The Strange Twists of Sovereign Grace
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The Strange Twists of Sovereign Grace 2 Kings 5
The Strange Twists of Sovereign Grace 2 Kings 5
Introduction
This morning, we are introduced to one of my all-time favorite Flannelgraph story characters from Sunday School, as a kid. Naaman. This event from history captivated me, when I first heard it and I pray that it will captivate you as we get into it this morning.
Our text today is filled with twists and turns that
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1 THE INTERNATIONAL REACH OF GOD’S SOVEREIGN GRACE, vv. 1-5
Verse 1 tells us about Naaman with the double ‘A’. The first thing we notice about him is that he isn’t an Israelite. Naaman is from the nation of Syria (or, if you have the NIV or NASB, your translation reads ‘Aram’. It’s the same country - different names). Naaman isn’t just a foreigner … where he’s from, he’s a BIG DEAL. He’s THE commander of the Syrian Military - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as it were. But this is not just a military strategist, who sits behind a desk in a safe office, somewhere, far from danger .... Verse 1 tells us that he was a ‘mighty man of valor ...’. He was a warrior who led by his own example of heroic feats of bravery. With him in charge, Syria is on the rise. The armed forces have won victory after victory.
He’s a popular man, ‘great with his master’, (the king) and ‘high in favour.’ This guy is loved. He lives in the capital city of Damascus, he
If there is a social ladder in Syrian high society, Naaman is at the top of that ladder. He is the guest of honour at the dinner parties - he’s constantly called in to consult with the king. According to this worlds way of measuring success … Naaman has it all.
Oh, but there’s a problem. Take a look at the end of v. 1. After all the accolades, one short phrase at the end of the verse, shatters the delight of every good thing we’ve just been told: “… but he was a leper”.
Ahh … cursed leprosy The word covers a variety of skin diseases, from simple psoriasis to the life-threatening, limb-destroying disease, where you lose the ability to feel pain and end up with severe injuries that cost you a hand, a foot … ultimately your life. We don’t know exactly what form this leprosy took - all we know is that it is serious. It has rocked his world and changed his life.
One day, as he’s getting ready for bed, he takes off his shirt to put on his nightclothes, when he notices a spot. “Hmmm - I haven’t noticed that before”. He tries to scrub it off with water and soap. No luck. He watches it grow, day by day, makes an appointment with the military doctor only to hear the terrifying words when the diagnosis is given: “I’m sorry - It’s leprosy.”
With all that Naaman has going for him, ‘great man, high in favor, mighty man of valor’ - when you add the word ‘leper’ to it - suddenly he has nothing.
This isn’t just a health issue - this is a social issue. Archaelogists have found evidence that not just in Israel, but elsewhere in the Ancient Near East - “If a man has the surface of his flesh covered with black or white dots … such a man has been rejected by his god and is to be rejected by mankind.”
Naaman is on the road to losing everything. If this leprosy isn’t taken care of - quickly - then forget his career, forget his future … forget life as he’s come to know it.
The man with everything, suddenly has nothing.
You know how this is: You ....
Verse 2 gives us a contrast to Naaman. In verse 2 we read about a little Israelite girl.
“Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife.”
From mighty warrior, Naaman - the story turns to nameless, war-prize Israelite girl.
Imagine what it would have been like for that little girl. Imagine the trauma she has already endured in her young life. Was she 6? Was she 8? We don’t know. What we do know is that this girl had godly parents who were faithful and diligent in the worship of the LORD.
Were the girl’s parents killed in the Aramaeans’ raid? She was carried off by raiders, never to return home again, never to see loved ones again, living the rest of her life in servitude in a foreign country (though one could have drawn a worse lot than working for Mrs. Naaman). What was it like when she was wrenched away that Thursday morning? Was she not scared out of her wits? When Israelites received their electric bills there would be no enclosure with a picture of this lass with the legend, ‘Have you seen this girl?,’ along with the date of her disappearance. No, she was gone for good—after probably the worst trauma of her young life. Whatever dreams she had of personal fulfillment or simply of life among her family and village had been smashed.
The girl has so many marks against her: she’s a foreigner, she’s a slave, she’s young in a culture that valued the wisdom of old age and she’s a female in a society where men had all the priviledge. The girl doesn’t even have a name. If Naaman was at the top of the social ladder … this girl would be at the very bottom … below the bottom.
Oh but the girl with nothing, actually has something that Naaman doesn’t.
One day, as she’s carrying a tray of cool drinks into the social gathering that’s been organized by her mistress … the girl overhears conversation about the tragedy of Naaman’s leprosy. There is nothing that can be done. The mood is somber … hopeless.
The next morning, as the girl is standing behind her mistress, helping her with her hair … she shares her heart. Verse 3, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! HE WOULD CURE HIM of his leprosy.”
Those words from a nameless slave girl set in motion an incredible sequence of events. And don’t miss the faith on display here - a life marked by tragedy - but she still trusts Israel’s God and is an evangelist in a foreign centre of power.
Naaman’s wife tells her husband, who in turn goes to the king and tells him what the servant girl from Israel said and the king shows how much he cares about this military commander of his. He says, “Go find the man … and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
In fact, he doesn’t just send him - he sends him with gifts. And when I say ‘gifts’ - I mean ‘GIFTS’!
Verse 5, “So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten changes of clothing.” That means nothing to us, so let me translate it into 21st Century: one talent was about 75 pounds - one ounce of silver $24 x 16 ounces to a pound = 384 per pound - $288,800 of silver,
6000 shekels = 150 pounds of gold - 2400 ounces… $2216 per ounce = over 5.3 million dollars worth of gold.
Then there are the clothes - 10 sets of clothing … we aren’t talking about outfits you can buy off the rack at Marshall’s, marked down to clear … .these are made from the finest of materials, with emblems and gold and silver woven into and sewn onto the clothes. This is attire that is literally fit for a king.
With the horses loaded with the gifts, the entourage in formation into his chariot climbs Naaman and sets out for Samaria. Do you see what’s going on here? The mighty warrior from a foreign land is in need of help that his own god can’t help him with .... so see him making a pilgrimmage to ISRAEL’S GOD for a consultation with his servant Elisha … to get a relief that
But there’s something even more shocking in these verses than that: take a look at v. 1 again, “Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him THE LORD HAD GIVEN VICTORY TO SYRIA.”
See the Sovereignty of God here - This is the God of Abraham and Moses and David … Syria has its own gods and the great reason the various nations worship their tribal, national gods - is because they think that those gods are the ticket to success and victory for THEM.
The Bible says - is a foreign military leader having success in his campaigns? … That’s only because God is GIVING the success.
God isn’t just the God of an Israelite ghetto - He is the Lord who determines the course and success or failure of nations - and the people of those nations - from the king on the throne, to the nameless child torn away from home.
The earth is the Lord’s and He gives it to Whomever He wants.
It also shows that God’s grace reaches around the world. Jesus tells us, as he told His apostles - ‘Go into all the world and make disciples … baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
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2 GOD’S GRACE HUMBLES THE GREAT, vv. 6-14
Well, Naaman shows up at the palace of Israel in Samaria - hands the letter from his king over to Israel’s king - ‘When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy”.
The King of Israel reads the note and freaks out. He thinks that Syria is looking for a fight. Verse 7, He tears his clothes and cries out: “Am I GOD, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?!”
Ahh - but that’s the point, king. You act like you are God. Remember, all of these kings of Israel are evil - rebels against the One true God. Even as the foreign leader comes to get help from the God of Israel - the king of Israel doesn’t think to take him to God.
Thankfully, Elisha hears about the crisis at the palace and sends a message to the king - ‘stop ripping your clothes and send the man in my direction.
READ Verses 8-10
Verse 9 describes the scene - Naaman arrives at Elisha’s house. He’s not looking for a handout. He will pay whatever it costs to have this prophet of Israel’s God get rid of his leprosy.
He comes in procession - his whole entourage shows up, pulls up just outside the front door.
Elisha sends out a servant - walks out the door - passes on a message from the prophet: “Here’s the prescription for your healing: go down to the Jordan river, take your shower gel … step into the water to take a bath .... and dip yourself in the water, not once, not twice, not three times … but SEVEN times. Dip yourself into the Jordan river, seven times and, if you do, you will be healed.” As v. 10 puts it, “… and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”
The mighty military commander stands there, stunned. He processes the instructions he’s just been given. Then Naaman gets mad. He’s furious. He turns on his heels, makes an about face, and climbs into his chariot to head for home. It turns out - this is not the kind of prescription he was counting on.
He was hoping to be able to pay for his healing.
Ray Dillard puts it well: ‘Naaman expected Israel’s God and prophet to be just like what he had known at home: itching palms and magic shows. He had brought plenty of money, and so he expected the prophet to deliver on the magic. Naaman wanted “vending machine grace”—put your money in and take your blessing. The prophet was expected to appear, accept the pay, and “wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy”
Instead - Elisha tells him to go take a bath?!! What kind of advice is that?! And - if he was going to take a bath - it sure wasn’t going to be in that little ditch of a river, known as the Jordan. has far nicer rivers - the rushing, tumbling cold waters of the Abana and Pharpar - rivers that start with the melting snows of Mount Hermon and cascade down ...bigger, cleaner … better. Verse 12, “Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than ALL the waters of Israel?”
And verse 12 ends with the warrior of valour not just angry - but very angry: the end of v. 12, “So he turned and went away in a rage.”
Now I can see see why Naaman would be upset, if he’s looking for a healing show and he’s told to take a bath instead. But why is he SO angry?
I think the root of his RAGE, is the fact that Naaman felt insulted.
Look back at vv. 9-10 again: “So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house .... (10) AND … Elisha sent a messenger to him ...”
Don’t miss that, in verse 10: ‘The mighty military man - the hero of the folk songs back in Syria, rides into the modest subdivision, on his war chariot, leading a procession ...
‘In all the windows of the neighborhood, you can see the blinds parting in living room windows as all the neighbours are mesmerized by this show of pomp and awe. The procession ends up in front of Elisha’s house .... and he doesn’t … even … bother to come out himself. He sends out
“I am SOMEBODY … I have gravitas - When I walk into a room - people salute. When I say the word, hundreds and thousands of men risk their lives and run into battle.”
From a human perspective - you can kind of understand Elisha not wanting to come out of his house and See Naaman, can’t you? I mean, this guy may be a war hero in Syria, but in Israel - he’s the enemy - he’s ripped children away and carried them from home into slavery. Imagine how you would feel if Xi Xi Ping showed up at your house, looking for help with his skin issues?!
But this cold welcome is not really about Elisha’s dislike for Naaman the foreign military commander - this is about correcting a WRONG idea of how God saves:
There will be no ‘medicine man’ for sale here. God’s prophet isn’t just better at ‘perfoming tircks’ than what Naaman has seen at home. This isn’t about Elisha at all - This is about the power and the GRACE of God. And to make sure God alone gets the glory - Elisha says ‘Go! Go away from me … into the same water that the God of Israel parted to lead His people into this land of promise. God Himself will heal you.’
As long as you think that you are a somebody - that you come to God with something to buy His favor - whether it’s money, talent, moral excellence … anything that will help you buy some ‘salvation’ from God .... you will never get to heaven.
And you’ll never get to heaven that way, because you’re coming to Him in pride … as if you have something to sell that God needs.
PRIDE WILL KEEP NAAMAN FROM HEALING … and PRIDE will keep you from every blessing that the Sovereign, God of grace has to shower on you.
Thankfully, the military commander has some advisors with calm and level heads. As he stomps past them on his way to his chariot - they catch up to him and try to reason with him.
2 Kings 5:13, “But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?””
“Sir, you have a chance to be clean here … won’t you at least give it a try?”
Verse 14 tells us that Naaman stops, reflects … grabs his soap on a rope, and bath towel … and heads down the riverbank and into the Jordan. 2 Kings 5:14, “So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”
“So, he went down ...” - Don’t miss that! Naaman went down … GEOGRAPHICALLY, he went down into the river. Down into the water, down to his knees, down past his waist - and down over his head, plunging himself, again and again and again, below the surface of the rippling current.
But more than that - this once-proud man ‘went DOWN’ in HUMILITY’. With splash after splash of head going under the waves - at the instruction of a prophet who wouldn’t even come out to greet him … Naaman the hero of a nation is humbling himself. Do you see the crowd gathered around him - he’s not fighting an enemy with a sword, He is humbling himself before the Word of God, spoken by God’s prophet, Elisha. I wouldn’t want anybody watch me take a bath. See him surrender his pride in humble faith that this seeming foolishness is not a fools errand.
Do you see the lesson for us here: When God is going to exercise His grace - before you can enjoy it - He will HUMBLE YOU friend. In the strange twist of Sovereign Grace, if you want God’s blessing, you can’t reach up for it … you have to bow down low … in humble faith.
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3 GOD’S GRACE HEALS THE HUMBLED, vv. 14-19
Third twist of Sovereign Grace in our passage is how ‘God’s Grace Heals the Humbled’, in vv. 14-19
Look at the end of verse 14, “… and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child … and he … was … clean.”
He comes out of the water after the seventh plunge - and as the water rolls off of his body - he looks at the spot he has been looking at EVERY time he’s come up, but THIS time … it’s gone. It’s GONE - The incurable leprosy is cured. Namaan is healed! We’ve had the blessing of illnesses healed in this church, when we’ve prayed. God doesn’t always answer that way - but sometimes He does. And when He does … oh the joy!
But there’s a greater joy here. There’s been a physical healing for Naaman, but there’s an even greater healing.
READ vv. 15-19.
This man is transformed. Notice how many times Naaman uses the word ‘servant’ for himself? Verse 15, “… accept now a present from your servant.” Verse 17, “Let there be given to your servant 2 mule loads of earth ...”. “… for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offerings ...”. The beginning of v. 18, “May the LORD pardon your servant” … and the end of v. 18, “… the LORD pardon your servant.” FIVE TIMES! THis guy who was ready to stomp away in pride because Elisha didn’t show him enough respect … now calls himself ‘YOUR SERVANT’ - FIVE TIMES in FOUR verses. Namaan has been transformed - there’s a new humility.
But there’s more than that - the humility has come because Namaan has been converted. He came to Israel, came to Elisha with his own religion - he was just looking for
Verse 15, “Behold, I KNOW that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel.” He’s going back to Syria with a new faith. He’s so excited - he tries to give Elisha a present, but the man of God will not
As the
FAITH COOK, “LIVES TURNED UPSIDE DOWN”
William Mackay
1856 - ready to go to the university of Edinburgh, his mother was helping him pack and she put a gift in his suitcase: It was a Bible. She had inscribed his name, her name and a Bible verse. Put it into his luggage as her gift to take with him, so that at university, he wouldn’t just remember her - but he would also remember his roots - where he came from and the God his mom raised him to love and serve.
Well, when William got to school - he didn’t pay much attention to that Bible. He got into a crowd that did anything BUT lead him closer to the Lord. He spent his spare times at parties, not reading his Bible. He also developed a taste for alcohol, a bottle of whiskey was always close by - whether he was studying or partying.
Financing his drinking took its toll on his financial situation. One day, when the craving for drink became overpowering but he had no money to buy anything - he looked around his room for something to sell. He laid his eyes on the Bible that his mom had given him. He took it down to the pawn shop and pawned it off so he could buy a drink. You see, the whiskey had its grip on him.
Somehow, even in spite of the drinking, William the student managed to excel academically. He finished university and became a very highlly respected surgeon at one of the Edinburgh hospitals.
In fact, he found it a challenge to take the cases that nobody else could handle and try to save those lives. He didn’t do it out of compassion - didn’t have much of that - no, he did it for the challenge - to see if he could pull somebody back from the jaws of death.
One day, a patient was brought in in critical condition - his lower body had been crushed in an industrial accident and it didn’t look very good.
The man asked, “What’s the prognosis?”. Mackay, always positive about his own skills said, ‘I guess we’ll pull you through’.
“No - please - just give me the truth. I’m not afraid to die. I’m trusting in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. If I die, I’ll be with him. I just want the facts.”
“Well, in that case”, the doctor said, “You probably have about 3 hours.
“Is there anything that we can do for you in these last hours of life?”
“Actually, yes”, the man said. “There’s a package with two weeks pay in my bag. Could you see that my landlady gets that. And ask her to send ‘the book’ here to the hospital”.
“Any particular book?” “Just tell her ‘the book’ - she’ll know which one.”
Well, Mackay went off to carry on his work. Now, he never usually came back to check on unsuccessful cases. But for some reason, he was moved to come back into the ward on that day. He asked the nurse about the man and she said, ‘Oh, he died just a few minutes ago.’
Mackay asked, “Did he get his book?” She said, “Oh yes, he got it.” The doctor was strangely curious: “What was it a bank book or a diary or something?” She said, “Well it’s still there, if you want to to take a look, tucked under his pillow”
Mackay went to the bed, pulled the book out from under the pillow - and it was … a Bible. It actually looked kind of familiar. So he opened it up, and there on the front page - he saw his own name written there and the name of his mother and teh bible verse that she had written for him. It was the Bible he had pawned - right there in his own hands.
And it broke him down to tears and sobs and he tucked the Bible under his coat, ran to his office and there, this doctor who had become a rebel atheist, fell on his knees and asked for God’s mercy upon him.
Dr. Mackay immediately contacted him mother to tell her of his salvation and how God used the Bible she gave him to answer her prayers. And by the grace of God, William Patton Mackay, a world renowned doctor, went on to become a preacher, author and hymnwriter.
See the strange twists of God’s Sovereign Grace. You never know who the Lord will use to draw somebody to His precious Son … it might be a servant girl in a foreign land with no name .... it might be a pawned Bible or a dying laborer … or it might be you. God has