2 Kings 5:1-19, HCSB1 Naaman, commander of the army for the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight[a] and highly regarded because through him, the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was a brave warrior, but he had a skin disease.
2 Aram had gone on raids and brought back from the land of Israel a young girl who served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his skin disease.”
4 So Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 Therefore, the king of Aram said, “Go and I will send a letter with you to the king of Israel.”
So he went and took with him 750 pounds[c] of silver, 150 pounds[d] of gold, and 10 changes of clothes. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, and it read:
When this letter comes to you, note that I have sent you my servant Naaman for you to cure him of his skin disease.
7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life that this man expects me to cure a man of his skin disease? Think it over and you will see that he is only picking a fight with[e] me.”
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel tore his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Have him come to me, and he will know there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.
10 Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your flesh will be restored and you will be clean.”
11 But Naaman got angry and left, saying, “I was telling myself: He will surely come out, stand and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and will wave his hand over the spot and cure the skin disease. 12 Aren’t Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and left in a rage.
13 But his servants approached and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more should you do it when he tells you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” 14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean.
15 Then Naaman and his whole company went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “I know there’s no God in the whole world except in Israel. Therefore, please accept a gift from your servant.”
16 But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, I stand before Him. I will not accept it.” Naaman urged him to accept it, but he refused.
17 Naaman responded, “If not, please let your servant be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but Yahweh. 18 However, in a particular matter may the LORD pardon your servant: When my master, the king of Aram, goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship and I, as his right-hand man,[f] bow in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow[g] in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.”
19 So he said to him, “Go in peace.”
I've always enjoyed the story of Naaman. Here is a man accustomed to power and wealth seeking divine power because of a corruption in his own body, who was pointed to God by a captive Israelite, who nearly refused the solution because of pride, and who was persuaded to continue on the path to healing by his servants. As with so many Old Testament stories, there are many wonderful truths that ultimately point to Christ.
While recently re-reading this story, Naaman's request to Elisha and Elisha's answer struck me as very odd. Idolatry is vehemently forbidden in the Old Testament many times, yet when Naaman asked pardon for bowing to a foreign god (Rimmon, the Syrian god of thunder), Elisha answers, "Go in peace."
"Go in peace" is not "You are pardoned" or "It's okay." The response sounds neutral, though I admit I'm unfamiliar with the culture of that age.
But when Naaman responds to his miraculous healing by asking for pardon from bowing to a false god, I can't help but feel disappointed. Naaman, as the king's right-hand man, was in a position of considerable influence. When he returned to the king, his healing would have been obvious. The king's prompt and favorable responses to Naaman strongly suggests the king trust and even liked Naaman. So why would Naaman not use the opportunity to declare the power of the God who had healed him?
I don't want to immediately assume Naaman's bowing before Rimmon was an act of cowardice, but I don't see how it could have been acceptable to the Lord. Yet Elisha did not condemn the practice as other prophets had condemned idolatry. Certainly Naaman no longer trusted in Rimmon as he had trusted in God, but his outward actions suggested submission to a foreign god.
Naaman stands as an obvious contrast to Esther, who used her position of authority to protect her people. Naaman instead receives his healing then continues on with his life, seemingly without punishment. (If his leprosy returned, I would expect the Bible to report as much.)
So what are we to make of Naaman's bowing before Rimmon and the apparent lack of consequence?
EDIT: I think it's interesting that Naaman repeats the phrase "bow in the temple of Rimmon," almost as if the words were sticking his throat.
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