To wrap up several mini-series about the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, let’s look at one more account from 2 Kings 5:1-27. This account is well-known (and parts of it make for a good chapter in a children’s Bible story book), but there’s a lot here.
Let’s start with some context, as well as a description of the problem that led to the rest of the events in this account.
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
2 Kings 5:1 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/2ki.5.1.NIV
Here, we learn about someone named Naaman (or, perhaps “Na’aman”, but I usually stick with the anglicized pronunciation because my class is more used to it). There’s good news and bad news:
The good news is that Naaman was a pretty politically powerful person. He was an army commander. (We might think of him more like a general.) In fact, despite his not being an Israelite, God Himself has provided Naaman military success against the nation of Israel. Sometimes, God used even those outside of His people to do His work.
The bad news is that Naaman has leprosy. Now, that itself might be worth some clarification. Per the Cleveland Clinic’s website (Leprosy: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention), we now have antibiotic treatments for this condition, but that was not always the case. Also, where we find a Hebrew word translated leprosy here, we’re not sure if that was exactly the same thing as what we call leprosy (or Hansen’s disease) today. It could have been another skin disease. Still, it was a significant problem for him.
So, Naaman was successful, but somewhere along the way, he contracted a skin disease. Depending on the specifics of his condition and his culture, that diagnosis could result in anything from a mere inconvenience to a career-ending prognosis. In extreme cases, those with this condition could be ostracized to a leper colony.
Today, as evidenced by prolific commercials for medications to treat them, certain skin conditions are still a concern for those around us today. Even if people afflicted with them are able to go about their daily work (and perhaps Naaman was, too), once others see external evidence of certain diseases, they tend to stay away, if only out of fear that they will “catch” something.
In Naaman’s case, he was dealing with a mix of good (because of the victory that God had given to his country through him) and bad (because of his skin disease). This sounds pretty typical for the human condition: a combination of 1) blessings from God and 2) trials that He permits to take place. However, God doesn’t waste even the challenges that human beings face, and there is more waiting for Naaman, too, as described in later verses of this this account.
If you feel kind of like Naaman today, where God has blessed you but you are still faced with challenges, don’t forget that – when God is the author of your life’s journey – the chapters we live through here on earth aren’t the end of the story.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for June 29, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1 & 2 Kings, by Jesse C. Long, Jr. © 2002 College Press Publishing Co.
- Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). Matthew Henry. 1706, via BibleGateway.com.
Those Who Sin Differently 