Lessons from a Leper
by Zack Lee
Naaman was a very successful man. He was commander of the Syrian army, held in high esteem in the eyes of his king, a victorious general, and a mighty man of valor. However, he had leprosy. His story can be found in II Kings 5. Naaman heard through a young slave girl that there was a prophet in Israel who could cure him of his leprosy. As we read the account of how Naaman sought a cure for his leprosy, we can learn some important lessons about how to cleanse ourselves from an even worse disease, sin.
Naaman thought his healing could be purchased.
When Naaman was given permission from the king of Syria to go to Israel, he went "taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothes" (II Kings 5:5). He obviously thought that he could purchase his healing from someone in Israel. Like Naaman, we cannot purchase our healing for sin. A price had to be paid to redeem us from our sins, "not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot" ( I Peter 1:18-19). We can never purchase our salvation. Only through the blood that was shed on the cross can we be healed.
Naaman had a preconceived idea of how his healing would take place.
Naaman said to himself, "Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper" (II Kings 5:1). When Elisha sent a messenger out to tell Naaman to go and dip in the Jordan River seven times and he would be healed he became furious. He thought his own plan for healing was better than Elisha's. When it comes to our own healing from sin, we must not come to God with our preconceived ideas of how that healing should take place. We must not approach God's word seeking to justify what we currently believe. We must seek to know God's word and submit to His will.
Naaman tried to substitute his own terms of obedience instead of the Lord's.
Naaman did not want to wash in the Jordan River. He asked, "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? So he turned and went away in a rage" (II Kings 5: 12). We do not have the liberty to substitute our own doctrines in place of God's plain teaching. Only when we are obedient to His commands will we receive God's blessings.
Finally, Naaman humbly obeyed the Lord's instructions.
Naaman could not see any logical connection between dipping in the Jordan River and being cleansed from his leprosy, but he obeyed. When Naaman chose to be obedient, he was healed. A believer in Christ may not see any logical connection between being baptized in water and having his sins washed away. However, we must accept God's word. Paul was told to "arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name" (Acts 22: 16). It is God who saves us when we choose to obey Him. Obedience has its reward, cleansing us from our sins.
Will you learn these lessons?
