Contemplative Bible Reading

Let me break with the theme of this blog (noticing one or two verses here and there) and instead discuss an entire Bible story – the history of Naaman.

This history is told in 2 Kings chapters 5 and 6.

2 Kings 5:1 (New International Version)

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

Let’s bring this up to date. Suppose we have man who won the Heisman trophy in college, the Medal of Honor in a war, and then became a General. And that General had AIDS. Oh rats, what a blemish on what is otherwise a great and respected hero. That was was Naaman. He was highly honored, but he had the AIDS of his day – leprosy. No one would go near him.

The story continues:

2 Kings 5:2-3

² Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. ³ She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet (Elisha) who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

Now enters the second great character of this history – the captive Jewish girl from Israel. Recall, that while she was a Jew, the Israelites had rebelled and broken away from the Kingdom of Judah. The people in Israel didn’t go to the Temple to worship as God commanded, but instead created their own place of worship, their own gods, and their own “worship.” And this girl was not smart enough, not strong enough, not something or other to avoid capture. She was a loser.

Still, this captive girl knew enough about God and how the prophets served God to recommend the prophet Elisha. She knew that the true God was with Elisha, and God and a prophet could do something for Naaman. She had great faith in God and she took a chance and acted on that faith. Imagine what would have happened to her had she recommended Naaman go to someone who would do nothing for him.

The story is a classic “all is well that ends well.” Naaman goes to Elisha, does what Elisha says, and he is healed. Great things follow the healing.

How does God take a disease ridden “hero,” add in a captive girl from an idol-worshiping nation, and have everything turn out well? He is God, and we are not. We just don’t see God’s work coming.

God, thank you for working in our lives. We just don’t see it coming most of the time. We don’t believe it will come most of the time. Thank you for your wisdom and your patience with us.