Why would leprosy strike someone God had favored (5:1)?
When God uses people for good, he doesn t necessarily insulate them from life s other experiences, even harsh ones. Paul had a thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:79) and Timothy was often sick (1 Timothy 5:23), yet the Lord enabled them to serve effectively. Though leprosy sometimes represented divine punishment (5:27; 2 Chronicles 26:1623), Naaman s suffering led to a dramatic encounter with the power of God (5:15,17). We cannot know all the reasons for suffering, but we can trust that the outcome will ultimately reflect God s glory and purpose. The Quest Study Bible What did Naaman have against the Jordan (5:1012)? Compared to his own nation s rivers, Naaman found the Jordan muddy and unappealing. Undoubtedly Naaman was expecting the prophet of God to simply proclaim his healing (as a powerful military man he was used to orders given and obeyed) without having to be part of the process of the healing himself. Naaman was being asked to do something that must have seemed ridiculous a
