All too often, we go about our day carrying with us the day to day worries.  We think the trivialities are too minor to bother God with them.  Or sometimes we think that God might be critical of our foolishness at times were we to go to Him with everything.  After all, it is probably my fault, I lost my glasses, or I messed up my finances in some way.  What about work or the interpersonal relations that must go on there?  Does God really care about the little stuff that makes up my day?  God had a nation to deal with, a world falling farther into idolatry and false ideologies, why would the little stuff matter to Him?

We saw Elisha as His spokesman step in with an act of kindness repay the Shunammite woman for her generosity and kindness by giving her a child.  Then, he raised that child from the dead when tragedy had struck.  Furthermore, he had provided a miracle for the widow left financially destitute.  He had feed the student prophets when a famine filled the land.  And now we come to the floating axe head story.  Of all the miracles I am certain Elisha performed in God’s strength or the wise words God gave him to speak, why would God have included this incident in those recorded?

God is about revealing Himself and He is perfect in His timing. Let us look at the incident as recorded in 2 Kings 6:1-7.

Does God Really Care About the Little Stuff?

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Gehazi had served Elisha.  He was there when the Shunammite woman was given a child, though previously barren.  Furthermore, he was present when the child’s life was restored by God through Elisha.  During a famine, he watched how Elisha fed the student prophets and his generosity in giving them all that he had.  When Elisha healed Naaman of leprosy, it was most likely Gehazi he sent to tell Naaman to wash in the Jordan seven times.  Gehazi had been so close to God’s prophet and had served him for all these years faithfully.  Then how was it that someone so close to God’s spokesman for the time, not know God?  Yet, Gehazi seeing the money and garments that Naaman had brought went after them, lied, and even believed that God had not seen his heart. And so, it is, he was cast out with leprosy.

Is that the case we find all too often today?  We live in a society that teaches cheap grace.  One in which all we must do is say I believe in Jesus Christ; but, never accept Him as redeemer, Sovereign Lord of our lives.  Instead we have the prosperity gospel putting God as an overindulgent Father enslaved to meeting the selfish demands of an ungrateful, rebellious child.  Too often in our society and our churches we teach a cheap grace that fails to reveal the truth of God’s love, righteousness, justice; much less His true Glory.  It is no wonder so many say that they are Christians and yet being so close do not know God at all!  How is it we fail to remember the cost of salvation?  Or that a truly loving God would never leave us to wallow in the filthy rags in which He found us?

So Close; yet, so far.

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Naaman was healed of leprosy.  He swore to never worship any other god; but the true God of Israel.  Yet, as the commander of the army for the king of Syria part of his duties included accompanying the king to the temple of Rimmon, a pagan god whom the Syrians worshipped.  Although a man of great power in his own country, held in high esteem by the king; he was not willing to proclaim the truth of God before his people.  A missed opportunity by which he could have saved his nation, were he willing to proclaim the name of god.  Rather in time the nation of Syria would fall in battle.  After all that God did for Naaman by healing him, Naaman was unwilling to share the good news or proclaim that there is only one True God and mankind must worship Him or perish.

In Luke 4, Jesus came to Nazareth to teach and preach.  At first the people were very excited.  They had heard of the miracles He had performed in the surrounding countryside.  He entered the synagogue to read the scripture and to preach.

 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. he closed the book, gave it again to the minister, and sat down.  the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:18-21).

A Missed Opportunity

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One Unlikely Believer

Naaman was the chief captain of the Syrian Army, a man of great valor and position. Yet, he was a leper.  The leprosy must have been in its early stages. However, it would only be a matter of time until the disease would take its toll and Naaman would lose his ability to lead.  On many occasions they were the enemy of Israel.  Their position played a key role and at times treaties were made with Syria either by Israel or Judah.  It was during a moment of relative peace between Syria and Israel that our story takes place; although, peace was only a relative term.  Syria still held captive slaves taken from previous conquests and that seemed to not bother the King of Israel.  So, in this event we are about to see the grace of God poured out upon one unlikely believer.

Naaman would never have heard of God.  Oh, perhaps there were rumors and stories of the God of Israel having protected Israel.  However, from what Naaman had seen, he had won many battles against Israel in the past.  Indeed, there was an Israelite maiden captive who attended to his wife.  A little slave girl who was about to be the one who opens the eyes of this powerful captain.  Although a slave child, she with a compassion, faith and care that only God could have instilled, she told Naaman’s wife about God’s ability to heal.  She told her of Elisha, God’s spokesman who could in God’s power heal Naaman.  Well, Naaman knew he was in desperate need of healing and wanted to be healed.  That is of course the first step.  Before we can be healed, we must realize we need healing.

A Kings Disbelief

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