Seven Ducks In The Stream

Seven ducks in a dirty stream

2 Kings 5:1-14

5:1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.

3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.

5 "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.

6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."

7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel."

9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.

10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

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.

12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, "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’!"

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.

** Naaman was a mighty man in his nation, well known and very honoured. He was rich, and successful in all he did.

BUT: He was a leper!--- In the bible Leprosy speaks of sin.

The greatest destroyer of man today is not famine, not disease, not war, but sin!

You can have money

Power

Wealth

But it is of very little use to us if our lives are wrecked with sin.

There are many things that are similar with leprosy and sin.

Always hidden at first ( In fact its easy)

Is always spreading

Is impossible to cure naturally (Turn over a new leaf)

Always ends in death

Always drives us from the presence of the King.

Naaman took large sums of money and gifts to get healed.

But no amount of money or gifts or good works could heal him he needed a miracle from God.

Just like many of us need a miracle from God tonight.

EPH 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--

not by works, so that no one can boast.

I could offer you a recipe against sin, sickness and disease tonight.

But when you are hungry you don’t need a recipe you need food.

You cant eat a recipe—what you need is the power of God. To set you free from sickness sin oppression and disease.

This is what Jesus has done

Died in our place, Taken our sickness on himself, Taken the chastisement of God for our iniquities , Made a way for us to be whole again.

Naaman in His pride said. I will not humble myself before these people. And appear naked before them to expose my leprosy.

John 1:9 “If we confess our sin, He ( Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.