Wednesday Bible Study: Neurosis

 I had a physician appointment this morning, so I'm a bit late. I'm okay.

 

Ch. 5 has Elisha curing one guy of leprosy and inflicting another (and his descendants) with it. What I find odd about this is people's extreme emotional overreaction to what appear to be very minor issues, barely even annoyances. The king of Israel (unnamed) tears his clothes because the Syrian general thinks the king can cure him of leprosy. I mean, I'd just say WTF, I wouldn't tear my clothes. It's just a misunderstanding, the idea is for Elisha to cure the guy. Which he does, but first the Syrian general gets seriously bent out of shape about being instructed to wash in the Jordan, specifically, rather than one of his own rivers. His servants have to talk him down. I mean, come on.

Anyway, Elisha refuses any payment so Elisha's servant Gehazi tries to scam the general out of payment, for which he incurs the usual punishment of himself, and his descendants forever. It isn't clear in this case what "leprosy" means, as it's something one apparently can be born with and live with an entire lifetime, and pass on to one's descendants. The description seems to be albinism. Who knows? As for the point of all this, that is equally mysterious.

5 Na′aman, 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. ² Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little maid from the land of Israel, and she waited on Na′aman’s wife. ³ She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samar′ia! He would cure him of his leprosy.” ⁴ So Na′aman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the maiden from the land of Israel.” ⁵ 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 festal garments. ⁶ And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Na′aman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” ⁷ And when the king of Israel read the letter, he rent 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.”

⁸ But when Eli′sha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you rent your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ So Na′aman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the door of Eli′sha’s house. ¹⁰ And Eli′sha 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 Na′aman was angry, and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper. ¹² Are not Aba′na^[a] 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, if the prophet had commanded you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he says 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.

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, whom I serve, I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. ¹⁷ Then Na′aman said, “If not, I pray you, let there be given to your servant two mules’ burden of earth; for henceforth your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the Lord. ¹⁸ In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon your servant in this matter.” ¹⁹ He said to him, “Go in peace.”

Gehazi’s Greed

But when Na′aman had gone from him a short distance, ²⁰ Geha′zi, the servant of Eli′sha the man of God, said, “See, my master has spared this Na′aman 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.” ²¹ So Geha′zi followed Na′aman. And when Na′aman saw some one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” 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 E′phraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; pray, give them a talent of silver and two festal garments.’” ²³ And Na′aman said, “Be pleased to accept two talents.” And he urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two festal garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they carried them before Geha′zi. ²⁴ And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and put them in the house; and he sent the men away, and they departed. ²⁵ He went in, and stood before his master, and Eli′sha said to him, “Where have you been, Geha′zi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” ²⁶ But he said to him, “Did I not go with you in spirit 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, menservants and maidservants? ²⁷ Therefore the leprosy of Na′aman shall cleave to you, and to your descendants for ever.” So he went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.

Footnotes

1. 2 Kings 5:12 Another reading is Amana