2 Kings 5:1-14 Overcoming Setbacks In Life
Imagine this: You graduated from the University with honours. You are intelligent and were soon employed by a big and famous company. You did well and were promoted a few times. Now a CEO of the company, and business continues to expand to the regions. You made a name for yourself. You’re smart, famous and rich. But then one day, you felt a pain in your body. It’s a terminal illness. You’re devastated. All the successes of the past mean nothing to you now. All the fame and riches does not matter. You just wanted to stay alive.
Naaman was in a similar situation – he was Commander of Syrian army. Verse 1: “a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded”. A great leader. Won many battles and “a valiant soldier.” He is smart and daring soldier. General Naaman has the world under his control. He had everything you and I crave for. He was at the height of his career.
Unfortunately there is a big BUT - he was a leper. Leprosy is like Aids today, terminal. He is doomed, will be quarantined for life. No cure in his times. Naaman, the powerful Commander, is now powerless, sick man. Beneath that glamorous armour is a problem that is breaking him. His status, fame, intelligence and past achievements do not really matters now. Everything looks insignificant.
When the maid introduced a prophet in Israel, which was probably the best news he could hear. What he needs now is to find God.
When everything is going well in life, we have no time for God. We don’t even acknowledge Him. We just live our life in whatever way we want. Naaman used to have everything going for him, but now he needs God.
(1) God Is Our Only Way – Seek Him
God uses CRISIS in life to wake us up and help us see what truly matters in life. Naaman would have gone through life trusting himself and all his achievements, but now God brought a halt to this journey – the crisis led him to the God of Israel. At the end of it, he will know that there is only one true God in all the world, and that’s the God of Israel. (5:15)
GOD is what Naaman needs. He has everything that man would want today, but that is not enough. What we need is not more of wealth, status or accomplishments. What we need is more of God – to know Him, love Him and stick close to Him. We may have everything in our favour, just like Naaman, but one day we’ll realised that these do not matter. Jesus says, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt 16:26)
What are we seeking today? Naaman needs to know God and be saved. God brought him that blessing, but only through a crisis. Very often, God do the same for us. Crisis in life are wake-up calls for us to turn away from this worldly pursuits and back to Him. Every crisis is a challenge for us - a challenge of faith in God.
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God in His sovereignty provided a way out for Naaman. His wife has an Israelite maid, captured in one of the battles. This maid introduced him to a prophet in Israel who can help. This was the only hope he has. So Naaman left for Israel, taking with him silver, gold and clothing, preparing to pay for his healing (5:5). He went first to the King of Israel, and was later directed to prophet Elisha’s house.
Standing outside the house, a messenger came and said, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” (5:10).
Imagine this, Commander Naaman with his group of men and all the gifts he brought along, standing outside and wasn’t even invited in. And was told to wash – in river Jordan – worst than the rivers back home – and to wash 7 times. Naaman must be thinking, “Do you know who you are talking to?” He was angry – naturally (v.11) and wanted to leave. He didn’t like the way he was being treated.
(2) God’s Way Is Different From Ours – Submit to Him
This was a challenge of faith. 5:11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.”
Very often, we come to God in the same way. We have our plan and we expect God to say YES to it. “Lord, give me a cure. Wave your hand and let the problem disappears. And I will be on my way.” We want Him to save us - to fix our problem and we want it a quick fix.
Why did God make it so difficult for us? It’s not difficult, just different – God’s concern is not just physical healing – He wants to see faith, He wants to see obedience, He wants to see humility… He wants us to receive the Giver, not just the gift. A crisis may be God’s tool to create submission in you, and you learn what it means to obey His will and not your own.
Obeying God was not what Naaman was expecting. He thought he could bring some gifts and buy some help. But God wanted to save his soul – faith in Him and obedience to His words – this is more important than mere physical healing.
The worst thing that can happen is for us to walk out on God even before we receive His healing; not because He was not willing, but we have no faith; not because He cannot heal, but we do not want to submit to His ways. It would be sad if we want things our own way and lose God’s blessings.
We thank God - Naaman did not leave. The servants were there to urge him – “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, `Wash and be cleansed’!” (5:13)
The servants are in fact saying, "what do you really want?" You want healing? It’s so simple – wash and be cleaned. Or do you want to keep your "face" (reputation) and leave, then you’ll keep that leprosy with you all your life.
5:14 “So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.”
That’s why we need Christian friends, we need brothers and sisters in Christ, and we need fellowship. We need to build relationship with a few closer Christians - those who are close enough to know our problem and prompt us to do right. Make time for fellowship, this is very important.
(3) God’s Way Is Faith – Trust Him
Have faith in God. That’s the lesson. You can trust Him. Never mind if you do not understand everything, do as He says. It’s easy to believe God for something you’ve already seen Him do before. But Naaman’s circumstance wasn’t easy – he had a terminal disease, and nobody he knew had ever been healed of it. He has no point of reference to look back on. And he was told to do something irrational. To an army General, this was difficult. It takes faith.
Not only did he receive physical healing, God saved his soul - 5:15 "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.” Not only is He a powerful God, but that He is the only true God.
Once Jesus was with his people in his hometown in Nazareth, and He has this to say about Naaman:
Luke 4:27 "And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed - only Naaman the Syrian."
In order words, only Naaman was willing to put his faith in God. Jesus said this as a reprimand to His listeners (the people in Nazareth) because they were not willing to trust Him; their hearts were full of unbelief.
Are you facing a crisis in your life, like Naaman? ...a physical ailment that has been a lingering problem? ... a crisis in your marriage? ... a hopeless situation at school? Can you trust God? Would you pray and submit to His way?
Naaman was forced to look away from his own achievements, his own wisdom, his own strength... and turned to the God of Israel. Today we must do the same. Stop focusing on the circumstances and start looking to God! He doesn’t need a precedent to do something great. We can trust Him. Someone once said, "In Genesis God hung the earth on nothing - and it’s still turning every day!" What can He not do for you today?
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Brothers and sisters, there are many Naamans around us. Some are in this church, among us. Others are out there. They are our neighbours, our colleagues, our classmates, our teachers, our friends.
God used a maid to save a dying general. God used a group of servant to encourage Naaman to do the right thing. They were privileged to be close to their Commander - close enough to see his real problem and then give the right advise. Today we are these servants. When God puts us close to someone - colleagues, classmates, neighbours - He gives us the privilege to know some things about the person (his pain, hurts, illness...), God does it so that you and I can speak a word that would give them hope, a word that can sustain the weary (Isa 50:4). They need someone who will reach out and touch them, who will love them, who will see their pain and tell them where they can find help
God has placed you where you are to make a difference. Treasure the privilege you have that no one else has. And let the words we say bring hope and life them. As in Naaman’s case, it makes a difference whether the person will live or die.
Now, money can do a lot, but it can never buy for a person the healing of their soul or the peace of his mind. Dear friends, the so-called gods of this age cannot save us and give us eternal life. Only Jesus can heal us from this spiritual sickness called sin. Acknowledge of our need of Him. Accept Jesus as your Saviour and invite Him into your life.
Rev Christian Cheong
Kim Tian Christian Church
Singapore
