(2 Kings 5)
POPULAR, honorable, and mighty was Naaman in the estimation of Syria, for he was the captain of the host of the king of that nation; but with all this earthly power and fame he was miserable, because he was a leper.
This truly describes man’s condition before God. No matter how great his position in this world, — however wealthy, however high in social circles, or eminent in scholarship, — he is a sinner. And this ruins everything for him. What is the applause and greatness of this world? One may be amiable — but a sinner; rich — but a sinner; mighty in rank — but a sinner; honorable, and highly esteemed in this world — but a sinner! This is God’s written declaration of every one, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:1010As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:10)); and all are “by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Eph. 2:33Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:3)).
Naaman’s leprosy, like all leprosy, besides being a most loathsome disease, was incurable by human means. This is a faithful description of everybody before the eye of God; not one is exempt,
all alike are utterly lost
to Him by nature; and every effort, however estimable in itself, cannot better the sinner in His sight. The skill of the most eminent physician, with all the scientific knowledge this world bestows, never can cure leprosy.
The highest scholastic attainments and intellectual power of this whole world combined, can never abolish the incontrovertible fact that sin is incurable by human means.
Naaman found all his efforts of no avail; he was helpless, hopeless, and ruined. He had no thought nor knowledge of God; but God had purposes of blessing for poor Naaman (Luke 4:2727And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. (Luke 4:27)), and, in the richness and fullness of His grace, He makes this known to him.
A little captive maid, that waited upon Naan’s wife, is God’s chosen messenger to this great but leprous man, and in the simplicity of faith she delivers the message, “Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.”
Oh, unconverted reader,
your soul is of priceless value,
and it behooves us to plainly and faithfully state God’s truth that your efforts are powerless to take away sin. Your tears might flow forever, and your prayers be unceasing day and night, yet they cannot fit you for the presence of God (Eph. 2:8, 98For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8‑9); Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)). But, oh! do not despair, for God, in the fullness of His grace, has purposes of blessing for poor, lost, sin-burdened souls. He declares this His message to you, through the gospel of Christ, which is “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:1616For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)).
A little tract, or these few lines, insignificant things in themselves, if filled with the glad tidings of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, contain God’s message to you. Oh, would to God you would come in faith to Jesus as a lost, hell-deserving sinner! He would cleanse you from all your sins, for this is the message: — “Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:24-2624Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:24‑26)). God can count us perfectly righteous, and can righteously forgive all sins, when we simply believe in Jesus. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
Naaman, although stirred up by the little maid’s message, makes a great mistake by not receiving it simply as it was declared to him. He goes to
the wrong person,
when he went to the king of Israel. The message God had given to him from the little captive maid said in substance, “Go to the prophet in Samaria, he will cleanse you.”
Alas, how many at this present time make the same grave mistake; and instead of going to Jesus, and casting themselves upon His mercy, owning Him as their Saviour, they go to the priest and confess their sins to him, and ask him — a mere mortal being, a sinner like themselves — to give them absolution from sin! To such, one indeed can say, “he is the wrong person to go to, for he needs a Saviour as well as you. You are to come in faith to Jesus yourself; He is the Son of God.” Oh, how like the king of Israel are many of Christendom’s priests! They themselves know not of the salvation of God, and have not the faith of the simplest child of God.
No! no! No man can forgive sins. Only God can forgive sins; and He declares in His holy and unchangeable Word, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that THROUGH THIS MAN (Jesus) is preached unto you the FORGIVENESS OF SINS; and BY HIM all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39)).
When Elisha, the man of God, had heard, he sent for the poor leper, saying, “Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” And Naaman comes, but this time in
the wrong way,
for he came with horses, chariots, silver, gold, and changes of raiment. He came not in God’s way, but in all his own power, glory, wealth, and rank.
Oh no, my reader, the salvation of God is not to be bought! You may pay a great deal of money for a pew in a chapel, a seat in the cathedral, and give to the poor, but all this cannot save your soul. “Come, without money, without price” (Isa. 55:11Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1)). “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)). God’s gift of eternal life is to all that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. A gift cannot be bought by money, or obtained by work, else it would not be a gift.
Come in God’s appointed way, not in your own way. To try to make yourself better is to still cling to your sin, and deny the word of God that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). “There is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Psa. 53:33Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Psalm 53:3)). To try to improve your condition is not God’s way. “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). And again, “When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)). Not the righteous; no! no! but for sinners, ungodly sinners, Christ died. Come to Christ as a sinner, or else there is no salvation, no pardon for you. Rich, important, and great in this world, it is only by coming to Christ as a poor guilty sinner that God will receive you. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)).
Self-important, self-righteous man, come down to your real standing on the level of a sinner — yes, a guilty sinner — before God, and believe in His Son as your only Saviour, or else you will surely perish. Man, in the pride and foolishness of his heart, likes not this humbling truth; but God’s Word says, “CHRIST JESUS CAME into the world TO SAVE SINNERS.”
Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman, saying, “Go wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.” The message is given, — it must be received in faith. God hath declared to sinners, in this dispensation, concerning His Son, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)).
Naaman, the mighty Syrian captain, had to take the prophet’s word, and act upon it in simple faith in spite of his thoughts, or remain a leper forever. He looked for something great to be done to him, some great thing to be told to do; but, oh no! How disappointing, how humbling to his pride and greatness! He must receive in faith the words of Elisha, and wash in Jordan’s stream to be made clean. The rivers of Damaus seemed better to him than the waters of Jordan.
Alas, how many unconverted souls at the present time are doing the same thing in principle as Naaman! They want to do something for their salvation, or expect some mysterious influence to come over them, or to have good feelings first; and how disappointing and humbling to human pride, to be told from the Word of God that all the thoughts of man are vain (Psa. 94:1111The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. (Psalm 94:11)). All human expectations and thoughts, and
all doings are in vain.
Feelings, good or bad, prayers, mysterious influences, can never save the soul, or give peace to the guilty conscience. It is not what man thinks or expects or does, but what God says that must be received by faith. “He that believeth not God, hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son” (1 John 5:1010He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. (1 John 5:10)).
Jordan means “the stream of judgment,” and is a figure of death. There the ark had stood while the Israelitish host passed over into Canaan dryshod. This illustrates most forcibly the Lord Jesus Christ taking our place in death and judgment. Ah! dear unsaved reader, your fasting’s and prayers and sacraments will not cleanse you from sin before God. It is not in doing something, “either great or small,” because the work of Jesus, the Saviour, is done for the sinner’s salvation. Oh! believe it, ‘tis a finished work. “By grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8, 98For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8‑9)).
“It is finished! Yes, indeed, finished every jot.
Sinner, this is all you need; tell me, is it not?”
At last Naaman “went down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and he was clean.” Away with your religious endeavors to improve your sinful condition! Believe the glad tidings that God tells you of Jesus, that He went into death for you — a guilty sinner — and was made sin on the cross, He who knew no sin, in order that we might become God’s righteousness in Him (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)).
Now Naaman, cleansed from his leprosy, goes to the man of God with thanksgiving in his heart, and publicly confesses the true God. How different! old things are passed away, and all things are new to him. “Behold, now I know that there is a God in Israel!” he exultingly exclaims.
Empty is that tomb that once contained the body of Jesus crucified, for He is risen, and ascended, and now is on high; and every believer in Him has eternal life, and “shall not come into judgment” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)), because all his sins are forever and completely put away from before God (Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7); Heb. 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17)). Believe in Christ. How can you doubt, nay,
how dare you doubt,
Oh! with unfeigned delight the one born of God confesses Jesus as his Lord and Saviour (Rom. 10:9, 109That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9‑10)). The believer has a purged conscience, and therefore desires to please the Lord Jesus, who redeemed him by His precious blood. Peace has been made for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)). Oh, what a blessed occupation to serve and follow Christ, — not under law, but on the principle of grace, according to the will of God as contained in His Word!
Oh, unsaved reader, hear the loving, gracious words of the Saviour, “COME UNTO ME”; and coming to Him, resting on His finished work, you will be saved. Soon, very soon, that Saviour will come to take His own away, and then the door of grace will be shut forever.
W. E. S.