Bitter or Better
How many of you have had someone that has done something to you at one time or another and you now don’t like them?
Have you ever had a situation where you feel like you were treated unfair and you became bitter about it? Passed over for a promotion.
You have a couple of choices when things like this happen to you. You can get bitter, or you can get better.
Today we will be in 2 Kings 5. We be looking at man who had a chose as well. You can read in 2 Kings, Chapter 2 about the Prophet Elijah, one of two people who never saw death, going up to heaven and leaving Elisha, a double portion of his Spirit. Elisha was bald like me. One time a bunch of boys started making fun of his bald head and Elisha cursed them and two bears came out of the woods and had 42 boys for supper.
As we will read today, Elisha, used that double portion in a strange way. His predecessor, Elijah, in named 29 times in the New Testament, while he is only mentioned once. Luke 4:27 There were also many people with skin diseases in Israel in the prophet Elisha’s time. But God cured no one except Naaman from Syria.”
So with all these people with skin diseases, why Naaman? Naaman was a Gentile and the commander of the army of an enemy nation. Naamans encounter with Elisha illustrates to us the gracious work of got in saving the lost.
2 Kings 5:1-3 Naaman, the commander of the Aramean king’s army, was respected and highly honored by his master. The Lord had given Aram a victory through Naaman. This man was a good soldier, BUT he had a skin disease. Once when the Arameans went on raids, they had brought back a little girl from Israel. She became the servant of Naaman’s wife. The girl told her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet in Samaria. Then the prophet could cure him of his skin disease.”
The king of Syria at that time was Ben Hadad II. So as the commander of the army, Naaman would have been the number two man in the nation. He would have been like the Rambo of his time. But with all of his power and prestige, he was a doomed man. This was not an acne problem, this disease would result in death. Maybe he was trying to leave a name for himself, but notice it was the LORD who gave him the victories. Why would the LORD give victory against His own people?
When you look at who was the king of Israel at this time, you get the better picture.
2 Kings 3:1-3 Joran, son of Ahab, became king of Israel in Samaria during Jehoshaphat’s eighteenth year as king of Judah. He ruled for 12 years. 2 He did what the LORD considered evil, but he didn’t do what his father or mother had done. He put away the sacred stone that his father had set up and dedicated to Baal. 3 But he would not give up the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) led Israel to commit. Joram would not turn away from those sins.
The short story of Jeroboam sin, was that when the tribes of Israel was divided into two separate nations. Jeroboam was promised to be the king over the largest of the division, the ten tribes. But Gods law said that they were to still go to Jerusalem to worship. But Jeroboam was afraid that the people would betray him if they continued traveling to Jerusalem to worship the LORD at the temple in Jerusalem (Not his territory) so he had two golden calves made and placed them in two different cities, Bethel and Dan. He then told the people they didn’t have to travel to Jerusalem and they could worship close to home in his territory, where he put the claves at. Then to make matter worse, he also set up false priest, not from the tribe of Levi as God commanded. So false gods and false priest would have led to punishment from God for their sins.
The Lord in His mercy did a gracious thing when He permitted Naaman to bring a captive Jewish girl to be his wife’s maid. She may have been a slave but because of her still trusting God, she was free. This little girl’s simple witness led to the ears of a king. Little is much, when God is in it.
Naaman could not leave Syria without the king’s permission. Syria and Israel were enemies, and his arrival could be greatly misunderstood.
2 Kings 5:4-7 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. The king of Aram said, “You may go. I will also send you a letter to the king of Israel.” When Naaman left, he took 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 10 sets of clothing with him. He brought the letter to the king of Israel. It read, “I’m sending my officer Naaman with this letter. Cure him of his skin disease.” When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his cloths in distress. He asked, “Am I God? Can I kill someone and then bring him back to life? This man sends someone to me so that I can cure his skin disease! All of you should realize and understand that he’s trying to pick a fight with me.”
Do you have any idea how much the gifts he brought would be worth in today’s standards? About 1.2 Million. But notice, the letter was to the king not the prophet. The girl didn’t say if he could go see the king. Both Naaman and King Ben Hadad thought that the prophet would have to do whatever the king would tell him to do. This also indicated that the King didn’t have a relationship with Elisha too. He could have sent for him and said, “Hey buddy, I need a favor.” But he tore his cloths as a sign of his grief. It would be like an, “oh crap” moment. He thought that he was looking for an excuse to go to battle against them. But Elisha got word, he reminded the king that he didn’t have to stress out. God had this!
2 Kings 5:8-12 But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a messenger to the king. He asked, “Why did you tear your clothes? Please let Naaman come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.” Naaman came with his horses and chariot and stopped at the entrance to Elisha’s home. Elisha sent a messenger to him. He said, “Wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River, and your skin will be healthy and clean.” But Naaman became angry and left. He said, “I thought he would at least come out of his house, stand somewhere, call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the infected place, and heal the skin disease. The Abana and Pharpar Rivers in Damascus have better water than any of the rivers in Israel. Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned around and left in anger.
Naaman became bitter. He was this important man and this prophet could not even come out of the house and welcome him? He was expecting some big show to heal him. If it was something as simple as taking a dip in a river then they had much better rivers where he lived. Do you think it was the rivers that would make him clean? No it was the obedience. Elisha knew that Naaman had to be humbled before could be healed. But Naamen was this esteemed leader that expected to be recognized publicly. He wanted to bestow his lavished gifts and be recognized. But instead, Elisha sent out a messenger and told him to travel 32 miles and dip himself into the Jorden River seven times. He had already traveled over one hundred miles to get to Samaria, so what’s another 32 miles. It wasn’t the distance, it was his pride that was the problem. He already had in his own mind how he was to be healed. Elisha would just call on the name of God and wave his hand the infected area and he would be healed.
Isn’t that what we see today? People want to be saved by their own way. I will give money to the church, I will attend church when I can. I will be a good person. Titus 3:5 he saved us, but not because of anything we had done to gain his approval. Instead, because of his mercy he saved us through the washing in which the Holy Spirit gives us new birth and renewal.
Once again we see the Lord used servants to accomplish His purposes. Elisha didn’t ask him to do something difficult or impossible, he asked him to do a simple thing.
2 Kings 5:13-14 But Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “Master, if the prophet had asked you to do some extraordinary act, wouldn’t you have done it? Why shouldn’t you do as he said: ‘Wash and be clean’?” So he went to dip himself in the Jordan River seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. His skin became healthy again like a little child’s skin.
When he was obedient he went from Bitter to Better. When he came up out of that water the seventh time, his leprosy was gone and his flesh became like a little child. It reminds me of when we get saved, the Bible says that we must come to him as a little child.
Naaman still had a lot to learn. He had been saved and healed by trusting God, now he had to learn how to live for God. He did so by instead of rushing back home to share the good news, Naaman returned to the house of Elisha to thank the Lord and Elisha.
2 Kings 5:15-19 Then he and all his men returned to the man of God. Naaman stood in front of Elisha and said, “Now I know that there’s no god in the whole world, except the God of Israel. So please accept a present from me.” 16 Elisha said, “I solemnly swear, as the LORD whom I serve lives, I will not accept it.” Naaman urged him to take it, but he refused. So Naaman said, “If you won’t take it, please have someone give me as much dirt as a pair of mules can carry. From now on I will sacrifice to the LORD alone. I will not offer any burnt offering or sacrifice to any other gods. May the LORD forgive me when my master goes to the temple of Rimmon to worship, leans on my arm, and I have to bow down in the temple of Rimmon. When I do this, may the LORD forgive me for this one thing.” Elisha told Naaman, “Go in peace.”
Elisha turned down the gifts. Could you turn down 1.2 Million? Then Naaman asked if he could take some of the native soil with him to Syria to use to worship the Lord. In those days, people had the idea that the gods of a nation resided in the land, if you left the land, you left the god. But the soil would have been a tool to share God when others asked what he was doing.
His second request was that the king would expect him to continue his official acts as the commander of the army. This would include escorting the king to the temple of Rimmon. Naaman was willing to go through the rituals but he wanted Lord and Elisha to know that his heart would not be in it.
Isn’t it interesting that he didn’t get a scolding from Elisha, telling him that he could no longer do that. No Elisha told him to go in peace. It reminded me of how the Scribes and the Pharisees would question Jesus for hanging around sinful people.
Because of his obedience he became better. He realized that there is a true God and He was the one responsible for his healing. So are you bitter or are you better. The choice is yours.
Ephesians 4:26-27 Be angry without sinning. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the devil any opportunity ?to work?.
1. Some translations say do not let the sun go down on your wrath. The point is to take care of it while you have the opportunity and you will sleep better for sure.
2. You cannot have the right relationship with God and not have the right relationship with others.
Hebrews 12:5 Make sure that everyone has kindness? from God so that bitterness doesn’t take root and grow up to cause trouble that corrupts many of you.
3. When you carry a grudge, who is the one that you are hurting the most?
Colossians 3:12-13 As holy people whom God has chosen and loved, be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Put up with each other, and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
1. What is sympathetic? Kind? Humble? Gentle? Patient?
2. What does it mean to put up with each other?
3. Forgive as the Lord forgave you? What does that mean?
Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred. 32 Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ.
1. GET RID of it!
Romans 12:18 As much as it is possible, live in peace with everyone.
1. Some translations say as much as it depends on you.
2. Some people it’s just best to be nice to when you see them but you can’t make someone like you.
