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A Sermon by Dr. Bob Griffin, Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church
I. CONTRAST
A. CONDITION OF A MAN
>1. POSITIVE QUALITIES
II Kg 5:1a Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was great in the eyes of his master, highly honored, for thru him YHWH had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor,
(also I Kgs 22:25ff; 11:28; Jud 6:12; Jud 11:1; I Sam 16:18)
>2. NEGATIVE FEATURE
II Kg 5:1b but leprous.
(also Lev 13-14; Jer 17:9; Lk 6:43-45; Eph 2:1)
B. CONFIDENCE OF A MAID
>1. FAITHFUL SERVANT
II Kg 5:2 On one of their raids Syrians had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife.
>2. STRONG WITNESS
II Kg 5:3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord was with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cleanse him of his leprosy.”
(also Rom 8:28)
II. CONCERN
A. CONSIDERATION OF A KING
>1. WRONG MAN
II Kg 5:4 So Naaman went in and told the king, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.”
>2. WRONG METHOD
II Kg 5:5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
>3. WRONG EXPECTATION
II Kg 5:6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
(also Prov 29:25)
B. CONFUSION OF A KING
>1. MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE LETTER
II Kg 5:7 And when [Jehoram] the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he’s picking a quarrel with me.”
(also Eph 2:8-9; I Tim 6:17; Rev 3:17)
>2. SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM
II Kg 5:8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
(also Jer 29:13; Mt 11:28; Rev 3:20)
III. CONFRONTATION
A. CONDUCT OF THE TWO MEN
>1. PRIDE AND GLORY
II Kg 5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.
(also Jas 4:6; Prov 6:17-18; 11:2; 29:23)
>2. HUMILITY OF SPIRIT
II Kg 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you’ll be cleansed.”
B. CONTEMPT OF GOD’S PLAN
>1. FAULTY ANTICIPATION
II Kg 5:11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “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.
(also Prov 14:12)
>2. KNEEJERK REACTION
II Kg 5:12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
(also I Cor 1:20-31; Acts 16:31).
IV. CONCLUSION
A. CONSULTATION WITH OTHERS
>1. RECONSIDER OPTIONS
II Kg 5:13a But his [unnamed] servants approached asking, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; why won’t you do it?
>2. REMINDER OF GOD’S PROMISE
II Kg 5:13b Didn’t he actually tell you, ‘Wash, and be cleansed’?”
(also Is 55:1; I Cor 14:17)
B. CONVICTION OF FAITH
>1. GREAT FAITH
II Kg 5:14a So he went down and dunked himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God
>2. MIRACULOUS HEALING
II Kg 5:14b and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was cleansed!