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What truly led to the fall of Gehazi? Dive into 2 Kings 5:15-27, unveiling the deeper spiritual truths behind Gehazi’s fall and how his actions became a tragic example of hypocrisy, greed, and divine judgment. Just like leprosy spreads through the body, Gehazi’s sin spread from the heart, leading to devastating consequences. Discover how Gehazi’s fall also serves as a poignant illustration of the dangers of spiritual compromise and the urgent need for repentance. Read this material from Being Content God’s Way or watch the accompanying sermon to learn from Gehazi’s tragic example.
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On the fifteenth anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, the record industry honored him as the best-selling singer of all time. He seemed to have many of the most common things people seek: wealth, fame, and success. But on August 16, 1977, at only forty-two years old, his fiancée, Ginger Alden, found him unresponsive on the bathroom floor of his Graceland mansion. Attempts to revive him failed, and he was pronounced dead.
Photos and videos of him at the end of his life show a bloated man with distorted features. Most people will say the years of drug use and careless living took their toll. But I would say the biggest cause of his death was covetousness.
Here’s what I mean: even as his health deteriorated, he continued to tour intensively because he desired even more fame and success. In 1973, only a few years before his death, he had his busiest schedule with 168 concerts.1 The day he died, he was scheduled to fly out of Memphis to Portland, Maine, to begin another tour. No matter how successful and famous he became, he always wanted more.
We would be hard-pressed to find someone whose health was damaged by covetousness more than Elvis’s. But we do with Elisha’s servant, Gehazi. His covetousness caused him to get leprosy!
Here’s the background to the account. The prophet Elisha told the Syrian general, Naaman, how to be cleansed of leprosy. After Naaman was cleansed:
2 Kings 5:15 Then [Naaman] returned to the man of God (Elisha), 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.”
Naaman was incredibly grateful and tried to repay Elisha:
2 Kings 5:16 But [Elisha] said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.
Naaman attributed his cleansing to God, and Elisha wanted to keep it that way, so he refused the gift.
2 Kings 5:19 [Elisha] said to [Naaman], “Go in peace.” But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”
Gehazi was Elisha’s servant, and he knew that Naaman had tons of wealth. Briefly look back at 2 Kings 5:5:
2 Kings 5:5 And the king of Syria said [to Naaman], “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So [Naaman] went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
Naaman travels with more changes of clothing than most of us. When Gehazi watches Naaman walk off without giving anything, he thinks he’s missing out on a fortune.
Gehazi Was a Religious Hypocrite
Gehazi said, “As the Lord lives.” He likely heard his master, Elisha, use this phrase frequently. This is a classic illustration of religious hypocrisy. Gehazi spoke the right words, but the spiritual reality was far from his heart. He would have feared God if he thought He was alive.
Why did Gehazi mention God? He couldn’t just say, “I want all Naaman’s money,” so he brought the Lord into it to legitimize his actions. He wanted to sound spiritual and justify his disobedience.
Sometimes, we put on religious fronts for the same reason. We do something we should not be doing, and someone confronts us about it, so we say something like, “God knows my heart,” “God opened this door for me,” or “God told me to do this.” Then nobody can argue with us because they would be arguing with God. But if we bring God into our plans when it isn’t His will, that’s blasphemy. There didn’t seem to be many sins in the Old Testament that upset God more than using His name to act as if something was His will when it wasn’t.
God Faithfully Warns
When Naaman saw Gehazi:
2 Kings 5:21 “So Gehazi followed Naaman. And when Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?”
Naaman knew Gehazi was Elisha’s servant, who might want something or have a message for him, so he responded inquisitively. Gehazi is about to sin. He reaches the chariot, and Naaman climbs down, stands before him, looks him in the face, and says, “Is everything okay?”
This seems like a faithful warning that should’ve turned Gehazi back from what he was planning to do. He should have thought, “No, everything is not okay. I am about to do something terrible.”
When God Warned David
Think about the moments before David committed adultery with Bathsheba. Even though David gave in to temptation, we can see “the way of escape” that God provided:
2 Samuel 11:3 “David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, ‘Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’”
It is as though the servant warned, “David, this is a married woman. Her husband, Uriah, and her father, Eliam, are two of your mighty men. Eliam is the son of Ahithophel, your advisor and close friend. Bathsheba is off limits.” David was given ample warning.
God Faithfully Warns Us
God also faithfully warns us. Imagine you are going to do something foolish, such as watch a movie you should not watch, buy something you should not buy, see someone you should not see, or go somewhere you should not go. You get a text message, receive a phone call, or run into a friend and are asked, “How are you doing?”
It would be best if you said, “I am not doing well. I was thinking of doing something foolish, but God faithfully used you to warn me. Thank you!” Then turn around, go home, and praise God that He loved you enough to provide a way of escape, as Paul said God does:
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
The words “beyond [our] ability” mean we have limits when it comes to temptation. There is a point at which everyone gives in when tempted strongly enough. But this verse states that there are two things God graciously does for us:
- First, He knows the threshold for each of us and does not let us experience temptation “beyond [our] ability to resist it.” This means when we experience temptation, we call God a liar if we say, “This is too difficult. I cannot resist.”
- Second, “[God] will also provide the way of escape,” so we can avoid sinning. And this means when we experience temptation, we call God a liar if we say, “There was no way to avoid sinning.”
We Escape and Endure
But 1 Corinthians 10:13 sounds contradictory. It says, “Provide the way of escape” versus “You may be able to endure it.” Which is it? Do we escape temptation or endure it? Yes! This is resolved by understanding the struggle against temptation. No, we don’t need to sin, but resisting is hard. God doesn’t remove the temptation, but He gives us the grace to endure it. We can escape from sinning, but we cannot escape from having to resist the temptation.
Consider a weightlifting analogy. We have the strength to lift the weight, but we must still lift it. With temptation, God gives us the strength to resist, but we must still exercise that strength. He does not lift the weight for us. It’s heavy, but it’s never too heavy. God does not allow too much weight on the bar. The question is whether we want to lift the bar or set it down.
Gehazi’s Deceptions
Gehazi chose to set the weight down:
2 Kings 5:22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘There have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’”
A talent is 75 pounds, so Gehazi didn’t hold back in his request. He could have said, “You offered a gift for your cleansing, and I came to get it.” But he concocted two lies instead. First, he said Eisha sent him, which made Naaman believe he was obeying Elisha by giving the gift.
Second, he said two young prophets unexpectedly visited Elisha, and he needed money and clothing for them. This made the request seem benevolent and urgent: “These two prophets just showed up, and we were unprepared. They need money and clothing, which you brought with you. Elisha did not need your gift before, but now he does to care for them.” It was very manipulative. Naaman responded as we’d expect:
2 Kings 5:23“‘Be pleased to accept two talents.’ And [Naaman] urged [Gehazi] and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants. And they carried them before Gehazi.”
Naaman was so trusting that he gave Gehazi more than he had requested, wrapped it neatly, and assigned two of his servants to carry it for him, because it was 150 pounds of silver and clothing. When Gehazi arrives home:
2 Kings 5:24 When [Gehazi] came to the hill, he took [the silver and clothes] from [the servants’] hand and put them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed.”
Gehazi hid the wealth and sent the servants away. He probably thinks things are going wonderfully, but he’s got one more obstacle to get past: Elisha.
Sin Often Leads to More Sin
2 Kings 5:25 [Gehazi] went in and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, ‘Where have you been, Gehazi?’ And he said, ‘Your servant went nowhere.’”
This is a flat-out lie. As we read through these verses, I couldn’t help noticing how much it seems like Gehazi is on a downward spiral. It is one sin after another, and I think this is often the case with sin. One of the reasons sin is compared to leprosy is that sin spreads like leprosy spreads. We should remember that sinning often leads to other sins.
Consider Gehazi’s example. He coveted, committed idolatry when he put money ahead of God, and committed blasphemy when he said, “As the Lord lives.” And he lied throughout the account. If there’s one sin that leads to more sin than any others, it’s lying. Lying begets more lies because we must devise new lies to cover up our previous ones. Consider Gehazi’s example. He lied to Naaman about why he chased him down, and then to Elisha, saying he didn’t go anywhere.
And at the very beginning, maybe he even lied to himself. Maybe he convinced himself that this is what God wanted him to do. The Syrians are Israel’s biggest enemy at this time:
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.
Israel was apostate at this time, and God had been using the Syrians to punish them. Naaman is the commander of the Syrian army. He’s like Israel’s public enemy number one. Gehazi could have told himself that God wouldn’t want Israel’s enemy cleansed of leprosy without paying anything.
Elisha knew that Gehazi had gone somewhere, so why would Gehazi think he could tell Elisha he had gone nowhere? This is another problem with lying: we can become so entrenched in our lies that we have no choice but to continue lying, regardless of how foolish and unconvincing we sound.
Elisha Saw What Gehazi Did as God Sees What We Do
Lying is always foolish, but it’s particularly foolish to lie to prophets. In the Old Testament, prophets were called seers because they could see things:
2 Kings 5:26 He said, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants?”
Gehazi received silver and clothes, so it makes sense that Elisha accused him of “[accepting] money and garments.” But, when did Gehazi accept “olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants”? He didn’t, but he wanted all these things! Prophets lived humbly, and being a prophet’s servant meant living humbly. Elisha knew Gehazi coveted all these things in his heart.
Similarly, God knows what is in our hearts, and it matters not only what we do, but also what is in our hearts. Think of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus condemns murder and adultery, not only physically, but also when we commit them inwardly.
Elisha Had a Heart for Elisha as God Has a Heart for Us
Elisha said, “My heart went with you,” rather than “I know what you did.” I’ve heard it said that having a child means having your heart walk around outside your body. If you have children, you know this is true.
Gehazi had been with Elisha for some time. I think Elisha cared for him, just as God cares for us. And because of that, two things grieved Elisha, and they’re the same things that grieve God. First, Elisha was grieved by Gehazi’s sin, just as our sin grieves God. Second, Elisha was grieved that he would have to punish Gehazi, just as God is grieved when He must punish us.
Ezekiel 18:23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?
I mention this because Elisha is about to tell Gehazi the punishment he will receive, but I don’t think it was easy for Elisha to do, any more than it’s easy for God to discipline us:
2 Kings 5:27 “Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So [Gehazi] went out from [Elisha’s] presence a leper, like snow.
This probably doesn’t mean every one of Gehazi’s descendants was a leper, but there was probably at least one in each generation.
Gehazi lied throughout this account, but he said one honest thing in 2 Kings 5:20: “I will run after [Naaman] and get something from him.” Gehazi ran after Naaman and got his leprosy from him. Consider this dramatic reversal: The captain of the enemy Syrian army was cleansed of leprosy, and the servant of God’s prophet received leprosy.
Gehazi Already Had Spiritual Leprosy
Before Gehazi received Naaman’s leprosy, he was already a leper. Before Gehazi had physical leprosy attacking his body, he already had spiritual leprosy attacking his soul. Gehazi’s punishment was fitting because now his outward condition matched his inward condition.
We Must Be Cleansed of Our Spiritual Leprosy
Before we’re too hard on Gehazi, we also have spiritual leprosy. Leprosy is the Old Testament picture or type of sin. When Naaman is cleansed of his leprosy, it is a picture of him being spiritually cleansed of sin:
2 Kings 5:14 [Naaman] 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.
When Naaman came up out of the water, it was like he was born again.
Gehazi Ruined a Picture of the Gospel
What Gehazi did was bad. But he got leprosy for it. He was given the most loathsome, humiliating, and terrible disease in human history for taking some money and clothes. Doesn’t it almost seem a little extreme, or is there more to it? There is: Gehazi ruined one of the most beautiful pictures of salvation in the Old Testament. Salvation is a free gift:
Romans 6:23 the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When Naaman offered Elisha money, he didn’t just say no. It is like the most emphatic, strongest No you can imagine:
2 Kings 5:16 “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.”
Elisha’s actions communicated that salvation is free, but Gehazi’s actions taught that salvation comes at a price. Gehazi’s sin perverted the gospel.
Leprosy Must Be Cleansed
Jesus healed blindness, paralysis, sickness, and deafness. These miracles are all called healings, but leprosy is cleansed:
Luke 4:27 “There were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
Luke 5:12 When [the leper] saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”
Luke 7:22 [Jesus said], “Tell John what you have seen and heard…lepers are cleansed”
Luke 17:14 [Jesus told the lepers], “Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went they were cleansed.”
Luke 17:17 Jesus [asked], ‘Were not ten [lepers] cleansed? Where are the nine?” (See also Mark 1:40; Matthew 8:3, 10:8, and 11:5).
Leprosy is a picture or type of sin because leprosy can’t be healed, just like sin can’t be healed. But just like Naaman could be cleansed of leprosy, we can be cleansed of sin:
Titus 2:14 (HCSB) [Jesus] gave Himself…to cleanse for himself a people for His own possession.
Ephesians 5:26 [Christ] might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.
1 John 1:7 The blood of Jesus… cleanses us from all sin… 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The bad news is that we are all spiritual lepers. The Good News (or gospel) is that through faith in Christ, we can be cleansed, and that cleansing is a free gift.
Naaman’s physical cleansing was incredible, but his spiritual cleansing was greater. His physical cleansing benefited him for the rest of his earthly life, but his spiritual cleansing benefited him for eternity. Because the spiritual cleansing we receive is greater than the physical cleansing Naaman received, we should be even more thankful to Jesus than Naaman was to Elisha.
Maybe you have sin that started as a few spots. It was not noticeable at first, but now it has spread, affected your whole life, and become evident to people around you. Jesus is as willing to cleanse your spiritual leprosy today as God was willing to cleanse Naaman’s leprosy three thousand years ago.
- Pamela Clarke Keogh, Elvis Presley: The Man, The Life, The Legend (Simon & Schuster, 2004), p. 238. ↩︎
