Mensa Otabil - Naaman Seeks for Help (11/07/2025)
Chapter 5 of 2 Kings, and this is verse 8. So it was when Elijah, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes that he sent to the king, saying, «Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me that he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.»
When General Naaman reported the message of his maid to the king of Syria, the king of Syria did what kings do. He related his request to the king of Israel. At that time, he and the king of Israel were not on good terms. So the king of Syria sent a delegation with gold, with silver, with nice clothes, and with a nicely couched letter to the king of Israel. The king of Syria’s letter was demanding that the king of Israel heal Naaman. This is what it says: «I have sent Naaman, my servant, to you that you may heal him of his leprosy.»
So this is an instruction: heal my servant. When the king of Israel hears this instruction from the king of Syria, he is infuriated and tears apart his clothes. He interprets this as an act of provocation because he says, «Am I God to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore, please consider and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.»
A diplomatic problem arises here because the king of Syria assumed that if there was someone who could heal his general in Israel, it had to be the king. So he sent the letter to the king. Many times when we are looking for help, we look for the person who is the most powerful, with the highest title. We think if we can get right to the top, we will get the answer to our problem. But in this case, the man at the top was clueless. When he heard the command to heal Naaman, he just tore his clothes and was in distress.
Many times that’s how life is. We go to people we think can help us, and they are totally unable to help us. They are clueless because we think position is our help. Our help is not in a position. It’s not in a title. It’s not in how far and how high someone has been. Our help must always be in God Most High. He is higher than any title we can imagine. Elisha hears that his king, the king of Israel, is perplexed because of this letter. So he sends a message to the king of Israel and says, «Mr. King, why have you torn your clothes? Why are you in distress? Don’t you know that there is a prophet in Israel? God’s own prophet in Israel sent the man over to me.»
This was very important because the message actually was not for the king of Israel; the message was for Elisha. That’s what the maid had spoken about, not the king. Sometimes we send our requests to the wrong people, and when they cannot solve it, we think, «Oh, then this problem cannot be solved. Oh, if the big man can’t do it, then nobody can do it.»
Who told you that? Who told you? If the big man can do it, there is nothing bigger. There is a God, and He’s bigger than every big man, every officeholder, every titleholder. And He’s the God in whom we trust. That is what Elisha told the king of Israel: God will heal this man. Just bring him to me. That’s a bold proclamation. And remember, although Elisha has been dead for all these years, the God of Elisha is still around, and He’s still working miracles; He’s still delivering; He’s still rescuing. May your faith be made active today in the Lord God Most High.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, thank You that when I don’t know what to do, You know what to do. Manifest Your glory through me in Jesus' name. Amen. And amen.