II Kings 5:20-27
“But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.” (II Kings 5:20-21a)
Gehazi thought it was poor business that Elisha had refused to take payment for healing Naaman of his leprosy. After all, he had offered to pay. Surely Elisha should have taken at least a little bit of the money, but he refused to take any. Perhaps he could make a little for himself if Elisha wouldn’t.
“So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.” (II Kings 5:21b-22)
Naaman had barely got out of sight before Gehazi started running after him. Naaman saw him coming and recognized him. Thinking some thing had happened, he stopped to see what it was. Gehazi told him that two poor prophets had come just after he left and were in need. Would Naaman be willing to give them a little bit to help with their ministry? He was only asking for about seventy five pounds of silver and two suits, and the king of Syria had sent ten times that much silver and ten new suits besides six thousand gold pieces. It really wasn’t very much and would cost Naaman nothing since the king had sent it for that purpose.
“And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed. But he went in, and stood before his master.” (II Kings 5:23-25a)
Naaman was glad to give what was asked. In fact he insisted on giving two talents of silver, not just one. He even sent two of his servants to help carry it back. Gehazi took the clothes and money and put them in his own house and sent Naamans servants back to him After all Elisha had refused to take the money and it was right that Naaman should pay for being healed so he was justified in keeping it, or at least that’s what he told himself. Elisha would never know what had happened. When he had it safely stored away, he went back to where Elisha was.
“And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi?
And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?” (II Kings 5:25b-26)
Elisha immediately asked where he had gone. Gehazi said he hadn’t gone anywhere but to his house. Elisha then told him that the spirit had shown him what was going on as Gehazi went with him when Naaman stopped to meet him and when Gehazi asked for the money and clothing. As Elisha pointed out helping people ought not be for the purpose of making a profit, although modern business makes it sound like that is the way things should be.
In Acts 18:18-19, Simon offered to pay a huge fee to get Gods power. In Acts 8:20-23, Peter responded, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.”
About sixty or seventy years ago, Oral Roberts was advertising that if a person would send him a handkerchief and a dollar with a return address, he’d pray over the handkerchief and send it back and the person’s problem would be resolved. According to Peter, everyone who sent the money and handkerchief did so because they were wicked and had no understanding of God,. Oral Roberts made the offer because he was also wicked and had no understanding of God.
The same thing is true of the televangelists who promise that anyone who gives ten dollars for their ministry will receive twenty in return, or the priests who promise that a dead person will be released from purgatory and get into heaven when their family pays a certain amount of money. God doesn’t take bribes.
"The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.” (II Kings 5:27)
The leprosy that had been cured for Naaman would come on Gehazi in a form of poetic justice for having tried to use it as a way of making himself a profit. Galatians 6:7-8 warns, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Fools think they can fool God.
God rewards as he sees fit. We are not qualified to decide what should be paid since it is God who did the work.
“But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.” (II Kings 5:20-21a)
Gehazi thought it was poor business that Elisha had refused to take payment for healing Naaman of his leprosy. After all, he had offered to pay. Surely Elisha should have taken at least a little bit of the money, but he refused to take any. Perhaps he could make a little for himself if Elisha wouldn’t.
“So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.” (II Kings 5:21b-22)
Naaman had barely got out of sight before Gehazi started running after him. Naaman saw him coming and recognized him. Thinking some thing had happened, he stopped to see what it was. Gehazi told him that two poor prophets had come just after he left and were in need. Would Naaman be willing to give them a little bit to help with their ministry? He was only asking for about seventy five pounds of silver and two suits, and the king of Syria had sent ten times that much silver and ten new suits besides six thousand gold pieces. It really wasn’t very much and would cost Naaman nothing since the king had sent it for that purpose.
“And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed. But he went in, and stood before his master.” (II Kings 5:23-25a)
Naaman was glad to give what was asked. In fact he insisted on giving two talents of silver, not just one. He even sent two of his servants to help carry it back. Gehazi took the clothes and money and put them in his own house and sent Naamans servants back to him After all Elisha had refused to take the money and it was right that Naaman should pay for being healed so he was justified in keeping it, or at least that’s what he told himself. Elisha would never know what had happened. When he had it safely stored away, he went back to where Elisha was.
“And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi?
And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?” (II Kings 5:25b-26)
Elisha immediately asked where he had gone. Gehazi said he hadn’t gone anywhere but to his house. Elisha then told him that the spirit had shown him what was going on as Gehazi went with him when Naaman stopped to meet him and when Gehazi asked for the money and clothing. As Elisha pointed out helping people ought not be for the purpose of making a profit, although modern business makes it sound like that is the way things should be.
In Acts 18:18-19, Simon offered to pay a huge fee to get Gods power. In Acts 8:20-23, Peter responded, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.”
About sixty or seventy years ago, Oral Roberts was advertising that if a person would send him a handkerchief and a dollar with a return address, he’d pray over the handkerchief and send it back and the person’s problem would be resolved. According to Peter, everyone who sent the money and handkerchief did so because they were wicked and had no understanding of God,. Oral Roberts made the offer because he was also wicked and had no understanding of God.
The same thing is true of the televangelists who promise that anyone who gives ten dollars for their ministry will receive twenty in return, or the priests who promise that a dead person will be released from purgatory and get into heaven when their family pays a certain amount of money. God doesn’t take bribes.
"The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.” (II Kings 5:27)
The leprosy that had been cured for Naaman would come on Gehazi in a form of poetic justice for having tried to use it as a way of making himself a profit. Galatians 6:7-8 warns, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Fools think they can fool God.
God rewards as he sees fit. We are not qualified to decide what should be paid since it is God who did the work.
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