Title Why didn't Elisha receive the gift?
Content □ Changes in Naaman
As Elisha said, Naaman was healed of leprosy by going into the Jordan River and washing himself seven times. Today's text records the changes that occurred to Naaman after being healed.
Naaman, who was healed of leprosy, first confessed that God is the only God.
□ Two questions I don't understand
1. Why did Elisha disrespect Naaman?
Why did Elisha open the door when General Naaman came to his house to be healed? When Elisha came to Naaman's house to be healed, he sent his servant away without seeing him, saying, "Go, wash yourself in the Jordan River seven times, and you will be clean while you are old" (verse 10). said. Is it really biblical to do this? Is this what a Christian looks like? You said that love is not rude, but is it the image of a prophet who always listens to God's voice and lives by the power of God? It is the custom of their life and the teaching of the Bible to come out to help even when a passing stranger comes. But why did Elisha slander Naaman, who had come a long way with the king's letter, many gifts, and a large army to meet him?
This is so that we can focus on the Word of God, not on the prophets. In other words, in order to become a person who can stand alone before God. When Naaman was healed of leprosy, he confessed that God is the only God. But now he must return to Syria. But in that land there are no servants of God, no priests, no prophets. Therefore, now he must worship God alone and live by serving God alone. That is why God placed Naaman in a position where he could stand on his own without the help of a leader from the beginning. So, from the beginning, Elisha trained the lay people to wake up so that they could stand alone before God for Naaman.
2. Why didn't Elisha accept the gift?
Naaman was so grateful when he remembered that he had been healed. So I was going to give the present I had prepared to Elisha. The gifts he had prepared were 340 kg of silver, 68.4 kg of gold, and ten sets of clothes (verse 5). But Elisha did not receive such a great gift. Naaman urged him to accept this gift, but he refused. Why didn't Elisha accept the gift?
Is it because he has enough money and has enough money to live without needing a gift? no. This is to show that Naaman's healing is God's grace. In other words, to let people know that the gospel is free. Naaman's healing from leprosy is the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus. Therefore, Elisha's rejection of Naaman's gift was to teach him that it was only by God's grace that he heard the gospel, had his sins forgiven, and was saved.
□ Immature faith
Before Naaman was healed and returned, he asked Elisha for as much soil as the pair of donkeys could carry (v. 17). It is believed to have built an altar from the dust brought from Israel and offered sacrifices there to God. Looking at this, Naaman confessed his faith, saying, “I know that there is no god in the whole world except Israel.” However, he did not know that Jehovah God is omnipresent and is the only God who fills all heaven and earth. So they took the dust of Israel, built an altar made of clay, and there they were to offer sacrifices to God. They believed that if they took the soil of Israel and built an altar, the God of Israel would be with them in Syria. How immature are you? Also in verse 18, Naaman asks for an apology following the request of the soil.
As he is the closest confidant to the king of Syria, when the king of Syria, who does not know God, enters the shrine of Rimmon, he has no choice but to accompany him, and when he bows before an idol, he has to support him and help him bow. It is asking for forgiveness. Looking at this, Naaman knew that it was wrong to bow down to a god other than God, and that it was not right in the sight of God to serve both God and another god. So, a new concern began in his mind.
If you believe in Jesus like this, new problems arise. However, Naaman’s faith did not reach “even if not so” like Daniel and his friends. When we are weak in faith and young, sometimes we cannot live the way we want because of the environment around us and our relationships with other people. But you shouldn't always stay at that level. Faith must grow and mature. We must not only confess that God is the only God, but also go to a place where we fully worship only God.