Grace is Free - The Conversion of Naaman
2 Kings 5v15-19a
20th September 2024
This is the second of three studies in 2 Kings Chapter 5. In verses 1-14, we read of how Naaman came from the country of Aram to the king of Israel, seeking the healing of his leprosy. The king panicked, knowing he couldn't he couldn't help, but the prophet Elisha told the king to send Naaman to him.
God intended to heal Naaman, but he first intended to humble him. When he arrived at Elisha's house, Elisha refused to speak to him, refused even to leave his house to acknowledge his presence. Instead, he just sent his servant with a message. In this way, he made it clear that Naaman's position as an army general, his success on the battlefield, his high standing in the court, counted for nothing before God.
Elisha's servant told Naaman to bathe seven times in the River Jordan. Very reluctantly, Naaman obeyed, and he was completely healed. What grace! This showed Naaman that, to receive God's blessing, we need to do things God's way. We can't choose how God heals us, we can only cry out for His mercy and trust in His goodness. Naaman, who was used to giving orders, now learnt that nobody tells God, or a prophet of God, what to do.
The story continues:
2 Kings 5v15-19a
Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before
him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.
So please accept a gift from your servant."
The prophet answered, "As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not
accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
"If you will not," said Naaman, "please let me, your servant, be given as much
earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt
offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord.
But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters
the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow
there also - when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your
servant for this."
"Go in peace," Elisha said.
Naaman went back to Elisha's house, to present him with a gift to say "Thank you". There was nothing immoral about this. There's nothing wrong with giving a gift to a prophet, or a church, to express our gratitude to God, or to support their ministry. However, this time,Elisha refused to accept it. Through Elisha, God was continuing to teach Naaman humility. He didn't deserve God's healing power. None of us do. It's a free gift. We can't earn God's favour, and we can't pay for it. God's grace is free.
Some of us seem to think that we deserve God's grace, perhaps because we think we're good people, or because we do lots of work in and through the church, or even because, like Naaman, we've made a generous offering to God and His work. Let me say this again: None of us deserve God's grace. None of us can earn it. God's grace is free.
Through this experience of being humbled and then healed through obedience and without cost, Naaman became a true believer in the Lord God almighty. He now knew that "there is no God in all the world except in Israel". We can't talk of his "salvation" or his "being born again" because the Old Testament doesn't use that sort of language. Christ had not died then. Naaman's sins had not yet been atoned for. He didn't experience new birth. Nobody's did before Jesus came. Nevertheless, Naaman promised that he would "never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord." That's quite a promise, and shows genuine repentance of his previous idolatry, and genuine faith in the true God.
Naaman had become a monotheist, and his God was the Lord. Thus we can say he was converted, converted to the Old Testament Biblical religion. We can, I think, be confident that we will meet him in glory, together with Abraham, Moses, David and other Old Testament saints.
He made two requests, both of which seem strange to us.
Firstly, he asked for some bags of earth, presumably to spread on the ground when he got home, so he could, in some sense, worship the true God on Israelite soil. That was unnecessary, but it showed genuine respect for God, and God was fine with it. Naaman hadn't yet understood that the Lord is Lord of all the earth. God loves us, despite our imperfect understanding.
Secondly, he asked for permission to bow down to the false God Rimmon. This seems more problematical. He wasn't proposing to worship Rimmon in his heart, only to appear to worship him with his body. But it would still be an act of idolatry, albeit a hypocritical one. He wanted to do this because the King would probably have him executed if he didn't. But, as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would be among the first to say, that doesn't make it OK. Our obedience to God is supposed to be absolute.
Nevertheless, speaking through Elisha, God said, "Go in peace". He didn't say bowing down to Rimmon was wrong. Naaman knew it was wrong. That's why he asked for special permission to do it. On the other hand, Elisha didn't say it was OK. He just said "Go in peace". Why?
Well, when we first come to believe in the true God, when we're born again, saved, converted, we won't understand everything all at once. Our sin is not OK but we won't put away all our sin in the first 5 minutes. God doesn't expect us to be perfectly sinless the day we turn to Christ in faith and repentance, or the day we're baptised. God expects us to put our sin to death steadily, day-by-day, from then on. Repentance and sanctification are a lifetime's work. God would wait for Naaman to realise that death is better than idolatry. You and I still sin after all these years, and God still forgives us. What amazing, free grace!
When God humbles us, it's because He loves us. He's preparing us to receive more of His work in our lives. God heals us in spirit, soul and body. Sometimes He needs to humble us to make us ready to receive His healing power.
Matthew 5v5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Proverbs 3v5-7
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.