[Linux4christians] Thursday - 2 Kings 5 – 6:7

Wed Feb 16 21:57:52 EST 2011

    Thursday

      2 Kings 5 – 6:7

Elisha Heals a Syrian General

5:1 Now Naaman, the commander of the king of Syria’s army, was esteemed 
and respected by his master, for through him the Lord had given Syria 
military victories. But this great warrior had a skin disease. 5:2 
Raiding parties went out from Syria and took captive from the land of 
Israel a young girl, who became a servant to Naaman’s wife. 5:3 She told 
her mistress, “If only my master were in the presence of the prophet who 
is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his skin disease.”

5:4 Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of 
Israel had said. 5:5 The king of Syria said, “Go! I will send a letter 
to the king of Israel.” So Naaman went, taking with him ten talents of 
silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten suits of clothes. 5:6 He 
brought the letter to king of Israel. It read: “This is a letter of 
introduction for my servant Naaman, whom I have sent to be cured of his 
skin disease.” 5:7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his 
clothes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill or restore life? Why does he ask 
me to cure a man of his skin disease? Certainly you must see that he is 
looking for an excuse to fight me!”

5:8 When Elisha the prophet heard that the king had torn his clothes, he 
sent this message to the king, “Why did you tear your clothes? Send him 
to me so he may know there is a prophet in Israel.” 5:9 So Naaman came 
with his horses and chariots and stood in the doorway of Elisha’s house. 
5:10 Elisha sent out a messenger who told him, “Go and wash seven times 
in the Jordan; your skin will be restored and you will be healed.” 5:11 
Naaman went away angry. He said, “Look, I thought for sure he would come 
out, stand there, invoke the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand 
over the area, and cure the skin disease. 5:12 The rivers of Damascus, 
the Abana and Pharpar, are better than any of the waters of Israel! 
Could I not wash in them and be healed?” So he turned around and went 
away angry. 5:13 His servants approached and said to him, “O master, if 
the prophet had told you to do some difficult task, you would have been 
willing to do it. It seems you should be happy that he simply said, 
“Wash and you will be healed.” 5:14 So he went down and dipped in the 
Jordan seven times, as the prophet had instructed. His skin became as 
smooth as a young child’s and he was healed.

5:15 He and his entire entourage returned to the prophet. Naaman came 
and stood before him. He said, “For sure I know that there is no God in 
all the earth except in Israel! Now, please accept a gift from your 
servant.” 5:16 But Elisha replied, “As certainly as the Lord lives (whom 
I serve), I will take nothing from you.” Naaman insisted that he take 
it, but he refused. 5:17 Naaman said, “If not, then please give your 
servant a load of dirt, enough for a pair of mules to carry, for your 
servant will never again offer a burnt offering or sacrifice to a god 
other than the Lord. 5:18 May the Lord forgive your servant for this one 
thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to worship, and he 
leans on my arm and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord 
forgive your servant for this.” 5:19 Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.”

When he had gone a short distance, 5:20 Gehazi, the prophet Elisha’s 
servant, thought, “Look, my master did not accept what this Syrian 
Naaman offered him. As certainly as the Lord lives, I will run after him 
and accept something from him.” 5:21 So Gehazi ran after Naaman. When 
Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from his chariot to 
meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?” 5:22 He answered, 
“Everything is fine. My master sent me with this message, ‘Look, two 
servants of the prophets just arrived from the Ephraimite hill country. 
Please give them a talent of silver and two suits of clothes.’” 5:23 
Naaman said, “Please accept two talents of silver. He insisted, and tied 
up two talents of silver in two bags, along with two suits of clothes. 
He gave them to two of his servants and they carried them for Gehazi. 
5:24 When he arrived at the hill, he took them from the servants and put 
them in the house. Then he sent the men on their way.

5:25 When he came and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where 
have you been, Gehazi?” He answered, “Your servant hasn’t been 
anywhere.” 5:26 Elisha replied, “I was there in spirit when a man turned 
and got down from his chariot to meet you. This is not the proper time 
to accept silver or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, 
cattle, and male and female servants. 5:27 Therefore Naaman’s skin 
disease will afflict you and your descendants forever!” When Gehazi went 
out from his presence, his skin was as white as snow.

Elisha Makes an Ax Head Float

6:1 Some of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet 
with you is too cramped for us. 6:2 Let’s go to the Jordan. Each of us 
will get a log from there and we will build a meeting place for 
ourselves there.” He said, “Go.” 6:3 One of them said, “Please come 
along with your servants.” He replied, “All right, I’ll come.” 6:4 So he 
went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, they started cutting 
down trees. 6:5 As one of them was felling a log, the ax head dropped 
into the water. He shouted, “Oh no, my master! It was borrowed!” 6:6 The 
prophet asked, “Where did it drop in?” When he showed him the spot, 
Elisha cut off a branch, threw it in at that spot, and made the ax head 
float. 6:7 He said, “Lift it out.” So he reached out his hand and 
grabbed it.

      Prayer

Lord, Your grant blessings on Your terms and in Your time, and You often 
do so through Your human servants. May I never be confused that Your 
gifts, poured out through me, are for my direct or indirect (financial 
or other) benefit. Being used as Your instrument of blessing is more 
than enough.

      Commentary

Naaman, a Syrian general, had a skin disease and a captured Israelite 
servant girl told his wife that he could be healed by a prophet who 
lived in Samaria.

Naaman told the king who wrote a letter to the king of Israel and Naaman 
headed off along with valuable gifts. When he presented the simple 
letter to the king of Israel, which only said here is Naaman for you to 
cure of his skin disease, the king tore his clothes in the expectation 
that Syria was picking a fight.

Elisha heard that the king of Israel was in mourning over the letter and 
sent word to have Naaman sent to him. When Naaman arrived, expecting a 
formal and official welcome, Elisha sent a messenger to him to dip in 
the Jordan River seven times and he'd be cured.

Naaman was angered at the apparent disrespect and dismissed the 
instructions but when he turned away in anger to return home his 
servants persuaded him to reconsider. They argued that if the prophet 
had challenged him to a more onerous process he'd have complied so why 
not give it a try? Naaman did so and was healed.

When Naaman returned to the prophet's home, testifying that there was no 
God but the God of Israel, and he offered the gifts he had brought but 
Elisha refused them. Naaman asked to take a load of dirt home so he 
could only make offerings to the God of Israel. He also asked for 
forgiveness that the king of Syria would require his company when he 
went to worship their false god and Elisha told him to go in peace.

One of Elisha's students was upset that Elisha refused the gifts and 
sneaked out to catch Naaman to lie and say that Elisha had changed his 
mind. Naaman gladly consented, giving him more than he requested, but 
when Elisha confronted him the skin disease of Naaman became the 
punishment for Gehazi's offense.

The student prophets asked to build a larger meeting place and Elisha 
agreed. When they began felling trees one of the ax heads fell into the 
water. The prophet informed Elisha that it was a borrowed tool and 
pointed to where it fell. Elisha tossed a branch in that location and 
the ax head floated to the surface where it was retrieved.

      Interaction

        Consider

Naaman was apparently an intelligent, teachable, man. He listened to his 
wife's servant girl, then to his other servants.

        Discuss

Why would Elisha's student have imagined Elisha would not uncover his 
foolish actions?

        Reflect

The Lord God used many people to teach Naaman and the enemy tried to 
interfere via the king of Syria's careless letter and Elisha's selfish 
student.

        Share

When have you been blessed because you were teachable?

      Faith in Action

        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place in your life where you have 
resisted His leading.

        Action:

Today I will accept the challenge of the Holy Spirit to trust Him and be 
led to where He desires to bless me with healing. I will ask a fellow 
believer to pray in-agreement that I will hear rightly, obey completely, 
and not turn back until the Lord's work in me is complete.

        Be Specific ______________________________________________________

    Friday's text will be:

      2 Kings 6:8 - 7

-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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