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. – 2 Kings 5:11

In 2Kings 5, we read the story of Naaman. He was the commander of the Syrian army. The Bible described Naaman as a mighty man of valor, a great man who was highly favored by the King of Syria because under Naaman’s leadership, Syria had conquered most of her enemies in battle. However, this great army general was also a leper.

In one of their conquests, the Syrian army had taken a young Jewish girl as a captive slave who attended to Naaman’s wife.  The problem of Naaman’s leprosy must have been a burden on the family to the point where the young girl felt she had to help. She told her mistress that there was a prophet of God in Israel who could cure her master’s leprosy.

Naaman goes to his boss, the king of Syria with the news from the slave girl. The king sends gifts and a letter to the king of Israel asking him to cure Naaman of his leprosy.  The king of Israel is distraught and thinks this is a ploy to start another war. The news gets to Elisha the prophet of God who asks the king to send Naaman to him. When Naaman arrives at Elisha’s house, Elisha did not come out to meet  or greet him, instead he sends a message to Naaman telling him to go dip in the Jordan river seven times and his leprosy will be cured.

Naaman expected God to work exactly as he (Naaman) believes God should work – in Naaman’s own way. He did not come really looking for God’s solution, he came looking to God to affirm his own solution to the problem. Naaman wanted to do things his own way, instead of God’s way. 

Naaman feels very insulted that the prophet did not come out to see him. Does Elisha have any idea who he is, he must have wondered. Naaman was very angry and says “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

 Naaman is livid and refuses to do what the prophet asks, why? Because Naaman had a preconceived notion of how the cure was supposed to happen.  He felt insulted that not only did Elisha not come out to see him (the mighty man of valor) and wave his hands or do something over him to cure him, he had the audacity to ask him to go dip himself in the river Jordan which by the way was not as nice or as clean as all the rivers in Syria.

Naaman expected God to work exactly as he (Naaman) believes God should work – in Naaman’s own way. He did not come really looking for God’s solution, he came looking to God to affirm his own solution to the problem. Naaman wanted to do things his own way, instead of God’s way. God was supposed to take His cue from Naaman, after all he was a great warrior. So Naaman stormed off, taking his leprosy with him. He still was not healed, he still was a leper, but he believed his way was much better.

In the mercy of God, Naaman had some wise servants who made a wise appeal to their master. In 2 Kings 5:13-14 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.

 Many Christians are like Naaman, they want God to help them, but on their own terms. They have problems that have plagued their lives and disrupted their ability to experience real joy but are unwilling to submit and yield to the Word of God to help them. They have their own way (which by the way has not solved their problem as they are still searching) but are unwilling to submit t God’s way.  If you are one of those Christians, please repent and turn back to the Lord and submit yourself to His way so you can find rest for your soul. Do not be like those who the Lord addressed in Jeremiah. 6:16

Jeremiah 6:16

This is what the LORD says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

and you will find rest for your souls.

But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Soli Deo Gloria