2 Kings 5:1-27 Comments by Stephen Ricker
Bible Study Home Page

Naaman Healed of Leprosy
Comments for Study 4

Pick to read this Bible passage in a separate window.

Memory Verse: 16
Questions
Outline

MAPS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH
A MAP OF THE DIVISION OF CANAAN
A MAP OF JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE
OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS TIMELINE
A LIST OF ISRAEL'S KINGS AND PROPHETS
A TIMELINE OF ISRAEL'S HISTORY
A TIMELINE FROM BABYLON TO ROMAN CONTROL OVER ISRAEL

I. Aram Man, See the Prophet in Samaria (5:1-7)

>1. Who was Naaman? (1)

* 2 Kings 5:1 "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."

*

*

*

*

>What problem did he have?

*

*

*

*

>2. Who was in his household? (2)

* 2 Kings 5:2 "Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife."

*

*

*

*

>Was she a girl of faith? (3)

* 2 Kings 5:3 "She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

*

*

*

*

*

>How must she have thought when she was taken captive?

*

*

*

*

*

>3. What did Naaman do? (4-6)

* 2 Kings 5:4-6 "Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."

*

*

*

*

*

>What did the king of Aram assume about the king of Israel?

*

*

*

*

>How was he wrong? (7)

* 2 Kings 5:7 "As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "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!"

*

*

*

*

*

>When we are called by the Lord's name what should we remember? (Luke 11:33)

* Luke 11:33 "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light."

*

*

*

*

*

II. God's Way Not What You Expect (5:8-14)

>4. How did Elisha rebuke the king of Israel?

* 2 Kings 5:8 "When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel."

*

*

*

*

*

>Where did Naaman go? (9)

* 2 Kings 5:9 "So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house."

*

*

*

*

*

>What does this show about him?

*

*

*

*

*

>5. Was Naaman healed right awaY? (10)

* 2 Kings 5:10 "Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

*

*

*

*

*

>What did it take to obey?

*

*

*

*

>How did Naaman respond? (11-12)

* 2 Kings 5:11-12 "But Naaman went away angry and said, "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 the spot 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?" So he turned and went off in a rage."

*

*

*

*

*

>Why?

*

*

*

*

*

>6. What advice did Naaman's servants give? (13-14)

* 2 Kings 5:13-14 "Naaman's servants went to him and said, "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'!" 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy."

*

*

*

*

*

>How did he respond?

*

*

*

*

*

>Even though Naaman often resisted being healed what caused him to change his mind again and again?

*

*

*

*

*

>What can we learn? (Phil. 2:14-16)

* Philippians 2:14-16 "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing."

*

*

*

*

*

III. May the Lord Forgive Your Servant (5:15-19a)

>7. How did Naaman react to the healing? (15)

* 2 Kings 5:15 "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. Please accept now a gift from your servant."

*

*

*

*

*

>Why didn't Elisha accept the gift? (16)

* 2 Kings 5:16 "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."

*

*

*

*

*

>What did Naaman then request? (17)

* 2 Kings 5:17 "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."

*

*

*

*

*

>8. What did Naaman request? (18)

* 2 Kings 5:18 "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 bow there also--when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this."

*

*

*

*

*

>Did Elisha allow it?

* 2 Kings 5:19a "Go in peace," Elisha said."

*

*

*

*

*

>What can be learned?

*

*

*

*

*

IV. Elisha's Servant in Error (5:19b-27)

>9. What did Elisha's servant think? (19b-20)

* 2 Kings 5:19b-20 "After Naaman had traveled some distance, Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, "My master was too easy on Naaman, this 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."

*

*

*

*

*

>What did he do without telling Elisha?

* 2 Kings 5:21 "So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. "Is everything all right?" he asked."

*

*

*

*

*

>Why?

*

*

*

*

*

>10. What did Gehazi request and why?

* 2 Kings 5:22 "Everything is all right," Gehazi answered. "My master sent me to say, 'Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.'"

*

*

*

*

*

>Did Naaman refuse?

* 2 Kings 5:23 "By all means, take two talents," said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi."

*

*

*

*

*

>When he returned what did Elisha ask?

* 2 Kings 5:24-25 "When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left. 25 Then he went in and stood before his master Elisha. "Where have you been, Gehazi?" Elisha asked. "Your servant didn't go anywhere," Gehazi answered."

*

*

*

*

*

>What was the outcome?

* 2 Kings 5:26-27 "But Elisha said to him, "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 and maidservants? 27 Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever." Then Gehazi went from Elisha's presence and he was leprous, as white as snow."

*

*

*

*

*

>What can be learned? (John 12:4-6; Acts 5:1-2; and 2 Tim. 3:6-9)

* John 12:4-6 "But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it."

* Acts 5:1-2 "Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet."

* 2 Timothy 3:6-9 "They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth--men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone."

*

*

*