By Pastor Michael Brigmond

We know this story quite well. It has been used to preach about greed, pride and a number of other sins. Let me clear up something before we get very far into this article. I am not accusing anyone of being, or having, a Naaman in the church. I simply want you to know what to be on the lookout for. Let’s get to the heart of the matter.

Verse 10 tells us that Elisha, the man of God, sent a messenger out to meet Naaman with instruction to go and dip seven times in the Jordan river. In verse 11, we read, "But Naaman was wroth,..." Wroth means to ‘burst out in rage, be angry’. Naaman was mad! Why was he mad? Because he was a leper? No, he had gotten over that shock.

He was mad because the man of God did not do what he wanted him to do! Naaman was a great man back home. He thought he could come to the humble home of this "man of God" and get what he wanted. This story has been preach enough, we should know everything there is to know about it. But if we look again with fresh eyes and the anointing of the Holy Ghost we will see into it a little deeper.

The hidden message is found when we ask ourselves two questions, "Why did Elisha not go out to meet Naaman?" and "What would have happened if he had?"

Elisha was indeed a man of God. He was not taken off course by the importance of this man, no matter how great he was. Elisha knew at least 3 key things: (1) He was the man of God, (2) Naaman was the one with the problem, and (3) He understood God’s order of priorities.

The church world is in a great deal of trouble because too many people do not understand just who the man of God really is. If God has called a man to carry his message, don’t be found standing in his way! And unless the Lord has given you a scorecard, you better watch speaking against a man just because he doesn’t fit your particular mold.

So, what would have happened if Elisha had gone out to meet Naaman personally? Elisha understood that Naaman was a leper. He had every intent to see that Naaman was healed. He, as the man of God, called the shots. He gave the order to go dip in the Jordan. All Naaman had to do was obey! Had Elisha given in to Naaman, had he caved in to Naaman’s demands, then Naaman would have been the one in charge and Elisha could not have done anything to help him.

When we insist on having things "our way" we bind the power of God from working in our lives. We see the glorious results when the man of God has the presence of mind to do things right. Because Elisha did not cave in to fit with the crowd, Naaman was healed, had his eyes opened to the fact that the God Elisha served was indeed the one true God, and, according to verse 15, Naaman acknowledged that he was servant to Elisha.

What a turnaround! How much is lost by the preacher who backs off from telling the truth? How much more could be gained for the glory of God if those who call themselves preachers would simply let God be God, trust Him and exercise the faith He has given to them?

We don’t need a Moses Mangun bowing down to a Pharaoh Clinton. We need men who will call sin what it really is: sin. Let us all pray earnestly for the ministry to be like minded with Elisha and tell us the truth. Politics, pleasantries, and politeness will not save anyone. Jesus said it best:

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32 [][][][]