The Bible Baptist Church located
at 2015 Beulah Road in Madisonville, Kentucky would like to invite
you to listen to a message of the sovereign grace of God in
the Lord Jesus Christ by their pastor David Edmondson. This morning, our lesson will
come out of the Old Testament book of second Kings chapter
five. But first I want to read you
the words of our Lord that were written in the gospel of Luke
chapter four, verse 27. It reads, and many lepers were
in Israel in the time of Elijah, the prophet, and none of them
was cleansed except Naaman, the Syrian. I was thinking as I read
this verse again, how different God's thoughts and ways are than
ours, especially when he acts in the freeness of his grace.
He passes by some and he singles out the most unlikely to be the
recipients of his love, mercy, and grace. And such it was in
the case of Nahum and the Syrian. In 2 Kings 5, verse 1, we read,
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great
man with his master and honorable, because by him the Lord had given
deliverance unto Syria, and he was also a mighty man in valor,
but he was a leper. Immediately, the Holy Spirit,
from the pages of Scripture, tells us many informative things
about this man, Naaman. The Holy Spirit tells us he was
a captain of the host of the king. More than likely, he was
a general, the one in charge of the king's army. He was a
great man. Not only was Naaman great in
the eyes of the people, but also in the eyes of his master, the
king. We're told that he was honorable, an honorable man,
a honest, moral, ethical, a man of principle, trustworthy, the
kind of man you would want as a friend and be proud to have
as one. He was very successful, but notice
that his success was given by the Lord. It says, because of
him, the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria. All men's success,
whether they know the Lord or not is given by God. Naaman was
highly esteemed among men, a man of courage and bravery. And naturally speaking, what
more could a man ask for? Naaman possessed everything that
natural men desire. He had a great life. He was admired
by all and envied by many. He had the respect of all his
country, for he served his country well. In other words, Naaman
was a hero among his people. However, God's word always speaks
the truth concerning men and women, and he presents them as
they truly are. Notice the last five words in
verse one, but he was a leper. Now men flatter men, but God
doesn't flatter anyone. Instead of praising and applauding
and commending and speaking highly of natural men and women, God,
true to his word, lays men and women in the dust. God's word
never eulogizes human effort, never eulogizes and brags on
man's progress, but insists that every man at his best state is
altogether vanity. God's word is the word of truth.
The scriptures clearly proclaim that natural men and women are
corrupt. God's word puts all fallen men and women in the same
category. God says there's none that doeth
good. No, not one. None. There's none that understands.
What don't men understand? By nature, men don't understand
what they are and who God is. There's none that seeks after
God. All men in vanity seek their own way. They are all gone aside
out of God's way to their own way. They are all together, collectively
and completely. They've become filthy, having
hearts that are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.
That's what God's word says about natural men and women. God's
Word declares that the thoughts of men's hearts are only evil
continually. All mankind, nothing but spiritual
lepers, foul, filthy, and unfit, alienated from the life of God,
undeserving of His divine presence. As it was with Naaman the leper,
so it is with us. Now, men may occupy a good position
in this world. They may have material wealth.
They may have worldly fame. They may be admired and respected
by all. They may even be moral, honest,
and trustworthy people. By human standards, men may have
many praiseworthy achievements, but all appear the same in the
eyes of the Lord. They are lepers. Oh, how I pray
that God might make men and women aware that their souls are suffering
from a disease that no human physician can cure. God's word
does not sugarcoat man's spiritual condition. From the sole of the
foot to the crown of the head, man is a mass of wounds, bruises,
and putrefying sores, Isaiah chapter one, verse six. And our
disease is called sin. There's no physical or natural
prescribed remedy for it. It can only be cured by a divine
miracle. Now I recently did a little research
on the dreaded and deadly disease of leprosy. It's amazing how
in so many ways leprosy pictures our horrific disease called sin. Let me give you a few. Leprosy
to the non-observing eye is at first unnoticeable. It usually
began with a small spot or a slight discoloration which gives no
real cause for warning, but the effects bring horrible results. So it is with sin. To the natural
man, Adam's eating of the forbidden fruit appeared to be an insignificant
act in comparison to the awful effects that it produced. However,
the result of sin is the same as leprosy. It brings about certain
death, for there's none that can escape its dreadful prognosis. Secondly, leprosy is highly contagious. None of Adam's race is beyond
sin's contagious effects. David wrote in Psalm 51 verse
5, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive
me. We're all born with this inward
corruption called sin. Wherefore is by one man sin entered
into the world, and death by sin. And so death passed upon
all men, for that all have sinned, Romans 5, 12. Thirdly, leprosy begins with
little or no pain. Only in its latter stages do
the painful effects come to full fruition. Sin, too, is so subtle,
so subtle that we at first seem to be unconscious of it. No wonder
the writer of Hebrews calls it the deceitfulness of sin. It's
not until the Spirit of God begins to convict that the carrier of
the disease is made conscious of its crippling work. Fourthly,
leprosy rapidly spreads. The study of leprosy reveals
that though it begins with small spots and discoloration of the
skin, it rapidly increases with size until the whole body is
affected. Oh, is it not the same with sin?
The outward effect and result is due to an inward cause. Paul
said, I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good
things, Romans 7, 18. The heart, the mind, the conscience,
the spirit, soul, and body are equally poisoned by our spiritual
leprosy called sin. Fifthly, leprosy is loathsome. It's detestable. How detestable
it must have been to look upon one who was affected with this
loathsome disease called leprosy. Rotting flesh. Sores that oozed. Other sores scabbed and cracked. Cartilage and nerves exposed. Appendages half gone. Bones showing
through the flesh that had rotted away. Leprosy was often accompanied
by blindness, causing the affected one to grope in darkness and
cry unclean, unclean. One old writer said that leprosy
is a walking sepulcher, grave, tomb of death. Again, is this
not a picture of the dead dog sinner? David said in Psalm 38
verse 7, for my loins are filled with a loathsome disease, and
there's no soundness in my flesh. Oh, sin is a loathsome, detestable
thing. No matter how horrific and repulsive
the leper looked to another, our sin is even more despicable
to God. As detestable as leprosy was,
it doesn't even begin to compare to the repulsiveness of our sin.
The sixth comparison. Leprosy also brought forth banishment. According to the Levitical law,
no leper was allowed to remain in the congregation of Israel.
Leviticus 13, 46, he shall dwell alone. Without the camp shall
his habitation be. You see, sin causes alienation,
just like leprosy did. Sin has alienated us from the
life of God through the ignorance that's in us, Ephesians 4, 18.
Men by nature are ignorant of the righteousness of God, and
they go about to establish their own righteousness by endeavoring
to cover their sin, their leprosy, with the works of their own hands,
only the work of Christ. Now hear me on this, only the
work of Christ for the sinner will bring nigh the sinner who
was once far off and alienated from God by their spiritual leprosy. Seventh thing, leprosy was naturally
incurable. The cure of this loathsome disease
was beyond all human aid and it was fatal as we've already
established. Sin is naturally incurable. There's no human remedy for sin.
Death is the wages of sin and unless a miracle of God's grace
be done for chosen sinners, eternal death is certain. Yet we can
find great hope and comfort in the story of Naaman the leper. Oh may God be pleased to give
it to us this day. We see from verse 1 of 2nd Kings
chapter 5, though Naaman was outwardly and naturally speaking,
a great man he had the world by the tail the spirit of god
tells us this but he was a leper he was a leper who was sure to
die without a miracle of grace oh i'm telling you there are
multitudes of men and women who are right now living the good
life. They have everything they could
ever want or desire, but they have no idea that they're spiritual
lepers. Verse 2 of 2 Kings chapter 5,
And the Syrians had gone out by companies and had brought
away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid, and
she waited on Naaman's wife. Now, this is an amazing story. The saved sinner's deliverance
is always brought about by God's divine providence. Oh, there's
so much this verse tells us without actually saying it. You see,
the Syrians, by the sovereign permission and purpose of God,
had previously invaded the land of Israel. God providentially
allowed some captives to be taken out of Israel, among whom was
a young handmaid who served Naaman's wife. Can you imagine how that
young girl's parents must have felt? Why, a thousand times they
must have asked, why has God allowed their home to be shattered
by the taking of their precious little daughter? Why was she,
who was a favored daughter of Abraham, now a servant in Naaman's
household? Why did God allow this involuntary
separation from her loving parents? What was the reason for this
cruel captivity? I'll tell you what it was. God
was shaping things in his own mysterious way for the accomplishment
of his good and wise purpose. You see, nothing happens in this
world by mere chance. A predestinating God has planned
every detail of our lives. David said, my times are in thy
hand. Paul said on Mars Hill that God
had determined the times before appointed and the bounds of all
men's habitations. Acts 17 verse 26. You see, it
was God. It was God who had directed this
little maid of Israel to become a member of Naaman's household. And why? That she might be a
link in the chain of God's providence, which ended not only in the healing
of Naaman's leprosy, but also, most probably, in the salvation
of his soul. Now here's the light that shines
forth from God's mysterious providence. Behind every trial, God is working
all things for the good of them that love him. If you're one
of his, one of thee called according to his purpose, God is right
now working all things for your good. Oh, how wonderful is the
providence of God who knows all things and does all things well.
God always providentially directs his servants to serve his sovereign
purpose for the good of his people. Verse three, and she, the little
maid, said unto her mistress, would God, my Lord, were with
the prophet that is in Samaria, for he would recover him of his
leprosy. Oh, what a point this brings
to our attention. God's servants, great or small,
always speak and point needy sinners to God's prophet. The first thought that entered
my mind was how easy it would have been for this young lady
to have had hatred in her heart for the one that had taken her
away from her family. Oh, how easy it would have been
to be maliciously pleased that Naaman would be afflicted in
his body with this dreaded disease. Do you, do you know why that
was my first thought? Because that's exactly how I
would have felt. My words would have been, it
serves him right. He's getting what he deserves.
Oh, how this little maid puts me to shame. She simply proclaims
that which she knows to be true. She proclaimed the good news
that through God's prophet, there was salvation even for the worst
leper. Did you know that the name Elijah
means the salvation of God? Therefore, it should be no wonder
to us that God's prophet, priest, and king, the Lord Jesus Christ's
name, means Jehovah Saves. You see, friends, the only hope
of deliverance from the deadly disease of leprosy, the deadly
disease of sin, The leper, the sinner, must be brought before
God's prophet. Verse four, and one went in and
told his Lord, saying, thus and thus said the maid that is of
the land of Israel. And I thought about those words.
What an illustration of the preaching of the gospel. Thus and thus
said the maid. When God's servants stand to
preach, we're not giving you our opinions or telling you what
we think. The true servant's proclamation
is, thus saith the Lord. Preaching is declaring what God
has done for sinners. And I rejoice greatly that God
is pleased to make use of little and despised things, for there's
hope then that He might even use me. And a little insignificant
maid in captivity was used by God Almighty Maybe God would
be pleased to use an insignificant man like me. Who would expect
this young maid to do service for the Lord? Who would be inclined
to listen to her voice? Her age, her nationality, her
position were all against her. Yet because she used her opportunity
and bore witness to her mistress, her simple message reached the
ears of the king of Syria. Oh, may the Lord grant us to
be faithful wherever he's placed us. Now, let me read a few verses
here, beginning in verse five. And the king of Syria said, go
to and go, and I'll send a letter into the king of Israel. And
he departed, that being Naaman, and he took with him 10 talents
of silver, and 6,000 pieces of gold, and 10 changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to
the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is coming to
thee, behold, I have therefore sent Naaman my servant to thee,
that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. And it came to
pass when the king of Israel had read the letter that he rent
his clothes. And he said, am I God to kill
and to make alive that this man does send unto me to recover
a man of his leprosy. Wherefore consider, I pray you
and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. Now, what a lesson
that can be learned here. There's no help that can come
from man. Men and women will try every natural and human means
they can to be saved. Multitudes seek to be cleansed
by their own works of righteousness. David said, thus were they defiled
with their own works and went a-whoring with their own inventions. Men and women seek out many inventions
to no avail, to no profit. Helpless sinners look to preachers,
they look to priests, they look to presidents for help, but there's
no help that can come from man. Men and women got to look higher.
They must look to God. David said, I'll lift up my eyes
unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help coming from
the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Psalm 121 verses one and
two. Oh, may we take to heart the
words of the King of Israel here who said, am I God? Am I God
to kill and to make alive? I'm just a man. Can a man recover
another man from his leprosy? Absolutely not. Oh, dear sinner,
dear leper, there's only one who can help. Lift your eyes
toward the hills for help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven
and earth. Okay, verse eight, and it was
so. When Elijah, the man of God, had heard that the king of Israel
had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore
hast thou rent thy clothes? Why are you so troubled, in other
words? Let him, let the leper, let Naaman
come now to me. Let him come down to me, and
he shall know that there's a prophet in Israel." Oh, life is coming
to Christ, God's prophet. Elijah, the man of God, God's
prophet says, let Nahum and the leper come down to me. Elijah
was a man of God, but the Lord Jesus Christ is the God-man. And he says, come unto me, all
ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. That's
where the healing for our leprosy is found. It's found in Christ
and in coming to Him. You see, He is the way. He's
the only way. He is the truth, the only truth.
And He's the life, the only life. And no man cometh to the Father
but by Him. John 14, 6. And if leprosy-plagued
sinners are enabled by God to come to Christ, There's only
one thing that will be made certain to them every time they shall
know that there's a prophet in Israel. Verse 9, So Naaman came
with his horses and his chariot, and he stood in the door of the
house of Elijah. And Elijah sent a messenger unto
him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall
come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was
wroth, and he went away, and he said, Behold, I thought He
would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of
the Lord his God and strike his hand over the place and recover
the leper. And are not Abana and Farpar,
rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May
I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and he went away
in a rage. Oh, don't we see here the pride
of the fallen man and the simplicity of the gospel all in these verses. All the pride of man. Here comes
Naaman with all his horses and his chariots. But he's not yet
stripped of his self-righteousness. He's not yet aware that he's
entirely dependent upon divine mercy. And he rides in with the
pride and pomp of man's imagined splendor. His pretentious fanfare
didn't lessen his terrible condition one bit. He was still a leper.
And no matter how costly the flashly and decorated apparel
that covered his body, it availed him absolutely nothing in diminishing
or removing the loathsome disease which lay beneath. All the gifts
that he brought to Elijah could not purchase what he needed most. Oh, the pride of sinful man.
God was not impressed and neither was his servant Elijah. Elijah
doesn't even come out to meet Naaman, but sends his servant
with a message. And oh, what a simple message
it was. The servant of God's prophet
delivers this simple message to the leper. Go and wash in
Jordan seven times. What? That's it? That's your
message? Yes, that's my message. It's simple, but effective. For if Naaman is obedient to
God's message, his flesh shall come again to him and he shall
be clean. But Naaman was angry. He was
wroth. He flew into a rage. Why? Why
did he get so mad? Why did he walk away? Well, men
and women by nature want to do some great thing to be saved.
Naaman got mad and walked away. Why? Because the means of his
redemption was not as he thought. He said, behold, I thought. Behold,
I thought, Naaman expected a big to-do. He expected a big religious
service and show. Behold, I thought, I thought
the prophet would come out and stand before me in his religious
attire and call upon his God with flowery words of systematic
theology. Oh, I thought the prophet would
put his hands upon me and command the leprosy to leave. I thought,
I thought, he thought that he deserved better than this. He
said that the waters in my own country are much better than
all the waters in Israel. Verse 12, sinner, you'll find
that the salvation of God is not as you thought. Do you feel
that you are so great that you deserve better than what God
gives? Will you also turn and leave in a rage? Oh, don't allow
your heart and mind to be corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. That's the simplicity. Will you
listen this morning to this unprofitable servant's voice of reason? Verse
13, and his servants came near and spake unto him, that being
Naaman, and they said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee to
do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much
rather, then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean. All great men want to do great
things, but broken men and women who are dying with leprosy will
do anything to be cleansed of their leprosy of sin, and they'll
heed the simple message of God's gospel. Go and wash. Go and wash. Come to Christ. For the blood of Jesus Christ,
His Son, cleanseth us from all sin. You have been listening to a
message by David Edmondson, the pastor of Bible Baptist Church
in Madisonville, Kentucky. If you would like a copy of this
message, or to hear other messages of God's free, sovereign grace
in Christ, you can write to our mailing address at P.O. Box 652
Madisonville, Kentucky 42431. or log on to our website at FreeGraceRadio.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, we meet at 2015 Beulah Road, Madisonville, Kentucky,
and our service times are Sunday morning Bible study at 10 o'clock
a.m., worship services begin at 11 o'clock a.m., Wednesday
evening services at 7 o'clock p.m., Please tune in again next
Sunday morning at 10 o'clock AM for another message of God's
free and sovereign grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.