After Naaman is healed of leprosy, he offers Elisha a gift of gratitude. Elisha refuses. He doesn't give a reason, but it's a strong possibility the Lord instructed him not to do so. The prophet wasn't one to say, "The Lord said..." On one occasion in particular, he mentions that he was acting by the Lord's direction. Whatever his reasons, he made it abundantly clear he wasn't going to receive a gift.
Gehazi witnesses this refusal and sees an injustice. The Word says Gehazi "said," so the thought came, he embraced it, and then said.
1. He sees what Elisha did.
2. Hears what Elisha said.
3. Calls Elisha his, "master."
4. Embraces a thought that puts himself in the position of master.
5. Then puts that thought into action.
He chases after Naaman and makes an excuse for Elisha's supposed change of heart (unexpected visitors). Naaman is more than willing to give Gehazi some of the gifts and even send two of his own servants to carry them. He gives Gehazi 4 talents of silver, which would be worth about $24,000 today, and 4 changes of clothing.
Gehazi stores the items in the house and returns to Elisha. The prophet confronts him and asks where he went. This must have scared him that Elisha knew what he'd done.
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If you're visiting in the area or looking for a church home, we invite you to Zoe Christian Fellowship, 1111 Easton Rd. (Route 611), in Warrington, PA. Our Sunday morning service starts at 10:00 AM, with Children's Church beginning at the same time.
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