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THE K I N G ' S B US I NE S S
predate and enjoy all the other splen did things. Leprosy is a type of sin. It is a blood disease, contagious and also he reditary— transmissible from father to son. Every man born into the world is born a leper in God’s sight (Isa. 43:27) “ T ly first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.” (Rom. 5:12) “W herefore, as by one man sin entered in to the world» and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, fo r that all have sinned.” Men are born children of wrath (Eph. 2:3) “Am ong whom w e also had our conver sation in times past in the lusts o f onr flesh, fulfilling the desires o f the flesh and o f the mind; and were b y nature the chil dren o f wrath, even as others.” Leprosy was imposed as a judgment for sin (2 Chron. 26:23) “ So Uzziah slept w ith his fathers, and they buried him w ith his fathers in the field o f the burial which belonged to the k in gs; fo r they said, He is a leper.” Leprosy separates men from other men. Sin makes men afar off (Luke 17:12) 1 “ And as he entered in to a certain vil lage there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off.” Leprosy is a living death (1 Tim. 5: 6 ) “ But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.” Leprosy makes men unclean (Lev. 13:45, 46) “ And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put, a covering upon his upper lip, and shall' cry, Unclean, Un clean.” Men make light of sin, but they never do of leprosy. God never makes light of sin. He views it as worthy of death. “ The soul that sinneth it shall die.” There is but one way for the sinner who is afar off to be made nigh (Eph. 2:13) “ But, now , in Christ Jesus, ye who were sometime afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” The Divine Way. God had a witness in the house of Naaman. A little cap tive Hebrew maid had found her way into the home of the General. Her heart was touched and her lips bore
testimony. She believed in the God of Israel. The little maid was no Christian Scientist. Neither was Naaman. Per haps she had heard the story of the bringing back to life of the young child by Elisha (2 Ki. 4:34, 35). She honor ed the Lord by her faith and her faith ful testimony. Would that we had more like her— men and women who can testify to the saving and keeping power of the Lord. Sympathy for her master and fidelity to her Lord, were the manifest charac teristics of the maid (Eph. 6:5-7) “ Not with eye service as men-pleasers) but as the servants o f Christ, doing th . w ill o f Cod from the heart. W ith good w ill doing service, as to the Cord and not to men.” (Matt. 5:44) “ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that eurse you, and do good to them that hate you, and pray fo r them which despitefully use you and persecute you.” (2) THE DESIRE FOR HEALING, vs. 4-6. The testimony of the little maid reached the king. He showed the kindness of his heart and sent a letter and a large sum of money to the king of Israel. Naaman was conscious of his need. He did not hope to become better for he knew the deadly character of his disease, but he acted upon the advice of his friends, accepted the letter and started on the journey. It was a grand precession that moved out one morning, — bands playing, troops marching. Men are willirig to do anything for the healing of the body. (3) THE DISAPPOINTED SOLDIER, vs. 7-12. The king of Israel is in a rage. He had no faith and no power. He was so absorbed in the affairs of the king dom that he had no time and no inter est in prophets and their works. Ben-hadad did not suppose that the king himself would perform the cure,
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