Elisha.
What a lot of great stories in this prophet’s CV, huh? We read about the widow’s oil, the Shunammite’s dead son raised, and the “death in the pot” incident in chapter 4. We’ll read about the floating axehead in tomorrow’s reading, and don’t forget the bears who came out of nowhere to do in the forty-two punks making fun of God’s man (2 Kings 2:23-25).
Now here we are in Chapter 5, where Elisha is introduced to an Aramean Army commander named Naaman, who really knew how to throw a temper fit. You know the story:
- Naaman had leprosy.
- His wife’s Israelite servant girl told him about a prophet who would cure him.
- Naaman didn’t go where the servant girl told him he would be healed; he went to the king of Israel instead.
- This made the king mad, and he tore his robes.
- Elisha heard the king had torn his robes (you ever wonder how Elisha heard?), and told the king to have Naaman come to him.
- Naaman went to see the prophet.
- Elisha wouldn’t even come out to meet this powerful Army commander; he sent a messenger out to tell Naaman to wash 7 times in the dirty Jordan River.
- Naaman went off in a huff.
The rest of the story isn’t until tomorrow’s reading, but you know how it ends and we have enough for today anyway.
Two points:
- You need healing? You go where the healing is! How difficult is that? We’re all sick with sin that separates us from the Father (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 59:2), and there is only One healer who can eliminate that separation — Jesus, the Christ (John 14:6).
- The instructions given to Naaman were intended to show that healing would only come from God, and only on His terms, not on terms of Naaman’s own choosing. It may not make sense to us that we contact the saving blood of Jesus through the waters of baptism, yet this is how God told us it happens (Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16). Many people today who seek salvation are told falsely that salvation is effected through prayer, during which you ask Jesus into your heart and accept Him as your personal Savior. That theology does beg the question though — if Saul of Tarsus wasn’t saved after 3 days of prayer and fasting (Acts 9:8-12, 22:16), why would we believe we can access the saving blood of Jesus through prayer?
Question: To whom do you look for eternal healing? Whose instructions do you follow?