2 Kings 5:15-2715And 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. 16But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. 17And 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. 18In 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. 19And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way. 20But 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. 21So 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? 22And 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. 23And 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. 24And 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. 25But 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. 26And 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? 27The 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. (2 Kings 5:15‑27)
After Naaman, the great, captain of Syria, had been cured of his leprosy by God’s power in the River Jordan, he returned to give his thanks to Elisha. He had brought very much gold and silver and clothing from his land for a present in return for his healing; he may have already given some to the king’, and now he wanted to give to Elisha.
But Elisha would not accept anything. He wanted this captain to know that God’s mercy could not be paid for with money or with clothes. And it never can be by anyone.
So the captain and his servants started on their way home.
Elisha had a servant who saw that the gifts were refused, and an evil thought came to his mind; he said to himself, “I will run after him, and take somewhat from him” So he hurried after Naaman, and on the way must have planned an excuse for his request.
Naaman saw the man running after him, and kindly stopped and got down from his chariot to inquire if all were well.
The answer of the servant was that two young men had just come from another place, and he would like a talent of silver and two changes of clothes for the Naaman was very willing to give him what he asked and more.
A talent of silver is said to weigh many pounds, so was heavy and of much value. Naaman had two of his servants take two bags and put in two talents of silver and two changes of clothing and carry them back for the man.
Before they reached Elisha, the servant took the bags from the men and told them to return to their master. Then he hid the gifts in a secret place, and went to Elisha.
Elisha asked his servant where he had been, and he said he had not been away! But Elisha knew where he had been, and what he had got.
Because of his deceit in this, the servant became a leper. Sometimes in that disease the skin is white and dead, so it says of this man, he “went out, a leper, white as snow”, not just one spot of the sickness, but all over. And no doubt, he also lost the privilege of helping Elisha, for he could no longer be trusted, and also, in Israel, a leper was kept apart from others.
The Lord had given Elisha and his helpers what they needed, as this man knew, so it was wrong to wish for more; or to take, when Elisha had refused. And he was still more wrong to make up the false story to Naaman; but most wrong to tell Elisha the lie, instead of confessing his sin.
ML 06/18/1939