Naaman’s Pride Nearly Cost Him Salvation: A Warning for Us All (2 Kings 5:1-14)

Naaman’s pride nearly cost him everything – don’t let it happen to you! In 2 Kings 5:1–14, we witness a powerful story of how Naaman’s pride nearly prevented him from receiving God’s healing and salvation. We, too, can be blinded by our own expectations. The story of Naaman’s pride is a warning for all of us: don’t let ego or expectations block the work God wants to do in your life. Recognize the signs of pride and discover how obedience and humility lead to transformation. https://youtu.be/sIs9T1l8crA Table of contentsNaaman Almost Missed Out On Salvation Because It Seemed Foolish to HimNaaman Almost Missed Out on Salvation Because It’s Not How He Wanted to Be SavedNaaman Almost Missed Out On Salvation Because It Wasn’t Glamorous Enough for HimNaaman Almost Missed Out On Salvation Because He Wasn’t Required to Do EnoughNaaman Almost Missed Out On Salvation Because of His PrideNew Humility ShownWhat the People of Nazareth Could Learn from a Gentile Consider this familiar story: A storm descends on a small town, and the downpour soon turns into a flood. As the waters rise, the local preacher kneels in prayer on the church porch, surrounded by water. One of the townsfolk comes up the street in a canoe.“Better get in, Preacher. The waters are rising fast.""No," says the preacher. "I have faith the Lord will save me."Still, the waters rise. Now the preacher is up on the balcony, when another guy arrives in a motorboat."Come on, Preacher. We need to get you out of here."Once again, the preacher is unmoved. "I shall remain. The Lord will see me through."After a while the flood rushes over the church until only the steeple remains above water. The preacher is clinging to the cross when a helicopter descends out of the clouds, and a state trooper calls down to him through a megaphone."Grab the ladder, Preacher. This is your last chance."Once again, the preacher insists the Lord will save him.Predictably, he drowns, but goes to heaven. He asks God, "Why didn't you save me?"God says, “ I sent you two boats and a helicopter." The story is about a man who misses out on the ways God provided for him to be saved. I want to replace it with the better one found in God’s Word. God provided a way for Naaman to be saved, but he almost missed out on it, like the fictional preacher who drowned. The reasons Naaman almost missed out on being cleansed of physical leprosy are the same reasons we miss out on being cleansed of spiritual leprosy, or sin. 2 Kings 5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. He probably wore an impressive, well-decorated uniform, but beneath that uniform was a body being consumed by leprosy. This is one of the most impressive descriptions of an individual in Scripture. He’s the commander of the Syrian army. He’s called a mighty man of valor, a title given to only four other people in Scripture, including men like Gideon and David. However, it’s unique here because Naaman is a Gentile. His master, referring to the king of Syria, holds him in high regard. God has used him to secure military victories for Syria. But we also read something that nullifies everything else: he’s a leper. He probably wore an impressive, well-decorated uniform, but beneath that uniform was a body being consumed by leprosy. But God graciously put someone in Naaman’s life who was going to help him in ways he never imagined: 2 Kings 5:2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids (against Israel) had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. 3 She (the young Israelite girl) said to her mistress (Naaman’s wife), "Would that my lord (referring to Naaman) were with the prophet (Elisha) who is in Samaria! He (Elisha) would cure him of his leprosy." During one of Syria’s victories over the Israelites, they took an Israelite girl captive, and she became Naaman’s wife’s servant. Elisha is famous because of his miracles. By this time, he has performed nine miracles recorded in Scripture and possibly others that aren’t recorded. Being from Israel, the young girl has heard about Elisha, and she tells Naaman’s wife that Elisha can help Naaman. But she is wrong about one thing you need to notice: she thought Elisha was in Samaria. Samaria is the capital of Israel, and Israel is apostate. The only prophets in Samaria are false prophets. Israel’s king is Jehoram, the son of Ahab and Jezebel. One of the reasons there are no prophets of Yahweh in Samaria is that Jezebel murdered all of them. If Elisha were near Samaria, he would have to be afraid for his life. But because the servant girl told Naaman’s wife that Elisha was in Samaria, that’s where they’re going to look for him: 2 Kings 5:4 So Naaman went in and told his lord (the king of Syria), "Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel." 5:5 And the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he (Naaman) went, taking with him ten talents of silver (750 pounds of silver), six thousand shekels of gold (150 pounds of gold), and ten changes of clothing. Sometimes we joke about women taking a lot of things when they travel. Naaman makes them look like light packers. Naaman brought all this wealth because he thought he would have to pay a lot for Elisha’s help. Consider how fascinating this is. Throughout Israel’s history, certain nations were recognized as its enemies. In David’s time, it was the Philistines. During Isaiah’s era, it was the Assyrians. In Jeremiah’s period, it was the Babylonians. And in Elisha’s time, it’s the Syrians. Verse one mentions the victories God gave Naaman, and he achieved many of those victories against Israel to discipline the Israelites because of their apostasy. Israel’s king, Jehoram, is the son of Ahab, who the Syrians killed! So think about this: The Syrians are Israel’s biggest enemy, but the king of Syria is so desperate to see his great commander helped that he’s willing to reach out to Jehoram, the king of Israel. And making it even more dramatic, he’s going to ask Jehoram to help his general, the general who’s been beating up Israel. Look what happened when the king of Israel received the letter from the king of Syria: 2 Kings 5:6 And he [Naaman] brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy." 7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me." Because the king of Syria thought Elisha was in Samaria, he probably thought the king of Israel would simply summon Elisha to cleanse Naaman. But because Elisha is not in Samaria, the king of Israel thinks the king of Syria wants him to cleanse Naaman: “that you may cure him of his leprosy.” Knowing he can’t do that, he didn’t think the king of Syria was genuinely asking him to do this. Instead, he thought he was trying to pick a fight with him. Kings didn’t generally tear their clothes, so this shows how upset Jehoram was at the thought of going to war with Syria. Syria has had many victories over Israel, and he’s afraid they’re about to have another one. Notice the phrase, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive?” The king of Israel was an apostate, but even he knew that only God could make a dead person alive. And this is when we can begin to view the account spiritually, rather than physically: Ephesians 2:4 God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. Naaman will be cleansed of leprosy, but more than that, he’ll be made alive: he’ll move from spiritual death to spiritual life. Elisha heard what happened and wanted to help: 2 Kings 5:8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel (Jehoram) had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him (Naaman) come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel." We don’t know how Elisha heard this news, but as a prophet, God might have told him: Amos 3:7 God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. Elisha’s words have a dual meaning. First, this is Elisha’s way of rebuking the King of Israel for the false prophets in Israel. It’s like he says, “Let’s let Naaman know there’s a true prophet in Israel!” Second, Elisha wanted Naaman to come to know the God of Israel. And that will happen, but not at first: 2 Kings 5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. I want you to picture this, because it would’ve been incredible to see. Naaman is thee commander of the Syrian army. He’s powerful and respected. He’s used to being treated like a big deal. When he walks into a room, people jump to attention. He has a personal letter from the king commanding another king to help him! He travels with horses, chariots, 900 pounds of money, and 10 changes of clothing. Later, we’ll see he has servants, too. But when he shows up at Elisha’s door: 2 Kings 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean." 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, "Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Prophets were not the most glamorous individuals. Naaman was probably already frustrated about having to leave the palace and go to Elisha’s house.