Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 2
Naaman expected Elisha to come out personally and do something impressive, but he was told to do something simple and humiliating (dip in the Jordan seven times); where do you see that same resistance in yourself toward God’s “ordinary” commands, and what kinds of obedience do you secretly think should be beneath you?
Another way to ask: Naaman wanted something impressive, but God told him to do a simple, humbling act. Where do you resist God’s “simple” commands, and what kinds of obedience do you secretly think are below you?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The transcript presents Naaman’s anger as prideful resistance to simple obedience, and it implies we can share that same attitude when God’s way feels unimpressive or humbling. The challenge is to obey God’s instructions as given, not only when they feel “great” or dignified.
- Naaman “was expecting Elisha would come out and put his hands over him,” but “Elisha didn’t even see him personally” and sent a simple command.
- The instruction was ordinary: “Go down to the Jordan River…dip in it seven times.”
- Naaman’s pride reacted: “that really angered him,” and he compared rivers: “We’ve got better rivers back in Syria.”
- A servant exposes the heart issue: “If he had told you to do something great, you would have done it…because it’s something simple, are you going to refuse?”
- The outcome depended on obedience: six dips had “nothing happened,” but the seventh brought cleansing “according to the saying of the man of God.”