This morning I want to tell you one of my favorite Bible stories. I like to call it, Seven Ducks and Three Servants. But before I begin I need two volunteers – a "servant counter" and a "duck counter." (Designate one child for each) I’ll tell each of you what to do as I tell you the story.

The story is about a man named Naaman who lived a long time ago. Naaman was the captain of the army of Syria, a very proud man who had accomplished much for his nation. The people of Syria were among the enemies of God’s people, Israel. Israel had fallen away from God in those days so God was allowing their enemies to attack them and have victory over them, hoping that they would turn back to Him. The Syrians would go out and raid Israel, taking their property and some of the people captive. On one of these raids they took a little girl and brought her home to Syria to work as a servant. (Servant counter, hold up one finger please!) It just so happened that this little girl - we don’t know her name - came to live in the home of Captain Naaman.

Naaman was a powerful warrior and a wise leader, but he had a very big problem. You see, He had leprosy. Leprosy is a terrible disease that turns your skin white and causes you to loose your feet, your hands, and sometimes the tip of your nose and even your ears. Naaman had tried all kinds of cures but nothing helped. He was desperate.

One day the little servant girl from Israel heard about Naaman’s leprosy. She told Naaman’s wife that if Naaman could just go to her home town in Israel and find God’s prophet Elisha, he could be healed of his leprosy. Naaman wasn’t sure what to think of this story. As I said, he was a proud man – too proud to listen to such a little servant girl. He didn’t take orders from servants! But then again, he was desperate! Finally he swallowed his pride and went and asked the King of Syria if he could go to Israel and search for this prophet, Elisha. After hearing Naaman’s request and seeing his desperation the King of Syria gave him permission to go. Before he left he told him to take a train of horses and chariots and a lot of silver and gold and some changes of clothes in the hope that a nice gift to the King of Israel would let him speak to Elisha.

When Naaman arrived in Israel he was granted an audience with the king. But the king didn’t believe his story. He figured Naaman was just trying to pick a fight so that the Syrians could attack them again. But somehow word got out of the palace and reached the ears of the prophet Elisha. Elisha sent word to the king that if he would send Naaman to him he would heal him of his leprosy by the power of God. The king granted permission so Naaman thundered off in a cloud of dust with all his horses and chariots and men and stopped outside the little shack where Elisha lived.

Knowing that Naaman was a proud man, Elisha didn’t meet him in person. Rather, he sent his servant out to talk to him. (Servant counter – hold up two fingers!) The servant gave Naaman these instructions: "Go duck in the Jordan River seven times and you will be cured." That sounded way too simple for Naaman! He was expecting the prophet to come out and make a big show, waving his hands in the air and shouting and raising a ruckus like the idol prophets did back in his own country. When this didn’t happen, Naaman was disappointed and very angry. He jumped on his horse and said, "The rivers back in my country are far cleaner than Israel’s muddy, cruddy Jordan. Why can’t I go wash in them and be cured?" In a rage he ordered his men and his chariots back to Syria and they thundered away in a big cloud of dust.

On their way back home one of his servants came to him. (Servant counter – hold up three fingers, please!) The servant said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something really hard, wouldn’t you have done it? Surely you would have. How much more then when he says to simply go and wash and be clean?" Naaman thought about these words for awhile, then ordered his men and chariots to turn around and go back to the muddy, cruddy Jordan River. He got off his horse and went down and ducked himself in the river. (Duck counter – hold up one finger, please!) But nothing happened! Why do you suppose that nothing happened? Because the prophet’s servant had said to duck seven times. "Do it again," said one of his men. Very much aware that all his men were watching and that they probably thought he was making a fool of himself, the proud Syrian captain ducked a second time (Duck counter – hold up two fingers, please!) But nothing happened. "Do it again!" Naaman ducked a third time. (Duck counter, you should be holding up three fingers!) Still nothing happened. He dipped a fourth time – a fifth – a sixth. (Duck counter, you should be holding up six fingers!) Still nothing. Why? Because the prophet’s servant had said to dip seven times, hadn’t he? Finally the proud Naaman ducked under the water for the seventh time. (Duck counter – hold up seven fingers, please!) This time when he came up out of the water he felt very different. He could tell something wonderful had happened. He looked down at his arms. The leprosy was gone! His skin was as smooth as the skin of a newborn baby!

Naaman returned to the little house of the prophet Elisha that day to thank him and to offer him the gifts of gold and silver and clothing that he had brought. But Elisha refused to take any of it. He didn’t serve God to get rich. He was just pleased to see that now Naaman was a believer in Israel’s God, the God of heaven who made us all.

The thing I really like about this story is that Naaman, the proud captain of the army of Syria, had to humble himself in order to be healed. He had to listen to the words of how many servants? (Servant counter – hold up three fingers!) Three servants! Then he had to go to the muddiest river in all Israel. Then he had to duck how many times in front of all his men? Not four times. Not five or six times, but seven times. (Duck counter – hold up seven fingers, please!) But when he had humbled himself he was healed and came to know God who had created him.

From this story we learn that if we want God’s help we should not be too proud to listen, even to servants, and we should always, always try to do all that God says!

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

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All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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