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| 1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. |
The LORD had given – Naaman's victory is credited to Jehovah, who did interfere with the affairs of outside nations to some extent. R3438:2
Deliverance unto Syria – To Syria and Israel, in combination against Shalmaneser II. R3438:2
He was a leper – Leprosy corresponds to sin: it is incurable, loathsome, contagious, destructive, painless. R4769:1, R3439:3, R2347:2
A figure of sin, incurable, except by divine miracle. R5780:4 2 Kings 5:3
She said unto her mistress – So all those who know of a divine power and arrangement for the healing of sinners may tell the good tidings, even to their enemies. R4769:1
Leprosy – See comments on 2 Kings 5:1.
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| 2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. |
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| 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. |
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| 4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. |
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| 5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. |
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| 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. |
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| 7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. |
Rent his clothes – In indication of his great distress. R5780:5, R3438:6, R2347:1
Am I God – The king of Israel was an idolater. He probably had no dealings with, and scarcely any knowledge of, Elisha. R3438:6
Leprosy – See comments on 2 Kings 5:1.
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| 8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. |
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| 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. |
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| 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. |
And Elisha – See comments on 2 Kings 2:14.
Sent a messenger – We feel sure that it would not be the Lord's will that we as his followers should duplicate or copy Elisha's manner, but should render honor to those to whom honor is due. R3439:1
Elisha's course declared, "I am greater than you, because while you are the servant of the king of Syria, I am a servant of the King of kings." R3439:2
Wash in Jordan – See comments on 2 Kings 2:6.
The antitypical Jordan, "the fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel's veins." R2347:6, R4769:1
Seven times – A complete cleansing, washing. R4769:1, R3439:4, R2347:6
Our belief, obedience and baptism unto death must be perfect or complete, otherwise there is no remission of sins. R3439:4
Signifying that half-hearted consecration and obedience are not what the Lord is pleased to honor and bless. R3439:5
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| 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. |
But Naaman was wroth – He expected great consideration for his rank. R4768:6, R2347:1, R3439:1, R5780:5
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| 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. |
Are not Abana – No doubt the modern river Barrada; it has the clearest waters possible. R3439:2
May I not wash in them – There are various theories, philosophies and many suggestions as to how sin can be gotten rid of. R3439:4
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| 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? |
His servants came near – In a moderate and wise manner, and offered him some good advice. R2347:2, R4768:6
When someone comes to the place of being ready to obey the Lord's voice, to be rid of his load of sin, it not infrequently is the result of good counsel on the part of his Christian friends. R2347:6
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| 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. |
Then went he down – Although fearful that no good would come from the washing and that he would be the laughing stock of all. R4768:6
Others may help to impress the lesson; yet no recovery from sin can be made except as the individual himself follows the divine prescription. R4769:1
Seven times – See comments on 2 Kings 5:10.
And he was clean – As only divine power could heal the leper, only the same can heal the sinner. R4769:1
Foreshadows the restitution work. B266
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| 15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
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And he returned – Retraced his journey nearly forty miles to thank the prophet and to bestow gifts. R4769:2
Gratitude is one of the most worthy sentiments of the human mind. R4769:2
Demonstrating that the Lord's blessing of healing was conferred upon a man of naturally noble traits. R3439:5, R2348:2
Take a blessing – A present. R2348:2
The truly great take pleasure in being just and generous. R3439:6
His gifts were consecrated beforehand and so, after receiving the blessing, to have withheld any part would have proven him unworthy; so with our consecration. R3440:1
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| 16 But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. |
I will receive none – Thus showing that Naaman's healing was a favor, and not in exchange for the expensive presents he brought. R3439:2, R2348:4
The gifts of God's grace are not to be bartered for earthly good things. R4769:4, R5780:6
While it is not wrong for servants of the Lord to receive compensation, yet the Lord is more glorified if they do not. R3440:2
How much to the Lord's glory if all of God's people would emulate Elisha in this respect. R4769:4, R3440:2, R2348:4
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| 17 And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD. |
Burden of earth – Enough of the consecrated soil of Palestine for the building of an altar to the Lord. R3440:2, R2348:5
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| 18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing. |
Pardon thy servant – Since Naaman was not an Israelite but a stranger to the covenant and promises of Israel, less would be required of him. R3440:3, R2348:6
My master – The king of Syria. R3440:2
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| 19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way. |
Go In peace – Elisha's answer was, in substance, that if the General made full profession of faith in the true God it would not be improper for him to accompany his master to the house of the false god, for his adherence to Jehovah God would be recognized. R5781:1
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| 20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. |
But Gehazi – Elisha's servant had a different spirit and determined to get something by a process of graft." R4769:4, R5781:3, R3440:5, R2349:2
Covetousness leads to various other sins. Nearly every crime is more or less traceable to it. R2349:2,4
There are some today in daily contact with the truth who do not partake of its spirit and in whom selfishness is the ruling passion. R3440:5
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| 21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? |
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| 22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. |
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| 23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. |
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| 24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed. |
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| 25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. |
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| 26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? |
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| 27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. |
Leprosy . . . of Naaman – With knowledge came responsibility; hence, the severe punishment inflicted upon him for hypocrisy and deception. R5781:2
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