But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. 2 Kings 5:11-12
Have you ever had ideas of how God should answer a prayer? Sometimes these thoughts can occur unintentionally. For example, if you’re praying for someone who’s sick, you naturally want God to make them better. And if you’re praying for someone going through a hard time, you want God to change their circumstances.
But what happens when our expectations prevent us from seeing God’s answer? That’s the concept we’ll be exploring as we look into the life of a man named Naaman and his quest to find a cure.
Before studying a Bible verse, it’s important to know the context. And to do that we need to know a little bit about Naaman.
Naaman
Naaman was an army commander serving the king of Aram (an ancient Middle Eastern city). The Bible says ‘through him the Lord had given victory to Aram’ (2 Kings 5:1). That’s insider information that Naaman in all likelihood didn’t know. He’s probably thinking it’s his talent and skill that brought him his success, certainly not the God of Israel. And why would he? He has no relationship with the God of Israel. But as the reader, we are privy to this fact even if Naaman isn’t aware of it.
Naaman’s accomplishments are pretty impressive. Not only was he known as a “mighty warrior” but he was also greatly admired by the king (2 Kings 5:1). He had power, prestige and wealth. However, just because everything looked good on paper doesn’t mean his life was perfect.
Naaman had a problem that no amount of success or connections could erase. He had leprosy. It probably wasn’t easy for someone in his position to have such a condition. Lepers were not thought of or treated very kindly in those days. It was a blithe on all his accomplishments.
The quest for a cure
However, it was brought to Naaman’s attention that there was a prophet in Israel who could heal him. With the King of Aram’s blessing, Naaman goes on a quest to find the prophet.
Unfortunately, the letter that the King of Aram had written to the King of Israel left the latter flummoxed. The King of Isreal mistakes it for a cunning way to create conflict between the two nations. Why else send a letter asking him to cure Naaman of leprosy? The King of Isreal was no god and what the King of Aram has asked is an impossibility. Thankfully, Elisha, the prophet hears about what has happened and asks the king to send Naaman his way.
So Naaman and his entourage go to Elisha’s house. There Elisha’s messenger tells Naaman to wash himself in the Jordan River seven times. The verse above is Naaman’s reaction to the instructions.
An unexpected answer
Think about it from Naaman’s point of view. He is a commander of the Aram armies. A winning commander to boot with a track record that speaks for itself. That in itself commands respect.
And as a military man, he’s well-versed in protocol and accustomed to the salutes of his subordinates. Perhaps he craves it to hide the insecurity he feels about his condition. Nevertheless, he’s journeyed from Aram to Isreal in style with horses and chariots. Definitely befitting someone of his stature. The noise and commotion itself should’ve piqued everyone’s curiosity. After all, it’s not every day a military commander parades into town. And yet Elisha’s front door doesn’t open. Not even a crack. There’s not even the tiniest flutter from the windows.
Instead, Elisha flies in the face of protocol and sends a messenger to tell Naaman what to do. Naaman, the great man who not only had an audience with the King of Isreal but also had the favor of his own king in Aram. But here at the prophet’s house, he’s greeted by a messenger. For a man accustomed to respect, this was an insult. Is it any wonder he reacted the way he did?