NAAMAN HEALED OF LEPROSY (2)
(Message by Tanny Keng)
0. Introduction
a) Naaman healed of leprosy
(Text: 2 Kings 5:1-19)
1. What is the text all about?
a) The little girl's faith and Naaman's quest contrast with the stubbornness of Israel's king. A leader in mighty Syria sought the God of Israel; Israel's own king would not. We don't know the little girl's name or much about her, but her brief word to her mistress brought healing and faith in God to a powerful Syrian captain. God had placed her for a purpose, and she was faithful. Where has God put you? No matter how humble or small your position, God can use you to spread his Word. Look for opportunities to tell others what God can do. There's no telling who will hear your message!
b) Naaman, a great hero, was used to getting respect, and he was outraged when Elisha treated him like an ordinary person. A proud man, he expected royal treatment. To wash in a great river would be one thing, but the Jordan was small and dirty. To wash in the Jordan, Naaman thought, was beneath a margin of his position. But Naaman had to humble himself and obey Elisha's commands in order to be healed.
c) Obedience to God begins with humility. We must believe that his way is better than our own. We may not always understand his ways of working, but humbly obeying, we will receive his blessings. We must remember that:
@1. God's ways are best;
@2. God wants our obedience more than anything else;
@3. God can use anything to accomplish his purposes.
d) Naaman left in a rage because the cure for his disease seemed too simple. He was a hero, and he expected a heroic cure. Full of pride and self-will, he could not accept the simple cure of faith. Sometimes people react to God's offer of forgiveness in the same way. Just to believe in Jesus Christ somehow doesn't seem significant enough to bring eternal life. To obey God's commands doesn't seem heroic. What Naaman had to do to have his leprosy washed away is similar to what we must do to have our sin washed away - humbly accept God's mercy. Don't let your reaction to the way of faith keep you from the cure you need the most.
e) Elisha refused Naaman's money to show that God's favor cannot be purchased. Our money, like Naaman's, is useless when we face death. No matter how much wealth we accumulate in this life, it will evaporate when we stand before God, our Creator. It will be our faith in Jesus Christ that saves us, not our bank accounts.
f) How could Naaman be forgiven for bowing to a heathen idol? Naaman was not asking for permission to worship the god Rimmon, but to do his civil duty, helping the king get down and up as he bowed. Also known as Hadad, Rimmon, the god of Damascus, was believed to be a god of rain and thunder. Naaman, unlike most of his contemporaries, showed a keen awareness of God's power. Instead of adding God to his nation's collection of idols, he acknowledged that there was only one true God. He did not intend to worship other gods. His asking for pardon in this one area show the marked contrast between Naaman and the Israelites, who were continually worshiping many idols.
The End ...
0. Introductiona) Naaman healed of leprosy
(Text: 2 Kings 5:1-19)
1. What is the text all about?
a) The little girl's faith and Naaman's quest contrast with the stubbornness of Israel's king. A leader in mighty Syria sought the God of Israel; Israel's own king would not. We don't know the little girl's name or much about her, but her brief word to her mistress brought healing and faith in God to a powerful Syrian captain. God had placed her for a purpose, and she was faithful. Where has God put you? No matter how humble or small your position, God can use you to spread his Word. Look for opportunities to tell others what God can do. There's no telling who will hear your message!
b) Naaman, a great hero, was used to getting respect, and he was outraged when Elisha treated him like an ordinary person. A proud man, he expected royal treatment. To wash in a great river would be one thing, but the Jordan was small and dirty. To wash in the Jordan, Naaman thought, was beneath a margin of his position. But Naaman had to humble himself and obey Elisha's commands in order to be healed.
c) Obedience to God begins with humility. We must believe that his way is better than our own. We may not always understand his ways of working, but humbly obeying, we will receive his blessings. We must remember that:
@1. God's ways are best;
@2. God wants our obedience more than anything else;
@3. God can use anything to accomplish his purposes.
d) Naaman left in a rage because the cure for his disease seemed too simple. He was a hero, and he expected a heroic cure. Full of pride and self-will, he could not accept the simple cure of faith. Sometimes people react to God's offer of forgiveness in the same way. Just to believe in Jesus Christ somehow doesn't seem significant enough to bring eternal life. To obey God's commands doesn't seem heroic. What Naaman had to do to have his leprosy washed away is similar to what we must do to have our sin washed away - humbly accept God's mercy. Don't let your reaction to the way of faith keep you from the cure you need the most.
e) Elisha refused Naaman's money to show that God's favor cannot be purchased. Our money, like Naaman's, is useless when we face death. No matter how much wealth we accumulate in this life, it will evaporate when we stand before God, our Creator. It will be our faith in Jesus Christ that saves us, not our bank accounts.
f) How could Naaman be forgiven for bowing to a heathen idol? Naaman was not asking for permission to worship the god Rimmon, but to do his civil duty, helping the king get down and up as he bowed. Also known as Hadad, Rimmon, the god of Damascus, was believed to be a god of rain and thunder. Naaman, unlike most of his contemporaries, showed a keen awareness of God's power. Instead of adding God to his nation's collection of idols, he acknowledged that there was only one true God. He did not intend to worship other gods. His asking for pardon in this one area show the marked contrast between Naaman and the Israelites, who were continually worshiping many idols.
The End ...
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