Day 325 – Healer

2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him JEHOVAH had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper.

 2 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.”

 4 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.” Then he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.

 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, 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.’

 7 It happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I Elohiym, 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.”

 8 Then it happened, when Elisha the man of Elohiym heard the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he will know there is a prophet in Israel.”

 9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.

 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you, and you will be clean.”

 11 However, Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will come out to me, and stand and call on the name of JEHOVAH his Elohiym, 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 the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” Thus, he turned and went away in a rage.

 13 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’?”

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

 15 He returned to the man of Elohiym, he and his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know there is no Elohiym in the entire earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”

 16 However, he said, “As JEHOVAH lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” He urged him to take it, but he refused.

 17 Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other elohiym, but to JEHOVAH. 18 Yet in this thing may JEHOVAH pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may JEHOVAH please pardon your servant in this thing.”

 19 Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” Thus, he departed from him a short distance.

 20 However, Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of Elohiym, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as JEHOVAH lives, I will run after him and take something from him.”

 21 Then Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is everything well?”

 22 He said, “Everything is well. My master sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’”

 23 Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” He urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him.

 24 When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed.

 25 Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?”

  He said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.”

 26 Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? 27 Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever.” He went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.

God’s names:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Elohiym – Supreme God

Yeshuwa – Jesus

JEHOVAH Rapha – Healer

God’s character:

Healer

Television always has ads for the newest medication to heal your ailment. You listen to the information, even the side affects and believe your doctor will give you a prescription for the medication and you will be as healthy as the people in the television ad. However, your doctor knows what will work best for you and may prescribe a different treatment.

Naaman had leprosy. He was a high ranking official in Syria’s army. He learned the prophet in Samaria could cure him. His king sent him with a letter to the king of Israel to cure him. However, nothing happened the way Naaman thought it would. He became angry that Elisha didn’t even come out of his home to talk to him face to face. Instead, he instructed him to wash seven times in the Jordan and he would be clean. Naaman expected a more complicated cure. When his servants talked him into doing as Elisha instructed, JEHOVAH cured him, and he realized the power of JEHOVAH to heal. He became a believer in JEHOVAH and told Elisha he would always honor Him from then on.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord, you believed He would take care of you the way you expected. When He doesn’t, you act like Naaman and go away in a huff until someone talks you into accepting that Yeshuwa’s ways are better than your ways.

Isaiah 55:6 Seek JEHOVAH while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.

 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to JEHOVAH, and He will have mercy on him; and to our Elohiym, for He will abundantly pardon.

 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says JEHOVAH. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

You don’t know the mind of Elohiym. You need to trust Him to do what He says He will do. He is your JEHOVAH Rapha, your healer. Don’t go to Him with a plan on how He will cure your ailment, trust that His way is the better way. Then give Him praise.

Let’s pray: Father, help me remember that Your way is the better way. Help me trust You in everything for my life and not go ahead of You with my plans. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 9 December 2024 by Valerie Routhieaux