Sunday, April 29, 2012

Naaman - 2 Kings chapter 5

It's easy from a certain perspective to see Naaman's weakness. He had come from Syria, where he served as captain of the host, to Samaria, home of the Israelite prophet Elisha. There, Naaman hoped to find a cure for his leprosy. And the prophetic suggestion - bathe seven times in the River Jordan - appeared to make little sense. He was understandably reluctant. Luckily, Naaman had some strengths which helped him rethink his original doubts.
Though it isn't plainly written in 2 Kings, Naaman must have been a good man. If not, he certainly would not have heard the suggestion from a young Israelite girl, a servant in his household, to seek out Elisha for the cure he desired. Come to think of it, the whole idea of a captain of the host (the equivalent of the Secretary of Defense) being a leper is pretty strange in itself, like a blind portrait painter or a one-legged wrestler. The fact that he held this high position in spite of his disease indicates that he was probably far more qualified for this position than the other military men of Syria. 
By diplomatic arrangement, Naaman traveled to Israel with just a few subordinates. They also must have regarded him highly, because when the prophet's advice was delivered, not by Elisha himself but by someone evidently employed as a cook, Naaman temporarily forgot the message and focused on the shortcomings of the messenger. Luckily, one of his men felt comfortable enough to suggest going ahead, noting correctly that Naaman would have certainly attempted to do "some great thing" if he knew it had come from a prophet who had the power to cure him. Naaman, it seems, was a good leader, as well as a good man, or else the soldier would not have cared about the boss' condition, and would have remained silent.
After receiving his cure, Naaman went out of his way to return to Samaria and offer payment for services rendered, which Elisha declined. Not all people expert in the art of military destruction would have made such an offer.
Finally, this incident convinced Naaman that the Syrian gods were second rate compared to the Lord. He gathered up some dirt from Israel to use in a kind of private shrine he envisioned for his home back in Damascus, even though he didn't feel that open worship of the Lord would be understood by his countrymen. Elisha graciously agreed to this arrangement, and the number of secret believers in the Lord among non Israelites increased by at least one.    

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