Biblical Prophets - Bible Study Online

Here we find ourselves at the account of Naaman, who was a celebrated Syrian commander.

We are told that Naaman was a great man who was rich and successful when it came to his military campaigns.

But we find that amongst all of his achievements and accolades he was suffering from a great affliction that dealt with him having the disease of leprosy.

Now a while later we find that Naaman was conducting a military campaign against Israel. During this campaign a Israelite girl was taken prisoner and was made to be a servant for the Syrian commander's wife.

Although this servant was taken against her will, the Naaman household would benefit greatly from their newly acquired servant. This young Israelite girl would witness first hand on how Naaman suffered day to day from this leprosy disease.

One day she would say to Naaman's wife, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

A short while later Naaman's wife would tell him what the young servant girl had told her. Naaman would then go and tell his king, Ben-Hadad, about this prophet that the servant girl had mentioned. "By all means go, I will send a letter to the Israel king on your behalf," Ben-Hadad would tell his favorite and most celebrated commander.

So we find that Naaman would begin his journey without delay, taking with him $20,000 in sliver, $60,000 in gold and ten sets of clothing.

Now maybe the Syrian king felt that since Jehoram was the king over the lands that the prophet resided at, that maybe the Israel king could command Elisha to heal Naaman. We assume this because of what the letter had stated, "With this letter I'm sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."

When the Israel king had read this he became upset and fearful and began tearing his royal robe, "Am I god? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!" Jehoram would say in disgust.

A short while later word had gotten back to Elisha on how the Israel king had torn his robes behind the request of Ben-Hadad the Syrian king. "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel," Elisha would send in a message to Jehoram.

So Jehoram would do as Elisha had advised him and he sent Naaman to the prophet's house. So the great Syrian commander traveling his chariots and horses in tow arrived at the front door of Elisha.

Instead of the prophet coming out to meet the great commander in person instead sent his servant to give him a message, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the river Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

Now Naaman being who he was felt like he had been disrespected by the prophet and he walked away very angry, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over my body and cure me of my leprosy.

Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?"

Note: The two rivers that Naaman spoke of, Abana and Pharpar flowed into one river that is known as the "The Golden Stream." Naaman thought very highly of these rivers and didn't think very highly of the rivers that were found within the Israel lands.

But it would seem that Naaman's servants would show greater wisdom than the commander himself, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!"

So Naaman soften his heart and listen to his servants and went down to the river Jordan so he could dip in it seven times just like Elisha had instructed him to do.

Then all of a sudden while he was dipping himself in the river Jordan, his flesh was restored and became new like that of a young boy.

Happy and joyful the Syrian commander and all of his servants went back to prophet Elisha's house, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant," Naaman would say while standing in front of the prophet.

"As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing," Elisha would tell the very persistent commander. "If you will not, 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, may the Lord forgive your servant of this."

"Go in peace," Elisha would tell the Syrian commander. In the meantime Gehazi had witness all of this and he felt like his master had let Naaman off to easy, "My master was to easy on Naaman the Aramean by not accepting from him what he brought.

As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him," Gehazi would say to himself.

So after Naaman has traveled some distance, Gehazi hurried after him. When Naaman had saw Gehazi running after him, he got off his chariot, 'Is everything all right," the commander would ask the prophet's servant.

"Everything is all right. My master sent me to say, 'Two young men from the Prophet Academy have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of sliver and two sets of clothing,'" Gehazi would say lying to the commander.

So Naaman would give Gehazi two talents of sliver which was worth $4000 and two sets of expensive robes and had two of his servant's carry them ahead of Gehazi back towards his house.

Gehazi would then take the gifts from Naaman's servants when they got to the hill by his house and he would send them away as he placed the gifts inside.

Then he went and stood before Elisha as if nothing had happen. "Where have you been, Gehazi?" the prophet would ask his servant. "Your servant didn't go anywhere," Gehazi said lying to Elisha.

"Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants or maidservants? Because of your actions, Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and your descendants forever," Elisha said while cursing his servant.

Start at the Beginning: Elijah the Fire Prophet

13) Elijah and the Chariot of Fire

14) Elisha the Master Prophet

15) Elisha - She Bears Attacking

16) King Mesha's Rebellion

17) The Blood Water

18) The Widow's Oil Treasure

19) Shunammite's Son Raised From The Dead

20) Elisha and the Pot of Death

21) <-CURRENT PAGE->

22) The Floating Iron Axhead

23) The Fire Horse Army

24) The Siege of the Dark Famine

25) The Four Starving Lepers

26) The Shunammite's Divine Provision

27) Hazael Anointed Syrian King

28) Family Dynasties United

29) Jehu Is Anointed King of Israel

30) The Demise of Jehoram & Ahaziah

31) The Demise of Jezebel