1Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram (Syria), was considered a great man by his king, and was highly respected because through Naaman the Lord had given victory to Aram (Syria). He was also a man of courage, but he was a The Hebrew word translated leprosy actually is a general term for skin diseases, and whether true leprosy (Hansen’s disease) or a lesser disease is in view depends on the context. It is likely that Naaman suffered from leprosy, because both the girl (v 3) and Jehoram (v 7) seem to think that only a miracle can cure him.leper. 2The Arameans (Syrians) had gone out in bands [as raiders] and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman’s wife [as a servant]. 3She said to her mistress, “I wish that my master [Naaman] were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy.” 4Naaman went in and told his master [the king], “The girl who is from the land of Israel said such and such.” 5Then the king of Aram (Syria) said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel (Jehoram the son of Ahab).”
2 Kings 5:1-5a AMP
What is your vision of success? What will it look like when you “make it?” Are you able to accept the fact that even in victory/success there will be some area of your life that may not measure up or be as good as you want it to be? For part 1 of this series I’d like to look at 2 people from this passage; Naaman, commander of the Syrian army, and an unnamed Israelite girl who was a servant for Naaman’s wife. Two people who I believe were having extremely different life experiences, but were destined for a divine encounter. What happens when the elite encounters the ignored, the poor in spirit crosses the rich in spirit, and the mastered directed by the slave?
Naaman
Naaman probably had experienced success on the highest level during that time in that he was the highly decorated commander of the Syrian army. THE commander of the army! As the commander of the army, he was probably the 3rd or 2nd most respected individual in the kingdom behind the king and maybe a spiritual leader. The verses state that the king of Aram respected and valued Naaman because he understood that much of the military success that Aram experienced was because of God’s favor on Naaman, BUT Naaman was a leper. Doesn’t it always feel like there is a “but” in your life story or journey. I would be further along “but”, I like you “but”, we would love to hire you “but”, etc. This was also the case with Naaman; the king respected and admired him, his soldiers respected, admired, and followed him, his servants served him, and the people he conquered feared him, BUT he was a leper. During this time, being a leper would cause people to be ostracized by their community/village/city, and sometimes relegated to a lonely, isolated life. It’s not known whether Naaman was born like this, or he contracted leprosy during his conquests, but in spite of it, one could still call him blessed. The fact that the king had him in such a respected position, his wife remained with him, and he enjoyed his riches would be enough to celebrate. However it seems that he was unable to overcome the stigma associated with his status as a leper. I say this because for some reason the Israelite servant girl felt the need to inform her master that if he were able to get to Elisha in Israel, he could be healed. Naaman had to either be in a low, desperate mental/emotional state to listen to the words of a foreign household slave, or could it have been that God had been working on his heart/mind for awhile and this girl was the last motivation he needed to move? What would you do for the possibility to be healed, restored, or blessed?
The slave girl
Many of us don’t know what it feels like to be in physical bondage with our freedom and well-being controlled by someone else, but we do know what it feels like to be in a position where we may not know or understand how we got there, or why we’re there. One could imply that this girl was taken during Naaman’s conquest of Israel, but I would say that her ending up in Naaman’s house was no mistake. Given her position as a servant to Naaman’s house she had probably overheard private conversations between Naaman and his wife, and possibly had her ear in addition to being a confidant. Could it be that God had allowed her to be taken captive, assigned to Naaman’s house, and chosen by his wife just to minister to Naaman at this point? It’s important that we don’t become so discouraged by our current circumstances, position, or past pains that we ruin our reputation, ministry, or credibility to those who may not know God. The fact that Naaman responded to the words/direction of the Israelite girl is evidence of two things: God had moved on Naaman’s heart, and the Israelite girl’s actions and words had over time had represented God in a way that they heeded and respected her words at that moment. What are your actions and words showing/revealing about you?
Reflection time
Is your current situation, lifestyle, or position not what you expected it to be? How are you handling your situation? Are you humble enough to hear God’s voice, or he obedient enough to follow his commands? Can you be a light in a dark place, or profess faith in a God who may appear to have abandoned you in your time of need? Is it possible that God destined or permitted the struggles and adversity you’ve endured to place you in your current position? Why are you where you currently are?
