healing word

But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

2 Kings 5:8

The story of the life of Elisha the prophet repeatedly teaches about the impact of the Word of God through His prophets. In the story of Naaman, we find that this healing Word of God has reached the Gentile nation of Syria. Naaman was a Syrian official with a debilitating disease. His leprosy was incurable and he had heard from a reliable source that in Israel there was a prophet of God who was known for bringing God’s healing.

So Naaman, powerful military commander of all the Syrian army, a man who had previously warred and raided Israel, enters Israel and delivers a letter from the Syrian king directly to Israel’s king demanding that Naaman be cured of his disease. This caused no small amount of concern for Israel’s king, who felt this all was a pretense for a coming invasion.

But Elisha knew that God could work in this situation to bring about not only deliverance to Israel, but also the healing of Naaman. He confidently trusts that Naaman would continue to learn the value of the powerful Word of God through His prophet. 

Elisha’s confidence is not in himself. It is in God. Elisha never even speaks face to face with Naaman, but instead sends instructions to him to bathe in the Jordan seven times for his healing. After some convincing from his staff, a reluctant Naaman obeys the Word of the Lord and is miraculously made whole.

Similarly, we are healed only by trusting in what God has revealed and not by our own efforts. Had Naaman chosen to bathe in Syria in defiance, he would have remained a leper. But he came to trust the Word of God. And so we must trust in the gospel, that Jesus died for us who were sinners and could do nothing to save ourselves. This humbles us to trust in God’s revealed Word. Only then can we find healing and new life.