The Flesh of a Little Child

One of the most interesting stories in the First (Old) Testament is that of a man named Naaman, about whom we read in II Kings 5. He was, we read, the "commander of the army of the king of Syria, [and he] was a great man with his master and in high favour, because by him YHWH had given victory to Syria." (v.1) Just a side-note that didn't come to mind until I had copied those words! The inspired writer attributes the successes of this Gentile (i.e. not of the Children of Israel) to YHWH, the God of Israel. With the presidential election day this week, I wonder if the candidate for whom I personally would be voting - Donald J Trump - is an unbeliever whom the Lord will use for His own purposes! He is the Lord of all of mankind, even if not all fully acknowledge Him as such! Actually, either candidate will be the Lord's choice - to bless the USA, or to bring judgement upon that great country!

Anyway, this familiar story of Naaman, the Syrian, was cited by the Lord Jesus himself as an example of the concern of Almighty God for all nations. "And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." (Lk.4:27). It is also, we may conclude, a striking picture of salvation!

As we have noted, Naaman was a great and highly-acclaimed military commander. However, at the end of the verse at which we looked at the beginning of this post, we learn something else about him: "... but he was a leper." Yes, this "mighty man of valour"  was also stricken with an incurable, and loathsome, disease - the disease of leprosy. Similarly, any natural man, or woman, no matter how powerful, is afflicted with the lethal disease of sin. 

Then we may note that, before this important, and proud, official could be cured of his leprosy, he had to humble himself in several ways. First, he had to accept the advice of a slave girl from an enemy nation: "Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little maid from the land of Israel, and she waited on Naaman’s wife.  She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” (vs.2-3). 

Then Naaman had to journey to that nation and its prophet, whose God his own nation had repudiated: "So Na′aman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the maiden from the land of Israel.”  And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” (v.4).

Finally, he had to travel still farther at the word of the prophet (who would not even come out to meet him); and, finally, immerse himself seven times in the despised river Jordan. Though he resented being so humiliated, his condition was hopeless otherwise, so he finally did all these things, and God marvelously healed him! "So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman was angry, and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of YHWH his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper. Are not Abana and 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.  But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had commanded you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean." (vs.9-14)

 

Naaman's leprous flesh became, again, as the flesh of a little child. But first he had to manifest the obedient faith of a little child. The same principle is true for every lost sinner. 

"Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you." (James 4:10). Jesus said, "... unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3-4).