, but spiritually it might induce sickness and even cause you to backslide. Gehazi was infected with leprosy and forced to live in an isolated place far away from Elisha and the people. Gehazi’s entire life of learning and training was ruined by his greed for Naaman’s gift. The gift proved to be extremely dangerous, and ultimately ruined Gehazi’s career. Gehazi received new garments and money, but what will he do when he is infected with leprosy? The gift you accept without the Lord’s guidance will be used to pay doctors to treat your illness.

Gehazi was with Elisha, but he had not personally seen God and His providence like Elisha had. Gehazi would not have asked or accepted Naaman’s gift if he had seen God and His providence. Gehazi was there with Elisha but still became leprous. It doesn’t matter where you are or what position you hold; if you don’t directly see God and His providence, you risk falling like Gehazi.