2 Kings 5- Humble faith
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If there is a Biblical principal I can remind you of it is that pride can ruin faith. The two in fact are quite contrary.
Pride is when we feel independent from God. Self reliant. Able to help our self.
Theres a truth. “Proud men at their best are just sinners at their worst.”- Adrian Rogers
James 4:6 “6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
We must come to the Lord humbly! For salvation, use, and growth!
James 4:10 “10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
Pride is dangerous! God hates it.
Proverbs 16:5 “5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”
Luke 1:52 “52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, And exalted them of low degree.”
In this story we are going to see God use a humble girl and save a proud man!
Naaman was by all definitions the man. He was a great general and leader! He was brave and fought with valour! He was even called a great man. Naaman was a man who was honored because he had brought delivery to his nation!
2 Kings 5:1 “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.”
Despite all the wonderful things about old Naaman he had a problem and it was BIG! He was a leper!
2 Kings 5:1 “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.”
Leprosy was just nasty. It was a flesh eating condition! It was even so bad that in Israel it caused you to be isolated from the rest of the people!
reference Leviticus 13
It would be after an amazing victory that Naaman would acquire a little maid girl who would work for his wife. This girl is special! She is from Israel and knows the LORD! She has seen God work and knows about him! One day this girl sees Naaman and his leprosy and in a move of boldness she tells him about the prophet in Israel and all the wonderful things God has done there! She then one day sees Naaman and remembers that her God does miracles! She tells her boss about her God!
2 Kings 5:3-4 “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. 4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.”
Naaman then gets the king’s blessing to go! He departs straight to the King of Israels palace with cash in hand! Upon arriving he asks the King of Israel for help and the king is distraught and afraid.
2 Kings 5:5-7 “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. 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. 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.”
The King admits that only God can help him
Naaman then finds the prophet
2 Kings 5:8-14 “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? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, 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. 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.
2 Kings 5:13-14 “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? 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.”
God cleansed this man! God worked in his life! Let’s see what we can learn from this account!
Naaman’s Sickness (2 Kings 5:1)
Naaman’s Sickness (2 Kings 5:1)
Naaman was an important person!
His Social standing
Friends with the King
2 Kings 5:5 “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.”
His Stature
He was an honored man
He was wealthy
Had 750 lbs of silver and 600 lbs of gold
2 Kings 5:5 “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.”
He was strong
Fought with Valor
A Great man
Honorable
Wrought victory
2 Kings 5:1 “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.”
Despite all his strength, social standing, and stature he still suffered from a disease!
See his leprosy still ruined his life no matter how good and strong he was.
Leprosy is like sin
Deeper than the skin( a heart issue)
Leviticus 13:3 “3 And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.”
It spreads
Leviticus 13:7 “7 But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again:”
It isolates
Leviticus 13:46 “46 All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.”
It incurable with out God
Romans 3:26 “26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
See no matter how good ones position is on this earth we all deal with the “human condition” known as sin
Galatians 3:22 “22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
Naaman was sick with a disease that was going to ruin his life and kill him.
Just like us with our sin
Where could he find help?
A little maid’s solution (2 Kings 5:2-3)
A little maid’s solution (2 Kings 5:2-3)
Naaman had a witness in his home!
See Naaman would have never known of a cure if it were not for this little girl!
She had witnessed God’s power in her home and could not help but talk about it!
She was a stranger in the land and lived like it
She was in a low position yet was still used by God!
All of the same should be true about believers!
We are too strangers in a foreign land!
1 Peter 2:11 “11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”
We are witness of God’s work!
Acts 4:20 “20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
God can use our foolishness and low position
1 Cor 1:18-21 “18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
He would have never known salvation with our her testimony! Many will never know Jesus unless we tell them!
Romans 10:14 “14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”
We never know what God may do with simple obedience!
Naaman’s salvation
Naaman’s salvation
Naaman came to know God and his salvation!
His own power failed him!
He was prideful
Trusted his possessions
The gold and sliver
Trusted his popularity
The King
Trusted his perception
How he though things would go
Pride can lead you straight to hell. It will ruin a relationship with God. COME HUMBLY TO GOD!
1 Cor 1:18 “18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
James 4:6 “6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
2. His cleansing after humility
He had to humbly repent!
Literally turned from his way to the way God said go
WE must too repent- Luke 13:3 “3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Matthew 9:13 “13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
He had to believe God’s word!
We must do so too!
John 3:18 “18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
God loves humility and hates pride. Are we humble? He used the humble maid. He saved the humble Naaman! He will work in your life if you just humble yourself. Your pride can’t help you.