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NASB | 1 Samuel 15:22 Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Samuel 15:22 Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obedience to the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed [is better] than the fat of rams. |
Bible Question:
What should we learn from Naaman and his story about his healing from leporsy? 2 Kin 5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. 2 Kin 5:10 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." 2 Kin 5:11 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.' 2 Kin 5:12 "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. 2 Kin 5:13 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'?" 2 Kin 5:14 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. 2 Kin 5:15 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." We all know that quite often the OT casted foreshadows of things to come in the future so what could we gain from this story as there is nothing quite like it in the rest of the OT? I would say the climax is reached in verse 14 so I would especially be interested in your response to that verse. Blessings to you. Country Girl |
Bible Answer: I almost forgot about putting a wrap on this thread. It looks like it's about panned out. Like I mentioned, it seems significant to me at least that this story stands out head and shoulders above most stories in the OT with several distinctive features. A Gentile, a very powerful and successful Gentile in spite of his leporsy hears about God's healing power but goes to the King of Israel and eventually gets referred to God's current prophet, Elisha. Naturally, in his pagan state of understanding gods, Naaman wants Elisha to come out and perform some grand stand ceremony, probably to include some kind of pazaaz or fireworks, etc. But instead Elisha just simply tells his servant to relay a message and have Naaman dip himself in some dirty, muddy river, not once, not just six times but to dip himself a full seven times. "What kind of silly, stupid non-sense is this?" (Paraphrased from the Bible) "I wanted to see the magnificent power of this God of yours but no you tell me this business of dipping myself 7 times in your dirty river when I've got cleaner rivers back home." Naaman's own servant at home (the one who told him about the potential healing available in her home country in the first place) asks him the all powerful question and makes him re-evaluate his pride. That's what it is you know, the only thing standing between him in his miserable condition as a lepor and complete restoration is his stupid pride. So he goes back and can't you just imagine. He dunks his whole body under that dirty water in the River Jordan, once, twice...on to six times and he's still getting any satisfaction. He's not even seeing a beginning of healing, no remission at all. But he might as well go for the seventh time, he's got nothing to lose. Lo and behold, he comes out of that water with skin as whole, fresh and clean as a newborn baby. Now you can imagine his rejoicing and giving God all the glory and worship all the way home and most likely the rest of his life. Now I've said all that and asked the question to make us think: What could we possibly get out of this lesson, this story from God our Father. Our Bibles in the NT says very clearly and very plainly for us to be "baptized for the remission of our sins" in Acts 2:38. Baptism is compared to death, burial and resurrection in Rom 6 and yet so many want to argue about the sequencing or the timing of salvation. So many folks misuse this passage, saying it's against baptism but if you'll look closely, its main point is something else. 1 Cor 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." Paul realized he had a very short time here on earth and he also realized the tremendously important and expansive job before him. Therefore, he realized his talent was in preaching the Gospel and he let others in the faith do the baptizing. When one looks at ALL the scriptures from the Bible on this subject of baptism, includinig this story of Naaman, I for one can only come away with one conclusion. Like Paul says in Eph 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. The one single baptism we can all be absolutely sure of is that of the baptism of salvation. Blessings to you all. Country Girl |