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. 2 Kings 5: 11-14, NRSV. (Emphasis provided).
Blessed be Your name, oh God, to all generations. Please come and teach us, we pray, in the precious name of Jesus, Your Son, and our Savior. Amen.
Today as we continue our study, we will concentrate on the very last portion of the text. The last one-and-a-half verses of this block of Scripture (13b, 14), brings to my mind a scene of conversion. There are some details that I find symbolic. The steps are traced so clearly that I could not miss them. Let us take them step by step, so that together, we may observe these movements.
“How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash and be clean’? This portion represents the Gospel; the “Good News,” that we are “saved by grace, through faith,” that is “all he said to you.” The message is so profound in its simplicity, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved . . . ” (Acts 16: 31). Included in the “Good News” is how, we become citizens of the kingdom of God. We are “born again by water . . .”
“So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God.” After we hear the “Good News” and accept it, we obey it, and are baptized – washed and made clean. It is of vital importance that we take note of the fact that, obedience to God, is a sign of true repentance. We “must be born again,” (John 3: 5), of “water and of the Spirit,” to enter the kingdom of God. He went down and immersed himself seven times, “according to the word of . . . God.” The man of God had told him what God required of him, and he obeyed.
“[H]is flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy[.]” I see this portion as the transformation of character that takes place when we accept God’s Word and obey it. We become “like little children” (Matthew 18: 3). I believe that Naaman was born again that day. I also believe that the change that took place in his body, was symbolic, of what was taking place inside of him. Let us listen to his words to get a glimpse of this change: “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 . . . for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god except YHWH’ ” (15 -17). “[A]nd he was clean,” without and within. Hallelujah!
At the beginning of this series, I stated that “God’s goal is to save us.” I do not believe that when Naaman left home that day he was thinking of accepting the God of Israel as his God. He obviously had only one thing on his agenda; and that was to be healed of his leprosy. He was so desperate, that he was willing to take the word of a little slave girl, that there was healing available for him, in Israel. God made good use of his desperation, and saved him. God will work with what is available, in order to save us. I do not know what you are going through right now. What I do know, is that, if you will allow Him, God can use it to save you; not only from your situation, but for eternity!
I am so glad that God has His perfect way of doing things. By His grace, I am determined to submit my ways to Him.