2Ki 5:1 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.
2Ki 5:2 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.
2Ki 5:3 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.
2Ki 5:4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
2Ki 5:5 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.
2Ki 5:6 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.
2Ki 5:7 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.
2Ki 5:8 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.
2Ki 5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
2Ki 5:10 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.
In God’s word, the condition known as leprosy that Naaman had is typical of the first man Adam who was ‘marred in the hand of the Potter’ and ‘shapen in iniquity’ as we all are (Jer 18:4, Psa 51:5-6). The good news is that what God desires, He will accomplish through His spirit which we are told is greater than him who is in the world, which is all that is within us, the leprous condition of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1Jn 2:16, 1Jn 4:4). All men will be saved from this necessary evil of being in sinful flesh, in other words, and that will be accomplished each man in his order (Psa 51:6, Joh 4:24, 2Sa 14:14, Col 1:27, 1Co 15:22-23).
Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Psa 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Psa 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
2Sa 14:14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
“The abundance of the things which he possesseth” of Luke 12:15 is typified in this section of scripture by Naaman who represents us in our flesh, our many good works, and yet despite those many wonderful works and titles, “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.” God will bring all mankind into remembrance and will never let us forget that we’re leprous in His sight (“but he was a leper“), and only by the life of Christ and the cleansing that His life brings will we become a new creation to the glory of God, in a kingdom that leprous flesh and blood cannot inherit (1Co 15:50).
Luk 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
2Ki 5:1 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.
2Ki 5:2 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.
This little maidH5291 represents God’s elect in our early immature stage of our calling when we are taken captive by the false doctrines of this world. We’re subservient to the Nicolaitan spirit within the churches of Babylon that ruled over us (Rev 2:6, Rev 2:15), and so we “waited on Naaman’s wife” who represents a church whose husband is another Jesus, a leprous Naaman who has power to rule over all the earth (Dan 2:39-40).
Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Dan 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
Naaman represents the strength we have in our flesh, and so he is described as a “captain of the host of the king of Syria,” who “was a great man with his master, and honourable,” and “a mighty man in valour“, yet unaware, as all flesh is without Christ within them, that every good and perfect gift comes from above and all glory and honor is of the Lord (Jas 1:17). Even with God’s spirit within us we can easily glory in that which God has given us (1Co 4:7) forgetting that “because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria:” (Php 2:12-13) which just further confirms that all flesh is leprous in God’s sight (“but he was a leper“) and it requires constant vigilance on our part to keep under our bodies, “and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (Rom 7:19, 1Co 9:27), becoming conceited and thinking that the works I’ve done should somehow be attributed to my own efforts without completely acknowledging Christ as the one who is working in us both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure (Rom 11:11-12, Rom 11:17-18, Rom 11:20, Php 2:12-13)
Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
1Co 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (Rom 11:20)
Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Rom 11:12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?Rom 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Rom 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.Rom 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
This healing of Naaman is typical of us overcoming our flesh, the wood hay and stubble of our life (1Co 3:12-14), but it is also a form of strong delusion when we are delivered from fleshly sins or nations as was the case with Syria only to find out later that we came behind in no gift but were yet carnal (1Co 1:7, 1Co 3:3). All these signs and wonders, these victories that were given in our flesh, deceive the world, keeping them from seeing the only sign we need to know and understand and can’t unless Christ is in the heart of our earth judging our flesh in this life (Mat 12:39-40, 1Pe 4:17).
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.1Co 1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: (just because a sign is given does not mean that it is understood for what it is saying)
Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God [Mat 12:40]: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
2Ki 5:3 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.
2Ki 5:4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
In time that little maid within us matures and starts to boldly come before the throne of grace to obtain mercy in time of need, a time of need for the body of Christ now while we are in this corruptible flesh (Heb 4:16). The maid represents Babylon who we start overcoming by coming out of her and pointing to Elisha “Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.” Elisha typifies Christ as the only one who can heal Naaman of his leprous condition (Joh 8:36).
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
“And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel” tells us that our witness in this world, our preaching the gospel to all men, is needful and necessary even if those seeds that are sown are only meant to mature at a later time in the lake of fire (Isa 55:11, Php 1:18, 1Co 15:58).
Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Php 1:18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
2Ki 5:5 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.
Naaman is given command by the king of Syria to, “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.” These actions are going to lead to the healing of Naaman’s flesh eventually which is typical of spiritual healing, and so the silver, gold and raiment that represent Christ’s righteousness are juxtaposed against the flesh represented by “ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment”.
Faith without works is dead (Jas 2:17) and it is only when we’re able to receive the command to “go to, go” that our faith will be tried and matured, which is symbolized by the ultimate healing that will come to Naaman when he is sent of the king to go see Elisha (Psa 107:20).
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Psa 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
2Ki 5:6 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.
2Ki 5:7 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.
2Ki 5:8 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.
Elisha is essentially saying to the king of Israel, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” The king of Israel’s clothes being rent symbolizes the futility of our flesh that is so easily beset by sin and not able to be anything other than a doubting Thomas until Christ shows us His wounds by which we are healed (Joh 20:27, 1Pe 2:24-25).
Joh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
The king of Israel is us denying the works that God can do through the body saying, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive [The answer is, “Yes, with Christ in us as our hope of glory” (Rom 14:7-9)]
Rom 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
Rom 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
Rom 14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.“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” (Mat 8:26), is another way saying in type and shadow that the king of Israel was denying the faith that as saviors in Christ, we the elect, typified by Elisha, can bring healing to the world. The king was not convinced or persuaded of God’s power at this point (Oba 1:21, Rom 8:38-39).
Mat 8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm [This great calm symbolizes the peace that passes all understanding which God alone can bring to us through Christ. (Php 4:7)].
Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It takes “the man of God” Elisha, who typifies Christ, coming to us to reassure us that there is no need to “rent thy clothes” (Joe 2:13). Rather, “Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” We wrestle not against flesh and blood, and this king represents our lack of faith and inability to see that we are more than conquerors through Christ who can and will deliver us from all sin. The struggle we experience in the flesh is very real, as it was for Christ, but through it all we are admonished to remember that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We will be more than conquerors over them through Jesus Christ (Eph 6:12, Rom 8:37).
Joe 2:13 And rend your heart, [Lev 16:21] and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Lev 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
[Christ, represented by Aaron, gives us the power to rend our hearts and not our garments as we’re given to confess all our iniquities and learn of how our Father in heaven is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil“]
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
2Ki 5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
2Ki 5:10 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.
Naaman comes to the door of Elisha still in the strength of his flesh represented by “his horses and with his chariot“. He is only at the door, and Christ in type and shadow is not yet ruling over him (Gen 4:7). The command comes to Naaman as it does to us to, “Go and wash in Jordan seven times, [complete repentance] and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.” The flesh that becomes clean and comes to us is the positive use of flesh like the fleshly heart that is spoken of in Ezekiel 36:26 where there is no condemnation in this flesh and bones which represent the body of Christ (Rom 8:1, Eph 5:30).
Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Next week, Lord willing, we will look at these last verses in this chapter of Kings (2Ki 5:11-27), which have a strong emphasis on the truth that it is only in Christ and with the body of Christ that we can be healed and washed of all our iniquities.
2Ki 5:11 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.
2Ki 5:12 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.
2Ki 5:13 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?
2Ki 5:14 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.
2Ki 5:15 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.
2Ki 5:16 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.
2Ki 5:17 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.
2Ki 5:18 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.
2Ki 5:19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
2Ki 5:20 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.
2Ki 5:21 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?
2Ki 5:22 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.
2Ki 5:23 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.
2Ki 5:24 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.
2Ki 5:25 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.
2Ki 5:26 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?
2Ki 5:27 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.
"His Branch" 