COMING CLEAN: 2 KINGS 5 by Ray Mossholder
Now Naaman was a general, though he had leprosy,
An awful drag on his joy level, as his whole army could see.
Naaman had won a strategic battle, bringing victory to his king,
Aram was the king’s name, and you should have heard him sing.
The song he sang was about Naaman, for him he’d do anything.
To show his thankfulness for the victory; “A wife! A stallion! A ring!”
But a cute little maid to the king’s wife, asked “How about Naaman’s skin?
I don’t think anything will make him happy, no matter how many battles he’ll win,
Til that leprosy’s gone, he’s untouchable, and ugly as a toad,
He itches, he scratches, he’s miserable, while just a little ways down this road
Is a man of God named Elisha, who can heal the worst of sores,
And it’s not really Naaman but God who is winning all our wars.”
The king wrote a letter to Israel’s king as quickly as a flash,
“Enclosed please find a million bucks, that’s just a bit of cash.
Still, I’m asking a wee little favor if you’d just take the time
To heal General Naaman because he looks like slime.
Turn him into a George Clooney, or maybe a Tom Cruise,
What I mean is, please erase this leper’s skin abuse.”
The king of Israel threw a tizzy fit when he got that letter from Aram,
“Is this a joke? Has he gone insane to think I could heal this man?”
He ripped his robe to pieces thinking Aram was planning war.
But Elisha was only six miles away and heard the Royalty’s roar,
“What’s wrong with the King of Israel?” he asked, “Got his knickers in a twist?”
“Oh, no,” said someone standing by, “But if I should make a list
Of impossible things to do or see, healing leprosy would be on the top,
And Aram wants our king to make Naaman’s leprosy stop.”
“So what’s the big deal?” Elisha said, “God could do that for him right now.
“Here’s a note for our king, take it to him, and don’t forget to bow.”
The king was elated with Elisha’s words and a bit embarrassed, too,
For the huge fit that he had thrown when all he had to do
Was send Naaman to Elisha and his zits would go away
Or his leprosy, or whatever it was, that made his face decay.
“Huzzah! Hooray! General Naaman is here and asks Elisha to come
Lay hands on him and heal him. Hurry up you bum!
General Naaman can’t wait all day for such as the likes of you,
Elisha’s your name? Well get a move on! Naaman’s got so much to do.”
“I’m busy today,” answered Elisha, “putting bee-bees in a jar,
And I can’t go outside and take the time, it really is too far.
But I’m sending my servant to talk to Naaman, telling him how to get well,
Now please remove yourself from my premises before I start to yell.”
The servant went outside and said, “I have the cure for your disease.
Just baptize yourself seven times in the River Jordan, please.
You’ll find your skin all smooth and nice, touchable again,
In fact, though the water may be dirty, God will cleanse you. Amen!”
“Are you off your gourd?,” the General yelled, “Needing a straightjacket, knave?
I’m famous for winning battles, I’ll turn you into my slave!
Don’t you know who I am?,” he roared, “And how I conquer land?
Go back and get Elisha. At least bring me his hand!”
Naaman’s servants felt very badly for how their master swore
One whispered to the servant, “He really is a bore.”
But another spoke to his master and in a winning tone
Said, “Great Sir, with all due respect, no one would be your clone
If they could keep from being you with all your leprosy.
Why not do what Elisha’s servant says and get yourself set free?
You’d slay ten armies before breakfast or fight dragons in their den,
So why not do what Elisha says and be whole and well again?”
Naaman realized this reasoning was sound and straight and true,
“Yes, off I’ll go to the Jordan. That’s exactly what I’ll do.”
When he got to the river he removed his clothes in a tent by the side of the stream
And put on a purple swimming suit and flippers, oh, so keen.
Up and down seven times in the water he did what he’d been told
Though he shivered and shook like Elvis because the water was so cold.
And would you believe the seventh time was unlike all the rest?
Because of his obedience he now had a handsome chest.
It was as if that leper had washed away every bit of his disgrace
And his servants said, “Oh, my gosh! He’s got a handsome face!”
God smiled from Heaven upon this man who had been so very vain
“Welcome to abundant life,” He said, “You’re completely whole again.”
“And I was stupidly vain. Vanity is a terrible sin.
Let’s go back to Elisha’s tent, I can’t remember when
I’ve felt so young, so strong, so pure; not since I was ten.
That’s when the leprosy began and I’ve hated the rest of my years.
I lived in dread of being seen, and hid in all my fears.
I killed men gladly in battle, as wicked as that may sound,
Because I thought no cure for me ever could be found.
I had looked everywhere to find one, looking hither and thither and yon,
But I’d never found Elisha’s God, wherever I had gone.
Til now. Let’s go and thank that man, and give him a great prize.
But in trying to give Elisha a gift Naaman got another surprise.
“I won’t take your money or gifts that you bring,” Elisha told him true,
“Because it was God not me who heals, and this same God loves you.”
Stunned by these words Naaman cried, “I’ve never known such love.
I wish with all my heart I could serve your God above.
Please give me a donkey-load full of dirt from your most precious earth,
This is holy ground I recognize, and I know what it is worth.
I’ll put it in various places that I frequent day to day
And place my knees upon it so that at very least I can pray
To the God who heals, the God who loves, the God so full of power
That I wish with all my heart and might I could know Him in this hour.
“You can, my friend,” Elisha smiled, “Let’s pray together to Him,”
They did and then Naaman gasped, “I’m still out on a limb.
My master worships Rimmon and I go with him to the shrine.
He commands it, I obey him, Rimmon isn’t worth a dime.
I know that now, I realize how much I’ve needed the Lord
Will you pray for me that God won’t be mad and kill me with His sword?”
“Do not fear the wrath of God who has healed you today.
He fully understands you and with will forever stay.
Go in peace, dear General. God loves you, it is simple.
And don’t fear again in the slightest that you’ll even get a pimple.”
Now Elisha’s servant had been watching all this with great dismay,
“My master isn’t smart enough to get greatly blessed this day.”
So, he saddled up his favorite horse, the one he always rode,
And galloped off to the General, his horse was never “Whoa’d.”
Naaman saw him coming in a whirlwind of dust
Recognizing Elisha’s man, one he believed he could trust.
“What’s up?” Naaman asked. “Does God have another word?”
“No,” Gehazai answered, “and Elisha feels absurd
To now ask you to do something he hadn’t asked before,
But he didn’t win on “The Price Is Right” and now needs something more.
A couple of his brothers have arrived who he didn’t expect to come
And Elisha’s fresh out of money and feeling kind of dumb.
It’s for them I’m taking an offering that will meet their deepest needs,
Though I’m embarrassed to ask you, my heart it really bleeds,
Do you think you could spare a couple of bucks? Elisha gets paid next week.
He doesn’t want a loan; but an outright gift. It’s not a lot we seek.
Two hundred thousand would do it and get him out of a bind,
Elisha knows you’ll give it because you are really kind.
A bit surprised by this change of plans, the General reached into his kitty
And pulled out fist fulls of money, and clothing really pretty.
“Take these to God’s man and thank him for me, and take two of my servants with you,
To protect all I’m sending him, they’ll stick with you like glue.”
Gehazai sneered at Naaman, “I’ll pray for you tomorrow,”
Returning with his loot with no suspicion of the sorrow
That was about to come upon him because of his great sin.
Elisha was waiting to greet him, “Come tell me where you’ve been.”
“I just went for a ride on Trigger,” Gehazai lied so bold,
“It was a beautiful day and I wanted to enjoy it before it gets too cold.”
“You weren’t on a joyride, Gehazai,” Elisha put him on the spot,
“I went with you in spirit and red-handed you’ve been caught.
I saw you rob the General by lying to his face
And now I’m going to give you something far more painful than mace!”
With that, Elisha waved his hand and Gehazai cried in pain,
“You’ll forever be a leper. Your family will curse your name.
For all of them, as well as you, will never be set free
From leprosy like Naaman had, because of the mockery
You made of God, and for all of us who because of His great ways
Are blessed to be His believers and glad for all our days.
Year after year you’ll scream in pain and wish as long as you live
That a Savior would come from Heaven and love you enough to forgive
And heal you and all your kin from sickness and disease,
Infirmities, yes leprosy, and whatever else you please.
Though your sins be as scarlet, He’d wash them white as snow.
But until such a day be cursed and lost, I’m going to watch you go.
You’ve made me sad, my former friend, that this has happened to you,
But each man pays for his own sins. There’s nothing else to do.
Until sin can be washed away, like Naaman’s leprosy,
People like you will wander this land and never will be free.
On that very day in Heaven God told His only begotten Son,
It’s for people like Gehazi You’ll go to Earth, the One,
To live a perfect but misunderstood life and finally die on a cross,
Conquering sickness, death, and Satan; causing him full loss.
You will return to My right side, salvation for the world our goal,
Still there will always be Gehazi’s whose lives leave one big hole.
They run away, choosing to sin and not believing Me,
But many millions of souls will be saved. We will set them free.”
The moral of this true story we each one need to learn
We’ve all been like Gehazi, in sin we’ve taken our turn.
But Christ has fully come now and hung upon a tree,
If until now you’ve been like Gehazi, let Jesus set you free.
COMING CLEAN: 2 KINGS 5