Clean Water for All God’s Children
Context:
This is a story rich in meaning and symbolism. To begin with, note that Naaman was
serving in the
enemy
army – how interesting that God would heal
him
! Notice, too, that it
was an Israelite girl who suggested the possibility of cure – why would she offer this
kindness to those who had made her a slave? And perhaps most importantly, Naaman
found it hard to believe that something as common as
water
could be the source of a cure
– he thought it would have to be something strange or difficult. He discovered, however,
that God uses the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary!
The important point for the children in this story is that God used water for cleansing
(healing), which strongly associates water with health. Explain to them that leprosy was
a terrible disease that was rather common in Old Testament times, and that those who had
it were sent away from their community, and weren’t allowed to come near
anyone
who
was healthy, not even their own families. They were lonely and despised, and people
called them names and spit on them!
The desert/water backdrop may be used with this story.
Story:
Long before Jesus was born, the people of Israel had
many enemies in the lands that bordered on their land.
To the north of Israel was the land of Aram, and the
people that lived there – they were called Arameans –
were always a threat to Israel, stealing their treasures
and capturing the people to make them work as slaves
for them.
There was one Aramean in particular who was a great hero and a favorite of the King of
Aram, because he won many battles for the king, and brought much treasure from Israel
into the land of Aram. His name was Naaman.
One day, Naaman discovered sores on his body. To his horror, he realized that these
sores were the first sign of a terrible, disfiguring disease called leprosy. Now in those
days, people with leprosy were banished from the town, and had to live with other lepers
in a place set aside only for them. They were not allowed to come into contact with
healthy people, and people would shout at them and spit on them if they came near!
Naaman was very upset when he realized that he had leprosy, and so was the king! Who
would fight the battles now? Who would bring home the treasures and the slaves? Even
the servants were upset, and they whispered among themselves about poor Naaman.
One of the servants was a young Israelite girl who had been taken captive on one of
Naaman’s raids. But she felt sorry for Naaman, and she told Naaman’s wife about a
famous prophet who lived in her hometown. She told her that the prophet Elisha could
cure Naaman of his leprosy! This made Naaman and the king very hopeful, and the king
wrote a letter to the king of Israel, asking him to let Naaman be healed. The king sent
Day 3: Bible Story
The Healing of Naaman (II Kings 5)
Idea:
Little round stickers (like white
‘instant-stik’ dots, product #R-505)
on the children’s arms as they
enter, and tell them to leave them
on through the story. Then, when
Naaman is healed, they can remove
them!