The Story of Naaman

October 17 2005


1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. [a]
    2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

    4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents [b] of silver, six thousand shekels [c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."

    7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"

    8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

    11 But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.

    13 Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

    15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant."

    16 The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

Footnotes:

2 Kings 5:1 The Hebrew word was used for various diseases affecting the skin-not necessarily leprosy; also in verses 3, 6, 7, 11 and 27.
2 Kings 5:5 That is, about 750 pounds (about 340 kilograms)
2 Kings 5:5 That is, about 150 pounds (about 70 kilograms)

WOW! How humble was Naaman, to go and do a simple task of that and laying down his pride and obeying GOD! How offten does GOD tell us to do something as simple as "washing in a river" or maybe talking to the "loner" at lunch? One main thing that I find in my life that keeps me from GOD is my pride. When GOD tells me to do something and I know it's in his will and I totaly say that, oh I am too good to go tell that person about GOD why do I want to be seen with them. We just need lay down our pride and follow GOD.

If you don't know what it means to follow GOD, it is as simple as putting YOUR TRUST in him. God tell us that we all have sin and dont add up to GOD (Roman 3:23). What is sin you might ask? Sin is anything we think, say or do that dosent please GOD, or even more simply the "bad things" we do. We as decdents of Addam are born with the want to sin; no one has to tell us that we have sinned. We also have a punnshment for sin and that is being seperated from GOD for FOREVER (aka going to hell). But in the Bible GOD aslo gives us a great plan so we dont have to be punshed for your sins. In the bible it says that GOD sent his only son, Jesus, to die for us (John 3:16). GOD sent His only Son to die on the cross for the punshment for our sins, but he didn't stay dead. On the 3rd day Jesus rose from the dead and walked aroundl people saw him and even touched him. After that he went to Heaven and is now with GOD (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It also says in the Bible that with out the sheading of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). That means if Jesus didn't die on the cross then we wouldn't be forgiven of our sin. Because of what Jesus did for us, we can have our sins forgiven. In the bible in Acts 2:21 it says that whoever call on the name of the LORD will be saved. If you would like to call on Jesus it is a simple as ABC.
A. Admit that you have sinned.
if you admit that you have TELL GOD that by praying to him.
B. Belive in what Jesus did for YOU on the cross.
now tell Him that
C. call on Jesus to be your savior and save you of your sins.
tell Him that
All you have to do is pray these thing and tell Him about your sins and tell HIm you belive what Jesus did for you on the cross and finaly call to Jesus to be your savior. If you have prayed this prayer I would like to talk to you more please email me at livin_in_da_word@yahoo.com.
Have a good week and GOD BLESS