2 Kings 5:1-19
A delightful story with a great message.
Naaman-Represents the world and its power but sin-sick and incurable by itself. When in need it turns to God and to His people to find healing and deliverance.
This is through the despised believer, the slave girl, the Church. God works through the Church and through His faithful people, His servants. The girl could have kept quiet at the
enemy's need (Naaman), but 'Love works no ill to its neighbour' .
Naaman went to the king of Israel, a type of the official Church that has no power to help, though it has the resources and makes a lot of noise, 'Having a form of Godliness but denying the power...', 2 Tim.3:5. Jesus condemned the Laodicean Church: the rich, lukewarm Church that claimed it had need of nothing.
However, God has His servants everywhere. Elijah thought he was alone in Israel but God told him he was mistaken. God's command to Naaman was unspectacular, 'We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block but to the Greeks foolishness', 1 Cor.1:23. To the unregenerate the Cross is foolishness. Ananias, when told to go and see Saul of Tarsus, thought that God was mistaken. Naaman was enraged when told to dip seven times in the Jordan, but his pride was handled wisely by his servants, a type of the Holy Spirit the Comforter.
Not only was there a work of physical healing but also a work of Grace in Naaman's heart. Quite often people are only interested in the things they can get from God but do not want Him in their lives. But remember the jailer's humble attitude at Philippi? 'What must I do to be saved?' Naaman got his priorities right, 'to God and to the King'. There was no condemnation from Elisha.
The story ends on a sad note -the servant. He is a type of the carnal believer who does not rejoice in the mighty work of God but focuses on the material, 'love not the world neither the things that are in the world....' .
A delightful story with a great message.
Naaman-Represents the world and its power but sin-sick and incurable by itself. When in need it turns to God and to His people to find healing and deliverance.
This is through the despised believer, the slave girl, the Church. God works through the Church and through His faithful people, His servants. The girl could have kept quiet at the
enemy's need (Naaman), but 'Love works no ill to its neighbour' .
Naaman went to the king of Israel, a type of the official Church that has no power to help, though it has the resources and makes a lot of noise, 'Having a form of Godliness but denying the power...', 2 Tim.3:5. Jesus condemned the Laodicean Church: the rich, lukewarm Church that claimed it had need of nothing.
However, God has His servants everywhere. Elijah thought he was alone in Israel but God told him he was mistaken. God's command to Naaman was unspectacular, 'We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block but to the Greeks foolishness', 1 Cor.1:23. To the unregenerate the Cross is foolishness. Ananias, when told to go and see Saul of Tarsus, thought that God was mistaken. Naaman was enraged when told to dip seven times in the Jordan, but his pride was handled wisely by his servants, a type of the Holy Spirit the Comforter.
Not only was there a work of physical healing but also a work of Grace in Naaman's heart. Quite often people are only interested in the things they can get from God but do not want Him in their lives. But remember the jailer's humble attitude at Philippi? 'What must I do to be saved?' Naaman got his priorities right, 'to God and to the King'. There was no condemnation from Elisha.
The story ends on a sad note -the servant. He is a type of the carnal believer who does not rejoice in the mighty work of God but focuses on the material, 'love not the world neither the things that are in the world....' .
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