The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10), and so we must not allow the love of money to interfere with the calling of God on our lives. Noch een ander landschap met een groote ruine ende een rivire daer op de voorgront staet Naomi [Naaman] sprekende met Gehasij des propheten Elisei knecht die hem naegelopen compt ende carosse int verschiet hem verwachtende. Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants?". "And Naaman said, "Here, take a couple of talents of silver," and he was happy to give it to him. See Albert Blankert, Kunst als regeringszaak in Amsterdam in de 17e eeuw (Exh. But this only can happen if we are willing to humble ourselves and recognize that Jesus is Lord and that we are His servants. Naaman departed for Syria, but Elisha's servant Gehazi ran after him and told a lie in order to get Naaman's gift for himself. He was a good commander and was held in favor because of the victory that God brought him. He has a dozen years of classroom teaching experience on the college level and another ten in distance education. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. It's FREE! When the two meet, Elisha tells him rather dismissively that he needs to take a bath in the Jordan River. How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? Man, I could be set up if I just had a little bit of that loot." Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Naamans unusual request stems from the ancientand biblicalconception that the earth is the locale for a cosmic turf war. Why does the king blame Elisha for the siege and famine of Samaria in 2 Kings 6:31? Some paint layers were thinly applied, as in sections of the brown background and the plum-colored textile held by Naamans attendant. Leprosy has been a scourge on the human condition for thousands of years. His painting does not focus on Naamans recovery from leprosy or on Elishas refusal to be rewarded, but rather on Naamans conversion to the true faith.13. Naaman was cured of his leprosy. Abraham van Dijck, Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts (present whereabouts unknown); Werner Sumowski, Gemlde der Rembrandt-Schler,vol. Sperkitap web sitesini kullanarak, Kullanm artlarmz ve Gizlilik Politikamz kabul etmi olursunuz. A4. thinks the king referred to was Jehoahaz, while Schenkel ("Biblical Lexicon") suggests Jehu, but the general view is that it was Jehoram. II Kings v. 2). Nephi called such employment "priestcraft," in which " . Because of Jacobszs paintings devotional content, it is tempting to assume that it was intended for the Mennonite Church (Vermaning) he cofounded, and where he delivered the first sermon on 7 August 1631; see the biography of Lambert Jacobsz in this catalogue. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. Even though he would still have to help his aged king bow before Rimmon, Naaman wanted Elisha to know his heart belonged only to the God of Elisha. But we rebel against that simplicity. The artist carefully modelled the faces of these two protagonists, paying great attention to their facial expressions. The third one is, then, that of the gifts: Naaman insists on giving Elisha some gift (the text doesnt specify what, but one can assume that it might have to do with Naamans six thousand shekels of gold), but Elisha refuses him, saying As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.. Elisha repeatedly refuses. The king was distraught because he knew that he couldn't heal him. Elisha said, Where have you been? Elisha did not accept Naaman's gifts because he wanted Naaman to know that his healing had nothing to do with Elisha but everything to do with the God of Israel. Naaman doesnt take this well and prepares to go home. Gehazi was Elisha's helper. The king of Israel suspects in this to him impossible request a pretext of Syria for later starting a war against him, and tears his clothes. And so they came to the Jordan River and Naaman dipped himself in the Jordan River, and when he came up the seventh time, his flesh was pink like a baby's flesh. Naamans wife was married to a mighty warrior that suffered from leprosy. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. For example, Halbertals book On Sacrifice presents us with the possibility of having ones offering being rejected. But also, Elishas rejection seems to suggest God is more of a giver than of a taker, and his gifts do not aim to setting an economical cycle of gift-giving and exchange with anyone: he freely gives his Grace (in fact, this is what the word Grace strictly means: gratuity, something freely given beyond ones obligation), which always exceeds measure or merit. The baths cured Naaman. He's trying to start a fight. Then, Gehazi hid the gift and returned to his Master's home. This painting was long believed to have been painted by Lambert Jacobsz, but recently has been attributed to Jacob Backer.6. It is wise to learn to listen to those around you, no matter what their station in life, knowing that sometimes God uses the weak and the seemingly insignificant to speak to us and keep us humble. His refusal, strongly contrasting with the conduct of ordinary prophets, Israelite and heathen (comp. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Notice Naaman asks for dirt to take back home with him. Naaman and the Servant Girl Naaman and the Servant Girl Back To All Episodes Naaman and the Servant Girl Episode: 305 Season: 3 Joy is upset because she's in charge of a big service project. An overall warm gray ground has been applied to the painting. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Jointly published by the Deseret News and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its content supports the doctrines, principles and practices of the Church. He wanted to thank Elisha by giving him presents, but Elisha refused. The request is so odd that its hard to avoid wondering if Naaman needed some other kind of therapy. When Naaman offered Elisha money and clothes, why did Elisha refuse? men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion." And the fact that He gives to me so freely and in such a simple way that I can't get any credit for it. Jacob de Wet, Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts (present whereabouts unknown); Werner Sumowski, Gemlde der Rembrandt-Schler, vol. A life of luxury based on the security of wealth, rather than a life of obedience. A Bible Story for Adults. Since Jacobsz did not execute large figure pieces after Backers departure, Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts must have been painted between 1628, shortly after Backer arrived in Leeuwarden, and 1633, when he returned to Amsterdam. 635 (as Haarlem master); see also the RKD website. 5, S. Paulus met sijn sweert groot L. Jacobs selffs [added later] off J[acob] A[riens Backer]. God is the one who gives, not Elisha. I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible. Nothing new under the sun there. Why would he ask for dirt? 1631 (Private collection, United States); Peter van den Brink, Jacob Backer (1608/91651) (Exh. Those were the things which Elisha refused. (The mikveh is a bath used for ritual immersion in Judaism. He then praised the lord of Israel as the only true god. 5; comp. However, as noted, nothing is known about a commission, and it therefore remains uncertain for whom or which institution Jacobsz originally made this painting. Superbook is a registered trademark of The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization All Rights Reserved. Jacobsz also painted original compositions, of which his assistants made copies and variations. Naaman (Hebrew: Namn, "pleasantness") the Aramean was a commander of the armies of Ben-Hadad II, the king of Aram-Damascus, in the time of Joram, king of Israel. From whom acquired by the present owner in 2006. Sent a servant out to me and then tells me to duck in that Jordan River. First and foremost, Naamans healing is not Elishas gift: it is a gift freely bestowed by the grace of God, and Elisha is well aware of that. Now the Arameans went out in bands and captured from the land of Israel a young girl, who ministered to Naaman's wife. Since 1951 the journals has been generally recognized to be indispensable for scholarly work on the Old Testament. Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel, Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular, Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular, Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not, Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular, Preposition | third person masculine singular, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Naaman, by the report of a captive maid, is sent to Samaria to be cured of leprosy, He refusing Naaman's gifts grants him some of the earth, Gehazi, abusing his master's name unto Naaman, is smitten with leprosy, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT History: 2 Kings 5:16 But he said As Yahweh lives before (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg). He was a mighty man and very brave, but he was a leper. For Parents Only: CBN Animation Club & DVDs, login to access full-length Superbook episodes, FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SUPERBOOK DVD CLUB. Elisha refused gifts for use of power By Church News Archives 15 June 1990, 11:00 PM PDT After Naaman was cured of leprosy, he offered Elisha gifts for his use of priesthood powers. In 2 Kings 5:1519, the elated Naaman returns to Elisha and begs him to take payment for healing him. This phrase is used when Moses is in the presence of the Angel of the Lord and the God of Israel at the burning bush (Exod 3:15) and when Joshua meets the Angel of the Lord (Josh 5:15). And so Naaman came to Elisha's house and Elisha didn't even go out to meet him but sent his servant Gehazi out with the orders, "Go down to the Jordan River and just dip in the Jordan River seven times, and after you've dipped seven times, you'll be cleansed of your leprosy." Naaman traveled to Samaria, where Elisha told him to take seven dips in the river Jordan. I can hire me some servants. He had also trained with Jan Pynas. He is a former scholar-in-residence at Logos Bible Software. 1800 (Stockholm, 2005), 59, no. Bol was commissioned by the masters of the Amsterdam leper home. (1 Cor. He did make use of translucent glazes in certain areas, however, such as the shadows of the red garments and the figures lips. At times, these slivers of warm gray act as a transitional midtone, as in the lower contour of Elishas sleeve where it overlaps with the white page of his book. Didn't go anywhere. R. xiv. And that is why, like Naaman, we must come humbly before the Lord to obtain favor and mercy in our time of need. lx. 34) who mortally wounded Ahab seems to have been adopted by Josephus ("Ant." And he started thinking of what he could do with some of that reward that Naaman was offering.And so he went chasing after Naaman. Knowledge of this print is evident in Jacob Backers The Tribute Money in Stockholm, which he executed during his Leeuwarden period. ; but as the interval between the death of Ahab and the curing of Naaman's leprosy is not known, it is impossible to identify the King of Israel to whom Naaman was sent with a letter. I think Elisha was rebuking not only the actions of Gehazi, but also the attitude of his heart. Jasper Hillegers, Lambert Jacobsz (15981636) en zijn werkplaats. More broadly, the idea derives from Deuteronomy 32:89 (compare Deut 4:1920), where we learn that when God divided up the nations at the Tower of Babel, they were allotted to the sons of God. The nations of the world were, in effect, disinherited by Yahweh as his own earthly family. And so the king of Syria Benhadad sent a formal letter to the king of Israel [and sent Naaman down] ( 2 Kings 5:1-5 ). But he listened to the advice of his captains, humbled himself, and obeyed the word of the Lord -- and thus received his healing. But I can't. The pictorial source for this confrontation scheme may be Peter Paul Rubenss The Tribute Money (Fine Arts Museum, San Francisco), which was known in the Northern Netherlands from a print by Lucas Vorsterman. Amsterdam, Museum Het Rembrandthuis; Aachen, Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum) (Zwolle, 2008), 3034, 20411, nos. Although the story of Naaman and Elisha was infrequently depicted by other artists, Jacobsz painted episodes from this story at least six times in the late 1620s and 1630s, including three scenes with small-scale figures and three with large-scale figures.2 One of Jacobszs early portrayals of this subject, which is known only from a black-and-white photograph (fig 2), has compositional elements similar to those seen in Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts, such as the interaction between Naaman and Elisha. However, Elisha's servant, Gehazi, followed Naaman and deceitfully asked for a gift in Elisha's name. Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. 14:1-12, where God himself tells Moses the ritual for cleansing one with a skin disease). In fact, he almost lost out on his healing because he did not want to follow the instructions of Elisha to bathe in the Jordan River. Ovens (Landau, 1983), 1630, no. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. 2, Dutch Paintings c. 1600c. Maybe something's gone wrong." The present format appears to be at, or near, the original dimensions. Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. 4). Does Cast a Spell make you a spellcaster? Gehazi's acceptance was unacceptable in the frame of Elisha's refusal. Elishas hands are exceptionally beautifully shaped and contrast strongly with the usually somewhat clumsy hands painted on other original work by Lambert Jacobsz. He did not want money, wealth, power, or prestige to interfere with the call of God that was on his life. Gehazi was Elisha's young messenger and servant. Josua Bruyn once remarked that the large-figure paintings produced in this workshopthe Backer-like Jacobsz and the Jacobsz-like Backer paintingswere difficult to distinguish.5 One example of how closely related the works of these painters were during this period is The Tribute Money in Stockholm. Discover God's love and plan for you, This was a demonstration of humility. When Elisha became aware of Gehazis duplicity, he punished his servant by infecting him with the disease from which Naaman had just been cured. But rather than personally receiving Naaman when the latter arrives at Elisha's house, Elisha merely sends a messenger to the door who tells Naaman to cure his affliction by dipping himself seven times in the Jordan River. 2, Dutch Paintings c. 1600c. Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts was not always attributed to Lambert Jacobsz. 6 [lent by the present owner]. Rawlinson, "Ancient Monarchies," ii. The new baptism takes place in the Jordan River where Jesus of Nazareth, also called the Christ by his followers, was baptized many centuries later. Among them are paintings by Lambert Jacobszs teacher Jan Pynas (1581/21631), who depicted the subject in a 1627 painting, now in the Old Catholic Church in Leiden, and one by Pieter de Grebber (ca. Naaman is mentioned in 2 Kings 5 of the Tanakh in Hebrew as " " or "Naaman captain of the army of the King of Aram". Why was Hezekiah not rebuked for seeking a sign in 2 Kings 20. At the behest of some servants, he consents to dip himself in the Jordan. Elisha was totally surrendered to God in every area of his life. But the Lord revealed to Elisha what Gehazi did and prophet rebuked him saying, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever" (verse 27). This attribution by Fred Meijer was largely based on an alleged kinship with De Grebbers Belshazzars Great Feast from 1625 in Museum Schloss Wilhelmshhe, Kassel. Why would God have rejected Cains offering? Nephi taught, " . Naaman's wife had a servant girl from Israel who said that a prophet there would be able to heal him. People become very excited when they see God work. Heres where the story usually ends in our telling, but that would result in the omission of one very odd detailwhat Naaman asks to take back home. Peter van den Brink, Jacob Backer (1608/91651) (Exh. (2 Ne. This seems to be, to a certain extent, self-evident. Christian theology has always depicted Naaman as the paradigmatic case of Gods will to save people we would normally considered as being unworthy of salvation: Naaman is not even an Israelite, and doesnt share the prophets faith. Backer had a great reputation as a skilled painter of finely formed hands. The name Elisha in Hebrew is translated, "My God is salvation". ), "It is, after all, by divine power that men are able to perform priesthood miracles," states the manual. 1800 (Stockholm 2005), 59, no. Help us purchase electrical generators for churches. Now, Naaman is not an Israelite. This excerpt about Naaman in the Bible is adapted from the original article in Dr. Heisers book I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible.