Sermon: 2 Kings 5: 1-19 Naaman's New Skin

For this Family Service talk, the first part is an interactive re-telling of the story, with key words. When the congregation hear the key words, they respond with the sound and the actions.

Leprosy - ‘aaaagh’
Wash - ‘scrub, scrub’
Clean - ‘hurray’
River - splish splash
Fight - ‘fight, fight’
Sad - ‘boo hoo’
Soldier - ‘yes, sir!’

Naaman was a soldier. In fact, he was the top soldier for the king of Aram. Naaman would lead the army to fight other armies, and he was very good at fighting. This one time, Naaman led his soldiers to fight against the people of Israel. His soldiers took people away from their homes to become slaves in Aram. Naaman took a young girl, probably not much older than some of the GFS girls, and she served in Naaman’s house.

The girl noticed that, even though Naaman was a good soldier, and very important, he was also very sad. This was because Naaman had leprosy. His skin was diseased, and other people were afraid of catching it.

The little girl knew that God was able to heal Naaman of his leprosy. She said to his wife: ‘If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’

So the king of Aram sent Naaman to the king of Israel. But the king of Israel was very sad when Naaman came to him. He thought the king of Aram was trying to pick a fight with him. ‘How can I cure him of his leprosy?’ he asked.

Elisha the prophet heard of what had happened, and he told the king to send Naaman to him. So Naaman arrived at Elisha’s house. He rang the doorbell, but Elisha didn’t come out. Instead, he sent a message, telling Elisha to go to the Jordan river, and wash himself seven times.

But Naaman was sad. He expected the prophet to come out to him, and say some words, and touch the spot, and heal his leprosy. And as for telling him to go to the Jordan river? Yuck. It wasn’t as nice as the Abana river, or the Pharpar river, the rivers of Damascus. He was sad, and about to go home.

But then his servants spoke up. If he had told you to do something really difficult, you would have done it. If you had to climb a really high mountain you would have tried it. If you have to swim across an ocean, you would give it a go. If you had to complete the Ninja Warrior obstacle course, we would have seen you on TV last night. So why not something as simple as going to wash in the river?

So Namaan went to the river Jordan. He went in for a wash. And then another wash. And another wash. And a fourth wash. Then another wash. He washed again. And then went in for his seventh and final wash.

As he came up out of the river, his leprosy had gone, his skin was like new, and he was clean. Naaman knew right then that there is no God in all the world apart from our God. He used to worship the god Rimmon, but Rimmon couldn’t do what God had just done.

So, having heard the story - tell me this: how did Naaman get cleansed from his leprosy? He dipped in the river Jordan 7 times. But how did he know to do that? Elisha the prophet told him. But how did he get to Elisha? The young girl from Israel told him about the prophet in Israel who could heal him - because of the God of Israel.

That little girl had been taken away from her home. She was far away from her family. She was in a strange place, with people she didn’t know. Yet she didn’t forget about home. She didn’t forget about her God. She still trusted God. And she told people about her God.

Naaman was cleansed from his leprosy because one little girl told him about her great big God. In a few moments the GFS girls and leaders are going to make some promises - to love and serve our Lord Jesus Christ, and to help other people.

We can help other people as we tell them about our God - how great he is, how good he is, and what he has done for us. He sent Jesus to come to die on the cross for us. We don’t need to do something really impossible to be cleansed from our sins - we just need to trust in Jesus, to believe what he says, to be saved by him.

This children's talk . all-age talk was preached at the Church Family Service and Girls' Friendly Society Enrolment Service in Aghavea Parish Church on Sunday 15th January 2017. It could also be used as a primary school assembly.

Sermon Audio: 2 Kings 2: 1-25

On Sunday evening, I finished off our short series in the life of Elijah, looking at his farewell and follow up as he was Taken Up. Here's what it sounded like.

Sermon: 2 Kings 2: 1-25 Taken Up

The End of an Era. It can be a worrying time when the leader retires, particularly if they’ve been in charge for a long time. Just think of Alex Ferguson. He’s been manager of Manchester United for 25 years, won 11 league titles and 11 cups and 9 charity shields - taking them from the wilderness years of the 1980s to the glory days of the 90s and 2000s. When (if) he finally retires, there’ll be pressure on the next manager. Will they be able to continue that success? How will the team cope without Ferguson?

In our Bible reading tonight, we come to the end of the ministry of the prophet Elijah. For many years, he has been the public prophet, declaring God’s word to the people of Israel in the face of opposition, death threats, and rebellion amongst the people of God. He saw great victories against the prophets of Baal (at Mount Carmel). But now the time has come for him to exit the stage.

You can see the way Elijah is regarded when Elisha cries out ‘My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ in verse 12. Elisha sees him as his father, but also as Israel’s army, both attacking enemies and defending the people of God. So if Elijah has been so important for Israel, what will happen when he leaves the scene? How will he be followed? Will the cause of God’s word cease when Elijah ceases? We’re going to look at the passage using three headings - Elijah and Elisha go together; Elijah goes up; Elisha goes on.

Last Sunday night we saw how Elijah called Elisha to be with him, but we’re now quite a few years later, in 2 Kings 2. Through that time, Elisha has been assisting Elijah, learning from him, and watching him work. But now, as verse 1 tells us, the end is near for Elijah. The Lord is about to take Elijah up to heaven. He goes on a journey with Elisha.

You might have noticed the repetition as it was being read - he goes from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho to the Jordan river. At Bethel and Jericho, the same thing happens - the sons of the prophets (that’s like a prophet training school, a bible college) say to Elisha ‘Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?’ To which Elisha replies ‘Yes, I know it; keep quiet.’

It seems that the sons of the prophets are nervous about the future as well. Will Elisha be up for the job of prophet? It’ll be strange without Elijah around. But Elisha is having none of it. He asks them not to speak of it. At the same time, we have this other repetition between Elijah and Elisha - look at verse 2, 4, 6: ‘Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to...’ Elisha’s reply becomes predictable too: ‘As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’

Some writers think that Elijah is trying to spare Elisha from the trauma of his departure, but it’s actually a test, to see if Elisha will stick close to him - we’ll soon see the importance of this. So the text tells us that ‘they went down...’ or ‘the two of them went on.’ At the Jordan, Elijah parts the waters with his cloak, and they pass over on dry ground.

On the other side of the Jordan, Elijah asks this question to Elisha: ‘Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Call it a leaving present, if you will, but what can I do for you? You see, it’s not really Elijah asking this, but God through Elijah - what can God do for you? How would you respond to a question like that? I’m sure you can think of lots of things, maybe even a shopping list pre-prepared of things you would ask God for. Elijah gives him this blank cheque, and do you see how Elisha replies?

‘Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.’ Elisha asks that the spirit that empowers Elijah would also be given to him. Now, it’s not that he’s greedy and asks for double the spirit, but he’s asking for the son’s rightful inheritance - the firstborn’s double portion. We know that it’s not Elijah’s spirit, but rather the Holy Spirit in Elijah that he’s actually asking for.

Do you see how Elijah responds? ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you...’ That’s why it was a test earlier when Elijah was saying stay here, don’t come on. For Elisha to receive the spirit here, he’ll have to see Elijah being taken up.

They’ve crossed the river, and as they walk along, talking, suddenly it all happens. ‘Behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.’ It’s not that (as that old song goes) swing low, sweet chariot, Elijah was in the chariot; the chariots of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah is taken up by the whirlwind. It’s as if Elijah is the first rocketman, no need for a jetpack, riding on the clouds, as he ascends to heaven.

Elijah hasn’t died, but goes body and soul into heaven. Later, the sons of the prophets send out a search party, but he’s nowhere to be seen (15-18). Just like Enoch before him (‘Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him’-Gen 5:24), Elijah is taken by the Lord directly to heaven. He doesn’t die. I imagine that this hasn’t been your experience of friends, and won’t be your experience either - so why was Elijah taken up in this way?

Remember that Elijah has been the public spokesman for God through his life. He was so closely identified with the word of the Lord, which was his motivation and passion that, even though he wasn’t perfect, the Lord honours his word by honouring Elijah in this way. It’s like the words of the Master in the parable - ‘well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master.’

Elijah goes up, and Elisha saw him no more. The end of an era. What will happen now? Let’s watch and see, as Elisha goes on. He mourns for Elijah, tearing his clothes, then takes up the cloak of Elijah (the one Elijah had earlier placed on his shoulders), and going back to the Jordan. Just as Elijah had done earlier that day, Elisha now strikes the water, and asks that all-important question: ‘Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?’ He doesn’t say, right, Elijah could do this, so I’m going to do it too. His focus is on whether the God of Elijah is with him. Where is the LORD?

‘And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.’ The sons of the prophets recognise that ‘the spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha’ (that is, that the Holy Spirit is with him), and so they know Elisha will continue the work of the Lord as the Lord’s prophet. We see that further as the chapter continues, as Elisha brings covenant blessings and covenant curses, as he retraces (in reverse) the route he and Elijah had travelled - Jordan to Jericho to Bethel to Samaria.

In the place of death, miscarriage, curse - Jericho; Elisha brings healing and blessing. Whereas at Bethel, when the youths come and taunt Elisha’s baldness, it isn’t a personal vindictiveness that brings the bears - rather, to reject the Lord’s servant is to reject the Lord, which brings the curse of the Lord (‘I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children.’ Lev 26:22). The Lord’s word ‘can bring both healing and harm, either deliverance or disaster.’ (Davis)

The question is, though, what is this passage teaching us tonight? What challenge or encouragement is there in what God us saying to us and teaching us about himself? We’re probably not going to find ourselves in the same position as Elisha, where your mentor is taken up to heaven by a whirlwind. How does the story fit into the bigger Bible picture?

We find here tonight a foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus, his ascension, and what happened next. Just as Elijah and Elisha had been working together, so the Lord Jesus called the twelve disciples to be with him, watching and learning and helping. We saw last Sunday morning that when Jesus told the disciples he was leaving, they were confused and afraid, their hearts were troubled. Would the work of God and the word of God finish if Jesus was no longer on the earth?

And what happens, when Jesus dies, and rises, then he ascends to heaven - and he sends the Spirit on his followers. They continue to do the things that Jesus was doing - just as we’ve seen Elisha continued the work of Elijah. Only it’s not just one person who continues in the formal role of prophet as Elisha did - Jesus’ spirit, the Holy Spirit, is for all who believe, so that all Christians are equipped and empowered by the Spirit to serve him and continue the work of proclaiming God’s word, the blessings and the curses of the gospel.

So as you speak to your neighbour or colleague or school friend, you’re helped by the Holy Spirit; and you might be overjoyed to see them respond to the good news and find blessing. We can also take heart when people refuse to listen that it’s not rejection of us - but rejection of him who sent us - that God’s word will do it’s work of blessing and cursing. I’ve said it before - the same sun that melts the ice hardens the clay.

The sons of the prophets might have missed Elijah and thought, wouldn’t it be great if Elijah was here. But the work continues, because it’s the God of Elijah who is in charge, not Elijah. And God is still in charge, so that we continue that same work, empowered by the Spirit of Jesus for the glory of Jesus.

This sermon was preached in St Elizabeth's Church, Dundonald on Sunday 27th February 2011.

Amazing Grace

Last night we were continuing our Fellowship Group in the Book of Ruth. After the devastation of chapter 1, in which Naomi loses virtually everything - home, husband, sons, food, land - yet vitally gains a faithful daughter-in-law, Ruth, and clings to her flickering faith, chapter 2 provides some relief, in the over-abundance of favour shown by their worthy relative, Boaz.

That word favour is the same as 'grace' - the unmerited, undeserved blessing and pleasure of God. In 2:2, Ruth goes out to glean 'after him in whose sight I find favour.' She finds this favour in the eyes of Boaz, who provides for her, protects her, ensures she prospers, and cares for her. Twice, she remarks on the amazingness of this favour: 'Why have I found such favour in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?' (2:10); 'I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.' (2:13)

The favour or grace that Ruth finds from Boaz is a small picture of the abundant, amazing grace that God showers on those He loves. You see, often we have this false picture of God which states that the God of the Old Testament is wrathful and angry and loves to smite people, but that Jesus in the New Testament is a much more likeable character, full of love and mercy and grace.

The Bible simply will not allow us to hold this false picture. On the one hand, Jesus speaks more about hell and eternal punishment than anyone else. And, as we see when we survey the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament, that Yahweh, Jehovah, the capital letters LORD is gracious and merciful.

But Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:8)

Behold, your servant has found favour in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. - Lot (Genesis 19:19)

But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. (Genesis 39:21)

And the LORD said to Moses, "This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name." (Exodus 33:17)

And (Gideon) said to him, "If now I have found favour in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me." (Judges 6:17)

Now the young man Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favour with the LORD and also with man. (1 Samuel 2:26)

Then Jehoahaz sought the favour of the LORD, and the LORD listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. (2 Kings 13:4)

Truly, amazing grace!

Telling Others

A couple of verses in 2 Kings caught my attention last night. They're in different passages, but both relate to telling others about what we know, the goodnews we have.

Scene 1: A young Israelite girl is taken captive by the Aramean army, and she ends up working in the house of Naaman, the commander of the army of the King of Aram. All seems to be going well for Naaman; he is highly honoured; apart from one thing. Naaman has leprosy. And despite her youthfulness, and being away in a foreign country as a slave, the little servant girl tells her mastr how he could be cleansed: 'If only my master would see the prohpet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.' (2 Kings 5:2).

Scene 2. Samaria is being besieged by the Aramean army. Conditions are very bad in the city, so that a donkey's head was selling for 80 shekels of silver! Four lepers are lying at the city gate, considering their options. If they go into the city, they'll die of the famine and disease inside. If they stay where they are, they'll die of hunger. But if they go to the Aramean camp and surrender, there's a possibility they could live, or else they could be killed. So, of the three options, they take the one with the only chance of staying alive, and walk towards the camp. But when they get there, there's no one about... it's like a ghost town - all the equipment, tents and animals are there, but no people. [God had made the Arameans hear an advancing army, and they got frightened and ran away]. Suddenly, the lepers realise they are saved! There is food aplenty here in the camp, so they go and hide some of the silver, and clothes etc.

But then they come to their senses: 'Then they said to each other, "We're not doing right. This is a day of good news, and we are keeping it to ourselves."' (2 Kings 7:9) So they went into the city and told them about the fleeing army, and the abundance of food available to relieve the famine.

Similarly, we who are Christians have good news - in fact, the best news - and have the task of sharing it with others; telling them what God has done in our life, and how he can do the same for those around us. Yet, a lot of times, we can be like the lepers before they came to their senses - rejoicing in the good news, but not sharing it. God have mercy on us!

Instead, we need to realise that it is our task to share the good news, to tell others, and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus. Perhaps the Israelite servant girl is a good example for us - she told what she knew that could help those around her.

Are you telling others? In this day of good news, are you keeping it to yourself?