2 Kings 5:15-27

 

In the first part of this chapter, we read about the cleansing from leprosy that God graciously granted to Naaman. If we had a greater comprehension of the agony of a leper, we would understand even more clearly how grateful Naaman was for his cleansing. He rejoiced in the cleansing, which is an Old Testament foreshadow of our cleansing from sin through faith in one far greater than Elisha. And it is because of that profound gratitude that Naaman had, having been cleansed in the Jordan River, that he hurried back to Elisha exclaiming, in verse 15, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.”

 

But Elisha answered, “‘As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.’ And he urged him to take it, but he refused.” 

 

Elisha needed all the basic provisions you and I need. He needed his daily bread, a place to sleep, a place to contemplate the Word of the Lord, and to spend time in study and prayer. He also needed a place to teach; he was, in a sense, like a seminary professor. He taught a group of men – known as “the company of prophets” – about the Lord and prepared them to serve in God’s kingdom.

 

But when Elisha left the family farm, he sacrificed a plentiful life for one that often involved scarcity and even famine. In 1 Kings 19, when Elijah called him to ministry, we read that he was plowing with “twelve yoke of oxen.” That means that eleven other workers were plowing with him, each plowing with two oxen, twenty-four all together.

 

Elisha came from a wealthy family! But in 2 Kings 4 we read how thankful Elisha was when a Shunammite woman and her husband made a small room for him on the roof of their house to give him a place to stay during his travels throughout Israel. The life of plenty had been replaced by a life of need.

 

Having these financial needs, and knowing that Naaman was an extremely wealthy man, and now a believer in God through faith in the eternal Messiah yet to be born in human flesh, we might not be too surprised if Elisha had said, “Well, thank you, Naaman. The company of prophets do need daily provision, along with me. And now that you are cleansed from leprosy and a believer in Almighty God you should know the principle of the tithe. Please do give a tenth of all that you have for service in the kingdom of the God who cleansed you.”

 

But Elisha refused any gift; he refused any type of payment. By doing so he taught an important truth to a new believer who in the past had undoubtedly based his hopes and his pleasures on material wealth. And knowing that, Elisha wanted to make it clear that cleansing from sin – that salvation – cannot be bought.

 

If Elisha had accepted payment from Naaman, it may have also given Naaman the idea that he had

a part in the cleansing. Elisha wanted to impress on Naaman that cleansing is the free gift of God, given by his grace, and that it is a gift so great, so enormous, that no one could ever purchase it, not even with all the money in the world.

 

You may remember the account in Acts chapter 8 about Simon the Sorcerer. He had practiced magic in Samaria, making a lot of money from the people who were impressed with his magical skills. But when the apostles came to Samaria and began healing the sick and doing mighty miracles, Simon realized that their spiritual gifts far surpassed his magical tricks. So he approached Peter and said, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

 

But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!”

 

Simon the Sorcerer is hardly the only one who thought that they could buy the gift of God with money. There are many today who are willing to give substantial amounts of money to the church, believing that through their giving, God will receive them as payment for their generosity.

 

But salvation cannot be bought. Elisha realized that was an important truth for Naaman to know. He was a new believer, and he was a Gentile who would be returning to Damascus where there would be no fellowship with other believers – outside of the servant girl – to build him up in the faith. It was crucial for him to realize that God’s gift of cleansing – not just from leprosy, but from the sin which leprosy represents – is a free gift that cannot be bought.

 

But Elisa’s servant, Gehazi, saw that as a great mistake. In verses 19 and 20 we read: “But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, ‘See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.’” 

 

 

As we see Gehazi running after Naaman, to get something from him, we are reminded that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. It is not money that is the root of all kinds of evil. 1 Timothy 6:10 is often misquoted as people say that money is the root of all kinds of evil. But money itself is necessary. As we have seen, Elisha certainly had a need for money, just as you and I do. Money pays the mortgage or the rent, buys the daily bread, and pays the other expenses that are an inevitable part of life.

 

Because of that, money is a blessing from the Lord. But like every blessing from God, the evil one and those who are evil, pervert the blessings from God. Love becomes lust. Daily bread becomes a yearning for a gluttonous feast. And money, a great blessing when used properly, becomes a terrible taskmaster that never gives peace to those who are enslaved by their love for money.

 

“He who loves money,” Ecclesiastes 5:10 points out, “will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.” And that is where we find Gehazi, unsatisfied with what he had because of his love for money. He was certainly provided for. Elisha knew that his servant had material needs. And just as Elijah had provided for Elisha in years past, so too now, we can be sure that Elisha provided for his servant Gehazi.

 

But whatever provision Gehazi received, it wasn’t enough in his eyes. He had covetous eyes, and having seen the amount of gold and silver, along with those 10 exquisite sets of clothing that Naaman had, Gehazi’s covetous mind went into action.

 

 

It has been pointed out that the tenth commandment, commanding us not to covet, is often broken before any of the others. And as Gehazi coveted Naaman’s treasures we see how his covetous love for money, like all sin, caused a “chain reaction”. His coveting led to a lie. And perhaps you noticed it was quite an elaborate lie. In verse 22 he said to Naaman, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘There have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’”

 

To come up with an elaborate story, and to tell it so convincingly, leads us to believe that Gehazi had lied many times before. Often, we express great surprise and shock when we hear of someone who professes to be a Christian – especially a prominent Christian leader – who is caught in a heinous public sin. But with further reflection, we realize that whatever heinous public sin was committed had undoubtedly been going on for some time in secret.

 

As one commentator notes: “Gehazi’s ... hypocrisy speak(s) to considerable practice in the art of deceit. Such ready audacity, so great perfection in the arts of lying and concealment, are not attained at the first attempt. No man becomes a rogue quite suddenly…” (J. Orr)

 

The progression of sin is clearly described in the first Psalm. The Psalm sets the stage for all the Psalms, and indeed all of Scripture, as it tells us that there is blessing for the person “who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” Sin always progresses in its deceitfulness, in its depravity, in its choking hold on those who are bound by it.

 

As we see that sin progresses and that one sin always leads to another, we also see that one lie will lead to another lie in a vain effort to cover the first lie. After lying to Naaman, and receiving the goods, we hear Gehazi lie to Elisha. In verse 25 Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” 

 

And as we hear Elisha’s response, we also see where the sin of coveting, deeply rooted in the heart and mind of Gehazi, was focused. It was focused on fancy clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, menservants, and maidservants. That is what Elisha’s response is getting at when Elisha said to him in verse 26, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants?”

 

There is no such thing as committing just one sin. One sin always leads to another. We see that even in the way Gehazi took the Lord’s name in vain when he decided to go after what his heart coveted so fervently. He said, in verse 20, “As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”       

 

As he ran after Naaman, Gehazi broke the tenth commandment first, with his coveting, and then he broke the eighth commandment, for by his deceit he stole from what rightfully belonged to Naaman. He broke the third commandment by taking the Lord’s name in vain; and he bore false witness, breaking the ninth commandment. And in his progression of deceit, he broke the first and second commandments by making material wealth his god, his idols. In other words, he broke all the commandments. He broke the first table of the law, regarding God, and the second table, regarding our relationship to other people.

 

Perhaps you children, when playing with dominoes, have set them up in a line. Maybe you put some curves – some twists and turns – in the long line of dominoes. Then you push the first domino down, and you watch as all the others fall, one after the other in a chain reaction. That is how sin progresses. Just as Psalm 1 notes, first there is the walking in the counsel of the wicked, then there is standing in the way of sinners, and then as sin progresses, there is the sitting down with mockers – making oneself comfortable and at home with sin.

 

 

Not only do we see, in this tragic account, that one sin always leads to another, but we also see that there is no way to hide our sin from the Lord. In verse 24 we read how “when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and put them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed.” 

 

The hill was in a strategic spot. Undoubtedly Gehazi had taken note of how the hill blocked the view that Elisha would have of him if Elisha happened to be looking his way as he returned from getting the goods from Naaman.

 

In case you wonder why he had two servants with him carrying the silver, it is because one talent of silver weighed about seventy-five pounds. And Naaman had shown extreme generosity, in giving Gehazi double what he had asked for. In verse 22 he had asked for a talent of silver. He had figured that seventy-five pounds of silver would be a pretty nice haul! But Naaman had shown his generosity and had given him two talents of silver – one hundred fifty pounds. 

 

But as he had these two servants carrying the one hundred fifty pounds of silver, along with the two exquisite sets of clothing, he knew that he had to stash them away before he came to the crest of the hill. He had it all figured out in his mind and heart. He had quite likely taken note of the hill as he pursued Naaman. Now he had cleverly used the hill to block the view of Elisha. He could stash the silver and the sets of clothing away undetected. And then what better way to look nonchalant, as though he had done nothing wrong than to saunter into Elisha’s presence just as though he was at his service like any other day?

 

But God had revealed to Elisha the sins that Gehazi had so cleverly committed. Those sins were not hidden from the searching eyes of Almighty God. And the same is true for your sins and mine. Hebrews 4:13 declares: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

 

Can you imagine how Gehazi’s heart must have sunk when Elisha asked him, “Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants?”

 

Gehazi was finding out the truth of Ecclesiastes 12:14: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

 

Gehazi was finding out the truth of what would be written later, in Colossians 3:25: “For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”

 

He was finding out the truth that the Holy Spirit would inspire the Apostle Paul to write in Romans 2:16, concerning the Day of Judgment, “On that Day ... God (will) judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” That final Day of Judgment is indeed coming. And when it comes, you can be sure that secret sins will be revealed, and God’s judgment will be just, just as it always has been.

 

 

Gehazi wanted what Naaman had. It is ironic that he had said to himself in verse 20, “As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” He got exactly what Naaman had. He got some silver and some nice clothes, but he also received Naaman’s leprosy, and it was leprosy that would affect his children and grandchildren for generations to come. Elisha pronounced this judgment on Gehazi: “The leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” 

 

It was a just punishment. And that is true for all the judgments of God upon sin. God often uses the sin that people commit to come back against them as temporal judgment. For example, in Matthew 7:2 Jesus says, “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

 

Or consider the words of Jesus to Peter, when he used his sword to sever the ear of the servant of the high priest. Jesus said, in Matthew 26:52, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

 

We see that peoples’ sin comes back upon themselves as judgment in some of the classic surprises of Scripture. Consider how Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had made for Mordecai. Or consider the lesser known, but equally equitable example, of Adoni-Bezek, one of the Canaanite kings. Whenever he would capture another king, he would cut off their thumbs and their big toes. By removing their big toes, he hampered their mobility. And by severing their thumbs he made it virtually impossible for them to grip a sword in retaliation. It was also an act of great humiliation for the seventy kings Adoni-Bezek had captured.

 

But then his day came; he was captured. You can guess, if you’re not familiar with the account in Judges chapter 1, what happened to him. They cut off his big toes and his thumbs and he acknowledged the justice of the punishment. In Judges 1:7 we read: “Adoni-Bezek said, ‘Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.’ They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.”

 

“Do not be deceived,” Galatians 6:7 warns us, for “God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Gal. 6:7, 8)

 

God’s judgments are always just. But they are not always immediate the way Gehazi’s judgment was immediate. There will be many surprises on Judgment Day. There will be many, like Gehazi, who seem to be righteous, working faithfully in the kingdom of God, but only as a cover-up for their sin, whether the sins are sins of lust or greed or sloth or any number of other sins. There are many who use the ministry as a cover-up for their sin.

 

Unless they repent, their judgment will be severe. The Lord gave this warning through Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 34:2: “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?’”

 

Jeremiah adds, in Jeremiah 23:1, “‘Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!’ declares the LORD.”

 

The secret sins of some people are exposed and judged in this life, as happened with Gehazi. The secret sins of others will be exposed and judged on the last day. 1 Timothy 5:24 points out, “The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them.” But either way, the truth of Numbers 32:23 will be fulfilled. In that verse, Moses tells the people: “…You have sinned against the LORD and be sure your sin will find you out.” Sins, including secret sins, will indeed be exposed on the last day.

 

 

As we see Gehazi leaving Elisha’s presence, leprous, as white as snow, the question could be asked, “Did he ever repent?”  Every sin ever conceived in the heart, pondered in the mind, put into action by the will – every sin, even premeditated, willful sins can be forgiven by grace through saving faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

 

God’s judgment on his own Son was thoroughly just, even though “He who had no sin was made sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). It was a just punishment – even though Jesus had never sinned – because on the cross he took upon himself the curse that you and I deserve in order to pay the penalty for our sin. God laid our sins on him so that he could be, in the words of Romans 3:26, both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

 

Whoever believes in Jesus Christ, with saving faith, no matter what is in their past, becomes white as snow – not with leprosy – but with the purity of the imputed righteousness of Christ. Old Testament believers were saved by grace through faith in the coming Messiah, just as you and I are saved by grace through faith in the Messiah – the eternal Christ, who came in human flesh to save his people from their sins.

 

The certainty of forgiveness for all who by God’s grace repent, and have true saving faith in Christ, is woven throughout Scripture. Consider Isaiah 55:6-7:

 

 

Likewise, 1 Corinthians 6 contains a lengthy list of sins with the warning that those engaged in those sins will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Those sins are remarkably contemporary, for they include sexual immorality, adultery and “men who practice homosexuality” along with many other heinous sins.

 

But then, in 1 Corinthians 6:11 a remarkable statement of God’s grace for repentant sinners is given: “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

 

We have full assurance of forgiveness for every sin – and every type of sin – in a passage like 1 John 1:8-9, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

 

I ask the question whether Gehazi may have been saved because we read about him again in 2 Kings 8. We find him speaking to the king of Israel about the great deeds that God had done through his servant Elisha. Some commentators note that the historical record in Scripture is not always in strict chronological order. That is not by error, but by the guidance of the Holy Spirit in structuring the canon of Scripture. They see this occasion as happening before Gehazi’s leprosy, not after.

 

But others ask, “Had Gehazi learned from God’s judgment upon him? Had his heart been cut to the core? Had he repented with true godly sorrow? Had he put his faith in the Messiah yet to be revealed? Did the king converse with him from a distance, desiring to know more about Elisha and the God whom he served?” We don’t know, and we don’t need to know. God knows and God will, on the last day pronounce the right verdict, not only for Gehazi, but for you and for me.

 

On that Day may it be said of you and me that, by God’s grace through saving faith in Christ alone, we truly repented of all our sins, the secret, hidden sins as well as those that are obvious to others around us. May your faith and mine be truly placed in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, this day and always! Amen.

 

 

 

Bulletin outline: 

 

 

 

                                              2 Kings 5:15-27

 

I.  Elisha’s refusal of Naaman’s payment (16) teaches us that salvation

    cannot be bought (Acts 8:20); it is freely given (Isa. 55:1; Rev. 22:17)

 

 

 

 

   

II. Gehazi’s greed reminds us:

     1) The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10) and,

          like all sin, causes a “chain reaction” as one sin leads to another (20, 22, 25)

 

 

 

    

 

      2) There is no way to hide from the Lord (24, 26; Hebrews 4:13); unrepented

           sins will be revealed (Numbers 32:23), if not in this life, in the life to come

            (1 Timothy 5:24)

 

 

 

 

 

      3) God’s judgment is always just, and those who use the ministry as a cover-up

           for sin will be judged severely (27, Jeremiah 23:1; Ezekiel 34:2)

 

 

 

 

 III. Application: The question is sometimes asked whether Gehazi repented and was

       saved (see 2 Kings 8:4, 5). Scripture doesn’t tell us, but it does reassure us that

       your sins and mine, no matter how terrible they are, can be repented of and

       forgiven through saving faith in Jesus Christ (Isa. 55:6 -7; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 John 1:8,9)

 

(NIV)

2 Kings 5:1-27

 

In the first part of this chapter, we read about the cleansing from leprosy that God graciously granted to Naaman. If we had a greater comprehension of the agony of a leper, we would understand even more clearly how grateful Naaman was for his cleansing. He rejoiced in the cleansing, which is an Old Testament foreshadow of our cleansing from sin through faith in One far greater than Elisha. And it is because of that profound gratitude that Naaman had, having been cleansed in the Jordan River, that he hurried back to Elisha exclaiming, in verse 15, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant."

 

But Elisha answered, “‘As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.’ And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.”

 

Elisha needed all the basic provisions you and I need. He needed his daily bread, a place to sleep, a place to contemplate the Word of the Lord, and to spend time in study and prayer. He also needed a place to teach; he was, in a sense, like a seminary professor. He taught a group of men – known as “the company of prophets” – about the Lord and prepared them to serve in God’s kingdom.

 

His calling as a prophet and a teacher resulted in material sacrifices. When Elisha left the family farm, he sacrificed a plentiful life for one that often involved scarcity and even famine. For example, we read how thankful he was when a Shunammite woman and her husband made a small room for him on the roof of their house to give him a place to stay during his travels throughout Israel.

 

Having these financial needs, and knowing that Naaman was an extremely wealthy man, and now a believer in God through faith in the eternal Messiah yet to be born in human flesh, we might not be too surprised if Elisha had said, “Well, thank you Naaman. The company of prophets do need daily provision, along with me. And now that you are cleansed from leprosy and a believer in Almighty God you should know the principle of the tithe. Please do give a tenth of all that you have for service in the kingdom of the God who cleansed you.”

 

But Elisha refused any gift; he refused any type of payment. By doing so he taught an important truth to a new believer who in the past had undoubtedly based his hopes and his pleasures on material wealth. And knowing that, Elisha wanted to make it clear that cleansing from sin – that salvation – cannot be bought.

 

If Elisha had accepted payment from Naaman it may have also given Naaman the idea that he had a part in the cleansing. Elisha wanted to impress on Naaman that cleansing is the free gift of God, given by his grace, and that it is a gift so great, so enormous, that no one could ever purchase it, not even with all the money in the world.

 

You may remember the account in Acts chapter 8 about Simon the Sorcerer. He had practiced magic in Samaria, making a lot of money from the people who were impressed with his magical skills. But when the apostles came to Samaria and began healing the sick and doing mighty miracles, Simon realized that their spiritual gifts far surpassed his magical tricks. So he approached Peter and said, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

 

But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!”

 

Simon the Sorcerer is hardly the only one who thought that they could buy the gift of God with money. There are many today who are willing to give substantial amounts of money to the church, believing that through their giving, God will receive them as payment for their generosity.

 

But salvation cannot be bought. Elisha realized that was an important truth for Naaman to know. He was a new believer, and he was a Gentile who would be returning to Damascus where there were no other believers to build him up in the faith; it was crucial for him to realize that God’s gift of cleansing – not just from leprosy, but from the sin which leprosy represents – is a free gift that cannot be bought.

 

But Elisa’s servant, Gehazi, saw that as a great mistake. In verse 19 and 20 we read: “But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, ‘See, my master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.’”

 

 

As we see Gehazi running after Naaman, to get something from him, we are reminded that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. It is not money that is the root of all kinds of evil. 1 Timothy 6:10 is often misquoted as people say that money is the root of all kinds of evil. But money itself is necessary. As we have seen, Elisha certainly had a need for money, just as you and I do. Money pays the mortgage or the rent, buys the daily bread, and pays the other expenses that are an inevitable part of life.

 

Because of that, money is a blessing from the Lord. But like every blessing from God, the evil one, and those who are evil, pervert the blessings from God. Love becomes lust. Daily bread becomes a yearning for a gluttonous feast. And money, a great blessing when used properly, becomes a terrible taskmaster that never gives peace to those who are enslaved by their love for money.

 

“He who loves money,” Ecclesiastes 5:10 points out, “will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.” And that is where we find Gehazi, unsatisfied with what he had because of his love for money. He was certainly provided for. Elisha knew that his servant had material needs. And just as Elijah had provided for Elisha in years past, so too now, we can be sure that Elisha provided for his servant Gehazi.

 

But whatever provision Gehazi received, it wasn’t enough in his eyes. He had covetous eyes, and having seen the amount of gold and silver, along with those 10 exquisite sets of clothing that Naaman had, Gehazi’s covetous mind went into action.

 

 

It has been pointed out that the tenth commandment, commanding us not to covet, is often broken before any of the others. And as Gehazi coveted Naaman’s treasures we see how his covetous love for money, like all sin, caused a “chain reaction”. His coveting led to a lie. And perhaps you noticed it was quite an elaborate lie. In verse 22 he said to Naaman, “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’”

 

To come up with an elaborate story, and to tell it so convincingly, leads us to believe that Gehazi had lied many times before. Often, we express great surprise and shock when we hear of someone who professes to be a Christian, and then is caught in a heinous public sin. But with further reflection, we realize that whatever heinous public sin was committed had undoubtedly been going on for some time in secret.

 

As one commentator notes: “Gehazi’s ... hypocrisy speak(s) to considerable practice in the art of deceit. Such ready audacity, so great perfection in the arts of lying and concealment, are not attained at the first attempt. No man becomes a rogue quite suddenly…” (J. Orr)

 

The progression of sin is clearly described in the first Psalm. The Psalm sets the stage for all the Psalms, and indeed all of Scripture, as it tells us that there is blessing for the person “who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” Sin always progresses in its deceitfulness, in its depravity, in its choking hold on those who are bound by it.

 

As we see that sin progresses and that one sin always leads to another, we also see that one lie will lead to another lie in a vain effort to cover the first lie. After lying to Naaman, and receiving the goods, we hear Gehazi lie to Elisha. In verse 25 Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”

 

 

And as we hear Elisha’s response, we also see where the sin of coveting, deeply rooted in the heart and mind of Gehazi, was focused. It was focused on fancy clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, menservants and maidservants. That is what Elisha’s response is getting at when Elisha said to him in verse 26, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or menservants and maidservants?”

 

There is no such thing as committing just one sin. One sin always leads to another. We see that in the way Gehazi took the Lord’s name in vain when he decided to go after what his heart coveted so fervently. He said, in verse 20, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” He broke the tenth commandment first, with his coveting, and then broke the third commandment by taking the Lord’s name in vain; and he bore false witness, breaking the ninth commandment. And in his progression of deceit, he broke the first and second commandments by making material wealth his god, his idols. In other words, he broke all the commandments; he broke the first table of the law, regarding God, and the second table, regarding our relationship to other people.

 

Perhaps you children, when playing with dominoes, have set them up in a line. Maybe you put some curves - some twists and turns - in the long line of dominoes. Then you push the first domino down, and you watch as all the others fall, one after the other in a chain reaction. That is how sin progresses. Just as Psalm 1 notes, first there is the walking in the counsel of the wicked, then there is standing in the way of sinners, and then as sin progresses, there is the sitting down with mockers – making oneself comfortable and at home with sin.

 

 

Not only do we see, in this tragic account, that one sin always leads to another, but we also see that there is no way to hide from the Lord. In verse 24 we read how “When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.” The hill was in a strategic spot. Undoubtedly Gehazi had taken note of how the hill blocked the view that Elisha would have of him if Elisha happened to be looking his way as he returned from getting the goods from Naaman.

 

In case you wonder why he had two servants with him carrying the silver, it is that one talent of silver weighed about seventy-five pounds. And Naaman had shown extreme generosity, in giving Gehazi double what he had asked for. In verse 22 he had asked for a talent of silver. He had figured that seventy-five pounds of silver would be a pretty nice haul! But Naaman had shown his generosity and had given him two talents of silver – one hundred fifty pounds.

 

But as he had these two servants carrying the one hundred fifty pounds of silver, along with the two exquisite sets of clothing, he knew that he had to stash them away before he came to the crest of the hill. He had it all figured out in his mind and heart. He had quite likely taken note of the hill as he pursued Naaman. Now he had cleverly used the hill to block the view of Elisha. He could stash the silver and the sets of clothing away undetected. And then what better way to look nonchalant, as though he had done nothing wrong, than to saunter into Elisha’s presence just as though he was at his service like any other day?

 

But God had revealed to Elisha the sins that Gehazi had so cleverly committed. Those sins were not hidden from the searching eyes of Almighty God. And the same is true for your sins and mine. Hebrews 4:13 declares: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

 

Can you imagine how Gehazi’s heart must have sunk when Elisha asked him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or menservants and maidservants?”

 

Gehazi was finding out the truth of Ecclesiastes 12:14: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

 

Gehazi was finding out the truth of what would be written later, in Colossians 3:25: “For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”

 

He was finding out the truth that the Holy Spirit would inspire the Apostle Paul to write in Romans 2:16, concerning the Day of Judgment, “On that Day ... God (will) judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” That final Day of Judgment is indeed coming. And when it comes, you can be sure that secret sins will be revealed, and God’s judgment will be just, just as it always has been.

 

 

Gehazi wanted what Naaman had. It is ironic that he had said to himself in verse 20, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” He got exactly what Naaman had. He got some silver and some nice clothes, but he also received Naaman’s leprosy, and it was leprosy that would affect his children and grandchildren for generations to come. Elisha pronounced this judgment on Gehazi: “Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and your descendants forever.”

 

It was a just punishment. And that is true for all the judgments of God upon sin. God often uses the sin that people commit to come back against them as their own judgment. For example, in Matthew 7:2 Jesus says, “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

 

Or consider the words of Jesus to Peter, when he used his sword to sever the ear of the servant of the high priest. Jesus said, in Matthew 26:52, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

 

We see that peoples’ sin comes back upon themselves as judgment in some of the classic surprises of Scripture. Consider how Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had made for Mordecai. Or consider the lesser known, but equally equitable example, of Adoni-Bezek, one of the Canaanite kings. Whenever he would capture another king, he would cut off their thumbs and their big toes. By removing their big toes, he hampered their mobility. And by severing their thumbs he made it virtually impossible for them to grip a sword in retaliation. It was also an act of great humiliation for the seventy kings Adoni-Bezek had captured.

 

But then his day came; he was captured. You can guess, if you’re not familiar with the account in Judges chapter 1, what happened to him. They cut off his big toes and his thumbs and he acknowledged the justice of the punishment. In Judges 1:7 we read: “Adoni-Bezek said, ‘Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.’ They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.”

 

“Do not be deceived,” Galatians 6:7 warns us, for “God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Gal. 6:7, 8)

 

God’s judgments are always just. But they are not always immediate the way Gehazi’s judgment was immediate. There will be many surprises on Judgment Day. There will be many, like Gehazi, who seem to be righteous, working faithfully in the kingdom of God, but only as a cover-up for their sin, whether the sins are sins of lust or greed or sloth, or any number of other sins. There are many who use the ministry as a cover-up for their sin.

 

Unless they repent, their judgment will be severe. The Lord gave this warning through Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 34:2: “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?’”

 

Jeremiah adds, in Jeremiah 23:1, “‘Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!’ declares the LORD.”

 

The secret sins of some people are exposed and judged in this life, as happened with Gehazi. The secret sins of others will be exposed and judged on the last day. 1 Timothy 5:24 points out, “The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them.” But either way, the truth of Numbers 32:23 will be fulfilled. In that verse, Moses tells the people: “…You have sinned against the LORD and be sure your sin will find you out.” Sins, including secret sins, will indeed be exposed on the last day.

 

 

As we see Gehazi leaving Elisha’s presence, leprous, as white as snow, the question could be asked, “Did he ever repent?”  Every sin ever conceived in the heart, pondered in the mind, put into action by the will – every sin, even premeditated, willful sins can be forgiven by grace through saving faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

 

God’s judgment on his own Son was thoroughly just, even though “He who had no sin was made sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). It was a just punishment – even though Jesus had never sinned – because on the cross he took upon himself the curse that you and I deserve in order to pay the penalty for our sin. God laid our sins on him so that he could be, in the words of Romans 3:26, both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

 

Whoever believes in Jesus Christ, with saving faith, no matter what is in their past, becomes white as snow – not with leprosy – but with the purity of the imputed righteousness of Christ. Old Testament believers were saved by grace through faith in the coming Messiah, just as you and I are saved by grace through faith in the Messiah – the eternal Christ, who came in human flesh to save his people from their sins.

 

The certainty of forgiveness for all who by God’s grace repent, and have true saving faith in Christ, is woven throughout Scripture. Consider Isaiah 55:6-7:

 

 

Likewise, 1 Corinthians 6 contains a lengthy list of heinous sins with the warning that those engaged in those sins will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Those sins are remarkably contemporary, for they include homosexuality and male prostitutes. But then, in 1 Corinthians 6:11 a remarkable statement of God’s grace for repentant sinners is given: “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

 

We have full assurance of forgiveness for every sin – and every type of sin – in a passage like 1 John 1:8-9, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

 

I ask the question whether Gehazi may have been saved because we read about him again in 2 Kings 8. We find him speaking to the king of Israel about the great deeds that God had done through his servant Elisha. Some commentators note that the historical record in Scripture is not always in strict chronological order. That is not by error, but by the guidance of the Holy Spirit in structuring the canon of Scripture. They see this occasion as happening before Gehazi’s leprosy, not after.

 

But others ask, “Had Gehazi learned from God’s judgment upon him? Had his heart been cut to the core? Had he repented with true godly sorrow? Had he put his faith in the Messiah yet to be revealed? Did the king converse with him from a distance, desiring to know more about Elisha and the God whom he served?” We don’t know, and we don’t need to know. God knows and God will, on the last day pronounce the right verdict, not only for Gehazi, but for you and for me.

 

On that Day may it be said of you and me that, by God’s grace through saving faith in Christ alone, we truly repented of all our sins, the secret, hidden sins as well as those that are obvious to others around us. May your faith and mine be truly placed in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, this day and always! Amen.

 

 

 

bulletin outline:

 

 

uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give

 

                                              2 Kings 5:15-27

 

I.  Elisha’s refusal of Naaman’s payment (16) teaches us that salvation

    cannot be bought (Acts 8:20); it is freely given (Isa 55:1; Rev. 22:17)

 

 

 

 

   

II. Gehazi’s greed reminds us:

     1) The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10) and,

          like all sin, causes a “chain reaction” as one sin leads to another (20, 22, 25)

 

 

 

    

 

      2) There is no way to hide from the Lord (24, 26; Hebrews 4:13); unrepented

           sins will be revealed (Numbers 32:23), if not in this life, in the life to come

            (1 Timothy 5:24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      3) God’s judgment is always just, and those who use the ministry as a cover-up

           for sin will be judged severely (27, Jeremiah 23:1; Ezekiel 34:2)

 

 

 

 

 III. Application: The question is sometimes asked whether Gehazi repented and was

       saved (see 2 Kings 8:4, 5). Scripture doesn’t tell us, but it does reassure us that

       your sins and mine, no matter how terrible they are, can be repented of and

       forgiven through saving faith in Jesus Christ (Isa. 55:6 -7; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 John 1:8,9)