Tapping in the Hidden Power of God

2 Kings 5: 1-14

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

Naaman was the commander of the army of Syria. He was a great man and in high favour with his master because through him the Lord had given Syria great victories. But life is never perfect. Even though he was a mighty warrior, Naaman suffered from leprosy.

Naaman had captured a little girl from Israel and made her a maid of his wife. And this little girl told Naaman's wife, “My lord can go to see the prophet in Samaria! He would cure my lord of his leprosy.” (v.3)

She was merely a nameless maid of a defeated nation Israel, could what she said be reliable? And if the prophets of Israel were so powerful, would Israel be defeated?

However, Naaman gave it a try.

Naaman first sought consent from his king, the king of Syria. The king loved Naaman so much, and he sent Naaman away with a letter of recommendation to the king of Israel.  So Naaman went to Israel, taking along with him money and treasures.

The king of Israel, after reading the letter from the Syrian king: “I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy”, immediately tore his clothes and said, “How could I cure a man of his leprosy. I think he just wants to create trouble.” (v.7)

Though Israel had a prophet from God, its king ignored him, not seeking God through the prophet. Alas it was the Syrian king who took Naaman seriously and Naaman sought God through the prophet Elisha!

When Elisha heard that, he sent a message to his king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel. “(v.8)

So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha did not come to meet Naaman, but sent a messenger to tell Naaman, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” (v.10)

Elisha’s not coming out to greet Naaman demonstrated that the prophet was not subjected to Naaman's request, but Naaman had to humbly listen to the words of the prophet.

Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. And are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel. Could I not wash in them and be clean?” (vv.11-12)

Of course, the Jordan River was no magical river. Jordan’s water could heal because the healing power came from God’s words and man's obedience to God's words.

Today, God's free grace is for everyone. It is up to you if you are willing to submit yourself to God.

Here, apparently, Elisha not only wanted to heal Naaman of leprosy but also of his misconceptions. Naaman had two pre-conceived ideas: (i) unhappy with Elisha seemingly dishonouring him; and (ii) God must heal in the way he thinks fit.

So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. But his unnamed servants came near and said to him, “My father, if something great the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Now that he said “wash and be clean” which is a simple thing to do, so you should give a try.”

So Naaman reluctantly went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the words of Elisha. And now we see, what happens?

Naaman's flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean! (v.14)

The whole healing episode revealed an army commander being forced to humble himself and be obedient to the word of God. Only then the healing could take place.

Even more importantly, healing took place not in a gradual manner, but instantly after seven times of bathing. Old skin was peeled off, the flesh was transformed, and leprosy rolled away, a new life as that of a pure child came into being.

The Hidden Power of God

We can discover an interesting contrast of scenarios in the narrative.

High and Significant	Low and Hidden
Syria was victor	Israel was defeated
Naaman is commander of victory	Elisha is from a defeated nation
Israel king was not seeking God	Little, unnamed captive servant sought God
Damascus rivers are grand	Insignificant Jordan River
Prayed standing and waving upon the place	Washed in Jordan River seven times
Commander who had leprosy	Transformed to Pure flesh and skin of a child

From this comparison, we can induce that the “low and hidden” is superior to “high and significant”, and the "low and hidden" redeems "the high and significant".

Naaman was the commander of the mighty Syria, yet he had to go to the defeated nation Israel to seek healing. The unnamed young little girl had faith in God, and it was her words that gave her master an opportunity to be healed. However, the king of Israel ignored his own God.

Here we see that God can use humble people to preach His Word. No matter where God places you, you are to find the opportunity to speak forth the Word. As the Scripture says, "If no one preaches, how could people hear the word and believe?"

Naaman walked away in anger, but his wise and unnamed servant persuaded him to bathe in Jordan River. The Jordan River is filthy and humble, but it is a place of healing, not the spectacular rivers in Damascus.

Treatment method is simple and boring washing, because it needs to be repeated seven times; no provocative standing and waving of hands upon the inflamed place.

The conclusion is that, God's power is hiding in the low, ordinary and implicit. And through these places, God touches us in the most unexpected ways.

Today, we often look down on the low, insignificant and ordinary. We tend to give high regard to the spectacular; glamour and highly applauded. We turn our focus on charming leaders with charismas or spectacular churches, thinking that, that is the only venue where we could find God’s power and working.

But to our surprise, paradoxically, God's power is hiding in the lowly places. And through humble characters and seemingly insignificant ways, He gives us His healing touch.

Let us ponder over the Theology of the Cross:

The emblem of salvation, the cross, is also the emblem of suffering and shame. Christ was humiliated and defeated dying on the cross, but that was God's saving power to save whosoever believeth in Christ.

Paul in I Corinthian 1: 18-24, said:“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.  

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

For the Jews demanded signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

Today we have to let go of our pre-conceived ideas; and obey God’s command so that we can be touched by God.

You ask for sickness to be healed, but God might just give you love and care through family members and church members. You pray for wealth and great achievement, but God may be sending you to remote places as a missionary.

You think only glamorous churches radiant in the city have the anointing, but God places you in a lowly, small church, to minister and experience his workings.

We must believe that God's ways are higher than ours. We cannot fathom His way, but as we remain humble and obedient to him, we will be blessed by God.

Meeting God in the Ordinary and Boring Routines

"Wash in Jordan seven times" is an intriguing act!

Jordan’s water is not clean, and bathing seven times is repetitive and boring. But Naaman submitted himself to such a command from God and completed the dull and repetitive act of washing seven times.

Then and only then, he suddenly found himself transformed into a child's skin delicate white as snow! This illustrated that a new life, as pure as that of a child, has been born, in contrast to his old life which was arrogant and presumptuous and unclean due to leprosy.

Today we worship and serve God in church. These could be dull and repetitive things. As a matter of fact, there is no never-ending excitement of “happy hours”, or retreats, or talk shows, or frenzy of miracles.

We must humble ourselves before God, and obey God's command to worship Him and serve Him in our everyday lives, in the ordinary way, with diligence, seeking God seven times or seventy-seven…….

There will come the "moments" where we suddenly find ourselves being peeled off in the spirit, returning to the childlike purity and godliness. Our lives then take on a great leap forward in many ways!

Prayer meetings, small groups, Bible studies and singing praises can be routine and boring. However, we must persist in them. Hearing God’s words and ministering may look unfruitful for a period of time, but we have to attend every week.

Just like after decades of being married to each other, the romance between couples may fade away but we must strive to love each other as we had pledged ourselves in the marriage vow.