2 Kings 5:5

The word of the little maid does its work. It awakens the desire for the blessing in the heart of the needy Naaman. However, the natural man cannot understand the ways of grace. Filled with his own thoughts, he pays little attention to the word of the little maid. She knows the grace and power of God, so she speaks of the prophet in Samaria. He follows his own natural thoughts and turns to the king of Syria. He thinks the blessing he longs for can be won through the great ones of the earth, helped by the payment of a large fee.

"Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel," said the king of Syria. This king is a complete stranger to God's resources. He wants to treat the salvation of his servant as a matter between one king and another. It is a striking example of how little the world understands. It does not ever occur to him that God can do something; as he is without God in the world, his only resource is men.

Grace is available for the guilty, whether that guilty one be amongst the exalted in the land or among the lowly — "a great man" or "a little maid" — but the patronage of kings cannot secure it, and gold cannot buy it.

The first effect of the good news he had heard was his desire to have the blessing offered to him. It met his need, because it held out the promise of a cure for his leprosy. But at once, as happens with countless souls, he falls into the error of supposing that he could earn or buy the blessing he longed for. Naaman prepares himself with a letter from the king, ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing. Surely, with the influence of a king behind him, and with so much money, he will succeed in his quest.

He went to the king instead of the prophet — to the one who swayed earthly power instead of one with spiritual power — the servant of Jehovah. Many an anxious soul makes a similar mistake. Many a man goes to the wrong person today.

He naturally wanted to help Naaman and as naturally turned to the king of Israel to do it. Then, along with this, comes the need of money and the like. This, too, is gathered together: ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing. So the poor leper is kept from Elisha, and kept from him by the very people who showed the deepest concern for his welfare.

I am sure that Naaman learnt the great lesson as he stood before Elisha: God will not sell His blessing. There are two reasons. Naaman, with all his wealth, was too poor to buy it, and God was too rich to sell it. It was all of grace, the free giving of God to one who could not merit His gift.