Naaman Wanted Two Mules Carrying Holy Dirt

     Friends, take time to read this special bible study about how Naaman got healed of leprosy and requested two mules carrying holy dirt from the prophet Elisha. Pictured above we see a little maid encouraging Naaman to go meet the prophet Elisha in Israel to receive healing and cure his leprosy. The bible records that even though Naaman was rich, lived in a castle, was a captain of a great army, was a great man of valour that many people bowed down to, he was a leper. Naaman said I'd give away all this fame and fortune if I could just be cured of this leprosy.

     The story about the above picture is at 2 Kings 5:1 and says Now Naaman captain of the host of the king of Syria was a great man with his master; and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria; he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. 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. (note the little maid that blessed Naaman was a slave taken captive by Naaman). And she said unto her mistress, would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

     The bible goes on to say at 2 Kings 5:4 And one went in and told his lord, saying Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed and took with him 10 talents of silver, and 6000 pieces of gold, and 10 changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel saying Now when this letter is come unto thee behold I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

     When the king of Israel received the letter from the king of Syria requesting that he heal Naaman, he was fearful and thought the king of Syria was seeking a quarrel. But, the prophet Elisha came to the rescue and told the king of Israel to send Naaman to his house for a healing. 2 Kings 5:7 records And it came to pass when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? Wherefore, consider I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. And it was so when Elisha 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? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

     Pictured above we see that Naaman listened to the advice of the little maid and visited the house of Elisha to be healed of leprosy. We all need to be like Naaman and when we need our problems fixed, go to meet the man of God whose prayers can heal you. Naaman thought the prophet Elisha would come out of the house to pray for him, and got angry when Elisha stayed inside his house, and had his servant Gehazi tell Naaman to go jump in the Jordan river seven times to be cured of leprosy. Naaman probably said I don't want to have anything to do with that prophet Elisha anymore. This preacher Elisha won't even come out to meet me or even shake my hand. How dare that Elisha tell me, a great and powerful leader, to go jump in the river.

     2 Kings 5:9 records what happened when Naaman visited Elisha and says So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth and went away and said, Behold, I thought he will 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. Are not Abana and Pharpar rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near and spake unto him and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee, do some great thing wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he sayeth to thee wash and be clean.

     Note that God's instruction to Naaman was to jump in the Jordan river (not the Abana or the Pharpar rivers) seven times to be healed of leprosy. Naaman had to learn that he should just do things God's way because there is no other way. As Naaman left Elisha's house in a rage, one of Naaman's servants said, Master Naaman if Elisha told you to do some great thing you would have done it. If he told you to kill a bear, you would have killed a bear. If he told you to fight a lion, you would have fought a lion, but all he said was go dip yourself in the Jordan river seven times. Is that too hard? After Naaman pondered what his servant said, I could see Naaman saying Well I did come a long way, I'll try it.

     Pictured above we see that as Naaman obeyed God's instructions from Elisha to dip himself seven times in the Jordan river, Naaman's flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child and he was healed of leprosy. 2 Kings 5:14 says Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan according to the saying of the man of God, and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child and he was clean.

     My good friend Pastor Sonny Mull described Naaman's healing and said so Naaman went down to Jordan and dunked himself one time and washed himself off. Then he dunked himself again and said I feel kind of silly, here I am a captain in the army, I'm the king's armorbearerer, the king leans on my hand when he worships, I'm his bodyguard, when the king has his eyes closed praying, I'm watching for the enemy, I'm the greatest man in Syria. Here I am up here with these bunch of Samaritans up here in Samaria jumping in the river.

     Then Naaman said well I'll dip again which is the fourth time and as he got frustrated, Naaman said What's the use; Same old skin. After the fifth dip, Naaman said I'm wasting my time, same old skin. After the sixth dip, Naaman said again same old skin. But, when Naaman dipped the seventh time in the Jordan, when he came up his skin was restored like a baby's skin. There ain't nothing as soft and cuddly as baby's skin. To all women reading this bible study, if God told you to jump in a river seven times to receive baby skin, wouldn't you do it.

     The reason Naaman got baby skin was because Naaman got born again, experienced a change, and got saved. Naaman truly was a new man and experienced 2 Corinthians 5:17 that says Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. Now, instead of worshipping the idols of Syria, Naaman wanted to only praise and worship the true God of Israel.

     Remember, God's instructions in the Word is the answer and there is no other way. Praise you Lord Jesus, like Naaman, if you tell us to jump in a river, bless God, lets all jump in a river. It's not whether we want to or not, it's what God says do. Naaman said I'll do it my way, I'll go down and dip in Abana and Pharpar. No that won't work. God said dip in Jordan. When God says something, that's what God means. There wasn't any power in Pharpar, Abana, or even Jordan, the power was in doing what God said do.

     OK, you all might say why is Brother Bob posting a picture of two mules above? The reason for this is to display the two mules that Naaman requested from Elisha burden of earth (defined as carrying the holy ground of Israel) after Naaman was healed of leprosy. You see after Naaman got healed, got right with God, and saved, he wanted to bless Elisha with a gift. After Elisha refused Naaman's gift, Naaman requested two mules burden of earth from Elisha. The reason Naaman wanted two mules carrying holy dirt was because Naaman wanted to take a little piece of Israel home with him to Syria. Naaman said when I get home in Syria, I'll dump the holy dirt carried by the two mules in my backyard, stand on the holy ground of Israel, and worship the true God of Israel.

     You see Naaman remembered that in the days of Moses, people would make altars of earth, and when a person stood on holy ground offering a sacrifice of praise to Jesus, a blessing would occur. Naaman wanted to make his own altar of earth in his Syrian backyard to receive the blessings of the God of Israel. Exodus 20:24 speaks about building altars of earth to receive God's blessings and says An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen; in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

     The bible records Naaman's request for two mules burden of earth at 2 Kings 5:15 and says And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company and came and stood before him and he said. Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant; But, he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none; And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

     2 Kings 5:17 goes on to say And Naaman said, shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden (defined as carrying) of earth (defined as holy ground), for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord. In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing.

     Now take some time to read this anointed story of how Pastor Sonny Mull described what Naaman did with his two mules carrying holy dirt. As Naaman headed home to Syria with his two mule loads of holy dirt, as he passed the Abana and Pharpar rivers, he pulled those two mules into his backyard and unloaded the holy dirt in his backyard behind his house. Praise God, Naaman dumped that holy dirt in his backyard and got on top of it and he began to lift up holy hands and he began to thank and praise God.

     As Naaman's neighbors peeped over the fence, they said well what got into Naaman. Something done happened to Naaman. He ain't the same old Naaman he was when he left here. Praise God, when you get right with God Almighty, your neighbors will notice a great change in your life. As Naaman stood on the holy dirt praising God in his backyard, his neighbors watched him, and the CIA, FBI, and the FBA (Fathers Band Of Angels) watched him. The king of Syria and his wife also watched Naaman praising God.

     As the little maid saw Naaman praising God, the little maid said glory to God, glory to God. Now Naaman had to call the little maid sister. He couldn't say to the little maid, Come here punk, come here slave, come here you brat; Naaman was changed and now showed the love of God to the little maid and called her sister. When God saves you friend reading this, you'll call people brother and sister that you used to think were nothing. When you stand on holy ground, people you used to think were dirt will be glittering gold in your life.

     To end up today's bible study, we see a picture of Zacchaeus who like Naaman after he got saved wanted to bless the poor and was no longer selfish. After Naaman got saved and healed, he wanted to bless Elisha with gold, silver, and clothes. Elisha said I don't need any new clothes, I don't need any gold, I don't need any silver, just keep your presents. I'm just glad to have God. Elisha told Naaman you just take your gifts on home with you son and live for the Lord. Friend reading this anywhere, a sign to know you are saved is when you have a desire to bless the poor and no longer be selfish like Zacchaeus and Naaman.

     Pictured above we see Zacchaeus who climbed up a sycomore tree to see Jesus. Zacchaeus was up in a sycomore tree grinning like a possum waiting for Jesus to come. And Jesus came down the road a preaching. All of a sudden, Jesus got underneath that sycomore tree and stopped. And Zacchaeus said Oh no He has me treed. Zacchaeus couldn't get down that sycomore tree without going by Jesus. I'm so glad that one day in 1982 like Zacchaeus, Jesus treed and saved Brother Bob. I pray in Jesus name all my friends reading this can say I've been treed by Jesus and the only way I can be free is to go with Jesus and by the way of the cross.

     Jesus stopped and looked at the sycomore tree and said Zacchaeus come down for I must eat at thy house to day. And Zacchaeus shimmied quickly down that slick bark of that sycomore tree joyfully to be with Jesus. Zacchaeus ran down that sycomore tree like a flash when Jesus called and took Jesus home with him. Then Zacchaeus said not 10%, but half of everything I own I'm gonna give to the poor, and if I took anything from a man by false accusation, I'll restore fourfold. Jesus then said This day is salvation come to this house. Note, according to Jesus after a man gets saved, that man will have a desire to bless the poor.

     The story about Zacchaeus pictured above is recorded at Luke 19 and says And behold there was a man named Zacchaeus which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who He was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see Him, for He was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said unto him Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully.

     Luke 19:8 goes on to say And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold; And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

     As always, it is a great blessing to write these bible studies that I pray will bless all my friends everywhere. Feel free to contact Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 604-7133. Till we meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.