The story of Naaman is a very interesting story in the scripture. When we dig into this story, it gives us a really good perceptive on Getting Clean. In 2 Kings 5:1-14, we read the story of a great and powerful man that had an issue that he tried to conceal well from everyone around him. He was a commander of a Syrian army, who was stricken with a terrible condition.
We know from the scripture that the King, Namaan’s wife, and the servant girl knew about this issue. I wonder how many others knew.
The servant approaches Namaan and gives him a scenario of how he can get free. After a few conversations and some controversy with the kings, he ends up at Elijah’s door.
Elijah gives Namaan a very clear way to get healed. The caveat is that Elijah gives these instructions through a servant. “Go wash in the Jordan 7 times.”
Namaan’s pride is hurt. He’s furious because he has traveled all this way and Elijah doesn’t even speak to him.
Isn’t it amazing how when we are in our mess and given an answer we don’t like or expect, we get defensive?
The story of Namaan draws a powerful parallel for those fighting to get free from addiction.
Leprosy wasn’t able to be treated by doctors successfully back in those days. Yet in Namaan’s case, when he went to see the prophet and he finally decided to obey the word of the Lord, he was able to get free from an issue that the medical community could never heal. This was only after being reasoned with by one of his own men.
While you might think I am only talking about the leprosy, it’s much deeper than that. God was able to break through Naaman’s pride and deal with his heart.
Until God gets at your heart, there’s no treatment or adjustment to the external circumstances that is going to make your life better.
The Word of God clearly reveals something we so often miss.
Unless there is a Heart Change; there is no real change!!
It’s the reason people strike the lottery and end up broke, get prescribed opiate blockers to only get addicted to crack or end up in jail for months and run right back out to robbing and hitting the streets. You can’t change enough external circumstances to make someone change.
What’s your take on the story?
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Do you think that anyone besides the King, Namaan’s wife, and the servant girl knew about his leprosy?
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Would it be an accurate assumption that the folks that knew about a great and powerful commander, being stricken with leprosy, would work hard to cover it up because of their relationship with him and his position in the army?
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If so, then what problems do we ignore in the lives of our loved ones or those close to us because of their status and importance to us? Are we too afraid of what might happen or what people might think if the truth were to ever get out?
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Can change really happen by quitting the use of drugs only?
