I Thought... By Brother Duke Hansen

         This morning we are going to be reading from the book of 2 Kings chapter 5. When you get there, you may see that these scriptures are familiar to you, especially if you have been in this walk long. We are going to begin with verse 1.

        Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper.

        2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.

        3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. 

        Naaman was from Syria and not from Israel. God didn't have a covenant with Syria but with Israel. Now, as much as the Hebrews knew, that covenant was exclusive only to them. There are plenty of examples in the Bible where the gentile was risen up, empowered, and blessed by God. Sometimes it is as lesson to learn but it's always because God can.

        You will run across people who are not happy in life. They live in this circular path where it's the equivalent of wash, rinse, and repeat. Some people can hide or mask their flesh nature very well in public. It appears that the people are very rebellious because they are lacking holiness. Pride is very easily spotted.

        Naaman was honorable, a mighty man of valor, and a leper. The Lord delivered Syria by him. Naaman was upright in his country. You should do yourself a favor and look up leprosy to see how it ravages the body. Despite his physical condition, Naaman didn't see himself as a victim in scripture. 

        God sends us individually on a path and the man of God a separate path for the church. There is a point where these paths merge together. Your path may extend itself a little longer to purge impurities and flaws of your flesh.

        The bible says don't let your flesh hide from you. Naaman has all these great attributes seen in the world, yet is marked by leprosy. A little maid of Naaman's wife tells her of the prophet Elisha. Elisha was in the country of Samaria and would recover Naaman of his leprosy. Let's keep reading with verse 4.

        4 And one went in, and told his lord saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

        5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousands pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

        6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

        Now, a question we are going to come back to in this message this morning. "Why does it matter how God does things?" Because if you don't follow the steps God has written but you instead are following the cliff notes, you are very much not on the path towards righteousness.

        7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I god, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

        The king of Israel, Jehoram, was highly upset at this letter he recieved. The letter was alarming because it's asking for a physical healing of Naaman. Jehoram had a reason to be this panicked. He walked in the ways of the other kings and was considered wicked in the eyes of the Lord. He was certain that Syria was going to attack Israel if he couldn't heal Naaman. 

        8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

        Elisha gets this news and is the calm voice of reason. Why tear your clothes and panic, king? I'm the prophet in Israel. Naaman and the king of Syria had no prophet, no man of God, no understanding of God's power. They approached this as a transaction in another country.

        9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

       10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

        Verse 10 is the explicit instruction for Naaman's healing. As it was sent through the messenger, it makes us see how to be perfected. Most men who are capable in life, a type A personality, are pretty selfish in life. You need to learn to be unguarded and open to learn.

        11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

        It's a hard truth to reckon with in life, but, many of us are like Naaman. We think ourselves higher and mightier than we are because we feed our flesh a steady diet of platitudes, compliments, praise, and celebration. We want the man of God to meet us on our terms, on our time. We want the man of God to tell us what we want to hear. In his anger, Naaman said "I thought". We aren't different. I thought this wasn't going to be like this or I thought things would go different. You're mad and your expectations are upended. Naaman is angry because the man of God didn't drop what he was doing to see him. Naaman expected an act of violence for his physical recovery. Violence was a way of life for Naaman.

        You went to the wrong guy, you brought gifts, and you didn't get the answer you sought for to be satisfied. There's a lot to relate to with Naaman.

        12 Are not Abana and Phar-par, rivers of Damascusm better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

        13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

        The servants ask Naaman "Why does it matter how to do it?" Naaman is a man of reason ultimately. Reason had him listen to his servant. Naaman went down to the Jordan river, and dipped himself seven times in that river. Without change there's no correction nor direction.

        All you need is a word from God. Why does it matter how God does things? it's a question I've asked at least 3 times. If you keep looking at the wrong things, go in the wrong direction, you will be discouraged. If you find humility, like Naaman, and follow God's direction you start finding results. If you have had people who've sown into your life, you've been given gifts. The things in your life right now you think are big are small and paltry to God. The big thing is you allowing God to do his work in you. Obedience is faith in action. Not everything is about salvation. It is about life after salvation. Why does it matter? It's because of iniquity.

        What is your big thing in life? Is it finances? Is it budget? Is it your family? Is it your job? Maybe when you fo in prayer, forgo how you want things and allow God to move in your life. You are capable of living life and live it well. Don't get greedy with it.