MORE LIKE THE MASTER (2 KINGS 5:19-27)
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The six most important words in the English language are:
“I admit I made a mistake.”
The five most important words in the English language are:
“You did a good job.”
The four most important words in the English language are:
“What is your opinion?”
The three most important words in the English language are:
“If you please.”
The two most important words in the English language are:
“Thank you.”
The one most important word in the English language is:
“We.”
The least important word in the English language is:
“I.”
Elisha the prophet was an extraordinary prophet and he had a very interesting servant by the name of Gehazi. The last chapter featured a slighted, shameless and shocked Gehazi who tried to turn away (2 Kings 4:27) the Shunammite woman grabbing the prophet by the feet and seeking him to revive his dead son. Elisha responded by sending Gehazi to lay the prophet’s staff upon the face of the child to wake the boy, except the boy did not recover (2 Kings 4:31), so Elisha had to himself do the healing, to the shock and shame of the servant. Then Naaman came along and the downfall of the temperamental, testy and troubled servant was complete.
What are your motives of serving? How is your attitude when you are slighted, snubbed or shamed? Why is selflessness and steadfastness required of all God’s servants, regardless the task or treatment?
Be Gracious, Not Grudging
19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” (2 Kings 5:19-20)
“I am delighted to meet you,” said the father of the college student, shaking hands warmly with the professor. “My son took algebra from you last year, you know.”
“Pardon me,” said the professor, “he was exposed to it, but he did not take it.” (More Toasts, Gertrude Stein)
Gehazi is synonymous with disobedience, dishonesty, discontent and dissatisfaction. The phrase “GO in peace,” with “go” in the imperative mood uttered by Elsiha, would have settled and sealed the story of Naaman in the most beautiful way, but not to the discontented and displeased servant Gehazi. The same imperatival usage was formerly given as a blessing and a benediction from a father-in-law (Ex 4:18, Jethro to Moses), from a priest (Judg 18:6), from a judge (1 Sam 1:17, Eli), from a friend (1 Sam 20:42, Jonathan), and from a king (1 Sam 29:7). It was a perfect end to an exhausting, encouraging and excellent day. However, there was no peace in Gehazi, who spoke to himself (v 20), ran after Gehazi (v 20) and took his share. The benediction and blessing “GO in peace” was the definitive, direct and decisive and departing and demanding way to close, celebrate and commend the case.
The first thing we know about Gehazi was his status. He was introduced in the Bible six times as “servant” – twice as “Gehazi his servant” (2 Kings 4:12, 25), and once for “servant of Elisha the man of God” (2 Kings 5:20), “thy servant” (2 Kings 5:25), “servant of the man of God” (2 Kings 6:15), and “Gehazi the servant of the man of God” (2 Kings 8:4). Further, Gehazi addressed Elisha as “my master” twice (vv 20, 22) and Elisha was called “his master” once (2 Kings 5:25). As servant he was not in the position to change, correct, challenge or confront his master. His job was to act as go-between, carry out orders, get things done, please his master and lighten his load.
When the healed, humbled and happy Naaman left, Gehazi had a heavy dose of remorse. The verb “too easy/spare” (v 20) is translated elsewhere in the KJV as withheld (Gen 20:6), kept back (Gen 39:9), held back (2 Sam 18:16), spare (2 Kings 5:20), refrain (Job 7:11), assuage (Job 16:5), reserved
(Job 21:30), forbear (Prov 24:11), hinder (Isa 14:6). He felt that Naaman was let off the hook too lightly, without rhyme, reason or remuneration. Some sort of repayment, reward and reimbursement were justified. Not only could Naaman could afford to pay, he was a Gentile, a captain and an invader who departed too easy, scot-free with no cost attached.
Gehazi’s disrespectful and disparaging phrase “Naaman this Aramean” (v 20) was a departure from Naaman’s lofty and lowly status, lofty by man’s standards as previously he was “Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria” (2 Kings 5:1, and lowly because the king called him “Naaman my servant” (2 Kings 5:6), but Naaman was never previously discriminated or despised.
The verb “brought” (v 20) was previously referred to the letter Naaman brought to the king of Israel (2 Kings 5:6) and the horses and chariot that “went/brought” with Naaman (2 Kings 5:9), but Gehazi only cared for the goods he brought. The verb “run” (v 20) is repeated in verses 2 and 21. Gehazi was determined to make Gehazi pay and make him poorer and
Be Generous, Not Greedy
22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’” 23 “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi.
Leo Tolstoy, the famous Russian writer, had a deep insight into human nature. In one of his books he speaks of a Russian peasant who was told that he could have all the land he could measure by walking in one day, from sunrise to sunset. The agreement stipulated that by sundown he must be back at his starting point. The man envisioned great holdings.
Early in the morning the man began walking; but as he realized that every foot of land on which he stepped belonged to him, he began to run at a feverish pace. The agreement stipulated that by sundown he must have returned to his starting point. His greed was so great, however, that more than half his time had elapsed before he turned back. He had to run at top speed to beat the setting sun. It was a real struggle. If he were not at the appointed place, he would lose all. He finally made it. But even as his foot touched the starting point, he fell dead from exhaustion.
All that he gained in the end was sufficient land for his dead body—six feet of earth. That was his final inheritance. (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 341).
The claim “my master sent me” (v 22) made Elisha into a lying, hypocritical and greedy person. Previously Naaman “urged” Elisha to accept a gift from him, but the prophet “refused” (v 16) and replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” A prophet is as good as his words. He speaks in the name of the Lord (Deut 18:22) and prays for other (Gen 20:7).
Further, Gehazi invoked the Lord’s name to emphasize his sincerity, identity with Gehazi and abuse his authority. It was a good last word to and a conversation or conflict. The meeting of the commander or captain with the prophet was a clash of two egos and titans. The decline of the gift was firm and final. The verb “urge” (v 16) is translated as pressed (Gen 19:3), urged (Gen 33:11) and stubbornness (1 Sam 15:23) and Elisha’s action is in the intensive piel stem, to be translated as “utterly refused.”
Gehazi dragged Elisha’s name into the mud and threw his master under the bus when he implied that his master changed his mind, made a U-turn, and needed the money. Not only that, Gehazi involved two more pieces of information (v 22) – prophet and mountains, to make it more needy and heartbreaking - in his spin and sob of a tale. The need was dire, the guests were deserving and the trip was tiring, it was implied. Ephraim was known for her narrow mountains (Josh 17:15) and harsh conditions (Jer 4:15). Gehazi ended with an imperative “give” in verse 23. It was demanding, deceiving and deliberate. For instance, there are 35 instances of “give” in the New Testament but none is an imperative for money. A talent of silver was merely a tenth of what Naaman brought and two sets of clothing were one fifth what Naaman had (2 Kings 5:5). It was peanuts to the commander as well as the prophet.
Be Genuine, Not Guilty
24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left. 25 When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” “Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered. 26 But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? 27 Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow. (2 Kings 5:19-27)
“Have you lost half a crown?” a small boy asked with his hand in his pocket.
“Y-es, yes, I believe I have!” said the stranger feeling in his pockets. “Have you found one?”
“Oh, no,” said the boy. “I just want to see how many have been lost today. Yours makes fifty-four!”
Elisha asked Gehazi one of the shortest questions in the Bible: Where, Gehazi? (v 25). In between the question “where” and the name “Gehazi” technically there is no “have you been…?” (KJV), “comest thou” (KJV) or “did you go…?” (Holman) It was a question steeped with disappointment, distrust and displeasure. This “where” question is in its shortest form in the Bible, with no noun or verb added, just simply “Where, Gehazi?” The accusation was clear, candid, compassionate and civil. It was the time to come clean but Gehazi played the possum, passed the bucket and protested his involvement, innocence and irreproachability.
Gehazi’s answer to Elisha opened another can of worms. The first lie was to say he did not go anywhere (v 25). The terse, touchy and token answer was unseen in the Bible, with the negative “no” unusually leading the way, not a very good answer to one’s master, a seer or a prophet. The Hebrew answer in five words is, “Not go ‘thy-servant’ where, where.” The last “where, where” is for emphasis, meaning “wherever.” Gehazi must have gone a long time because commentaries speculated the distance (v 19) was half a mile to a mile.
Gehazi hid the treasure in a tower (Hebrew), and not a house - safe from the prophet’s sight and strong enough from the eyes’ penetration, but he was foolish and helpless enough to bring servants and men with him–both plural (v 24) - who could testify against him. He insisted he went nowhere because he had sent the men away (v 24), thinking the incriminating witnesses and evidence had left, too. He required servants and men because each talent was about 120lbs. weight (Adam Clarke's Commentary). He
It was a kind gesture from the prophet to his servant to let Gehazi disclose rather than deny the truth, acknowledge rather than accentuate his mistake, redeem rather than regret his future. The lie was futile, foolish and feeble.
Conclusion: Have others’ success and stability make you glad or gripe? Are you grateful for what you have rather than grudging for what you do not have? We are in a position to serve the Lord, share His resources and seek His glory, not succumb to temptation, secure our rights and store our resources. Are you focused on serving or striving, giving rather than gaining, advancing more than aiding?
