Parashat Tazria

Parashat Tazria

Leviticus 12:1 – 13:59

2 Kings 4:42 – 5:19

Matthew  8:1-4  &  11:2-6

Luke 2:22-24  &  5:12-16  &  7:18-23

Brief over-view:

• The Leviticus portion deals with purity after a woman gave birth and goes on to give directives regarding skin disease. I’m relieved to learn that bald men are clean!
• The Haftarah or Prophets portion from 2 Kings relates two interesting events in Elisha’s life and ministry, both explored in my discussion below: Multiplication of bread & Naaman’s leprosy.
• In the Gospel according to Matthew Yeshua Ha’Mashiach aka Jesus Christ performs the “Elisha” miracles to prove HIS GOD-liness and HE also pointed out that John the Baptist was the “Elijah” who preceded the Christ.
• The portions from the Gospel of Luke tells of Yeshua’s (Jesus’) birth and circumcision and his parents’ adherence to Torah directives, Luke echoes Matthew in writing about miracles to confirm HIS Divinity and John’s status.

“All the world is but a stage where every man must play his part”.  (William Shakespeare in the Merchant of Venice)

Let us look at 3 roles and how the characters in the Naaman drama play it out.  The roles are:  “to be a Servant”, “The Kings” and “a Believer’s journey”.

1. To be a Servant: 

• The young Israelite girl was a captured slave in Naaman’s house. She knew the LORD and testified that GOD can heal Naaman through Adonai’s prophet Elisha.  She practised the Biblical love that Yeshua taught centuries later – to love (even) your enemies.  She was a Servant of Adonai, in-spite of her circumstance.  She pointed people, even her mighty slave-owner, to the One True GOD of Israel.   She knew that HE is the designer and weaver of the human body and HE also is The Great Physician.  We are called to be Servants of Almighty GOD in the likeness of this young girl.  She died to herself and served GOD and her earthly master with distinction.

• Naaman followed the chain of command in his secular world. After-all he was a good servant of his king Ben Hadad the 2^nd.  He understood loyalty and the chain of command.  As a trustworthy military servant of the kingdom, he rose to be the General.  Naaman sought and obtained his king’s blessing to seek out GOD’s prophet Elisha in Israel.  King Ben Hadad 2 followed diplomatic protocol and wrote a letter to king Joram of Israel.  During his journey to and in Israel, Naaman’s pride was hurt when the Prophet Elisha didn’t give him a hero’s welcome, but dispatched him through another servant, Gehazi to go bathe himself 7 times in the Jordan River.  He reacted angrily, but his servants were able to quell his temper and he humbled himself and did what the Prophet commanded.  He was healed, he repented and gave his life to the One true GOD of Israel.  Naaman became a servant of GOD.  In this role, he remained a servant of his king Ben Hadad 2 as well, and asked forgiveness in advance for his anticipated support of his king in servitude of Rimnon.  We are challenged to be servants like Naaman.  He died to himself, he let go of his ego to serve GOD.  Naaman served GOD within the earthly bounds of the King of Aram.

• The tragic history of Prophet Elisha’s servant Gehazi follows outside of the week’s scripture portion and it offers the sad example in sharp contrast with the previous two. Gehazi was a servant who did what was required from him, but in-spite of spending so much time with Elisha never believed and never grew in faith.  (Be reminded of the account of the army which surrounded them when Elisha prayed to GOD to open his eyes in).  Gehazi yearned to be rich.  His love of money became his fall.  When he noticed that Elisha did not take any gift from Naaman he saw an opportunity to run after Naaman with lies and deceit to fraudulently gain riches for himself.  Elisha witnesses this in the spirit and announced a terrible consequence as GOD’s punishment upon Gehazi and his decedents – Naaman’s leprosy.   From this we are reminded that GOD’s blessings are free.  We are warned not to be servants like Gehazi who had full-time access to the best Biblical teacher of his time, yet succumbs to his desire for wealth.  GOD had grace and patience with Gehazi, but eventually the window for his salvation closed.  Gehazi is a type of Judas Iscariot.  We have to guard our hearts.

2. The Kings:

• Ben Hadad the 2^nd, King of Aram in Damascus was a heathen. He was confident in his power and astute in diplomacy.  General Naaman’s leprosy and subsequent miraculous healing as well as Naaman’s testimony about his conversion, faith and dedication to the GOD of Israel did not touch him.  The evidence and testimony left him cold.  His false god Rimnon could not save him.

• King Joram of Israel was a sad case. He sat on David’s throne.  His Kingdom was GOD-given.  I have little doubt that Torah teaching was part of his princely education.  He probably attended Temple sacrifices when required to do so, Elisha was the Spirit-filled Prophet in his domain, but sadly he didn’t know the GOD of Israel.  We see this in Joram’s reaction to Ben Hadad’s letter.  In his moment of (imaginary) crises, he had no faith in GOD and never thought of “that crackpot Prophet Elisha”.  Joram was self-obsessed.  His life revolved around his ego.  A misunderstood diplomatic letter exposed him for who he was.  Elisha stepped-in to dissolve Joram’s “crises” but sadly the King of Israel never met the GOD of Israel.  His palace was built on the sand.

• Adonai the GOD of Israel is the KING of Kings. Both the earthly Kings failed to acknowledge HIM, but HE often works through humble ways.  HE brought the mighty General to his knees, HE demonstrated HIS power over sickness and disease through HIS Prophet Elisha and HE acted to protect HIS Holy Name when Gehazi soiled it.  HE alone is GOD, there is no other.  Adonai is the KING of Kings.

3. To be born again – A Believer’s Journey:

• General Naaman had a successful military career. He rose to become the Kingdom of Aran, ancient Syria’s Chief Commanding Officer in-spite of his name, which means “Pleasant”, he must have had that unique combination of “polished-thoughtful-ruthless-brutality” required to rise high in the strategic “guts and glory” business of war.  Like all truly great leaders, Naaman had his ear to the ground and an open mind.  He didn’t have a superior attitude, but rather an eagerness to learn, even from a young slave girl in his wife’s service.   The young slave girl admired, rather than feared him and was moved by compassion when he contracted the deadly disease of leprosy.
• GOD chose a heathen soldier to be part of HIS flock. In order to get Naaman’s attention, HE brought the mighty General to the end of his wits through leprosy.  Naaman thought that his high profile life was over.  His future was bleak.  He fell from hero to scoundrel with a simple diagnosis.  Naaman was lost and hopeless.
• The testimony of a young slave girl, brought hope to Naaman. It was his last straw.  In desperation he journeyed in search of the GOD of Israel’s Prophet.  Through the girl’s words a fire was lit within his heart.
• I have no doubt that Joram’s ineptitude irked Naaman without end. When he was summoned to Elisha’s house, he was “dismissed” and “insulted” at the hand of a servant.  Naaman’s expectation of a big magic show popped like a bubble.  Fear gripped his heart.  His hope died in a second.  He relapsed into hopelessness, growling and shouting in desperate anger as he collapsed.  Naaman’s pride and ego curled in its death-throws.  Naaman’s desire for restoration made him yearn for the rivers of Aram, to return to his former playground, to his sin.
• At this moment, the Spirit worked through Naaman’s subordinates with an unmovable argument: “If the Prophet required you to do a difficult task, would you not do it?”  Immerging in the Jordan River for 7 times was easy.  What did he have to lose?  Naaman submitted.  He was between a rock and a (not so) hard place.  GOD chose him, now it was his turn to decide…
• Naaman submitted and he was healed. GOD poured blessings upon him because he submitted.  It is worth noting that Naaman didn’t submit in his own way and culture by bathing in one of Aram’s rivers.  He did GOD’s “thing” in GOD’s way.  He was healed and he was born again – a new man!

I pray that GOD will also tough your heart through these historic events.  Let us strive to be good servants of GOD.  Please share your testimony with somebody who is on your heart.

To GOD be the glory.  Forever and ever.  Amen.