It helps to remember the setting of this account in 2 Kings. In Israel the king is Joram, son of Ahab (second son of Ahab to rule). Jehoshaphat is still the king of Judah, though it is close to the end of his reign. Ben-Hadad is the king of Aram, also close to the end of his reign, and Elisha is the key prophet of Israel because Elijah had recently been taken to heaven.
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 Kings 5:1
The setting of this account takes place during the time that King Ban-Hadad is still ruling Aram. Aram and Israel had battled back and forth. Ahab could have killed Ben-Hadad, but he disobeyed the Lord. Naaman was a mighty warrior, leader of the Aramean army, but he had one flaw. He had the terrible ancient disease of leprosy.
There are various kinds of leprosy. To the people of Israel, if you had leprosy, you were considered unclean and had to live in isolation. It was a miserable disease, causing great discomfort. The body would be covered in white-scaley ulcers, that would often bleed from scratching. It’s not necessarily to be confused with the modern leprosy that destroys the nervous system, resulting in loss of body parts and functions. No matter, this was something that would have caused Naaman not only discomfort, but shame.
Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “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. 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.” 5:2-6
A young Israelite girl who was captured, tells Naaman’s wife about a prophet in Israel. This man was known for doing miracles of God. With great boldness, the girl claims that he can heal Naaman. Messages get to Ben-Hadad about the prophet. Ben-Hadad sends a huge amount of money and a letter with Naaman to the king of Israel. It had to be intimidating for Joram to see the great commander of Aram asking for help.
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!”
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.” So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 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.” 5:7-10
Joram reads the letter and is terrified. Maybe this is how Aram is trying to pick a fight. What if Naaman can’t be healed? Ripping his clothes is a sign of morning and anguish. Joram is terrified of the implications that might happen if Naaman can’t be healed.
As rumors often spread, Elisha gets word of what has happened. He sends a message to the king to have Naaman sent directly to him. He will take care of the man. Naaman arrives, with his chariots and horses and mighty men. Instead of Elisha coming out to speak to Naaman, he sends a messenger to Naaman instead. This is very disrespectful because of the high position of Naaman. The message is simple. Go wash yourself in the Jordan river 7 times, and you will be clean.
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. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. 5:11-12
Not only had Elisha not bothered to talk with Naaman in person, but now he insulted Naaman further. He had come all this way to find healing. He had expectations that he would be healed in a certain way. He thought Elisha would wave his hand over the sores. That it would be a mighty, instant act. Instead he was told to bathe in the filthy water of Israel. The rivers in his homeland were much better than the Jordan. He turned to leave, full of anger, disappointment, and loss.
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. 5:13-14
It’s good to surround yourself with people who can speak truth and perspective in your life. As Naaman turned to leave in anger, his servants stopped him to reason together. They remind him that his expectations were high. He believed some amazing work would happen miraculously. Just because he was instead asked to do something simple, doesn’t take away from the amazing work of God. What would it hurt to go down to the river and bathe like he was told?
Naaman listens. This is a repeated lesson for life in the scripture. He was so angry it would have been easy for Naaman to harden his heart, return home not healed, and unchanged. Instead he goes down to the river, maybe unsure of what to expect, still unbelieving. As he dips each time under the water, I wonder what his mind was thinking. He follows the instructions and his skin was completely healed. By doing it the way the Elisha told him, he was actually given a greater act of God.
Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
“If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.”
“Go in peace,” Elisha said. 5:15-19
Naaman returned to Elisha with his whole entourage. We don’t know how long Naaman suffered, but there is no doubt that he spent much time looking for healing from any god that could heal. Finally, because of the one true God, Naaman finally has the healing he longed for. He doesn’t just know the physical healing that comes from God, but the spiritual healing that comes from belief in Him as Lord.
He presents to Elisha the gift that King Ben-Hadad sent. Elisha turns it down. God cannot be bought. Naaman wasn’t healed for the money that he brought. God was after Naaman’s heart, not his gold.
Then Naaman makes an interesting deal with Elisha. He asks to bring back some of the dirt from Israel to his homeland. The land he despised is now the land he cherishes. Naaman proses to no longer worship the idols of Aram. Once a year, he will be required to go before his King and worship Rimmon (Baal). Even though he will bow, his heart will remain true to the Lord, and he asks for forgiveness of this required act.
Elisha tells him to go in peace. This act will not be held against him. His faith will stand as his witness before God.
If you wanted you could finish this account with the foolish act of Elisha’s servant, Gehazi. see 5:19-27 for more details. This is a great lesson about selfish acts, but because of time and focus on this encounter with Naaman, I have chosen to leave it out.
For this craft you will need either a wide popsicle stick, or a person stick, like the one pictured below. You will also need a 1/4 page brown paper with water lines indicated to represent the Jordan river. I precut the place for the stick guy to be inserted for the kids.
Have the kids draw on both sides of the stick Naaman. On one side will be the sad/angry Naaman. Be sure they include his diseased skin. (I used a yellow marker to indicate leprosy.) On the other side they can draw a happy and healed Naaman.
To secure the Jordan River to the page so they can still move Naaman, they will attach it to the book in the 4 corners using glue dots of double sided tape.
All scripture is in bold print and is used from the NLT.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Ascend: Bible Adventures 