Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20040111.htm

1 AND 2 KINGS: ENJOYING GOD'S BLESSINGS IN AN APOSTATE ERA
Part XXXVII: Blessing By Trusting God To Honor Himself And His Servants Before The Ungodly
(2 Kings 5:1-19a)
  1. Introduction
    1. When God calls us to serve Him, we may wonder if doing so is worthwhile in view of the lack of respect those before whom we minister may have for God, His Word or for us who serve Him!
    2. Yet, God always honors His Word, His Name (Ps. 138:2 ESV) and His servants (John 12:26) as follows:
  2. Blessing By Trusting God To Honor Himself And His Servants Before The Ungodly, 2 Kings 5:1-19a.
    1. Naaman started out heavily influenced to think very little of God, His Word and His servants:
      1. Due to his background, Naaman first thought little of Israel's God, His Word and His servants, 5:1a,b:
        1. Naaman, a Syrian who worshiped false gods, was honored and respected in Syria due to the military success God had graciously given him and due to his valor as leader in Syria's army, 2 Kings 5:1a,b.
        2. He had successfully invaded Israel and captured a little Hebrew girl to be a slave for his wife, so he would have assumed Israel's deity was less powerful than his own pagan, Syrian gods, 2 Kings 5:2.
        3. Hence, Naaman would have thought little of Israel's God, His Word and His servants.
      2. When Naaman sought a cure for his leprosy, he would have been influenced to think lightly of God, His Word and His servants: when Naaman entered Samaria to ask for a cure, Israel's evil king replied his quest was a hopeless one, implying God's prophet and thus God were unable to help him, 5:1c-7.
    2. In spite of all this, God led Naaman highly to respect Him, His Word and His servants, 2 Kings 5:1c-19a:
      1. God sent word by the Hebrew slave girl that Naaman could be cured by God's prophet in Israel, 5:2-3.
      2. When Naaman acted on this girl's word, God led him to respect Himself, His Word and His servants:
        1. After Naaman met with Israel's apostate king, Elisha informed Israel's king to direct Naaman to see him that Naaman might know that there was a true prophet of the true God in Israel, 2 Kings 5:8.
        2. Then, to thwart the influences of Naaman's background and Israel's evil king to disrespect God and His Word and servants, when Naaman arrived at Elisha's house and waited outside as a superior for Elisha to come to him, Elisha treated Naaman as Elisha's subordinate: Elisha did not come out to meet Naaman, but spoke to him through his slave as Naaman's superior, 2 Kings 5:9-10a.
        3. What Elisha through Gehazi told Naaman to do for a cure would have implied Naaman was to submit even more to God: Naaman was to dip seven times in the muddy Jordan River, 5:10b!
        4. Upset at being directed to respect God, His Word and his prophet opposite his thinking, Naaman rejected Elisha's word, 5:11-12: Naaman objected to Elisha failing to treat him as Elisha's superior (5:9-11) and he was appalled at being told by Elisha to dip in the muddy Jordan versus using a clear Syrian river (5:10, 12; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to 5:12); Naaman thus started off in a huff!
        5. However, persuaded by his servants that he had nothing to lose in trying Elisha's prescription, Naaman dipped seven times in the Jordan and was shocked to be fully cured, 2 Kings 5:13-14!
        6. Naaman had been cured by heeding God's prophet who had treated him as Elisha's subordinate; thus, he saw Israel's God was supreme, and was to be honored along with his servant, Elisha; thus, Naaman showed his respect, 5:15-19a: (a) After being healed, Naaman humbly returned to enter Elisha's home and stand before Elisha as Elisha's subordinate to express his respect for Israel's God above his own gods, 5:15a,b; Ibid., B.K.C., O.T., p. 548. (b) When Elisha declined to receive Naaman's gift to show God alone had done the miracle, Naaman asked for earth from Israel to use as an altar to worship God back in Syria, 5:15b-17; Ibid. (c) Naaman even asked Elisha's advice, wondering if he would be guiltless in fulfilling his duty to help his king worship in a false god's temple, a request Elisha honored, 5:18f. (d) When Naaman went home, he would have shown great respect for the little Hebrew slave, who, as God's servant, had first told him of Elisha.
Lesson: Though Naaman's background and Israel's apostate king would have influenced Naaman to disrespect God, His Word and His servants, God led Naaman DEEPLY to do just the OPPOSITE!

Application: We must not be concerned about what disrespect people to whom we minister may have for God, His Word or for us if we serve God; GOD is ABLE and WILLING to exalt Himself and bring honor to His Word and His servants, so may we just go ahead and SERVE the Lord anyway!