The Faith Of The Little Maid Rewarded

[Posted by permission. Chippenham Old Baptist Chapel.]

Prayer Meeting Address given at Old Baptist Chapel, Chippenham by Mr. G. D. Buss on Thursday Evening, 8th October, 2020

“And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.”—2 Kings 5:2-4

In turning to this part of God’s Holy Word, we often focus mostly on Naaman and the way godly Elisha dealt with that proud man, and, under God’s teaching, brought him to be a humble suppliant. But very little is said about the little maid. I want, with God’s help just for a few moments this evening, to bring before you the character of the faith of this little maid; the little girl in this chapter. These characters are left on record, though so little is known about them, to teach us and to be instructive to us that we might learn some gracious lessons from them, especially from the faith that this little maid had.

Of course, the situation is well known. The Syrians were often attacking Israel. They were like marauding bands crossing the border, plundering goods and sometimes people. It seems that in one of their raids they picked up this little girl and took her many miles away from her home. Perhaps she was bought on the slave market by Naaman, or Naaman’s wife to serve her. In the sovereign providence of God, she was there for a purpose. How strange are God’s dealings! How strange that God should use the cruelty of the Syrians, and the indignity of a little girl being sold as a slave; to fulfil His purpose in bringing into the fold of Christ, in New Testament language, one of His sheep; Naaman. And who would have thought that Naaman was one who was among the election of grace? We know he was, because in the very first sermon our Lord preached, He mentions two people. Neither of them were Israelites. One was the widow woman of Zarephath, and the other Naaman. He speaks of them both as ones to whom the Lord sent the prophets: Elijah to the woman of Zarephath, and Elisha to Naaman. ‘But,’ you say, ‘Naaman came to Elisha.’ That is what is seen looking at it outwardly. But, you can be sure that Elisha, that godly man who was always waiting to hear what God the Lord would have him to say, had been forewarned by God that Naaman would come to his door. In that sense, Elisha was sent to him to be the Lord’s messenger.

What about Naaman? In one sense Naaman had everything that he could possibly desire in this world. He had a very honourable position. He was well thought of. God had given him success in his battles against Israel and others. He was a man, no doubt, almost second to the king. “But,” and what a ‘but’ it was! “He was a leper.” And strangely enough it was that leprosy that was used by God to teach him the way of salvation. It was not the riches he had, or the position he had, or the popularity he had, or the success he had. It was this great ‘but’ in his life. No doubt, when it first came, he wished a thousand times it wasn’t there. It was most likely that he could have sunk into great depression because there was no cure for leprosy in Naaman’s day. This ‘but’ cast a deep shadow of death, we might say, upon this otherwise to be envied man. “But he was a leper.” I will just pause there a minute, dear friends. There is a deeper leprosy than the leprosy than Naaman was afflicted with. That is the leprosy of sin. You may have an excellent bank balance. You may have many blessings in family, business and friends. You may be making, as you think, a success of your life. Many good things seem to come your way. But, have you ever considered, that like Naaman, there is a very great ‘but’ in your life: the leprosy of sin? The root of the fall is in you in thought, word and deed. And, dear friends, it needs to be dealt with. Just as Naaman’s leprosy needed an answer; so does your sin need an answer, an answer that only God can give.

Well, here then is Naaman with this thorn in the flesh that God had sent for a purpose. Those of you living with thorns in the flesh at the moment and cannot see why they should be there, be patient. The Lord may well be working a work as mighty as He did for Naaman with your thorn, with your crook in the lot and with your heavy cross.

This little girl was taken into Naaman’s house. There are four things about her faith which are so commendable.

The first thing was the constancy of it. You say: ‘What do you mean?’ Well, she was no longer in a land that worshipped the God of Israel. Naaman, particularly, it seems, by his own confession was one who with his master worshipped Rimmon, that false god. He no doubt went into the temple of Rimmon and bowed before Rimmon in that idolatrous way. But this little girl kept her faith, or we should say that God kept her faith for her. Though surrounded by everything that was really anathema to real religion, there she was like a lily among thorns, shining forth with her little witness; a precious witness in that dark environment. She did not leave her faith behind in Syria. What a mercy! Friends, do you leave your faith behind when you go to this place and to that place? Is it always known that you are a believer, or at least profess to be? When you are at home, or at work, or among your friends or with your neighbours do they know that your faith is a constant faith? What a question it is, and how far short we come! But this little maid’s faith was constant. It continued. It was not a fair-weather religion. It was one that shone even brighter when things were not so easy for her.

This brings me to the second point. That is that this little maid was as well taught as the Apostle Paul was. You say: ‘In what way?’ Paul said, when he was in captivity: “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” And so had this little maid. We do not read that she resented being where she was. No doubt she missed her parents, her loved ones and the land of Israel. That would be perfectly natural and not to be condemned. But we do not read that she was repining and making herself miserable among those with whom she was now found. But simple though her faith was, there was a contentment. She believed that though she was no longer in Israel, the God of Israel had His eye upon her. I was very struck with the hymn we opened our worship with this evening. I know it is New Testament language, but it was true of the little maid in the Old Testament sense, too.

“A loving Christ is near.”

J. Berridge

Or, as we have it in Psalm 46: “A very present help.” Friend, in your captive state; those things that seem to be holding you in at the moment – is there contentment? Are you like this little maid; not looking over the fence and wishing it were different, seeing other people in apparently easier circumstances than you? Are you content with what God has ordained for you? Are you inside Paul’s words in Hebrews 13? “Let your conversation”, that means your manner of life; “be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” What more do you need than that? What more could you ask for than that? This little girl had the presence of the God of Israel with her. She was among those we read of in a later Psalm: “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God.”

Thirdly, it was a confessing faith. She was not ashamed to acknowledge, when the opportunity came, who her God was. It was not Rimmon. It was not the idolatrous gods of Syria. It was the God of Israel. It was a confessing faith. She confessed in that alien environment who her God was and what He could do. This is a precious faith, isn’t it? This is a faith that is of the Lord. We read in Romans 10 words that we do not read very often; perhaps we should read them more, because they are so sweetly simple about what real faith is. We read these words: “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith: “Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.” This was the religion of this little girl. She was not ashamed to say: ‘Israel’s God is my God.’

Fourthly, it was a confident faith. She had such a confidence in what the God of Israel could do. She knew He had a servant in Israel, Elisha. She had heard of the miracles God had wrought through that godly man. She was one who thanked God, in her simple way, that there was such a one sent from God for the good of His people in that dark day. And now here was her master in great need. She was not like the saying: ‘A dog in a manger.’ She was not saying, ‘Well, they have treated me cruelly, I am not going to be interested in his complaint. I will be indifferent to it.’ No. Friends, grace makes a man tender, humble and sensitive. She could not look on the growing sadness of her master, when she knew there was possibly a remedy in Israel for him. So she says: “Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.” What a confident faith she had! She believed that “with God nothing shall be impossible.” She believed that if God put His hand to the work, it would be done. Friends, this sweet, simple faith; this childlike faith is very precious. Would to God we had more of it! A childlike trust! A childlike faith! Of course, it comes from the God of all grace who is the author and the finisher of His people’s faith. So she had this confidence that God would use Elisha even in this matter, if he but knew there was this case to be dealt with.

Of course, we know the outcome of it. Her report was relayed to the king. And the king thought: ‘Well, if we can find a remedy for the captain of my host, let us take it.’ But not being a man of faith, nor a man who understood these things, he made sure there was plenty of wealth and riches to go with Naaman so that the price could be paid for a cure. But it was to be free. And that was a very humbling thing to Naaman. Had he bought it, I think he would have felt that somehow, he had done something toward it. But grace is not like that. You can do nothing toward grace. Grace does everything for you, if indeed it has touched your heart. Naaman had to learn that in a very public way. When Elisha saw his riches, he did not want anything to do with them. Nothing whatsoever! One of the things Naaman had to part with was trusting in riches.

But then, of course, Naaman was a man who was used to people doing as they were told. He was a man in authority. “I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh.” He was quite sure how things would work out. He thought he would be sent to Elisha’s door by the king who had heard Elisha’s own words: “Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” He was quite sure how it would be done. He laid down a line for God to work in. ‘I am sure he will come out and welcome me. He will give me the honour due to my position. He will touch the leprous spot on my body, and then the miracle will be performed.’ He had it all mapped out in his mind how it was going to be, and how it was going to confirm his status as to who he was. But Elisha did not even go out to meet him. Instead, he sent his servant out with a message. “Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.” And, because it was not the way Naaman thought it should be, he flew into a rage. Friends, have you ever crossed God’s purposes like that? Why must this be? Why should I have to go this way? Naaman was like that. So much so that he said that the rivers in Syria and Damascus, Abana and Pharpar were much bigger rivers, better rivers and notable rivers than this poor, despised Jordan. ‘No, I am not going anywhere near that stream!’ He gets into his chariot and bids the horses go. Off he goes in a cloud of dust, still a leper. In other words, all the while he turned away from the one and only way God had ordained, his leprosy remained. In the end it was a question. Are you going to cling to your pride and your preconceived ideas, Naaman? Or are you going to submit to God’s one and only way ordained for your cleansing?

Naaman’s servants were very wise, weren’t they? They knew their master well. They knew he loved to do great things and be thought of as a man that did great things. They turned the matter round. ‘If the prophet had asked you to do some great thing, you would have done it! This is only a small thing he is asking of you, Naaman. True, it is a humiliating thing. True, it is not what you expected. But really, if you want to be cleansed, and this is the only way, why not go to Jordan, despised though it is?’ And, in the sovereign providence of God, their wise counsel prevailed. Unto Jordan he goes. He washes seven times. Why seven times? There are two reasons for that. One is that seven is a perfect number. It reminds us of God’s perfect dealings. Elijah’s servant went “again seven times” up and down Mount Carmel before the little cloud, like a man’s hand appeared: God’s perfect timing. And it was so with Naaman. This was a perfect work God was working. Also, it was this: he had to learn that the waters of Jordan, in and of themselves without God’s blessing, would not heal him. He washed over six times, and there was no difference. It was the seventh time he came up clean. This tells us, dear friends, although we must attend to the order of God’s house: prayer, praise, meditation and not leave undone those things that ought to be done, unless God bless them, they are no blessing to us. We want that ‘seventh’ time, don’t we? But “Go again seven times.” Do not neglect the means. Hasten to them but pray that God will bless them. The seventh time Naaman washed, he came up out of the water and “his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child.” That little maid’s faith came to its conclusion. What God had taught her to believe, she proved it to be true. The Author and the Finisher of her faith.

Of course, Naaman still thought that Elisha would want some presents. ‘No,’ said Elisha. It was as Abraham said to those kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. “I will not take from a thread even to a shoe latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.” Elisha had the same spirit. ‘I want none of your gold, or your silver, or your raiment. Keep it for yourself, Naaman. It is an entirely free healing you have had, and you are to acknowledge it as such. You are the receiver of charity.’ A proud man like Naaman was not used to receiving charity. But our pride must come down, mustn’t it? In the end, we are all beggars – all of us, if we are rightly taught of God. There is so much we have got to lose, isn’t there? There is so much that we think is commendable to God, but when God shines upon it, we have to come right down to where good Toplady came:

May God add His blessing.

“Nothing in my hand I bring; 

Simply to Thy cross I cling; 

Naked, come to Thee for dress; 

Helpless, look to Thee for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly; 

Wash me, Saviour, or I die.”

So, dear friends, Naaman went on his way, cleansed. We know about Gehazi’s disgraceful behaviour; how he suffered for it. “Covetousness, which is idolatry.” But Naaman, we believe, according to the Lord’s own testimony, was a sinner born again; a child of God from that moment. He was given the same faith as that little maid whose faith was used by God to bring Naaman the cure that he now rejoiced in. Truly God’s ways are past finding out, are they not?

“God moves in a mysterious way 

His wonders to perform.”

And they are wonders, aren’t they? This is God’s work. “This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.”

Amen.