We sing a word of praise for an unnamed Israelite heroine, a teenager (maybe even younger) who had been captured in the vicissitudes of war with Syria and made a slave girl to serve the wife of the great Naaman, a Syrian general of war. We will simply call her “Slave-girl.”
Slave-girl might have given up to bitter thoughts of hatred and revenge for her captors. Israelites were never supposed to be slaves to anybody! They had come out of slavery in Egypt, supposed now to be free forever. The very word “Israelite” had come to mean “Free-person.”
But now things had turned against them, because of the rebellious sins of the people in the kingdom of Judah, and our Slave-girl is a captive.
She could easily have given in to nationalistic pride gone sour, and yielded her heart to hatred-thoughts of her new war masters.
But this girl was an “Israelite-indeed,” in that in her heart she believed that she was “free in the Lord,” no matter what happened to her politically. This indicated on her part some understanding of the Israelite doctrine of righteousness by faith. “Faith” gives you the enjoyment of freedom and every blessing even though just now you have to wait for them.
Her story is in 2 Kings 5:1-14.
Her slave-master was a general in the Syrian army, a man up at the top. But there was one problem: he was a leper.
Our “little maid” was bereft of thoughts of hatred and revenge; instead she knew what we call “the love of Christ” (which should fill every Israelite heart).
Her job was to be a slave-girl to Naaman’s wife, probably a high-class matron having everything a woman’s heart could desire. Someone overheard a conversation and went and told the big boss, the king of Syria, that the girl had said, “Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy”!
He forthwith wrote a letter to the king of Israel and sent a servant with loads of money and fine clothing, saying, “Please heal my servant, General Naaman.”
The king was distraught and “rent his clothes” in despair.
Elisha, “the man of God ... heard [the news]” and sent word for the king to bring the man to him. The innocent little girl was to become very highly honored! We can’t say that her faith was “childish,” for it was in fact very mature, very real.
Elisha didn’t even get up to go to the door to meet Naaman’s servants, but told them to tell Naaman to go immerse himself and “wash” in the Jordan “seven times” and he would be healed.
Naaman was outraged; wash in the filthy river Jordan? “I have nice clear rivers in Syria—I will wash there!” and he left in a rage, still a leper and headed for being one forever.
His servants had some common sense and reasoned with him, for they were impressed that Israel was indeed God’s people. The great Naaman humbled himself to obey the “Spirit of Prophecy,” and was healed.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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