Thursday Evening Bible Study

January 31, 2013

Introduction

Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved?

After the death of King Solomon, the kingdom of Israel split into two nations.

The northern kingdom would be known as “Israel”.

The southern kingdom was known as “Judah”.

We’ve followed the events in the northern kingdom as one dynasty was replaced by another, and we are now in dynasty of wicked Ahab and Jezebel, and though Ahab is dead, the northern kingdom is ruled by one of his sons, Jehoram.

During this time of great wickedness, God had a man that He was using – the prophet Elijah.  But now Elijah is gone, and the man of the hour is the prophet Elisha.

We’ve already been seeing miracles at work through Elisha…

4:1-7 Widow’s oil

:1 A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”

:1 the creditor is coming

Apparently the woman's husband, one of the prophets, had run up his credit cards.

The custom in those days was to put the family into slavery to pay off the debt if it was not met.

This woman's sons were going to be made slaves to pay off their father's debt.

:2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

Think “olive oil”.

Olives in ancient times weren’t valued as a food source – they were rarely eaten.  Olive oil was valuable in ancient times primarily as fuel for lamps.

:3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few.

:4 And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”

:5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out.

:6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased.

:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

:2 What shall I do for you?

Lesson

God’s Provision

We often look to God’s promise for us:

(Php 4:19 NKJV) And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

The question though is, how does this actually work?  There are some interesting lessons in our story.

Use what you have

Elisha asked her, “What do you have in the house?”

She had a pot of oil.

They didn’t use some unknown thing, but something that was with them.

Sometimes we are looking for something miraculous like a cloud from heaven dropping off a bag of gold.

I think that God often prefers to use “what we have”.

Do you have skills?  Do you have things lying around the house that you could be using?

Jesus was once in a situation where He and Peter needed to pay their tax bill.  Jesus had an interesting solution:

(Mt 17:27 NKJV) Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

You might think that this was some sort of miracle out of nowhere, and in a sense the coin was a bit out of the ordinary.

But what was Peter’s profession?  He was a fisherman.  Jesus didn’t ask him to play baseball, He didn’t ask him to dig for treasure.  He asked him to go to work.

Work at it

They were told to gather up empty pots and to “not gather just a few”

They didn’t just sit on the couch and watch Gilligan’s Island reruns.

Paul wrote,

(2 Th 3:10 NKJV) For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.

Family Secret

They were to do this behind closed doors.

I think the idea is that when God is at work to provide for our needs, we don’t often see exactly how it all works, but it does.

It speaks about who the funds were to be for.  They were to supply the needs of the family, not the entire city.

Pay your debts

Some people will pray for God’s help, and when it comes, they throw a party and spend money on things other than their debts.

Pay back the people you owe.

(Ro 13:8 NKJV) Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Work to get out of debt.

When we offer the “Financial Peace University” next session, this will be one of the things to focus on.

Mathew Henry said:  It is the duty of all who profess to follow the Lord, while they trust to God for daily bread, not to tempt him by carelessness or extravagance, nor to contract debts; for nothing tends more to bring reproach upon the gospel, or distresses their families more when they are gone.

Live on what’s left

After they paid their debts, they were to live on what was left over.

The implication is that you don’t live beyond what it left over, but to live within your means.

(Php 4:11–13 NLT) —11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

We get ourselves into trouble when we don’t learn to curb our spending according to what is being provided.

God promises to provide for our needs, not our “wildest dreams”.

:6 So the oil ceased

I don’t want to make too much of this, because it was apparently enough to take care of the family, but …

Lesson

Making room for abundance

You could build a case that clay pots are a picture of us, humans made of dust.

You could also build a case that oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit.

As long as there were vessels to be filled, the oil flowed.

It’s kind of like Murphy’s law for children’s toys:

“Toys multiply to fill every available space in the house.”

Sometimes I get to thinking that the only thing that hinders us from seeing more of God’s hand in our lives is simply because we don’t make room for it.

We open up a few places in our lives for God to work and say, “Well, better stop there Lord, I’m all filled up now!”

Make room for more and more of God’s work in your life!

If you ever start to think that you’re full, or that you’ve “arrived”, you’re in a dangerous spot.

If you’re constantly hungering and thirsting for more and more of the Lord, then you’re in a good place.

There’s so much more ...

(Eph 3:20 NKJV) Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

God is able to do way above what we can ask or think.

I am learning to pray every day for God to bless me and for Him to give me ALL that He is wanting to give me, for Him to do ALL that He is wanting to do in my life.

Don’t limit Him with just a few small pots to fill!

4:8-37 Raising Shunammite’s Son

:8 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.

:8 Shunem

Play Shunem map clip.

Elisha apparently had some sort of circuit that he would follow in his ministry.  Shunem lay in the Jezreel valley up near Mount Carmel and the Sea of Galilee.

:8 a notable woman

notable – gadowl – great; distinguished

She was great in wealth and riches, but also of great benevolence and hospitality.

The Jewish Targum (commentary) paraphrases it; a woman of great credit and reputation on all accounts.

This gal practiced the simple gift of hospitality.

In the ancient days, travelers didn’t go to Motel Six, they had to depend on people asking them to stay in their homes.

:9 And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly.

:9 this is a holy man

It doesn’t seem that this woman has seen Elisha perform any miracles. 

She senses that there’s something special about him.

:10 Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.”

This gal’s house became a stopping off place for Elisha on his ministry circuit.

:11 And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there.

:12 Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him.

:12 Gehazi his servant

Here's the first time we meet Elisha's servant.

We’ve often talked about how serving others is at the heart of ministry.  It’s what ministry is all about.  Many of the great men in the Bible learned ministry by being a servant.

Joshua took over from Moses.  Joshua was Moses’ servant.

Elisha was chosen by Elijah to take his place.  He was a servant to Elijah.

Gehazi is Elisha’s servant.

Keep your eye on Gehazi.    He’s going to be a problem.  In fact, if you were around Gehazi, you’d better also keep an eye on your pocketbook as well.

Gehazi is in the “batter’s circle”.  He’s “on deck”.  In a sense, he’s the next in line to be a great prophet in Israel.

How will Gehazi turn out?  Being the disciple of a good man is no guarantee how you will turn out…

:13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’ ” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”

:13 speak on your behalf

Or, “Can I use my influence with the higher political powers to get you a favor?”

:13 I dwell among my own people

Or, “I’m good with my life as it is”

:14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.”

:15 So he said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway.

:16 Then he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!”

:16 do not lie

She’s apparently had lots of disappointment when it came to having kids.

She doesn’t want to have any false hope.

I’ve known people through the years who have had a difficult life, like a gal who had a severe physical handicap.  She would have people come up to her to pray for her to be healed, but she was never healed.

It’s a cruel thing to make promises that God hasn’t made.

:17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.

:18 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers.

It is thought that the kid might be about six or seven years old.

:19 And he said to his father, “My head, my head!” So he said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

:20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

:21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out.

She takes the dead boy to Elisha’s room and puts him on Elisha’s bed.

:22 Then she called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back.”

The woman will ride the donkey, the young man will run and guide the donkey.

:23 So he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.” And she said, “It is well.”

:23 New Moon … Sabbath

Jewish religious days, these were times when you might expect to want to talk to the prophet.

It’s as if her husband can’t imagine why she wants to go to church when it’s not Christmas or Easter.

I’d say that the husband doesn’t quite get what she intends to do.  He simply doesn’t get it.

:24 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, “Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.”

:25 And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel.

:25 at Mount Carmel

Play Carmel to Shunem clip

Shunem is about 25 miles from Mount Carmel.

This wasn’t a quick little trip.  Even if everybody is running, it’s going to take at least two full days to go to Carmel and back.

:25 So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, the Shunammite woman!

:26 Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’ ” And she answered, “It is well.”

Why does she say to Gehazi “it is well” when it’s not?

Perhaps she doesn’t like talking with Gehazi.  We’re going to see that Gehazi isn’t exactly a likeable guy.  Perhaps she just wants to talk with Elisha.

:27 Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, “Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me, and has not told me.”

:27 Gehazi came near to push her away

Isn’t it just like us that when some people are in the greatest need, we’re so busy about protocol and such that we can in fact hinder ministry?

Lesson

Don't hinder God’s work

Jesus almost didn't heal one man:

(Lk 18:35–43 NKJV) —35 Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. 36 And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. 37 So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, 41 saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” 42 Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

When you find yourself hindering something, better check to make sure you have the heart of God.

:27 the Lord has hidden it from me

Elisha is a man who has an incredible gift of the word of knowledge.  God is constantly showing all kinds of things to Elisha. Later on, it will be said of him:

(2 Ki 6:12 NKJV) And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”

Yet here, he's clueless.

Lesson

You don’t know everything

Ultimately, God is the one who knows everything.  He’s the one who decides what we should know and what we shouldn’t know.

Sometimes God just wants you to talk to the person!

We can sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that we know everything, and a person comes to us for help, and we begin to spout off what we think is the obvious answer, but we really don’t have a clue … or a Clouseau …

Play Does Your Dog Bite clip

What makes that bit funny is that Clouseau thinks the dog belongs to the man, so he asks, “Does your dog bite?”  Yet the dog doesn’t belong to the man, so even though the man answers truthfully about his own dog, Clouseau gets the wrong idea about the dog in front of him.

The Bible says,

(Pr 18:13 NKJV) He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.

Sometimes ministry is much better when you sit down and allow the other person to pour out their heart.

:28 So she said, “Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”

She doesn’t tell Elisha what is wrong.  She just reminds him that she hadn’t wanted to be hurt with hopes for a son.

:29 Then he said to Gehazi, “Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child.”

Gehazi will run to Shunem.  The rest of the group will proceed at a slower pace.

:30 And the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her.

She’s not leaving Elisha until Elisha goes to see her son.

:31 Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, “The child has not awakened.”

:31 The child has not awakened

Lesson

Delegation doesn’t always work

Delegation is a fine thing to do.

There are many things that we need to allow others to help us with, or we will burn out.

 But there are times when delegation just isn't proper, and you must do the work!

:32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed.

:33 He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.

:33 prayed to the Lord

Lesson

People that pray

God uses people who are serious about prayer.

I’m not just talking about praying before you eat your dinner.

I’m not just talking about a few sentences you shoot up before bed time.

I’m not talking about quick little prayers whispered through the day (as important as they are).

E.M.Bounds (Power through Prayer, pg.37) – who knew a lot about prayer, writes,

“Much time spent with God is the secret of all successful praying.  Prayer which is felt as a mighty force is the immediate product of much time spent with God.  Our short prayers owe their point and efficiency to the long ones that have preceded them.  The short prevailing prayer cannot be prayed by one who has not prevailed with God in a mightier struggle of long continuance.  Jacob’s victory of faith could not have been gained without that all-night wrestling.  God’s acquaintance is not made by quick visits.  God does not bestow his gifts on the casual or hasty comers and goers.  Much time with God alone is the secret of knowing him and of influence with him.  He yields to the persistency of a faith that knows him.  He bestows his richest gifts on those who declare their desire for and appreciation of those gifts by the constancy as well as earnestness of their prayers (importunity).”

:34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.

Elisha began this time with intense prayer, lying flat (prone) on the floor.

:35 He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

He leaves the bedroom, and begins to pace back and forth around the house, continuing in prayer, and then goes back and to lie on the child again.

:35 the child sneezed seven times

An odd thing to record.

:36 And he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Pick up your son.”

:37 So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.

Wow.  Resurrection.

4:38-41 Death Stew

:38 And Elisha returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land.

:38 Elisha returned to Gilgal

Play Shunem to Gilgal map clip

Gilgal is about 40 miles south of Shunem.

:38 Now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”

Elisha is hungry, so he asks Gehazi to make a stew for everyone.

:38 sons of the prophets

These are the guys in training for ministry.  Sort of a ministry school.

:39 So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were.

:40 Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.

:40 there is death in the pot!

Goes to show what happens when you trust the wrong person to do the grocery shopping.

Play Clay Matthew goes grocery shopping

Not every guy is a bad shopper!

:41 So he said, “Then bring some flour.” And he put it into the pot, and said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

:41 nothing harmful in the pot

This is obviously a miracle that was done, turning something poisonous into something edible.

I can’t help but think that it’s also a picture of what God wants to do in our lives.

Here’s the picture:  Our lives are like that “poison pot”, and we need to add “flour” or, the Word of God to bring healing to that poison pot.

Lesson

Healing a poisoned pot

I think that there’s a sense in which we’re all cooking a “stew”.  We call it life.

We add all kinds of things into the pot.  It cooks.  It “stews”.

Sometimes we aren’t too careful about the kinds of things we add to our lives.  Sometimes we add those “wild gourds”.

And we find there’s “death in the pot”.

Maybe I’m stretching this a bit, but in the Bible, “bread” can be a picture of God’s Word.  We “feed” daily on God’s Word, just as the Israelites went out into the wilderness each day to collect their daily “manna”.

When we find “poison in the pot”, perhaps we need to throw in a little bit of “meal”.  Perhaps we need to be sure we’re adding God’s Word into our life as well.

Sometimes we can allow things into our lives that cause us to become bitter and angry.  And there’s “death in the pot”.

God’s Word says we are to forgive.

God’s Word says we are to be gracious.

God’s Word says we don’t wrestle with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers.

God’s Word says we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Throw in some meal.

4:42-44 Feeding 100

:42 Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.”

:42 Baal Shalisha

Don’t know where this place is, but apparently it’s close to Gilgal.

:42 bread of the firstfruits

This was in obedience to the Law, giving back to God from the very first of the harvest (Lev. 23:10)

(Le 23:10 NKJV) “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.

This is an amazing act of obedience, to be giving the first of your harvest away when you're in the middle of a famine!

:42 Give it to the people

You know, this isn’t a lot of food.

Elisha could be keeping this for himself.

But instead he’s sharing it!

:43 But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the Lord: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’ ”

It seems there might have been a hundred men of the sons of the prophets there.

:44 So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

This sounds a little like Jesus feeding 5,000, but on a smaller scale.

:44 they ate and had some left over

Lesson

God is generous to the generous.

Both the man and Elisha were being generous and giving to the people.

And in response, God let there even be leftovers!

(2 Co 9:6–8 NKJV) —6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

5:1-19 Healing Naaman

:1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper.

:1 Naaman = “pleasantness”

:1 the Lord had given victory to Syria

Yahweh didn’t just work on behalf of Israel.  Interesting.

Naaman would probably have been the general in charge during the last great battle with Israel, when Ahab and Jehoshaphat fought against Ramoth-gilead, and Ahab was killed.

During that battle:

(2 Ch 18:33 NKJV) Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

According to the Jewish Targum (commentary), that “certain man” was none other than Naaman.

:1 mighty – gibbowr – strong, mighty

The same word was used to describe David’s “mighty men”.

:1 valor – chayil – strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army

:1 but a leper

Naaman had a lot going for him, but he had a huge problem, a disease of the skin.

Those with leprosy where considered unclean.  They were typically outcasts.

It was incurable in those days.  Hopeless.

:2 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife.

God is going to use this young girl who is serving as a slave to Naaman’s family.  She knows of a God who does miracles.

:3 Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.”

She doesn’t say much, but she says enough.

Big things are going to happen because she spoke up.

Are there people you need to “speak up” with?

:4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.”

:5 Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.

:5 ten talents of silver

That’s 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, plus the clothes.

We’re talking millions of dollars.

The king of Syria is willing to pay BIG BUCKS to have his general healed.

:6 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.

:7 And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.”

The king of Israel (currently Jehoram, son of Ahab) must think that the king of Syria expects HIM to heal Naaman.

Or if he is thinking about Elisha, he knows that he can’t command Elisha to do anything.

Either way, he thinks it’s a trick to provoke another war.

:8 So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

:9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house.

:10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”

Elisha himself doesn’t come out.  Gehazi is sent out with the instructions.

:10 wash in the Jordan seven times

This actually seems to be an abbreviated version of what the Mosaic Law says to do after a leper is “cleansed”. (See Lev. 14)

Part of the ritual involved sprinkling with water seven times.

(Le 14:7 NKJV) And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose in the open field.

Finally, after seven days, the leper was to have a complete bath:

(Le 14:9 NKJV) But on the seventh day he shall shave all the hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows—all his hair he shall shave off. He shall wash his clothes and wash his body in water, and he shall be clean.

Lesson

Points of contact

Some of Elisha’s miracles sound a little bit like superstition.

Putting salt in a polluted spring. 

Putting meal in a poisonous stew.

And yet sometimes God uses physical things to get us on our way to trust in the Lord.

It’s not the things themselves that cause the miracle, it’s the Lord.  But God will at times use simply physical things to help us get over the hump of trusting in Him.

Like …

Chuck’s story of the woman and her furnace.

Elders anointing with oil.

:11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’

He was expecting a show.

:12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

:12 Abanah and the Pharpar

The Abanah is now known as the Barada river, and the Pharpar is the El Awaj river.

They are the main water sources for the ancient city of Damascus.

:12 Could I not wash in them and be clean?

Naaman is offended because he thinks that Elisha is simply telling him he needs to take a bath.

What Elisha is asking goes beyond bathing. 

It is an issue of faith and obedience.

Will Naaman trust what Elisha says?  Will he be willing to do what Elisha is asking?

:13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”

For some people, it seems to “simple” when we say you simply need to “believe” to be saved. They would rather that they have to cross a desert on their hands and knees.

:14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

:14 like … a little child

The choice of language is interesting.  It was a child that got him to Elisha.

Lesson

Humility brings blessing

How often are we missing out on the blessings and miracles of the Lord in our lives because we're simply too proud to admit we're wrong, and turn around and obey?

(1 Pe 5:5–6 NKJV) —5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

We can choose to either be stubborn and proud, and find God Himself resisting us, or we can humble ourselves, and find God giving us grace!

:14 dipped seven times

Some have suggested that this is a precursor to baptism.

:15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”

It sounds to me as if Naaman has become a God follower.

:16 But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

:16 I will receive nothing

That’s not to say that Elisha never received gifts from people, we just saw how he had received the gift of a man’s firstfruits (2Ki.4:42).

But in this instance, it would be very improper to do so.

This is Naaman’s first contact with the Lord.

He needs to know that God operates on of mercy and grace, not money.

Lesson

God’s gifts are free!

There is a proper place to support ministries with financial help.

But there is something terribly wrong when a ministry begins to give the impression that it’s a business, and is only there to take your money.

Jesus said:

(Mt 10:8 NKJV) Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

We have all received freely from Jesus, and we should give freely in return.

:17 So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord.

:18 Yet in this thing may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord please pardon your servant in this thing.”

The “god” of Damascus was “Hadad-Rimmon”

:19 Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.

:18 when I bow down …

Naaman is looking for permission to do what his boss asks by going to the pagan temple when his boss requests.

None of this is exactly “kosher”.  This is not the way the Law lays out the worship of Yahweh.

Naaman’s heart was that he was going to put away all other gods in his life, and serve only the Lord.

You have to keep in mind that this isn’t quite according to the Mosaic Law!

If he was to truly sacrifice to the Lord, then he would have to go to God’s altar, not build his own.

He would have to have a Levite offer the sacrifice, not do it himself.

Lesson

Give them time

New believer’s don’t have to be perfect, just headed in the right direction!

Sometimes we expect a new believer to learn all the intricacies of the Lord and change all the sin in their life all at once.

Give them some time!

Just make sure they’re headed in the right direction!

God will help them grow and make whatever changes when it’s right!

The important thing is that in his heart, Naaman is putting away all other gods.

That’s the place to start!

:19 Go in peace

Lesson

Give grace.

Elisha isn’t condoning the worship of Rimmon, or the act of bowing before Rimmon.

I think this is another example of grace - give the guy a break.

When Naaman grows up a little more in the Lord, he’ll hopefully know better.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego - though youths, were mature believers, and knew they couldn’t bow before Nebuchadnezzar’s giant idol.

They didn’t say, “God forgive us when we bow before this idol ...”

Naaman is just a new believer.

Give him a break.

5:20-27 Greedy Gehazi

:20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.”

Gehazi is like a con-man whose boss has just let the “mark” get away.

:21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?”

:22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’ ”

:22 two young men …

Gehazi is lying.  He’s telling a story to manipulate Naaman out of some coin.

The idea of people using religion to manipulate people for financial gain is nothing new.

:22 a talent of silver

75 pounds of silver.  Close to $400,000.

Remember that Naaman brought TEN talents with him.

:23 So Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him.

Naaman’s heart is so filled with gratitude for his healing and his conversion, that he’s willing to give twice as much as he’s asked.

And that’s just what Gehazi is hoping for.

It takes a couple of servants to handle that much silver.  A talent is about 75 pounds, two talents is 150 pounds of silver.

:24 When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed.

When they get to the top of the hill, Gehazi relieves them of the silver and sends them on their way while he hides the loot in his house.

:25 Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.”

:26 Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants?

Here’s that old word of knowledge of Elisha’s popping up again! Gehazi is caught!

:27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.

:26 Is it time to receive money

Because of his greed, Gehazi will become leper, just like Naaman was.

There were other times when a person contracted leprosy as a punishment.

Moses’ sister Miriam had leprosy for a while because of her attitude towards her brother (Num. 12).

King Uzziah would become a leper because he thought he could do priestly things when he wasn’t a priest. (2Chr. 26:19)

Lesson

Guard against Greed!

God is not well pleased with people who misuse His name for financial purposes.

Why do you do things for people?  Are you in it for the rewards?

Here we see the dangers of greed in ministry, but it applies to all of life.

(1 Ti 6:9–10 NKJV) —9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Greed for money will do all kinds of rotten things to your heart.

Play Catching a Monkey in NYC

The devil loves to trip up believers.  All he has to do it to offer us “monkey treats”.  We get trapped because we refuse to let go.