#JORDAN RIVER BIBLE FACTS SKIN#

Nevertheless, his servants convince him to wash in the Jordan River. He needs to be clean of his leprosy, not from any dirt that accumulated on his person. Here he might even think that the prophet Elisha misunderstands him. Third, he was used to giving orders, not being ordered. Especially since he had put on a false show of paying Elisha honor and “humbling” himself. As a person of esteem, Naaman expected an esteemed cure. Second, commoners washed themselves in the Jordan River. The fact that Elisha sent him away to clean himself in the Jordan River felt beneath him. Naaman dislikes the cure for a number of reasons.įirst, as a rich man, he had grown used to others doing, well, dirty work for him. The prophet was showing Naaman that when we have a physical or spiritual leprosy (a leprosy of pride that deadens our conscience), we need to rely on how the Lord plans to heal us, instead of how we envision the healing should go. He also had a problem with pride, and one cannot expect a healing of one’s own desire. Through these instructions, the prophet is trying to point out something – that Naaman has an ailment beyond physical leprosy. The third insult is that Naaman came all this way only to be told to leave and bathe himself in what would have been a rather dirty and nasty river ( 2 Kings 5:12). He even stops at the door like a beggar for alms, humiliating himself in hopes that Elisha will return the favor and stoop down and give him a healing.Įlisha sees right through these charades and even sends a messenger instead of going himself (the first insult) to tell Naaman to wash himself in the Jordan River (the second insult). Through his riches and social standing, he hopes to convince the prophet that he is worthy of a healing. Naaman arrives with chariots to pay Elisha honor. Readers should take note of the interesting social mechanics at play in the narrative. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain Image He had come all this way on his chariots only to be told he needed a bath. Namaan must have expected preferential treatment as someone with such a high social rank, so when Elisha told him to go wash himself in the Jordan River, he felt insulted. He had received word from his servant girl, who was an Israelite captive in Aram, that a prophet had come to Samaria (his land) who could heal a great number of ills. This meant that even the lowliest of slaves would not go near Naaman.įrustrated with his condition, Naaman first seeks help from the King of Aram and then seeks help from the prophet Elisha, who had worked a few miracles prior. Naaman had everything he could need – except for good health. Often lepers were quarantined in communities away from society, as we see in Luke 17:11-19. Those who had leprosy were deemed unclean, and no one would touch them. Gillen explains this more here for Answers in Genesis. In essence, this disease kills nerve endings, so those who have it don’t feel pain when limbs disfigure, twist, and deteriorate.

#JORDAN RIVER BIBLE FACTS SKIN#

This term in the Bible can refer to a number of skin diseases but often rendered whoever had it a social pariah. Aram resides in present-day Syria.Īlthough he was a successful and valiant soldier, he had one ailment: leprosy. We also discover that he lead the Aram army as a commander.

First, he had a decent amount of wealth, as we learn in 2 Kings 5:1. We do know a few things about this Syrian man.

Jordan river bible facts