The Healing of a famous general (2 Kings 5:1-15)There is an unlimited power – available now – in God which each of us can have through the proper use of our faith. Limitless available power now.
This power is available at the instant command of anyone who brings himself into harmony with the rules of faith.
The vast, hidden forces of nature are gradually being tapped by those men who obey the laws governing this universe. Long before Benjamin Franklin flew and discovered the principles of electricity, that power was existent in the elements. It remained only to be discovered and put to the use of mankind.
Hidden in God are the unlimited powers that bring healing of man’s spiritual, mental and physical life.
God is not exhausted, neither is he unwilling.
He waits only to be recognized, to be believed and worshipped,
His power to be utilized and put to work for the deliverance of the human life.
Thousands of thinking people the world over are discovering that God’s power is available, and has been, for their hurts and ills.
The power of God is not given indiscriminately to any man but anyone can have that power who will seek God and will bring Himself into harmony with his laws and rules.
The story centers around a famous man : General Naaman of Syria. Naaman was a commander in chief of Syria’s expeditionary forces and because of his outstanding military successes, had been hailed as a national hero.
It was shocking news when the general’s personal physician found that his chief had contracted leprosy which was largely prevalent in those days.
Across the nation the cry went up “General Naaman is a leper – our beloved leader is a leper!”
Leprosy means living death – slow, torturous and isolating suffering.
Disease is a fool and inhuman thing which is not numbered among God blessings. Jesus Christ came against it in the power of His pure and Healthy humanity, laying his healing hands upon the sick and tormented, making them “every whit whole” (Math 9:35).
Mark 6:56 “As many as touched Him were made whole”.
Now as I tell you the story of Naaman’s miraculous healing through his faith in Almighty God, I wish to point out to you seven rules of faith that will bring you what you want.
Rule 1) Recognize sickness and disease as the “oppression of the devil”Peter the great apostle knew the savior’s love for the lost and suffering humanity. After the resurrection of Christ Peter was preaching to the soldiers in the house of Cornelius in Caesara.
He said “…. God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him”. (Acts 10:38)
So Peter is saying that Satan is a destroyer of human life while Jesus is the destroyer of the oppressions which means human afflictions of the devil.
Some references to this healing power coming from Jesus out of compassion to mankind
Math 14:14
…. How Jesus found the people oppressed with “all manner of sickness and all manner of disease” and “demons” and he healed their sick
Also Mark 5:30
Jesus was a healer and so is he today. He did not turn any person away who had faith. Making no difference as to race he demanded only one thing.
“As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee”. (Mark 8:13)
Healing power was given to the followers of Jesus Christ and many of them were outstanding successful in delivering people. Peter’s shadow was used as a point of contact and those upon whom it fell where healed (Acts 5:15)
This was after the day of Pentecost. Similarly Stephen and Philip, laymen of the early church, brought through faith, outstanding healing to many oppressed people (Acts 6:8; 8:5-8).
It was the apostle Paul who described the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Cor 12 including the gift of healing, the gift of miracles and the gift of discerning spirits. These three gifts are given to certain believers, principally ministers, for the direct purpose of healing the sick and casting out demons. These gifts are additional stimulants to faith and will bring deliverance when other means fail.
One time only in the Bible are we told that Jesus was powerless to heal? But even this has a reason. The people of Nazareth were his boyhood acquaintances and they were skeptical; they looked upon the accounts of His Wonders with cynical scorn and when he came to preach to them they met Him with cold unbelief. The gospel writers do not omit the failure of Jesus in his own hometown but record it in a terse tragic sentence “He could not do there no mighty work”, because of their unbelief (Math 13:58).
This means that in the use of His miraculous power He requires faith in those who where to be healed.
God who is busy with the affairs of an entire generation has both time and power and desire to save, to heal to reward and bless. Wherever there is human need, He is present to heal.
The power of God to heal human life is still active today – in the faith and love of His people in all churches and in all walks of life. God honors their faith for their faith honors God.
Remember rule 1) Satan is the oppressor of human life; God brings life with health, peace and happiness.
A little girl knows the wayGeneral Naaman has made a victorious march across the bible land of Israel and had taken captive a little maid to be the servant of his wife.
This child was familiar with God and His prophets and knew they could heal. Seeing the general was a leper, she said, “Would God my Lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria (Israel) for he would recover him from leprosy”.
Naaman was grateful for his hope, believed the little girl’s message and made preparation to leave at once for Israel.
Rule 2) believe the messageIt doesn’t matter who the message is coming from. Even when it comes from a little servant. The message of God is more important than who brought it to you.
Today church is becoming so denominationalized that people wouldn’t believed a messenger unless he wears the “good label.
God does not place as much stress upon our different theological emphasis as we do.
See Mark 9:38, 39
The message is above the messenger as much as the Lord is above his servant.
God does not compel us all to wear the same denominational label, but rather that we work with His anointed people, whoever they are and to bring about another world – wide revival.
Peter and John brought God’s healing power to a lame man and were called before the religious authorities to answer for this miracle of deliverance. They were chiefly accused as being “ignorant and unlearned men” (Acts 4:13)
Peter and John were both well educated and deeply intelligent men but because they had not been schooled in certain theological seminaries, they were classed as unlettered preachers and upon this basis their miracles were rejected.
Christ says if we find it difficult to believe theologically then we should believe for the very work’s sake (John 14:11)
The little Jewish maid said “Would God my Lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria for he would recover him of his leprosy”. This is also the basis for the
Rule 3) Go where the power isThat’s true expecting healing we should go where the power is. And the power is in Jesus Christ: so we should go where Jesus Christ is. The Bible declares “where two or three gather in my name I am in the midst of them”.
In the story of Naaman Israel represented God and Elisha, who lived there, was God’s prophet. Syria was a worshiper of idols and Naaman must get away from the old haunts of sin and connect himself with God. “Go where the power is”, the little girl is saying.
Which means “Back to God, back to moral vows and saving religion”
This is profound truth – God is everywhere present because He is omnipresent and omnipotent – His all prevailing power Is usable by the people who maintain right attitudes and whose faith creates an atmosphere conductive to human deliverance.
A place where faithful believers gather is surrounded by a goodly atmosphere which benefits to the release of miracles and healing.
Even in His day, Christ found some places were antagonistic to His truth. These cities became the objects of His bitterest denunciations (Math 11:20-24).
To receive the power of God within us we should be some full gospel believers. In fact many believers are not full gospel believers. While fully believing in man’s scientific and medical skill, they shut their eyes in the face of God’s healing power. The herbs from which our most curative medicines are extracted were made by God and the skills in their most effective use are a gift of the Almighty. I, too, believe in medical science, in our great hospitals, in our medicine, but I know, and you know, that no doctor can heal, he assists nature only. Only God can heal. What a man cannot do, our heavenly father can do.
The blessings of God are upon medical science for all healing power is of God. However God is not limited to earthly powers and human skills which we know to be, by their own admission limited and restricted
He is God of miraculous power and gives to certain of His humblest and most believing servants His gifts which complement the doctor’s skill and rise above the laws of nature and bring forth mighty miracles of Bible deliverance.
We believe that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and that all who believe may be healed from all manner of sickness and disease.
So general Naaman acted upon the advice of the little maid and set forth on his trip to the land of Israel. But he made a serious mistake. Instead of going to the prophet, he went to the king of Israel. The king was outraged and declared he could do nothing for him. About that time, a messenger came into the king’s court with word from Elisha.
“Let him come to me now and he shall know there is a prophet left in Israel.” This is important for it has to do with
Rule 4) Put your faith in God not manThe little girl has clearly told Naaman that the prophet would teach him how to use faith to be recovered from leprosy, instead he had gone to the king.
I cannot insist too strongly that you put your faith in God. Have confidence in His servant or prophet, but put your faith in Almighty God, not man.
The person God has chosen to help you receive healing is an instrument only – the means to an end – your deliverance is by faith in the power of God.
At the prophet’s houseNaaman rode up to the house of Elisha and sent his servant to announce his arrival. Being forewarned by God that Naaman’s attitude has to be changed and discerning the general’s pride and arrogance, the prophet acted accordingly.
Elisha was the servant of God – the human instrument only – he was in the delicate position of having to deal with a proud, dying man and to govern his acts according to the rules of faith. Faith must be
gendered in Naaman otherwise he will return home and die. A man’s heart must be right with God, his soul in tune with his maker. God, not the prophet or preacher is the healer.
In order to receive healing from God who is love, the seeker must be a partaker of that love. Faith is based on love. Else how could God believe in us or we in Him. One must love to believe. Any attitude of selfishness, pride, stubbornness makes it impossible for faith to work. When God’s minister can help you, let wrong attitudes gives way to love, as he is doing you a real favor and making it possible for you to be healed by the power of God.
With great detachment Elisha remained in his house. He sent the famous general a message by his servant “Sir the prophet said for you to go and dip seven times in the Jordan river and your flesh shall be clean”
Naaman was astonished the enraged and commanded his aides to depart at once. As he went away he muttered “Go dip in that filthy river. Bah, I though he at least would come out to me and do some great thing and recover me. If I wanted to bathe I would have stayed at home; at least the water is clean in the rivers of Syria.”
Elisha saw him leave and perhaps said, “Yes, that is the way it goes with the proud. They are bound by their own little conceptions and notions, never once thinking that when they ask for healing they are dealing with Jehovah God and that there are rules that govern faith. Humility, repect for God’s message and His prophets, a desire to give up sin and to worship the true God – these attitudes help a man get in harmony with God and help him believe.”
How many precious people are letting some little preconceived idea keep them from being healed.
This thought occurred to one of Naaman’s servant who said “Master, we want our lord to be recovered from his leprosy. We know that the prophet is right sir, you were expecting the prophet to do some great thing over you and because he did the opposite you were offended and now you are returning to die. Master in your servant’s humble opinion, it is better to go wash and be clean”
What a wonderful way to reason things out among friends. This means
Rule 5) Accept the correction of GodNaaman listened and when the servant finished he nodded his head and agreed. Said he, “You are right”. I am wrong, I came here that way. Ah this Elisha is a great one – saw right through me. And his God must have shown the prophet the kind of man I was. “Go dip in the Jordan the prophet says. Surely I can do that let’s go”.
It takes a great and humble spirit for one to change like that. This is a marvelous thing. It doesn’t take long for a man to change if he wants to. When he accepts God’s correction, the Spirit of Christ enters him and he is a “new creature”
Repentance is a change of mind before it becomes a change of heart.
General Naaman gave the order and they went to the river. With Elisha’s message ringing in his ears, “Go down and go wash” he plunged into the muddy, yellow waters of the famous river Jordan. There was only a few ripples on the water revealing that the great man was all under. This is the accomplishment of
Rule 6) Lose yourselfWhat a contrast. The man went to the wrong place for healing, who was rude to God’s prophet, who was bound by his own creeds, who was a very mad man, the man who had refused to obey, a famous but dying man is now losing himself.
There are a lot of things we would better off without. Losing ourselves in obedience to God, linking ourselves with the limitless power of Christ, getting in tune with the Savior – these are the things that count most when we seek to be healed through faith in God: lose yourself (Mat 16:25).
Naaman has come a long way since he left Syria. Who would have believed the national hero would now be dipping in a river despised by his countrymen? But here he is and enjoying every moment of it.
For something was going on in Naaman’s spirit. He is willing, joyously willing, to make the seven – fold plunge. Through it he believes he will be cured. This leads to what many believe to be the most important rule of faith.
Rule 7) Use a point of contact and recover yourself as you want to beThe prophet Elisha has said if Naaman would dip seven times his flesh would be clean from leprosy. What is it but a point of contact or a means through which he could ‘turn his faith loose’ . He was to dip seven times, no more, no less in a designated river. He would find by the time he had got willing to do this he would be in the right attitude, the proper frame of mind, to believe for a miraculous recovery.
He said “Now I see it all. This is to prepare me for believing that God will cure me.”
He dips once, twice, thrice ---- and the seventh. He is all under. His pride is under, his attitude, his all.
“Just this seventh time and it will be done. I know God will heal me.”
Your point of contact can be one of several things.
The points of contact I will use is my right hand, the word of authority and the prayer of faith. All these kind of point of contact are confirmed by the Bible in the New Testament. So when I pray for a sick prayer of faith and say some word of authority commanded the evil to go and lay my hand on his head or shoulder, at this very moment my faith becomes very strong, and I can be sure God is releasing the gift of healing to this brother through me.
The point of contact helps me believe, for healing comes only through faith in God. It also helps the person seeking healing. Our faith makes contact with God and the person is delivered from disease. This is the point of contact to use in our meetings.
However there are many other point of contact such as the anointing of oil of James 5:15, the laying of hands in Mark 16:17, the blest cloths of Acts 19:11,12 and so forth.
What does it matter what the point of contact is if he helps you turn your faith loose. God won’t reject any of them: therefore if the anointing of oil is your point of contact for receiving healing, go and find an ancient of the church who will do it for you and you will be healed as written in James 5.
Naaman came up out of the water the seventh time, crying, “I’ve done it! Now the Lord God will recover me.”
With unhampered faith in a limitless God, he walked out on the river bank believing his leprosy would go. He had done what the prophet said, he has brought himself into harmony with God, he was turning his faith loose and… and it happened.
“And his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14)
He was so grateful he returned to the prophet’s house and as befits all true servants of God, Elisha would receive no private gift for the miracle wrought.
The general made his vows to the true God that he would worship him and henceforth would serve no other gods.
What a fitting climax – he obeyed the rules of faith and got what he wanted. But he did not forget God who had healed him. His leprosy was gone and God had come into his life.
A new Naaman returned to his land, a healthy man again; he had been healed by a miracle through his own faith.
What God did for Naaman, He will do for you brothers.
