It would be great if we were sensible of our burden of sin. If we treat our sin is a disease of our body we would fix it. And when they seek the blessings of treatment which the Lord sends in answer to the prayers of his faithful people. We will find nothing can be done for us, except when we come as beggars to Jesus Christ for a free gift, not as lords to demand or purchase it.
The backstory for this event involves Elisha, a Hebrew slave girl and a enemy commander named Naaman.
The healing of Naaman, commander of the Aramean (Syrian) army, highlights God’s care for even Israel’s enemy and the contrast between faith and disbelief which we studied last week.

2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master—highly esteemed for his military character and success.
In Israel, leprosy would have excluded him from society, did not affect his free interaction in the court of Syria. Syrians were idolaters, and oppressed God’s people, yet the deliverance of which Naaman had been the means, is here ascribed to the Lord.

LEPROSY (צָרַעַת, tsara’ath; λέπρα, lepra). An infectious skin disease. The word often translated as “leprosy” in the Bible should actually be translated generally as “skin disease” because the exact type of skin disease is unclear; few, if any, of the cases mentioned align with the modern understanding of leprosy. These skin diseases cause uncleanness to the one bearing the disease. Similar to our sin, it is visible for all the world to see.
2Kings 5:2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.

A little maid- captive out of the land of Israel and she waited on Naaman’s wife. Naaman’s spoils of war, he brought a servant girl for his wife.

2Kings 5:3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

The captured Hebrew slave- Told her mistress about a prophet who was in Israel, and that maybe her God would heal Naaman of his leprosy by seeing this, Prophet. Then Naaman’s attention was directed to the prophet of Israel, as the person who might be able to remove his leprosy. This prophet was Elisha; he lived in a house in the capital city of Samara.
2Kings 5:4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
Someone told, what the little Girl said to Naaman’s wife. Our influence on others when we share our God.
2 Kings 5:5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. (Ben-Hadad)

king of Syria- gave him freedom to seek healing from the prophet in Israel.

2 Kings 5:6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy
Naaman, on communicating the matter to his royal master, was immediately furnished with a letter to the king of Israel.

2 Kings 5:7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. (Jehoram Joram)

The king of Israel assumed he was the one who was expected to effect the cure. He also was filled with fear that this was an excuse for war. When we try to do things on our own we fail. God provided a way out for the king.

2Kings 5:8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the King of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the King, saying, wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes?
The prophet Elisha! God will provide a way out of your trouble too! Prayer and the right kind of faith… Mustard seed faith…. Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. And that there is a God protecting Israel.

2 Kings 5 :9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
Naaman set out for Samaria, with about $20,000 in silver, $60,000 in gold & splendid dresses, for festive occasions. Elisha knew Naaman to be a proud man, and he would let him know, that before God all men stand upon the same level.
There was no need for him to offer to pay for anything that Elisha would do for him. Healing cannot be bought if it comes through prayer and the right kind of faith of all involved.

2 Kings 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash In Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come a gain to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

Elisha’s messenger came and gave him the prescription. This prescription he heard from Elisha, whom he had sought to cure his leprosy, was to go into the Jordan River and wash seven times, even today would be considered to be very simple task for a cure. Seven the number of perfection. This was a testing of Naaman’s faith.
The Jordan River– It was not about the quality of the water it was the obedience to Elisha instructions would produce healing. Meaning a boundary, a place of rebirth, and a source of Holy water. Where Israel crossed over into the promised land, rebirth of their new nation, place where many where baptized to include Jesus.

2 Kings 5: 11 But Naaman was worth, and went away, and said. Behold, I thought. “He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.”

Naaman did not shout, but rather growled in anger due to extreme disappointment, collapse of pride, and disregard for Israel and Elisha. “I thought Naaman said. The prophet will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.”
Naaman’s way, he would come to him and strike his hand over the place that was infected. Naaman’s expectation’s was not God’s way.

2 Kings 5:12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So, he turned and went away in a rage.

Seven times like a child’s play, which was incomparable to the Aban and Pharpar Rivers in Damascus, his own county. They were cleaner rivers than the Jordan river. The obedience to Elisha instructions would produce healing.
1, Both the king of Aram (Syria) and the Israelite child—who is a spoil of war (servant)—believe in Elisha’s and God’s abilities. The Girl’s faith (mustard seed faith) in God was prevalent and trust her God to heal her master.
2, Naaman and the king of Israel, ironically, do not believe healing is possible.
3, Naaman’s response, he went away in a rage…
We clearly see in Naaman the folly of pride; a cure will not content him, unless he be cured with pomp and parade. He scorns to be healed, unless he be humored. Human wisdom thinks it can supply wiser and better than God’s methods of cleansing. Selfishness on full display. Even the king of Israel had unbelief on full display.
The Right Kind of Faith in God can heal the Sin sick heart, and heal the body, and save the soul. Amen!

2Kings 5:13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

The servant’s faith in God is share with her master, she encourages him to follow through with the instructions given to him by the prophet. Sometimes we need a little nudge to move in the right direction and follow God’s will in our lives.

2Kings 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

The instructions that are given, must be followed, think of it if Moses, Noah, or any one of the Apostles or Disciples never followed the directions of God. Where would we be? We all would be without hope! There would be no need for Church. No salvation of the lost. No way back to God. Increasing evil and death. This shows the importance of following God’s will. Obedience is better than sacrifice!

Luke 4:27 And many lepers were in Israel In the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

“The LORD had given victory” to us Jesus on the Cross. We must come to him. it is not our plan, but Gods plan. Yahweh was the only God and that He controlled the fate of Israel and his people.
All God’s commands make trial of men’s spirits, especially those which direct a sinner how to apply for the blessings of salvation. We must follow God’s way, and he will lead us through the trial.
Consider the way by which a sinner is received and is made holy, through the blood, of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit of Christ, we are comforted through faith alone in Jesus’ name.

Observe, the master’s should be willing to hear reason. So, we are to have our ears opened to good advice given by God brought by those obedient servants below to us. We should be deaf to the counsel of the ungodly.

Would you not do anything to make yourself whole again? Would you not do anything to heal yourself?
When diseased sinners are content to do anything, to submit to anything, to part with anything, for a cure, then, and not till then, is there any hope for them.

The methods for the healing of the leprosy of sin are so plain, that we are without excuse if we do not observe them. It is but, Believe, and be saved; Repent, and be pardoned; Wash, and be clean.
The believer applies for salvation, not neglecting, altering, or adding to the Savior’s directions; he/she is then made clean from guilt, while others, who neglect them, live and die in the leprosy of sin.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Amen.