1. Naaman
2 Kings 5

2. 2 Kings 5 Naaman (נַעֲמָן – “pleasantness")
A commander of the armies of Ben-Hadad II of Syria in the time of Jehoram, king of Israel.
He is mentioned in 2 Kings 5. According to the narrative, he was afflicted with leprosy.

7. In the Midrash
Naaman is represented as vain and haughty, on account of which he was stricken with leprosy (Num. R. vii. 5; comp. Arama, l.c.).
Tanḥuma, Tazria' (end), however, says that Naaman was stricken with leprosy for taking an Israelitish maiden and making her his wife's servant (comp. II Kings v. 2).

8. Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria (Ben Hadad II), was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. (2 Kings 5:1)
According to the Rabbis, Naaman was the archer who drew his bow and mortally wounded Ahab, King of Israel (1 Kings 22:34; Midrash Shoḥer Ṭob to. Ps. lx.; Arama, "'Aḳedat Yiẓḥaḳ," ch. lxi.).
That rabbinical tradition seems to have been adopted by Josephus ("Ant." viii. 15, § 5).
More likely he simply led the Syrian forces against Ahab.

9. Naaman’s leprosy might be compared to my sin.
Applicable Bible Lessons:
Naaman’s leprosy might be compared to my sin.
It doesn’t matter who I am! I am in sin and need cleansing!
God will help (and save) all men.
“All have sinned” (Romans 3:23) “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23)

10. 2 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman's wife. 3 Then she said to her mistress, "If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy."

11. 4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, "Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel." 5 Then the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. (Thought he could buy God’s gift!!!)
10 “Talents” = approximately pounds or 10,666 oz
6000 “Shekels” = approximately 2,400 oz

12. Current value 09/04/2018 = $ 3 million plus
Gold = $ oz ($2,880,960.00)
Silver = $ oz ($ 154,976.98)

13. 6 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel (Joram, Jehoram – B.C.), which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.

14. 7 And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me."
Ben Hadad and Naaman went to the wrong place for help.

15. 8 So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel."
Elisha had already:
Made the water of Jericho good (2 Kings 2:19f)
Called out the bears on the forty-two youths (2 Kings 2:23f)
Multiplied the widow’s oil during famine (2 Kings 4:1f)
Raised the Shunammite’s Son from death (2 Kings 4:8f)
Purified the pot of stew (2 Kings 4:38f)
Fed one hundred men (2 Kings 4:42f)

16. 9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean."

18. 11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to myself,`He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.' 12 "Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage.

19. At first he did not want to listen.
He became angry, rationalized, and went away.
He was hindered by pride and position.

20. Abanah is now called Barada (“cold”)
12 "Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage.
Abanah is now called Barada (“cold”)
Runs out of the Anti-Lebanon Mts. across the Syrian plain near Damascus.
Pharpar is now called A’Waj (“crooked”)
Smaller runs off Mt. Hermon south of the Abanah

21. Barada (Abanah)– Near Damascus

22. Pharpar River – Near Damascus

23. 13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you ‘Wash, and be clean’?"
Those close to him encouraged him to listen.
That may have been difficult for them while he was angry, but their part in supporting the truth was very important.

24. 14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

25. He acknowledged God and became a believer!
15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, "Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”
He acknowledged God and became a believer!

26. Rimmon
Naaman had been an idolater who worshiped at "the temple of Rimmon" (II Kgs 5:18).
In Syria this deity was also in the family of "Baal”.
In Assyria known as "Ramanu" ("the Thunderer").

27. Naaman is mentioned by name in Luke 4:27 by Jesus – He was a non-Israelite, the only leper healed in the days of Elisha.

28. Footnote: (2 Kings 5:20-27) Gehazi was Elisha’s servant.
He desired some of the gifts that would have been given to Elisha had the prophet accepted them (a talent of silver and two changes of garments).
When Elisha found out that he had gone after Naaman, the leprosy of Naaman was placed on Gehazi.

29. Lessons A (young) child of God cared!
God can use anyone, however lowly their position.
Initiated this huge correction in another person’s life. (No small thing!)

30. Lessons
While cleansing is a gift of God’s grace, there is something I must do!
Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).
“Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16)

31. Lessons He finally listened. He obeyed God and was cured
“The like figure whereunto even baptism does also now save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God” (1 Peter 3:21).

32. The End