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Naaman now made all ready for his
journey; he took the king of Syria's letter, and a present for the king of
Israel, and went to Samaria. Joram was king of Israel at that time;
and Naaman went to him, and gave him his master's letter. Joram took
the letter, and opened it, and read thus: "I have sent my
servant Naaman to thee, that thou mayst cure him of his
leprosy." Then Joram wondered very much, and said, "Why
does the king of Syria send this leper to me? I cannot cure
him. Does the king of Syria seek a quarrel with me? And Joram
rent his clothes, because he was so angry and vexed about the king of
Syria's letter. Joram did not think nor care about Elisha; and he
forgot what wonderful things God gave His prophets power to do. But
Elisha soon heard that Naaman was come, and that Joram had rent his
clothes, because the king of Syria had asked him to cure Naaman: and
Elisha sent to Joram, and said, "Why hast thou rent thy
clothes? Send Naaman to me; I will show him that there is a prophet
in Israel." So Joram told Naaman what Elisha said; and Naaman
went with his chariot and horses to Elisha's house, and stood before the
door. Naaman was a very proud man. He thought very much about
himself, and his riches, and his possessions, and his honors; and he
wanted Elisha to see what a great man he was, and to show him honor.
Elisha knew how proud Naaman was; and he knew too, that Naaman must learn
to be humble, before God could be merciful to him, and cleanse him from
his leprosy. So the good prophet did not go out to see Naaman, and
to admire and honor him; but he sent his servant to him with this
message: "Go, and wash seven times in Jordan, and thou shalt be
clean." Did Naaman obey? No; it was a very easy command,
but Naaman did not like it. Why not? Because he thought Elisha
had not honored him. He said, "Why did not the prophet come out
to me, and call upon his God, and put his hand upon me, and cure his
leprosy? Why must I wash in Jordan? Can the waters of Jordan
cure me? I have better rivers in Damascus, in my own country.
May I not wash in them, and be clean?" So he turned, and went
away in a rage. Naaman was too proud to be cured in God's way; but
God would not cure Naaman in his way. It was not Jordan's
waters that had power to cleanse the leprosy; God alone could cure it; but
Naaman was to obey God's command, and to submit to His will, and to have
faith in Him; but not while Naaman was disobedient, and rebellious, and
proud. Naaman still suffered from his leprosy; and it was his own
fault; because he was too proud to obey Elisha's easy command. But
the servants of Naaman were sorry to see their master so angry. They
wished him to be well; and they knew that he could not be cured if he did
not obey the prophet's command. So the servants came to Naaman, and
spoke to him very respectfully, because he was their master, but very
affectionately too, because they loved him as their friend. The
servants said to Naaman, "My father, if the prophet had told thee to
do a great thing wouldst thou not have done it? But he has told thee
to do a very easy thing; wash, and be clean: wilt thou not obey this
easy command? Naaman attended to what his servants said. He
felt that they were right, and that he had done wrong in so proudly going
away from Elisha's door. And Naaman was humble now. He was
willing to be cured in God's way, not in his own proud way; so he went to
the river Jordan, and dipped himself in it seven times, as Elisha had told
him. And was he cured? Yes; the leprosy left him; his flesh
became new and soft, and he was cleansed and cured. How glad Naaman
was, now that he had obeyed the command; and how thankful he felt to God,
and to Elisha the prophet of God! He believed now that the God of
Israel was the only and the true God. All
the people in the world have, like leprous Naaman, a very sad
disease. It is not a disease of the body, but it is a disease of the
soul. What is it? This disease is sin. Leprosy is a type
of sin. Sin makes us unclean in the sight of God; He is too holy to
look upon it; and if not cleansed from sin, we cannot go to be with God in
Heaven. What can make us clean? The Bible tells us, "The
blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." We must come to
Jesus, as Naaman came to the river Jordan, in humility and faith; knowing
that we have no power to cleanse ourselves, but that Christ is able and
willing to cleanse us; and then, like Naaman, we shall be made clean.
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