2 Kings 5
The devil... When he speaketh a lie,
he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the
THREE were a great many heathen people, who lived outside the land of Canaan. You know that people who worship idols are called 'heathen. Some of these heathen people used often to come into Canaan, and rob, and kill. Why did God let the people of Israel be robbed and hurt? Because they did not obey Him, or obey what Elisha taught them.
Once some of these heathen people came and took away a little girl out of the land of Israel; and she became a slave to wait on a rich heathen lady in a country a great way off. The lady's husband was called Naaman, and he was a great captain, and could fight well in battle.
But Naaman was very unhappy, for he had a very dreadful disease, called the leprosy. He had very sore white places on his body. He could not find anybody who could cure him of his disease. No doctors could cure him; nor could any of the prophets of his idols save him. Now the little girl who waited on his wife, had heard of the wonders that Elisha did, and she felt sure that he could cure her master, and she said, 'O that my master were with the prophet that is in my country, for he would cure his leprosy.' Do you think that Elisha could cure Naaman? Yes, God often helped Elisha to do wonders.
Somebody heard what the little girl said, and went and told Naaman. Naaman wished very much to be made well, and so he determined to go to the land of Israel, and to ask to be made well.
Now Elisha heard that he was coming, and Elisha knew that God would help him to make Naaman well: and he hoped that when Naaman was made well he would worship the true God, Who could do such wonders: for Elisha did not wish people to praise him; he wished them to praise God.
Naaman came into Canaan in a fine chariot, with horses, and he brought a great many servants with him. Naaman was very proud, and he expected that Elisha would pay him a great deal of respect, because he was so rich and great. He drove up to Elisha's door; but Elisha did not come out to meet him: he only sent a messenger, who said to Naaman, 'Go and wash in the river Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be well.'
Then Naaman was very angry, and he said, 'I thought that the prophet would have come out to me, and would have stood, and called on the name of the Lord his God, and struck his hand over the sore place, and made me well.' Besides being angry at this, Naaman did not like to wash in a river in the land of Canaan: he would rather have washed in one of the fine large rivers of his own country. Naaman was so very angry, that he was going home to his own country without washing in Jordan: but his servants came to him to persuade him to wash in Jordan. One said, 'If the prophet had told you to do some very hard thing, would you not have done it, that you might have been made well? Now he tells you to do a very easy thing; only to wash in the river Jordan; and will you not do it?' It was kind of the servants to try and persuade Naaman to wash in Jordan.
Naaman listened to what they said; he went to Jordan, and he dipped in it seven times, and his flesh grew as soft and smooth as the flesh of a little child.
Now Naaman was very glad that he had done as Elisha had told him. I think he was sorry for having been in such a passion at first.
Where do you think that Naaman went, when he was well? Did he go home immediately to his own country again? O no, that would have been very ungrateful. He went first to Elisha's house, and he brought all his servants with him.
He did not feel so proud as he had done before: he did not expect Elisha to come out to him, but he went in to Elisha; and he told him that he was sure Elisha's God was the true God, and he promised that he would never worship idols any more. How glad Elisha must have been to hear Naaman say that he would worship the true God!
Naaman wished to give Elisha a lot of money and some beautiful things, as a reward for having made him well; so he begged him to take some of the things he had brought with him. But Elisha would not take anything. Why would not Elisha take anything? He wished to show Naaman that he had not made him well that he might get money. You know, dear children, that Elisha had made him well that he might believe in the true God.
Naaman begged Elisha very much to take something: but Elisha still said he would take nothing. You see that Elisha did not care for money.
Then Naaman set out in his chariot to go back to his own country. You remember that Elisha had a servant called Gehazi: Gehazi heard his master Elisha say he would not take anything from Naaman, and Gehazi wished very much that he could get some of the money and the beautiful things himself; so he thought of a way of getting them by telling lies. Gehazi was like Satan, who is the father of lies.
So Gehazi ran after Naaman's chariot; at last Naaman saw him running, and he stopped the chariot; and got out, for he was afraid that something was the matter. Naaman said, 'Is all well?' And Gehazi said, `All is well; but there are two visitors, very good men, who are very poor, and my master wants some silver and two suits of clothes to give to them.'
Was this true? Naaman did not know that Gehazi was telling lies; so he gave Gehazi twice as much silver as he asked for, and put it in two bags, and he gave him two suits of clothes, and he desired two of his servants to carry them for Gehazi: and Gehazi led the servants to a place with thick walls, where he used to keep things, and he desired the servants to put them there. Then the servants went back to Naaman, to go with him to their own land.
Then Gehazi went to Elisha's house to wait upon Elisha. He little thought that Elisha knew of his wickedness. He thought that Elisha could never find him out, because Naaman was gone a great way off, and could not tell Elisha that he had given some things to Gehazi. But there was One Who saw him.
God saw him, and God told Elisha what Gehazi meant to buy with the money. What did Gehazi mean to buy with it?
Vineyards, and fields, and sheep, and oxen, and slaves. And did Gehazi think that these things could make him happy, while God was angry with him?
Now I will tell you what Elisha said to Gehazi when he saw him.
He said to him, 'Where do you come from, Gehazi?' And Gehazi said, 'I have not been anywhere.' Was that true? You see that Gehazi told another lie to hide his wickedness. Then Elisha said, "Did not mine heart go with thee, when Naaman turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Let the leprosy of Naaman be upon thee forever.' Immediately sore white places came on Gehazi's skin, and he went out of Elisha's sight. Gehazi could not live with Elisha any more, for people who had the leprosy were obliged to live by themselves. I do not know whether he ever repented of his wickedness. You see how angry God is with liars, and what dreadful punishments He sends them. Never try to get things by telling lies, for if no one should find you out God sees you. Perhaps you have told lies already. O dear children, confess your lies to God. He will forgive you, because Jesus died that sinners might be forgiven.
Gehazi thought no eye beheld,
When he the Syrian's gift concealed;
But God, to Whom all things are known,
His deeds had to Elisha shown.
Though innocent he tried to look,
Yet sure the guilty servant shook,
When all the wicked plans he made,
Were by Elisha open laid.
His greedy heart had longed to gain
Of men and maids, a goodly train,
And fields, that yielded corn and wine,
And flocks of sheep, and herds of kine.
But while he dreamed of years of ease,
His flesh was filled with foul disease;
Covered with scales of loathsome white,
He fled from good Elisha's sight.
Child
And have I never done the same?
Have my lips never dared to frame
A lie, both covetous, and bold,
Like that which once Gehazi told?
Yet God accounts it wickedness
To wish for things I don't possess;
And I have oft in secret sighed
For things that God to me denied.
Each thought is noticed by Thine eye,
And written in the book on high.
I know my sins are written there,
For Jesu's sake a sinner spare.
Questions on Lesson 34
What are people called who worship idols?
What used the heathen people who lived near Canaan to do sometimes to the people of Israel?
Who was Naaman?
What dreadful disease was upon Naaman?
How did he hear of Elisha?
How did Naaman expect Elisha to behave to him?
Why did not Naaman like to bathe in Jordan?
Why did Naaman, when he was cured, think that Elisha's God was the true God?
What did Naaman determine never to do again?
Why would not Elisha take any presents from Naaman?
Who coveted Naaman's presents?
What did Gehazi say in order to get the presents?
How did Elisha know what Gehazi had done?
What lie did Gehazi tell Elisha?
What punishment did God give to Gehazi?