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THE K I N G ’ S B U S I NE S S
“ Being born again, n ot o f corrnptible seed, bnt o f incorruptible, by the w ord of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” There is but one way of salvation,— faith in Him Who bore our sins, Who was judged, Who was wounded, Who tasted death; Who is risen, Who is com ing again. One look of faith does it all (2 Pet. 1:4) “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious prom ises that by these ye m ight be partakers o f the divine na ture, having escaped the corruption that is in the w orld through Inst.” Look at Naaman’s testimony (v. 15) “ Behold, n ow I kn ow that there is no God in ali the earth, bnt in Israel.” See EMsha’s testimony (v. 16) “ As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I w ill receive none.” Elisha could accept no gift. It was all of grace. PRACTICAL POINTS (1) Even a little maid may have a message worth a man’s hearing. (2) The leprosy of sin is a deadly disease. (3) Kings can write letters and give gifts, but they cannot command cures. (4) No Syrian slave would have changed places with General Naaman. (5) The word of the prophet was of more value than the wisdom and wealth of the king. (6) God’s prophets play no favor ites. There is but one remedy, “ Go. wash.” (7) The pride, the pomp, the phil osophy of Naaman had to surrender to the simple plan of the prophet. (8) Sin brings all men to a com mon level. Salvation compels all men to come to the Cross. (9) The servant of the Lord can say naught but “ Believe, and thou shalt be saved.”
thing needful.— Torrey. But he was a leper. Every man COMMENTS FROM has some “ but” MANY SOURCES in his character. Keith L. Brooks — Bennett. Lep rosy as a type of sin: 1. Hereditary— in the blood. 2. Contagious— its poison spreads to others. 3. Subtle— at first conceals its presence but eventually breaks out. 4. Unclean— state of living death (1 Tim. 5 :6). 5. Banishing causes separation. 6. Incurable. Men legislate against it and scientists try to eradicate it (Jdr. 13:23).— Beveridge. j . 2. Brought captive. Otherwise this little girl would never have been heard of and Naaman would not have found God.—Boone. v. 3. She said. We have in her ac tion illustration of what a child can do. Though only a child, she was more help to Naaman than all the mighty leaders and officers in his household, or even than the king, with whom he was popu lar. She testified for her God while at her work. Many a master and mistress have been led to Christ by a faithful servant girl.— Torrey. v. 4. One went in. This man is not named but he was used of God and will be rewarded.— Johnson. Thus saith the maid. God takes care of what is spoken in His name. It is true of all God’s messengers but we read con cerning Samuel, “ The Lord was with him and did let none of his words fall to the ground.” The testimony of a little maid was not wasted.— Saphir. V. 10. Go and wash. Cf. Jno 9:7. A great general must do the same as a blind beggar. All sinners look alike to God (Gal. 3:22).— Cole. v. 11. Naaman was wroth. He wanted to be treated as a great man who happened to be a leper, not as a leper who happened to be a great man. — Troy. This is a fundamental mis take— ignorance of the nature of the disease.— Crabill. He was more con cerned about his dignity than his dis ease.—Henry. I thought. Cf. Isa.55:8, 9; Ps. 119:113. God does the think ing on this subject. Hell is a place where men think for themselves.— Peterson. He put his “ I thought” over against the Word and way of God. This is what many are doing today— seeking their own laid out course, following their own opinions and putting their preconceptions over against a “ Thus saith the Lord.”— Haldeman. Man’s “ I thought” must give way to God’s “ I
v. 1. Captain of the host. Naaman is a noteworthy type of the prosperous sinner who has everything but the one
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