Naaman’s Pride Nearly Cost Him Salvation: A Warning for Us All (2 Kings 5:1-14)

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Naaman’s pride nearly kept him from healing because he wanted God to work on his terms. He became angry when Elisha sent him instructions to wash seven times in the Jordan. After listening to his servants, he obeyed and was cleansed (2 Kings 5:10–14). His story warns us against rejecting God’s way of salvation because it does not match our expectations.

Consider this familiar story:

A storm descends on a small town, and the downpour soon turns into a flood. As the waters rise, the local preacher kneels in prayer on the church porch, surrounded by water. One of the townsfolk comes up the street in a canoe.
“Better get in, Preacher. The waters are rising fast.”
“No,” says the preacher. “I have faith the Lord will save me.”
Still, the waters rise. Now the preacher is up on the balcony, when another guy arrives in a motorboat.
“Come on, Preacher. We need to get you out of here.”
Once again, the preacher is unmoved. “I shall remain. The Lord will see me through.”
After a while the flood rushes over the church until only the steeple remains above water. The preacher is clinging to the cross when a helicopter descends out of the clouds, and a state trooper calls down to him through a megaphone.
“Grab the ladder, Preacher. This is your last chance.”
Once again, the preacher insists the Lord will save him.
Predictably, he drowns, but goes to heaven. He asks God, “Why didn’t you save me?”
God says, “ I sent you two boats and a helicopter.”

The story is about a man who misses out on the ways God provided for him to be saved. I want to replace it with the better one found in God’s Word. God provided a way for Naaman to be saved, but he almost missed out on it, like the fictional preacher who drowned. The reasons Naaman almost missed out on being cleansed of physical leprosy are the same reasons we miss out on being cleansed of spiritual leprosy, or sin.

2 Kings 5:1 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. He probably wore an impressive, well-decorated uniform, but beneath that uniform was a body being consumed by leprosy.

This is one of the most impressive descriptions of an individual in Scripture. He’s the commander of the Syrian army. He’s called a mighty man of valor, a title given to only four other people in Scripture, including men like Gideon and David. However, it’s unique here because Naaman is a Gentile. His master, referring to the king of Syria, holds him in high regard. God has used him to secure military victories for Syria.

But we also read something that nullifies everything else: he’s a leper. He probably wore an impressive, well-decorated uniform, but beneath that uniform was a body being consumed by leprosy. But God graciously put someone in Naaman’s life who was going to help him in ways he never imagined:

2 Kings 5:2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids (against Israel) had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. 3 She (the young Israelite girl) said to her mistress (Naaman’s wife), “Would that my lord (referring to Naaman) were with the prophet (Elisha) who is in Samaria! He (Elisha) would cure him of his leprosy.”

During one of Syria’s victories over the Israelites, they took an Israelite girl captive, and she became Naaman’s wife’s servant.

Elisha is famous because of his miracles. By this time, he has performed nine miracles recorded in Scripture and possibly others that aren’t recorded. Being from Israel, the young girl has heard about Elisha, and she tells Naaman’s wife that Elisha can help Naaman. But she is wrong about one thing you need to notice: she thought Elisha was in Samaria.

Samaria is the capital of Israel, and Israel is apostate. The only prophets in Samaria are false prophets. Israel’s king is Jehoram, the son of Ahab and Jezebel. One of the reasons there are no prophets of Yahweh in Samaria is that Jezebel murdered all of them. If Elisha were near Samaria, he would have to be afraid for his life. But because the servant girl told Naaman’s wife that Elisha was in Samaria, that’s where they’re going to look for him:

2 Kings 5:4 So Naaman went in and told his lord (the king of Syria), “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5:5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he (Naaman) went, taking with him ten talents of silver (750 pounds of silver), six thousand shekels of gold (150 pounds of gold), and ten changes of clothing.

Sometimes we joke about women taking a lot of things when they travel. Naaman makes them look like light packers. Naaman brought all this wealth because he thought he would have to pay a lot for Elisha’s help.

Consider how fascinating this is. Throughout Israel’s history, certain nations were recognized as its enemies. In David’s time, it was the Philistines. During Isaiah’s era, it was the Assyrians. In Jeremiah’s period, it was the Babylonians. And in Elisha’s time, it’s the Syrians.

Verse one mentions the victories God gave Naaman, and he achieved many of those victories against Israel to discipline the Israelites because of their apostasy. Israel’s king, Jehoram, is the son of Ahab, who the Syrians killed!

So think about this: The Syrians are Israel’s biggest enemy, but the king of Syria is so desperate to see his great commander helped that he’s willing to reach out to Jehoram, the king of Israel. And making it even more dramatic, he’s going to ask Jehoram to help his general, the general who’s been beating up Israel. Look what happened when the king of Israel received the letter from the king of Syria:

2 Kings 5:6 And he [Naaman] 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.” 7 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.”

Because the king of Syria thought Elisha was in Samaria, he probably thought the king of Israel would simply summon Elisha to cleanse Naaman. But because Elisha is not in Samaria, the king of Israel thinks the king of Syria wants him to cleanse Naaman: “that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

Knowing he can’t do that, he didn’t think the king of Syria was genuinely asking him to do this. Instead, he thought he was trying to pick a fight with him. Kings didn’t generally tear their clothes, so this shows how upset Jehoram was at the thought of going to war with Syria. Syria has had many victories over Israel, and he’s afraid they’re about to have another one.

Notice the phrase, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive?” The king of Israel was an apostate, but even he knew that only God could make a dead person alive. And this is when we can begin to view the account spiritually, rather than physically:

Ephesians 2:4 God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.

Naaman will be cleansed of leprosy, but more than that, he’ll be made alive: he’ll move from spiritual death to spiritual life.

Elisha heard what happened and wanted to help:

2 Kings 5:8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel (Jehoram) had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him (Naaman) come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

We don’t know how Elisha heard this news, but as a prophet, God might have told him:

Amos 3:7 God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

Elisha’s words have a dual meaning. First, this is Elisha’s way of rebuking the King of Israel for the false prophets in Israel. It’s like he says, “Let’s let Naaman know there’s a true prophet in Israel!” Second, Elisha wanted Naaman to come to know the God of Israel. And that will happen, but not at first:

2 Kings 5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.

I want you to picture this, because it would’ve been incredible to see. Naaman is thee commander of the Syrian army. He’s powerful and respected. He’s used to being treated like a big deal. When he walks into a room, people jump to attention. He has a personal letter from the king commanding another king to help him! He travels with horses, chariots, 900 pounds of money, and 10 changes of clothing. Later, we’ll see he has servants, too. But when he shows up at Elisha’s door:

2 Kings 5:10 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.

Prophets were not the most glamorous individuals. Naaman was probably already frustrated about having to leave the palace and go to Elisha’s house. Then Elisha didn’t even come out to see him! He sent a messenger! But at least Naaman learned how to be cleansed of his leprosy, so, of course, he’ll be thrilled about that. Nope. Tragically, Naaman was about to miss out on being cleansed from leprosy. He’s about to be like the preacher who drowned in the flood.

Naaman Almost Missed Out On Salvation Because It Seemed Foolish to Him

This didn’t make sense to Naaman, and if you put yourself in his place, it probably wouldn’t make sense to you either. He thinks, “How is climbing in a river, then climbing out, then climbing back in, then climbing back out…and doing that seven times going to help me?” It sounded foolish to him, and this is what many people think of the gospel:

1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV) The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Today, people think, “How is believing in some Man’s death on the cross going to help me? That’s foolish. God has a Son and He became a man so he could die? That’s foolish. If I have faith in this sacrifice for my sins I’ll be forgiven? That’s foolish.” People miss out on salvation because the Gospel seems as foolish to them as Elisha’s words seemed to Naaman.

Naaman Almost Missed Out on Salvation Because It’s Not How He Wanted to Be Saved

Notice Naaman said, “I thought he would call upon the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the place, and cure the leprosy.” He was superstitious and wanted some dramatic, magical, leprosy-curing ceremony. D.L. Moody said, “Ah, that is just the trouble. Naaman had marked out a way of his own for Elisha to heal him, and he was mad because Elisha didn’t follow his plans.”

And it’s no different today. God has provided an excellent way for man to be saved, but it’s not how some people want to be saved. They can’t just be happy that God provided a way; it has to be the way they want to be saved. People think, “Surrender my life to Christ? I don’t want to do that! I want to live for myself! Repent? No, I don’t want to stop doing these things.” So they miss out on salvation like Naaman.

Naaman Almost Missed Out On Salvation Because It Wasn’t Glamorous Enough for Him

2 Kings 5:12 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.

The Abanah and the Pharpar were beautiful, famous rivers in Syria that originated in Lebanon and flowed to Damascus, producing lush orchards and gardens along the way. They were renowned rivers, and their water was fresh and clean. Maybe Naaman thought the cleaner the water, the cleaner he’d be. The Jordan, on the other hand, was plain and humble. In some respects, the Jordan is an excellent picture of Jesus: not fancy or glamorous. Instead, plain and humble. Sending Naaman to the Jordan was like sending Naaman to Jesus.

Think about the places associated with Jesus: Bethlehem is where Jesus was born, Nazareth is where Jesus grew up, the Jordan is where Jesus was baptized. None of these places is fancy. We only know of them because they’re associated with Jesus. Think about the 12 disciples. Ordinary. About as plain as you could get.

We have a distorted view of Jesus because of pictures that portray Him as handsome, with blue eyes, long flowing blonde hair, and a sparkling smile with perfect teeth set behind a trimmed beard. But the Old Testament prophesied that when the Messiah came, He wouldn’t be like the Abanah and the Pharpar, He would be like the Jordan:

Isaiah 53:2 He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

When Judas was going to betray Jesus, why did Judas have to identify Jesus with a kiss? Why didn’t he say, “Seize the handsome one with the halo floating off the ground”? Because Jesus appeared to be an ordinary man from the Middle East. When you look for fancy and glamorous, you miss Jesus. That’s what happened with Naaman, and that’s what happens with people today. Naaman asked, “Couldn’t I wash in the Abanah or Pharpar to be cleansed?” The answer is no. If he wanted to be cleansed, he’d have to go to the Jordan, and if we want to be cleansed of our spiritual leprosy, we have to go to Jesus.

Naaman Almost Missed Out On Salvation Because He Wasn’t Required to Do Enough

2 Kings 5:13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, (this is a term of respect probably to soften the correction they’re about to give him), 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’?”

I like the ESV, but it doesn’t translate this verse very well. In all other translations, such as the NKJV, NIV, and NASB, the servant said, “If the prophet told you to do something great, would you not have done it?” In other words, they recognized Naaman didn’t want to do this, because it didn’t seem like he was supposed to do enough and this reveals another reason Naaman almost missed out on salvation.

Naaman’s servants used perfect logic. Naaman would’ve been more receptive if he’d been asked to sacrifice 100 animals. And many people would be more receptive to the Gospel if it meant doing some number of things to be saved. This is one of the primary reasons people miss out on salvation: it seems too easy. If you have grown up in a Christian home, you might find this hard to believe, but if you grew up in a works-based religion, like me, you know this is true.

I recall when the Gospel was shared with me I said, “Oh, that’s ALL I have to do? JUST believe in Jesus?”  We want to earn our salvation. We want to participate in a religious ritual, attend church for a while, donate a substantial amount of money, reform our lives, or perform several acts of kindness. We want any number of substitutes to putting our faith in Christ.

Consider this verse that perfectly applies to Naaman and us:

Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Naaman didn’t need works of righteousness; he needed to be washed!

Naaman Almost Missed Out On Salvation Because of His Pride

2 Kings 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.

Fortunately, he listened to his servants. Notice three things. First, it says, “his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child.” It’s like he was born again. Second, it says, “he was clean.” Naaman’s physical leprosy was cleansed, but more importantly, his spiritual leprosy was cleansed. It’s a beautiful picture of the cleansing that takes place with each of us when we surrender our lives to Christ. Third, the phrase “little child,” takes our minds to Jesus’s words:

Matthew 18:3 “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

That’s really what was required of Naaman. He had to humble himself and become like a little child. Picture this proud, honorable general having to dunk himself seven times in the Jordan, and you can imagine how difficult this was for him. He thought it was beneath him, so he stormed off. Naaman had to move from a place of pride to humility, which is the case for everyone to be saved.

Pride is the greatest obstacle to being saved, because salvation requires saying, “I am a sinner. I can’t save myself. My sins have made me filthy and leprous.” Proud people can’t say this.

2 Kings 5:15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; So accept now a present from your servant.” 16 But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

Elisha wouldn’t accept the gift because this is a picture of salvation, and salvation is a free gift. We can’t pay or give God a gift to be cleansed. Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, chased after Naaman to get the reward from him, and he got it, but when he returned to Elisha, he also got something else from Naaman: his leprosy! God was upset when Elisha’s servant stopped this cleansing from being a gift.

New Humility Shown

Earlier, Naaman thought Elisha should come out to him, but now he returns 25 miles from the Jordan to Elisha’s house to stand before him. He’s a changed man. There’s humility now.

And he confesses the true God of Israel and rejects the false gods of Syria. You’d be hard pressed to find a clearer testimony in Scripture.

What the People of Nazareth Could Learn from a Gentile

Let me conclude by recalling a memorable moment from Jesus’ ministry…

Jesus visited His hometown of Nazareth where He had grown up. Because many of the people knew Him well, they expected Him to perform some of the miracles they’d heard about Him performing elsewhere. They probably think they deserve to see the best He’s got.

But Jesus knew they didn’t believe in Him, so He said something interesting:

Luke 4:27 Jesus said, “There were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

Jesus is saying that just as Elisha didn’t help all the people in his day who needed help, he only helped Naaman, a Gentile; Jesus wouldn’t help them. Instead, He would help Gentiles.

As you can imagine, Jesus’ words wouldn’t go over too well:

Luke 4:28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.

This is why the people of Nazareth would never be cleansed like Naaman: they wouldn’t humble themselves like he did. They were proud and angry.

The people of Nazareth knew Naaman was the commander of the enemy army and even worse, a Gentile, outside the covenant of God. He should’ve been shunned and left to die. But God chose to cleanse him.

What God did with Naaman illustrates the gracious work of God in saving and cleansing lost sinners if we are willing to follow Naaman’s example and humble ourselves like he did.