The account of Elisha healing Naaman the leper is a profound narrative found in 2 Kings 5:1-19. This account not only highlights the miraculous power bestowed upon the prophet Elisha but also underscores themes of faith, obedience, and the universality of God's grace.

Background

Naaman was a commander of the army of the king of Aram, a man of great importance and valor, but he suffered from leprosy, a debilitating and socially isolating disease. Despite his high status, Naaman's condition rendered him in need of healing beyond the capabilities of his own land's physicians and deities.

The Role of the Servant Girl

The narrative begins with a young Israelite girl, taken captive during an Aramean raid, who served Naaman's wife. Demonstrating remarkable faith and compassion, she informed her mistress of a prophet in Samaria who could cure Naaman's leprosy. Her simple yet profound testimony set the stage for Naaman's journey to seek healing.

Naaman's Journey to Israel

With the king of Aram's blessing, Naaman traveled to Israel, bearing gifts and a letter to the king of Israel, requesting healing. The king of Israel, distressed and perceiving the request as a provocation, exclaimed, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy?" (2 Kings 5:7). Elisha, hearing of the king's distress, sent a message to have Naaman come to him, so that he would know there is a prophet in Israel.

The Miracle of Healing

Upon Naaman's arrival, Elisha did not meet him personally but sent a messenger with instructions: "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be clean" (2 Kings 5:10). Naaman, initially angered by the simplicity and perceived indignity of the command, expected a grand gesture or incantation. His servants, however, persuaded him to follow the prophet's instructions, reasoning that if he had been asked to do something difficult, he would have done it.

Naaman's obedience, albeit reluctant, led to his miraculous healing. After dipping himself seven times in the Jordan River, "his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy" (2 Kings 5:14). This act of faith and submission to God's word through the prophet resulted in both physical and spiritual transformation.

Naaman's Response

Overwhelmed by his healing, Naaman returned to Elisha, declaring, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel" (2 Kings 5:15). He offered gifts to Elisha, who refused them, emphasizing that the miracle was an act of God's grace, not a transaction. Naaman's acknowledgment of the God of Israel and his request for earth to build an altar to the Lord in his homeland signified a profound conversion and recognition of the one true God.

Significance

The healing of Naaman the leper is a testament to God's power and mercy, extending beyond the boundaries of Israel to a foreigner, illustrating the inclusivity of divine grace. It also highlights the importance of humility and obedience in receiving God's blessings. The account serves as a reminder that God's ways may defy human expectations, yet they are always purposeful and redemptive.2 Kings 5:1-19
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance to Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper.
Nave's Topical Index

Luke 4:27
And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
Nave's Topical Index

Matt. vii. 28
... teach in this way, when He was working His miracles also in ... [1072] For this cause,
we see, Elisha did not ... Whereas the Lord, to signify that He heals not as a ...
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