“Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria:  he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.   II Kings 5:1

(Leprosy is a disease caused by a bacteria.  The bacteria affects the body’s nervous system, concentrating on the cooler parts of the body.  Affected areas are skin, eyes, and muscles in hands and feet.  As the disease progresses, the symptoms only get worse:  numbness in hands and feet make the patient vulnerable to cuts and infections that can’t be felt, stiffened muscles cause clawed hands, loss of blinking reflex leads to blindness, and in some cases amputation of fingers, an arm or leg is necessary.  Leprosy is thought to be infectious, transmitted through airborne droplets such as sneezing or coughing.  95% of the population are naturally immune.  Yet over 1,100 new cases are diagnosed every day.  150 of which are in the United States.  The armadillo is the only animal known to carry the disease.)

As you can see, this is a devastating disease, and you were considered an outsider if you had it.

Naaman’s wife had a little maid that waited on her and she told her mistress about about the prophet that was in Samaria.

“And she said unto her mistress would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria!  for he would recover him of his leprosy.  And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.  And the king of Syria said Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel.  And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.  And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.”   II Kings 5:3-6

Naaman was told by the man of God to go and wash in Jordan seven times, and he would be clean.

“But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold I thought, he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God,and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.”    II Kings 5:11

How many of us are as Naaman?

“Behold I thought” instrumental music was alright, but we find no Authority for such in Scripture.

“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; . . .”   Ephesians

“Behold I thought” one church was as good as another.

“There is one body, and one Spirit,even as ye are called in one hope of your calling:  One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Ephesians 4: 4-6

“Behold I thought” God would excuse divorce for any reason.

“But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery:  and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”
Matthew 5:32

…and on we could go in “Behold I thought. . . .”

Naaman wanted to do what he wanted in the place of submitting himself to God and became even angrier.

“Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?  may I not wash in them, and be clean?  So he turned and went away in a rage.”   II Kings 5:12

This was a case of a man displeased with God and was not willing to submit himself to Him.
His servants then came to him and spoke to him.

“And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?  how much rather then, when He saith to thee Wash, and be clean?”   II Kings 5:13

“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God:  and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”
II Kings 5:14

When Naaman humbled himself, and submitted his will to the Lord’s will, and obeyed Him, he was washed clean.

God gives us patterns and instructions throughout His Word.  “Behold I thought . . .” will not suffice.  It is obedience to Him in all things.  A humble submission to His will.

“And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifice, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
I Samuel 15:22

“No matter how big your house is  . . .
      How recent your car is . . .
             How huge your bank account is . . .
                     Our grave is still gonna be the same size.”