favor

In 2 Kings 5, we find the story of a man, a valiant soldier, who was in a completely unfavorable health circumstance—he had leprosy.  Yet, there was a young girl who found favor with this man, and her favor not only transformed his life but many other situations as well.

The man’s name was Naaman.  He was a brave, successful commanding general in the Syrian army.  During one of Syria’s raids, they had taken a young Israelites girl captive, and she became a servant to Naaman’s wife.  The Bible never tells us her name, but we do know that someone had planted the Word of God into her heart when she was very young.  Even in captivity, she held fast to the Word and shared it with others. In spite of her circumstances, this girl found favor with God because she confidently witnessed His Word and allowed the truth to remain in her.

For her young age, she had a good understanding of Naaman’s suffering and his needs. One day, she told Naaman’s wife that he should visit the prophet Elisha in order to receive healing for his leprosy.  When Naaman heard the suggestion, he gathered much wealth and brought it with him on his journey to Israel.

When Naaman first arrived in the land, he presented a letter written by the king of Syria to the king of Israel.  This letter announced that he was sending Naaman to Israel to be healed.  The king of Syria really put the king of Israel on the spot! The Israelite king heatedly replied by saying, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore, please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me” (2 Kings 5:7).

Seeing that the king’s situation was far different from that of the young maid’s, I thought that it was interesting to note that she had more compassion for Naaman’s circumstances than the king did!  She realized the source for his healing was God’s power, whereas the king didn’t.  Furthermore, the king of Israel lacked understanding, mercy, and truth, so Naaman was wasting his time trying to find favor with him!

Hearing that the king responded to Naaman by tearing his clothes over the situation, Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean” (2 Kings 5:10). Naaman wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of washing himself in the Jordan seven times.  When he heard Elisha’s prescription for his condition, he was disgusted.  What did Naaman expect Elisha to do? The Bible says:

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.’” (2 Kings 5:11)

It is interesting to note the important roles which the servants played in this story. First, we see that Naaman’s servant girl told him to go to Israel to seek his healing. Naaman would have left Israel enraged by his anger had not his other servants encouraged him to follow the prophet’s advice: “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’?” (2 Kings 5:14).

There was a reason why Naaman had favor in the sight of the Lord. God’s promise to Abraham was: “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). This promise not only applied to Abraham, but it also applied to his seed.  There young servant girl was the seed of Abraham.  We can surmise that Naaman must have been a very good master to his servants because in verse 13 they affectionately called him “Father” and they earnestly desired to see him healed. Even though she was a captive, I believe Naaman’s kindness to the Jewish girl gave him favor in the sight of the Lord, and this favor led to his physical and spiritual healing.

After Naaman’s miraculous healing, he returned to Elisha, and with much gratitude, he tried to persuade him to accept the treasure which he had brought, but Elisha refused.  According to verses 18-19, we see that Naaman repented of his idolatrous past and was forgiven of his sins.  After he was healed and forgiven, he asked Elisha for some direct because he wanted to take it back to his home in Syria, where he planned to kneel on it and worship the God of the Jews. He was really touched by his healing, wasn’t he? He abandoned the worship of Rimmon, the god of Babylon, and he learned to worship Jehovah, the true and living God!

Healing and salvation are often found together throughout the Bible. We hardly ever see them separated.  Naaman’s entire life was transformed through his encounter with God, which brought about his physical and spiritual healings. Both ancient history and the Bible agree that Syria attacked Israel many times after this incident, but there is no indication that Naaman ever led the Syrian army in battle against Israel after his miraculous healing. Isn’t it wonderful how God touches us as individuals in order to place us in the path of His divine will? Once God puts His finger on your life, you’re not only transformed, but the consequences of His divine touch are also often quite far-reaching, as they were in the case of Naaman.

Do you want favor for healing that will go beyond just your own body and circumstances and change the course of history as well? Nothing is too big for God!

Today’s blog post is taken from Marilyn’s new book, Rebuild Restoring Your God-Given Identity.