Being Cleansed Like NaamanBy Dan Spitz
Naaman was the commander of Syria’s army. He was a powerful man, but he had a problem that no one could do anything about; He was afflicted with leprosy. His wife’s maid was the only person who offered him any hope. She told him that the prophet Elisha could heal him.
Even though Naaman tried to buy his healing, Elisha refused his gifts and didn’t even acknowledge him personally. Instead, Elisha sent a messenger to tell Naaman to “go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River.” (2Kings 5:10)
Obviously Naaman had anticipated Elisha’s personal attention and an immediate cure, because his reaction was that of anger; Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me!” (2 Kings 5:11) So he went away in a rage because his expectations were for an instant healing and individual attention. And his disobedience almost cost him the restoration of his flesh. Had he not been surrounded by his officers who cared for him and influenced him to follow Elisha’s instructions, he would have been afflicted for the rest of his life.
Often in our desire for marriage restoration, we want God to wave His magic wand and instantly “fix” our situations, and there is no doubt that He could indeed do just that. We also want His individual and undivided attention until we get what we want – and what He has promised us. And we sometimes even think we can make deals with God – restore my marriage and I will do…….! But the fact is that we already have God’s Word to direct and guide us; He provides us with His promises and reveals His will for us through His Word. And all He asks is that we put Him above all else, trusting and obeying Him.
Let us also look at the “process” of Naaman’s healing, because there’s much we can learn from that as well. Each time he emerged from the water, he must have looked down at himself to see if the old skin had been washed away to give way to the new. He must have questioned and perhaps even doubted, especially as he progressed through the first six washings, and frustration must have really set in toward the end! But Naaman continued to do as Elisha had instructed. And finally, obedience brought the desired outcome; the restoration of his flesh and he was cleansed of the leprosy.
What would have happened if Naaman’s doubt had become so strong that he quit after the fourth cleansing, or the fifth, or even the sixth? How disappointing it would have been to learn later when in Heaven that had he cleansed just one more time as instructed, he would have led a life fully healed!
In the same way, we must trust God for the restoration of our marriages. When, and only when He has cleansed us and changed us into the husbands and wives He wants us to be, will our restorations take place. That may be tonight for some; next week, next month, or even next year, but He gives us His promise and we need to trust and obey as we put our faith in Him to do what He says He will do. How awesome it will be some day to look at how God has blessed us and how we have grown spiritually as He restores and heals our marriages to be something more incredible than we ever could have imagined. I certainly don’t want to reach Heaven and have God say, “If only you had waited and trusted me one more day!”
Love and blessings!
2 Kings 5:1-14 (NLT)
The Healing of Naaman
1 The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.[a]
2 At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. 3 One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.”
4 So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. 5 “Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold,[b] and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.”
7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.”
8 But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.”
9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”
11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.
13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir,[c] if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed!