Prophets At Home

Devotion by: Susan Boruff

2 Kings 5:1-15

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favour with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. And the king of Aram said, ‘Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.’

He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, ‘When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.’ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.’

But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.’ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’ But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, ‘I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!

Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?’ He turned and went away in a rage. But his servants approached and said to him, ‘Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, “Wash, and be clean”?’ So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant.’

The story of the healing of Naaman is a story of obedience, conversion and gratitude. Obeying God is more than an action; it is about attending to the voice of God where it shows up in your life. The Israeli servant girl, because of her love for God and her compassion -- even for her enemy -- wanted those who didn’t know about God’s healing power to benefit from it. The king of Aram, who worshipped pagan gods, encouraged Naaman to go and receive healing from the Hebrew God. Naaman’s servants, upon hearing Elisha’s plan for Naaman’s healing (which Naaman wanted to reject), encouraged him to do what God required. Even though Naaman had wealth and too much pride, he listened and obeyed. Miraculously, he was healed. God used a variety of people and circumstances to get Naaman’s attention. God was present in the most ordinary circumstances of Naaman’s life. The offer of healing came thru an ordinary event -- washing in the Jordan River. This story affirms that God will do whatever it takes to get our attention, but that God is also present in all circumstances. Our response is to pay attention to where God is showing up in our lives. And when we hear His voice, we must obey. The life of obedience is a holy life, in which we become increasingly aware that all moments are God moments.

PRAYER: Creator of the universe and Sustainer of life, please give us eyes to see and ears to hear Your voice as it manifests in our lives. May we be open to respond to Your offer of healing in our lives. Through Your mercy and love, use us as You used the people in Naaman’s life to bring Your gift of grace to all those we encounter.