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(2 Kings 5:1-19)

 

Read 2 Kings 5:1-19, noting anything that stands out to you.

 

Our decisions are always influenced by our identity – how we see ourselves. How do you think Naaman saw himself? If he were describing himself to someone, how might he have done it?

 

How do you think leprosy affected Naaman’s sense of identity?

 

How do you think the slave girl in this story saw herself? Why would she want to help her slaveowner? Why did Naaman take this slave seriously?

 

Read the king of Aram’s letter to the Israelite king. Might there have been a (not so) hidden purpose in the letter? What might it have been?

 

Why did Elisha tell the king to send Naaman to him? What would he get out of healing this soldier from an unfriendly nation?

 

Naaman decided to go to Israel to see the prophet. What did it cost him to make this trip? (Don’t limit your answer to financial expenses.)

 

Read vv. 9-12. What affect did Elisha’s unexpected response have on Naaman sense of identity? Why did it cause Naaman to reverse his earlier decision to go to the prophet in Israel?

 

Read verse 11 again. What role did Naaman’s assumptions play in his rejection of Elisha’s instructions and his choice to renounce his earlier decision?

 

How did Naaman’s servants change his mind? What does this say about the relationship between Naaman and his servants? What does Naaman’s response to them say about him?

Has anyone ever talked you out of making a bad decision? If so, how did that happen?

Do you have ongoing relationships with people who love you enough to tell you the truth when you are in the wrong?

 

What can we apply to our lives and our church from the story of Naaman?

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