Elisha Heals Naaman
Chapter 5 records two more miracles by Elisha. This chapter is used by many
as a prophesy of the course that the Gospel of Jesus would take some 800 years
later. The calling of the Gentiles and the rejection of the Jews. The miracle
was the healing of Naaman, the Commander of the army of Syria, of leprosy.
Jesus, speaking of this in Luke 4:27, said, "There were many lepers in Israel
at the time of Elisha, but only Naaman, the Syrian, was cured."
Lets remind ourselves of the story. The Syrians were raiding Israel and on
one of those raids, they carried off a little girl who was given to Naaman's
wife as a maid. When the little girl heard of her master's illness, she
suggested that he go to Israel to see the prophet Elisha who would cure him of
his leprosy. Naaman went to Israel and to the house of Elijah, but Elijah
would not come to the door. He simply sent instructions to him. "Go wash in
the Jordan 7 times and your flesh will be restored".
Can you imagine what this did to the pride of so mighty a warrior as Naaman?
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Where was the respect due him as a Syrian Commander?
Where was the "pomp" and "grandeur" that should accompany such a
mighty deed?
What was so special about the "muddy" waters of the Jordan? Were
not the rivers of Syria more pure and clean?
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Naaman left the home of Elisha in great anger. But fortunately he had some
servants with wiser heads. They talked him into doing as Elisha had commanded.
He went to the Jordan River, dipped 7 times and was healed.
After Naaman was healed he went back to the home of Elisha and attempted to
give Elisha a gift for healing him but he refused the gift and Naaman headed
for home. A servant of Elisha whose name was Gehazi, contrived in his heart to
get some money from Naaman. He caught up with Naaman and made up some story of
a need that had suddenly come up and perhaps Naaman might want to contribute a
talent of silver to help meet this need. Well Naaman was pleased to be able to
do something for Elisha and he gives the servant two talents of silver and two
festal garments. When Gehazi returned home, Elisha confronts him for the
Spirit had told him of the deception. Gehazi tried to lie out of it but to no
avail and the leprosy of Naaman fell upon him and his descendants forever. Now
if Naaman's cure was symbolic of the calling of the Gentile as Jesus indicates
in Luke 4, than Gehazi's judgment may be looked upon as symbolic of the
rejection of the Jews.
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