The Ohio Independent Baptist, June 2001

Th~ <>hi.<> I.-d.4e:p4e: The Newsletter Promoting Interdependence Within The Ohio Association of Regular Baptist Churches Vol. 74 No. 3 June 2001 omedowns are tough. They go against the grain of our thinking. They hurt. But the simple truth is that we all must have a "comedown" before any of us can be saved. That is, we must have a humbling, an honest admission to ourselves that we have a need, that it is serious, and that no one can " fix it" but God Himself. We resist comedowns in any form, but especially in the matter of coming to grips with our need of forgiveness. Somehow we think we can handle thi s one on our own , that we know what needs to be done, that it will happen on our terms. We bring our own preconceived ideas to the situation and figure that we al ready know just how and when and where it will all take place. Then we bi1mp into Naaman! Yes, Naaman! Do you know who Naaman i&? His story jumps out at u in JI King~ 5: 1- J 9. Naarnan \Va a man who was not us.ed to comedowns. I-fe traveled in pretty important company. The king of Syria regarded hun very highl y as a "great and honorable man." This Hrn ighty ,nan of valor" was kno"' n and appreciated a~ \Ve il by vi rtually all the Syrian populace because he had led the nation in n1il itary victory. In oth t.:1 \\lords Naan1an was a 1ationa l hero. a hou~ehold terrn ! I le v. as '''v\•ay up Lh t!re" in prov. es~ and un por– tance. Ile was really 11nprcss1, e! 'fhere was huwc er one fl y u1 the ' ' oiutn1ent. Naan1an ,vas u leper! And leprosy ,-vas serious! Nu knov.•n cure, al,a. 1 ays ult in1att: ly fatal. o an1ount of n1t>ncy, doctori ng, or ,ncdi<.:i nc~, ,na e.l e any diffe1encc. Naatnan ,a.•as on a collision cou1 se ,a. 1 ith death and nothing • cou]d stop it. Then he heard about the prophet in Samaria. Strange source it wa ' that hared the new . She was a young I raeli whom Naaman had taken captive on a raid into the Northern Kingdom. She had been assigned to serve Naaman ' wife· that's ri ght ju ta servant gi rl who had become concerned for Naaman ' s itua– tion. Perhaps it was the way she said it that caused Naaman' s wife to pick up and relay the message to her hu band. Perhap it was their en e of desperation that caused them to grasp at any traw of hope and to fol1o,¥ up on it. What the young Jewi h ervant girl aid was, ' l f only 1ny ma ter were \Vith the prophet who i in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy." Healing! Hope! Check it out! And that i exactly what Naan1an did . Before long he wa on hi \Vay to a1r1aria and, after working hi , ,vay through something of a fru lrating detour a l the king's palace, he finally pulled his chariot and horse · to a halt before li lisha 's door. And here is where the con1cdo,vn begins! In the fir t place. the prophet d,d not c, en con1c out to ~ay, " I leilo." l~a thcr he cnt out a rnc~scnger, a n1ere under! ing, lo "> peak to Naa n1an. What a blo,, to Naan1an,.., ego. Ile was used to be ing he ld in high cstccn1. People thought it a pri\ il cgc to ha, c hin1 around ! rhcy i.,ought hts con1pany. o ~uch trca tn1cnt here! l· lt "iha'.., ..,cr\ant Cicha/1dcl 1,cr, the 1ncs~agc that !:\ tri kes a ~ccond hlo\\ at Naan1an's ego "( jo and ,, ash 111 the Joi<lan ">C\ en t1n1c"i, and \ nu, flc"i h ,h,111 be rc"i torc<l to }OU, and ,ou \ hall be <.. lean " f hc good nev."' "> lt ur1'. at11n,1n in a bad ,a. ay! --~c\ en <luLk"> 1n a dt1 l ) pond" \\ as U btt loo n1uch tut h1, \\ ,l) or th inking. "Prepo terou !" "You ' vc got lo be kidding!'. No \Vay! " Li ten to Naaman· reaction to the ··good new ' ' in hi ovvn word . " In– deed, I aid to my e lf, ' He will urcly come out to me, and tand and ca 11 on the name of the Lord his God, and ,vave hi hand over the place, and heal the leprosy. Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar. the ri ers of Daina cu5, better than al I the water of I ·rael'? Could I not ,vash in them and be clean?" You sec, aan1an had it al I fi gured out in hi s o,vn n1ind . Il e thought he knc,, exactly \Vhat Eli ha should and \vould do. He ,va in. ulted a t the lac k o r pon1p and circurn ·ta nee at his an·i, al, as ,vcll a · at the thought of having to hun1ble hi1nself by bathing in the Jordan Ri, er of al l river ! incc hi hea ling could not con1c on hi O\\ n te11n. he ' 'tun1cd and ,, cnt a,vay in a rage." The condition · ,, crc very di fferent than \\ hat he had nnt1c1- pated and he \\ as not about to ndj u~t and accept ·uch tcrn1s. :\nd so nff in a hu ff he goes. l{oad rage at It -., \\ orsl ~ Ciood thing he h.. 1d son1c guts\ ..... ~ ~ -;crvants. They sa,, th rough h1-.. art'l)- gancc and reasoned thought full~ ,, tth hi 111. Their logic pro, cd to be 1rrcsi~tihlc and in~tructi, c l.!\ en to u-.. 111 our da) l'hcy rca ll 1 cared nb1.)U t !\aan1 .1n and ,, .1nted to ... cc h1111 healed: the\ rt~kL·d h1-.. rage and rca~oncd ,, 1th h1 n1., ... fo llo,,-.., "t\,1 1 n1t hcr, tf the pt1.lphcl h,td ltlld \ OU ll) do '>0111Cthing grl.',lt, \ \ {Hild \ tHl 111.H h.1, l' done 1t'.> Il l)\\ n1uL·h n1orc then,,, hen h'-' ..,,l\'" to \ ou. · \\ a,h .. 1nd he c h:.111 '·.>" - :1;1111: 111. I tHgl't} uu, l.''P'-'L t.ition, , \lllt '-' lll\dt lHHl" \ l)llt \\,l\ nl tl11nk11\L! ~ubn111 '"-