Seven Times in the Jordan

It was Thomas Edison who said, “Opportunity is often missed because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” What he was saying was that many opportunities in life pass us by because we are not willing to work for them, we are not willing to pay the price. There are of course other reasons that we miss out in life; we are not prepared, we are not paying attention, we are afraid, we can’t make up our mind or we are afraid of committing to one course of action believing that it may cost us the chance at a better opportunity. The list isn’t endless but there are plenty of reasons that we don’t make the most of the opportunities that God affords us in life.

Spiritually speaking there is one that stands above all the rest and we find it in full expression in the life of Naaman, the main figure in 2 Kings 5:1-15. In the text, we read of Naaman’s miraculous healing from leprosy and his subsequent declaration that there is “no God in all the world except in Israel” (15). But the truth of the matter is that he almost missed it and if it weren’t for the pleading of his officers he would have remained a leper. Naaman’s opportunity was cloaked in the virtue of humility and we see clearly the kingdom life principle that “God opposes the proud but gives grace the humble (1 Peter 5:5).

I want to suggest that God often places significant opportunities before us, but we miss out because of our pride. Put yourself into Naaman’s story as we review some of the major points:

Naaman had it all going for him except one thing that he could not change, something that was negatively impacting the rest of his life

In verse 1 we read that Naaman is a person of privilege:

The king had great admiration for Naaman (he experienced the king’s favor)
The Lord had granted him great victories in battle (blessing of God)
He was recognized as a mighty warrior (reputation)
But there was one thing he couldn’t change - his leprosy (an incurable heinous disease)

In verses 2-8 we are given an accounting of the details surrounding Naaman’s discovery that there is a prophet in the land of Israel who is able to heal his leprosy and that he gathers as tribute 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold and ten sets of clothing and travels with his entourage to the land of Israel. It appears that Naaman is on his way to his much needed and much-anticipated healing from leprosy.

However, beginning in verse 9 the story turns and Naaman’s search for healing meets a serious roadblock in his own pride.

Naaman waits at the door to Elisha’s house, expecting that Elisha will come out to him
But Elisha sends a messenger with instructions that run counter to Naaman’s expectations
Naaman becomes angry and stalks away saying:

I thought he would certainly come out to meet me
I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call upon the name of the Lord his God and heal me
Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel?
Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?

Are you noticing any kind of a trend here? And we are told that he walks away in a rage. He is not just angry, he is very angry, livid with God’s prescribed way of healing, washing himself seven times in the Jordan.

Fortunately for Naaman cooler heads prevail and his officers talk him into doing as Elisha has instructed. He dips himself into the Jordan seven times and “his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s and he was healed!

The many points of contemporary application are fairly easy to make.

In relationship to the rest of the world, most of us live a life of privilege. We may not have all of the latest gadgets and toys and our houses or bank accounts may not be as large as our neighbor’s but most of us have food to eat, a place to sleep, access to a quality education, healthcare and all the rest. But most likely there is one thing in our life that we cannot fix. It may be a broken relationship, a physical ailment that threatens our health, a wayward child, financial challenges or any other of a host of challenges that you cannot fix yourself.

We also must recognize that God not only holds the solution to our problem but has prescribed the way of its fulfillment. In Naaman’s case, it was to wash seven times in the river Jordan, an instruction that challenged his understanding and more importantly his pride. Most likely God’s solution to our problem will be in a way and time that seems unlikely, maybe even foolish to us. For sure it will challenge our self-dependence and our self-sufficiency.

It has been said that God will often offend the mind to reveal the heart. He calls us to walk in faith by obeying instructions that make no sense to us. Most often those instructions will challenge our pride and maybe tempt us to become angry at our circumstances. The response that God is looking for is humility, a child-like submission to His ways and purposes. It is this response of humility that will release His desired outcome, which is sometimes miraculous.

What are the opportunities we are missing because they are “dressed in overalls and look like work”? Could it be the “one thing” in our life that cannot be fixed would be resolved if we humbled ourselves before God? It could be God has already revealed His solution but His answer seems foolish to us? With the kingdom principle in mind “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” ask the Holy Spirit to bring revelation and understanding to your unique situation. You may be surprised at what God does in response.