2 Kings 5:2-4

And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife.  Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.” (NKJV)

I wrote another devotional under this title and I talked about a woman who was pushed by circumstances to do what was unlawful. She was pressed by an urgent inborn human instinct that was so powerful that it pervades every mankind to this day. Whether rich, poor, young and old alike all human beings and animals have one thing in common that they don’t easily relinquish self preservation, each wants to live just a little longer regardless of their circumstance.

I know you might and again might not agree with me but that’s beside the point; for I am yet to see a human being who, on seeing an object hurled at them that will fail to duck out of harm’s way.Self preservation is instinctive, you don’t think, you don’t plan, you don’t do anything about it, it is there. Permanently ingrained, wired in a human being and animals too, fine turned by the environments we live in, enhanced by the different environments, different actions and reactions. Reaction is not something we plan for, it is there, reflex, you can’t pinpoint it; it’s beneath the surface just waiting to spring into action.

That was the driving force behind the actions of the woman in the first article. Now let’s look at this other woman/girl; she was a slave, somebody taken away from her natural habitat by use of force, she didn’t choose her environment but the environment had chosen her. This to say she lived under the mercy of her captors, her freedom of choice was completely curtailed. She never got to choose her next meal leave alone the menu. She ate whatever was thrown at her including nothing.

Her situation was apparently desperate for I am sure she could have done anything to be returned to her own people and freedom to exercise her right to grow up like all other girls of her age. When the Syrian armies under the command of captain Naaman went to raid the Israelite territory, I am sure this girl was not involved in the actual fighting or any form of resistance but here she is; a victim of circumstances. Instead of growing up like any other girl of her age she was a slave to a Syrian captains wife.

I am sure the human/child rights activists of today could have had a field day telling to the entire world how the affluent were oppressing the poor, the strong against the weak. The media too could have had even a bigger day showing to the whole world the outrageous atrocities committed against a innocent defenseless girl and what manner of slavery was perpetuated by the ‘haves’ against the have-nots.

They would have injected issues about gender, age, consent, vulnerability just to name a few among many others and rightfully so. What a sensation it could have been! However please forgive my sense of humor; I was only trying to show the gravity and extent of the violation of human rights this young girl was subjected to.

Doing every biding of her mistress, satisfy her every whim, every wish whether reasonable or otherwise was to be executed by this young girl. She was practically on beck and call of her mistress. Slaves were treated like any other form of property with no consideration of their human feeling or needs or emotions. When the master/mistress called there was no saying I am sick, or I am tired, nothing of the sort was expected.

Such attenuating circumstances not withstanding, this girl was something else. The health of her master was not only abhorrent but also repulsive. Imagine the way leprosy decimates its sufferers; the odor of rotting flesh must have been unbearable. This made her forget her misery and pity the man.

The girl saw her master’s suffering and had compassion on him. She might’ve been a slave here but we can see very clearly that she was even ‘freer’ than her master, her master a different kind of a slave himself. Gauging her from this wishful statement we might assume that she was clearly homesick “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.”

This is a clear indication that she was thinking about her home but for different reason. She is not wishing to go home herself but she wished that her master could go there and be healed of his leprosy by a man of God. She cared about her master and her mistress for that matter.

What kind of a slave cares about the welfare of her captors? Opinions of slaves were the last thing any master expected or cared to listen to. Slaves commenting on the condition of their masters could have earned them a lot of grief and pain if the master took offence of in such comments.

Many suffered immensely for such insolence at the hands of their cruel masters. I will get back to this aspect of the girl later but now let’s see her mistress’s reaction and action. The mistress in her desire to have a whole husband, wasted no time but informed her husband of the good news at once, a ray of hope was shining in horizon. To the astonishment of all he consented to go, but first he had to seek permission from his master as well.

He must have struggled with idea of going to seek healing in a foreign land, foreign prophet, foreign God and to make matters worse, from Samaria of all the places. This is a land the Syrians had conquered and were raiding at will, they held them with contempt and derision yet all indicators for his healing (though skeptically) pointed towards Samaria.

Well, it is not like he jumped at the idea from the outset but since he was a desperate man who had nothing to lose, why not try anyway. This information coming from an insignificant slave was also another matter, what could a girl, just a girl what could she know anyway but on second thoughts why not?

I am sure being a senior military official; Naaman was a security minded person. He must have questioned her motives, and maybe she could have been a spy who had been sent to help in capturing the infamous captain, the man responsible with for terrorizing the country of Samaria.

Naaman could have taken it to be a trap, a way of trying to get back at him for raiding their country but the self preservation instinct took over. What if she is right, how wonderful it would be to be free of this dreaded disease, leprosy, and then his imagination ran away with all the things he could do. He could have his respect back, move freely among his peers and juniors alike.

The risk this girl took to speak out of turn was enormous; she risked summary execution. Foreign idea or not her master being a very senior military officer weighed all the options, pros and cons and decided that he had nothing to lose after all. Since he was an important man in his country; he could not sneak to a Samarian town without all Syria knowing about it, he sought permission from his king.

Surprisingly when his master learnt of such a suggestion, he was more than willing to write him a letter of introduction to the king of Samaria. When he arrived in Samaria things turned out differently for even the Samaritan king was not aware of such a thing. He lamented that his neighbor was spoiling a fight but when such information came to Prophet Elisha he sent to the king thus, let the man come to me, no need to be afraid after all he is only another leper and Samaria had their fair share of them.

All this happening, I would pause a question to you, what prompted the slave girl to think about such a thing and even have the audacity to voice her thoughts? That her master could have been healed by the man of God in Samaria? What was it to her anyway? Whether her master had leprosy of not, it was none of her business right? After all Syrians were her national enemies and the cause of her slavery, why then help them?

Frankly speaking this girl amazes me, being held against her will and still has a concern, a concern that made her risk her own life in such a monumental way. Many would have called her stupid, a nosy busybody, just an insignificant nobody giving unsolicited counsel and intruding on matters that were beyond her. She should have thought about this for very long time before her good heartedness nature overtook all the caution she should have.

This kind of a heart was not common even then as it is today. She went beyond her mandate as a slave to become a confidante enough to give advice to her mistress. Whether that was in her purview or not is beside the point. She portrayed a strong character that was free to think, free to see beyond slavery, free to express her opinions and be heard for that matter. This was an unusual arrangement that beats common logic pertaining slavery and treatment of slaves.

The girl was physically a slave but spiritually the ‘mistress’ of this house, she knew more about God than any other person in that home. So God gave her favor before her mistress ears and the rest is history. She was used by God to turn around idol worshippers into true God’s worshipers for after that trip, though full of incidents, Naaman received salvation not only from the dreaded disease but also from the shackles of idol worship.

Her story reminds me of Joseph son of Jacob, who rose from prison to the second ruler of all Egypt. Many accusations had been leveled against Joseph but God lifted him from the dark prison to power. He was taken to the darkest part of slavery, a slave who was also a prisoner. This shows that God is not limited as men are, He can use anybody in any situation to teach His people whatever He wills.

The message this girl brings forth is that of Jesus Christ himself, that if and when your enemy thirsts give him something to drink. Don’t withhold it because he might have caused you pain but do well to those who persecute you. Controversial as this might be, I see a girl who is mistreated by her mistress and yet her situation is not important to her at all. She could focus beyond her misery and sympathize with her captor to a point of offering solution for his problems without being asked.

Does the Samaritan woman ring a bell in your mind? Though she was well known for snatching husbands, when Jesus came to her life, she forgot her shame, captivity of her sinfulness and went calling the whole city of Sychar to come forth and see a man who knew about her life of which as much as they were all aware.

Jesus didn’t choose to go through Sychar for nothing or by coincidence He had a mission to save the sinful woman who could have perished in her sins and go to hell. However Jesus was aware of her situation and He had specifically come to town to give her a lasting solution from her suffering. Jesus had purposed to ignore the Jewish custom but for a good cause.

So you see it is about connections, the girl was not in Naaman’s house by coincidence but God willed and planned it from day one, that “I will save somebody who can glorify Me in a foreign land because my own chosen people Israel have rejected me.” Jesus too didn’t go through what was perceived as a sinful city for nothing.

Naaman came to a realization that true worship should occur in the heart first before heading to gatherings in the name of worshipping. Naaman knew this and he made this commitment and promise to God and His servant Elisha. He never wanted to go back to the vain worship of idols that he was used to. However the  nature of his duties required him to go temples of other gods with the king.

1 Kings 5:17-19

So Naaman said, “then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth: for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering to other gods, but to the LORD. Yet in this thing may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon – when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD please pardon your servant in this thing.” Then he said to him, “Go in peace” so he departed from him a short distance.

God, through the insignificant slave girl had acquired for Himself a faithful worshipper in a country that worshipped idols only. The salvation of this important man rested on the shoulders of that slave girl, she could not have shut up even if she wanted to because the Spirit of God testified and convicted her that that it was necessary for her to speak up. God uses weak vessels to shame the mighty one, imagine a whole Syrian Captain being helped by a slave girl? Difficult isn’t it?  But this could have been logical if the roles were reversed.

He doesn’t work according to our logic but according to His own plans. When men reject His love, He finds others who will accept it with thanksgiving.  Not that He has a limited supply of people to worship Him but He wants you and me to worship Him wholeheartedly.

No reservations, no excuse, no exceptions or reasons but pure worship involves the whole heart being immersed in the love of and for God. No half way measures or groupings, remember that slave girl to be separated from her own people so as to accomplish her mission.

She never sought anything for her own self aggrandizement, she could have asked for her freedom in return for her information but the Bible doesn’t tell us that though. After the healing she could have asked for any reward and I am sure she could have been given, but she didn’t.

God wanted to save the captain from eternal damnation at the expense of a girl’s freedom. Her inconvenience was regrettable but salvation of Naaman inevitable because God is overall. He told Moses that I will have mercy on whom I shall have mercy and compassion on whom I shall have compassion.

Who are we then? We are just insignificant, puny minded, self loving individuals who can’t question God’s choice of a messenger or her message. We are not qualified at all to think even for one moment that God erred in using that girl to fulfill His divine purpose. The healing and salvation of the captain was important to God full stop.

When Israelites rejected God by their quarreling God chose others who were willing. As it is said in: Isaiah 65: 1 “I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that was not called by My name. The girl might not have been qualified to preach the gospel of God; the Syrian officer might not have been the most ideal candidate for a convert but God went ahead and gave it him as long he was willing.

Imagine a man who was very knowledgeable in military matters, taking advice from a slave girl and acting on it? Does that sound logical to you? Of course not; my imagination is right. May be it doesn’t to you too but that’s how God works, through our illogic lies the perfect will of God. The main question I ask you now is; how ready are you to receive an important mission for God today, actually right now?

Somebody might not be among the chosen race but their willingness to listen, believe and act touches God more than bloodlines and genealogies.  The people whom God uses might not be so noble according to the world but according to Him they are important; which advice should one follow: God’s judgment of suitable characteristics or peoples’ opinion of who is suited or who is not suited for this or that task? God’s choice is the best.

My brother my sister, come down from your high horse and entreat God in earnest for your life might, actually depends on it. God knows your capabilities and therefore stop amplifying your negative circumstances and woes and serve God to the best of your ability with a willing heart. It doesn’t matter what others say or think about you but this is about what God says and thinks about you. That’s all that matters.

The most joyful inhabitant of the town of Sychar was the woman who from her heart confessed, “Come see a man, who told me all things that ever I did; is not this the Christ?” by so doing she had laid the foundation of that Samaritan Pentecost. She forgot her shame; her guilt was removed once and for all; never to be revisited again, she was now free to use her new found freedom to the glory of her Master. It didn’t matter who knew her past or who didn’t!

Are you ready for your ‘if only’ experience with God or are you going to sit there, sorrowful and bitter with your experiences and circumstances? Doing nothing because the world has dealt you a cruel blow and you feel that your end has just come knocking? While in captivity of yourself, it is crucial that you remember that God is not a captive with you but He is there for you. Are you ready to you’re your shame into glory, by being willing and obedient?

Your time is now, not tomorrow or any other day. Stop procrastinating and do what you have to do today, in fact now. Naaman could have ignored the slave girl but he would have lived with his leprosy for the rest of his life. The girl could have kept quite but God would not let her, He gave her a compassionate heart to have pity on her tormentors.

Well, maybe you are working with people who don’t appreciate you, they hate your guts and you don’t feel like you would like to share the Good news about Jesus Christ with them. God is directing me to tell you that your knowledge of Him is not about you or your circumstances, whether they appreciate you or not you must share the news of the salvation of Jesus with them all.

Whether they decide to receive the news or not is another matter, you’ll have accomplished your mission. God wants to use you to bring His awesome presence in that ungodly environment and you are the vessel for that purpose. Passing the buck brings untold suffering both to you and to them, why prolong the suffering when you can end it?

Never mind their reactions, tell them that their freedom lies with God and not their self importance. Through you such people will be healed from their dreaded disease of sin. Sin is equated with leprosy, as leprosy also comes from within a person so does sin, sin eats into the soul of a man like leprosy does to his flesh.

It keeps cutting piece after piece until it has decimated the whole soul and spirit. What is left is an empty shell that does the biding of Satan twenty four hours seven days a week. This is a horrible predicament for anybody you would call friends or even enemies alike. Let’s be ready to avert such situations from befalling others and God will reward us for it.

I know that this not a popular topic, especially for modern personalities but it must be told by all and to all. God is not much interested in whatever you are going through as He is with your doing what He intends of you. At the right time (His time) He will sympathize with your and remove either you or your circumstances from each other. That is how He works, His will comes first and the rest is history as they say.

Prayer

Lord my God, I thank you for this opportunity you’ve given me to reflect upon your Word. Like the Samaritan girl, my prayer is ‘if only’ this generation could turn to You alone from pursuing vain things in their lives that You would heal them of their leprosy of vanity.

I know very well that You have got great things hidden for them; Your perfect plan for them is to do them good and not evil. Help them dear Father that they may see and live to worship You alone. Thank you for this revelation in You Holy Name I pray. Amen.

This devotion was written by Bishop Joseph Koburu Mukiira of Maximum Victory and Joy Worship Centre Nairobi, Kenya and brought to you courtesy of Journey 2 Joy International Ministries Inc. USA

©All rights reserved by Bishop Joseph Mukiira