IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Naaman is Healed of Leprosy

Date: Mar. 23, 2025

Passage

2 Kings 5:1-14 (ESV)

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”

So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”

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.” So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 5:14

So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Naaman was a well-respected commander in the Syrian army, highly regarded and valiant. But he had an incurable and humiliating disease: leprosy. Naaman’s wife had a servant girl from Israel who knew of Elisha. Though a slave, she believed in the God of Israel. She knew his healing power, and that Elisha was a powerful servant of the Lord. When Naaman sought permission to go to Elisha, the king sent him with a reference letter. The letter implied that the king of Israel should heal Naaman. The king did not trust the king of Aram. He suspected an ulterior motive and tore his clothes.

When Elisha heard of this, he intervened. He instructed Naaman to wash in the Jordan seven times. Then he would be restored. Naaman was proud and became angry. He felt insulted that Elisha did not meet him. He thought there were better rivers than the Jordan to wash in. He became full of rage. Then his servants convinced him to humbly obey. When he did, Naaman was cleansed, and his skin was restored like that of a healthy young boy. God blessed his humble and repentant act of obedient faith.

Prayer: Lord, help me to overcome my idea and my pride. Bless me to humbly obey and be healed.

One Word: Obey God’s way and be healed

Daily Bread

God’s Judgment on the House of Ahab

2 Kings 9:1-37

Key Verse: 9:7

And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD.

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