Do Not Profane God
Author Dawn Wilson
www.dawnwilsonminstries.org
2Kings 5:1-7 Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with
his master, and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram.
The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Arameans had gone
out in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on
Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "I wish that my master were with the prophet
who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy." 4 Naaman went in and told his
master, saying, "Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel." 5 Then the
king of Aram said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." He departed and
took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold and ten changes of
clothes. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, "And now as this letter comes
to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may cure him of his
leprosy." 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God,
to kill and to make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?
But consider now, and see how he is seeking a quarrel against me."
Naaman heard from a Hebrew girl who had been taken captive and was a slave to his wife
that there was a prophet in Samaria who could heal him.
The King of Aram sent Naaman to the King of Israel to be healed of his leprosy. The Kind
of Israel was greatly distressed when he read the letter from the King of Aram. The King of
Israel knew that he was not God and he could not heal Naaman of his leprosy. He thought
that the King of Aram was using this as an occasion to be offended and bring an attack of
war against the nation of Israel.
2Kings 5:8 It happened when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn
his clothes, that he sent word to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Now
let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel."
Elisha heard that the king had torn his robes because of Naaman's request to be healed.
He sent word to the king for Naaman to be sent to him. Elisha was sure of Naaman’s
healing from leprosy – he said Naaman shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. Elisha
knew that God was absolutely going to heal Naaman. He had no doubts, he confidently
sent for Naaman to come down to him.
2Kings 5:9-10 So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots and stood at the
doorway of the house of Elisha. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash
in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean."
Elisha sent a messenger out to speak to Naaman. The messenger spoke to Naaman to
wash in the Jordon River seven times and his flesh would be restored to him and he would
be clean.
2Kings 5:11-12 But Naaman was furious 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 wave
his hand over the place and cure the leper.' 12 "Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of
Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So
he turned and went away in a rage.
We have been taught that Naaman was angry about having to wash in the muddy Jordan
River. I do believe that this was the reason for part of his anger but not all of it. I believe
that Naaman was full of pride and arrogance. He was offended that Elisha had sent a
messenger to speak to him and did not himself come out to deliver the message. Naaman
had decided in his mind how Elisha was going to speak the Word of the Lord and cure
him. Naaman came expecting Elisha to come out to him, call on the name of the Lord, and
wave his hand over the Leprosy and cure him. When it did not come about as he had
expected it would Naaman became filled with offense and rage.
Why did Elisha not come out to speak to Naaman? Elisha did not come out and speak to
Naaman himself but sent a messenger instead so that Naaman would not give the credit for
his healing to Elisha !! Elisha sent a messenger to speak to Naaman so that all the credit,
all the glory and all the honor for Naaman’s healing from leprosy would be given to God.
Elisha did not seek credit for the healing for himself, he sought for all the credit to be given
to God and to God alone.
How many times do we want the credit for what God has done through us?
How many times do we take the credit, the glory and the honor for what God does through
us? We are not to do so. We should be as Elisha, seeking for God to receive all the glory
and honor.
Elisha sent a messenger to speak to Naaman so that all the credit, all the glory, all the
honor would be given to the God of Israel to whom it was due.
2Kings 5:13-14 Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, "My father, had
the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more
then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" 14 So he went down and dipped
himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh
was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean.
Naaman was persuaded by his servant to do as the Word of the prophet Elisha had said
through the messenger and go dip in the Jordan River seven times. When Naaman did so
he was healed of his leprosy.
2Kings 5:15-16 When he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and
stood before him, he said, "Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in
Israel; so please take a present from your servant now." 16 But he said, "As the LORD
lives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing." And he urged him to take it, but he refused.
Naaman gave all the credit to God for his healing from the leprosy.
The first principle we learn from Elisha is that all credit, all glory and all honor are to be
given to God. It is due to Him and to Him alone.
Naaman came to Elisha bearing gifts. Elisha refused to accept or receive these gifts.
Why did Elisha refuse these gifts from the hand of Naaman? Elisha refused the gifts that
Naaman offered to again glorify and honor God. Elisha knew that the false gods of the
nations and their idols require payment for answered prayers and miracles. This was so in
Naaman's day and it is still so today. Elisha did not receive these gifts from Naaman as a
payment for his healing. Elisha did not receive these gifts in order to not lower God down
to the level of false gods and idols. Elisha treated God as Holy. Elisha did not allow the
name of the Lord to be profaned in the earth by it being brought down to the level of false
gods and idols.
When the church uses schemes and practices that "sell the gospel”, that "sell provision
from God” and “sell the supernatural move and miracles and of God” WE LOWER GOD
DOWN TO THE LEVEL OF FALSE GODS AND IDOLS. HIS NAME IS PROFANED IN
THE EARTH AND IN THE NATIONS by such schemes and practices!!!
When we use the schemes and practices of “selling God”, WE DO NOT TREAT GOD AS
HOLY AMONG THE PEOPLE AND AMONG THE NATIONS.
Moses did not enter the promise land for not treating the name of God as Holy among the
people.
Numbers 20:12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not believed
Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this
assembly into the land which I have given them."
Will God overlook the churches lack of treating Him as Holy? Will God overlook the
churches profaning His name in the earth? I do not believe that He will.
The second principle we learn from Elisha is that we must not profane the name of the Lord
by bringing it down to the level of the false gods of the nations and to the level of their idols.
2Kings 5:20-23 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, "Behold, my
master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, by not receiving from his hands what he
brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him." 21 So
Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from
the chariot to meet him and said, "Is all well?" 22 He said, "All is well. My master has sent
me, saying, 'Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me
from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of
clothes.'" 23 Naaman said, "Be pleased to take two talents." And he urged him, and bound
two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes and gave them to two of his
servants; and they carried them before him.
Elisha's servant Gehazi went after Naaman. Gehazi thought in his heart that Elisha had
spared Naaman by not receiving the gifts from his hands. I believe that Gehazi thought
that Naaman had been spared from paying the proper tribute to Elisha as a prophet of God.
Gehazi came to Naaman and asked for a portion from the gifts that Naaman had brought.
We need to remember that Naaman had brought these gifts to make payment for his
healing from leprosy.
Naaman gave all that Gehazi asked for and doubled the amount of silver to two talents.
Because of the actions of Gehazi Naaman could now say that he had purchased his
healing. Naaman could now say that he had bought his miracle from God.
2Kings 5:25-26 But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him,
"Where have you been, Gehazi?" And he said, "Your servant went nowhere." 26 Then he
said to him, "Did not my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet
you? Is it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards
and sheep and oxen and male and female servants?
Elisha said to Gehazi upon his return, "Is it time to receive money, clothes, olive groves and
vineyards, sheep and oxen, and male and female servants?"
Gehazi profaned God by his actions. His actions lowered God to the level of the false gods
of the nations and of their idols.
Elisha knew that the name of God had now been profaned by Gehazi. Elisha knew that
Naaman would now be able to return to his country believing he had paid for his healing
from leprosy.
Elisha knew it is NEVER the season to accept a PAYMENT from the one who is healed.
Elisha knew man must not be able to say they had purchased their healing from God.
We find a New Testament example where Simon asked to purchase the gift of laying on of
hands to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Act 8:18-20 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of
the apostles' hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, "Give this authority to me as well,
so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 20 But Peter said
to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of
God with money!
It is NEVER the season to accept payment for the gift of God. Man must never be able to
say they have purchased the gifts of God, their healing from God or God’s provision. Let
us never profane the name of our God by selling the provision and the miracles of our
God. THEY ARE NOT FOR SALE.
The third principle we learn from Elisha is that we must not allow man to make payment for
the gifts of God, for their miraculous healings, for the provision of God or for the move of
God. If we do so we profane God in the earth.
Author: Dawn Wilson
Please Be Advised that all sermons and writing by Dawn Wilson of Dawn
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