(Matt. The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10), and so we must not allow the love of money to interfere with the calling of God on our lives. Israel was therefore Yahwehs portion (Deut 32:9), whereas all the other nations belong to the sons of God whom Israel was forbidden to worship. The Lord healed Naaman. 2, Dutch Paintings c. 1600c. And he said, "Send him down to me, and he will know that there is a God in Israel." What happens when someone rejects a sacrifice, a gift, an offering? We have rules about when one may accept charity from an idol worshipper. Why must a product of symmetric random variables be symmetric? I'll take it from here." The first small-figure picture is known only from a description in Lamberts inventory, where it can be gleaned that a landscape formed the backdrop for Gehazis attempt to inveigle Naaman into giving him the gifts. She has done all the leadership work but finds no one is doing her bidding with the follow-up details. They perhaps considered themselves to be as unselfish as Elisha was. Why does the king blame Elisha for the siege and famine of Samaria in 2 Kings 6:31? One day his wife's Israeli servant girl told her about the power of God moving through the prophet Elisha. To demonstrate his gratitude, Naaman, wearing a richly decorated turban and pale turquoise kaftan, came before the prophet to offer Elisha precious gifts, including the purple cloak on which he rests his left hand. Immediately after Babel, Yahweh called Abraham and the nation of Israel was created. And he took it and put it in his house. Naaman was a man with significant duties in his home country. For example, Halbertals book On Sacrifice presents us with the possibility of having ones offering being rejected. 1800 (Stockholm, 2005), 213, no. Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. 26:30. Previous commentary: Next commentary: About this commentary: are made available by the generosity of . By doing so, Naaman received his healing. Discover God's love and plan for you, Naaman was returning to a place where false gods were worshiped everywhere. The Lord healed Naaman. Arama, l.c.). ), Elisha starts with what was actually on offer (to him. At the behest of some servants, he consents to dip himself in the Jordan. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. Bakker, Piet. The baths cured Naaman. How to combine multiple named patterns into one Cases? Now you see, he starts to read his mind at this point, or he starts to discern what was on his heart. Naaman was a powerful man and a warrior who was used to giving commands and having those commands obeyed. He was a good commander and was held in favor because of the victory that God brought him. The baths cured Naaman. Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting and transformative Catholic news, stories, spirituality, and more. But I can't. Dirt? But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. He was originally a disciple of Elijah. In Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts, Jacobsz, a devout Mennonite teacher and biblical expert, was more interested in conveying the conversion of a great leader to the Christian faith than in portraying physical drama.14 With the painting in The Leiden Collection, Jacobsz showed himself to be both a talented painter and an earnest Mennonite teacher. He does, however, ask for sacrificial altar soil to be given him to take back home and that the God of Israel pardon him when he enters the temple of Rimmon as part of his obligations to the king of Syria. However, as noted, nothing is known about a commission, and it therefore remains uncertain for whom or which institution Jacobsz originally made this painting. Private Collection (sale, Sothebys, London, 7 December 2005, no. When he discovered that he was stricken with leprosy, he searched for a cure -- and of course, at that time, there was no cure. But this only can happen if we are willing to humble ourselves and recognize that Jesus is Lord and that we are His servants. Naaman's wife had a servant girl from Israel who said that a prophet there would be able to heal him. People become very excited when they see God work. 1Samuel 9:6-9), would make a deep impression upon Naaman and his retinue. When he heard of the ministry of Elisha, Naaman was willing to humble his pride, leave his homeland, and travel to Israel in order to see the prophet of God. You can discuss this post and others in the Faithlife Today group. And they said, "Hey, it looks like the servant of the prophet's coming." Bol was commissioned by the masters of the Amsterdam leper home. Much has been written, in the fields of anthropology, ethnography, ethics, and religious studies about gift-giving, sacrificing, and offering since the last century. This is the second contrast we find in this story: that of the pomp of Naaman and Elishas humbleness. When he returned home, Elisha found out and punished . More broadly, the idea derives from Deuteronomy 32:89 (compare Deut 4:1920), where we learn that when God divided up the nations at the Tower of Babel, they were allotted to the sons of God. The nations of the world were, in effect, disinherited by Yahweh as his own earthly family. For comparable tronies of old men executed by Jacob Backer in this period, see Jacob Backer, The Head of an Apostle, ca. Ewald ("Gesch." 2 Kings 3:14 And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. So please accept a gift from your servant." 16 But Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it." And although Naaman urged him to accept it . By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. ; but as the interval between the death of Ahab and the curing of Naaman's leprosy is not known, it is impossible to identify the King of Israel to whom Naaman was sent with a letter. The leprosy that was upon Naaman is going to be upon you and your family. Could he have executed it for the Leprozenhuis in Leeuwarden, much as Pieter de Grebber did in 1637 for the regents of the Leprozenhuis in Haarlem, or as Ferdinand Bol would do in 1661 for the Leprozenhuis in Amsterdam? . He couldnt stay in Israel, but he could take Israel with him. Ltfen Kullanm artlarmz ve Gizlilik Politikamz dikkatlice inceleyiniz. This excerpt about Naaman in the Bible is adapted from the original article in Dr. Heisers book I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible. Elisha refused to accept the gifts, but his servant, Gehazi, decided he would "run after him, and take somewhat of him." A PDF of every version of this entry is available in this Online Catalogue's Archive, and the Archive is managed by a permanent URL. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Saya mengerti ini adalah website yang berdasarkan ajaran Alkitab. The Mekilta (Yitro, 'Amale, 1), however, places Naaman's conversion above Jethro's. 78. Elisha the prophet healed Naaman of his leprosy by the power of the Lord (verse 14), and Naaman praised God and offered Elisha a gift, which Elisha refused to accept (verse 16). This website uses cookies to ensure the best user experience. Although opinion varies as to how much a talent weighed (maybe 25-35kg), it was certainly a lot of money. 358; see also the RKD website. And he said. Copyright 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network. Among the onlookers to this encounter are Naamans servants and soldiers, as well as Elishas servant Gehazi, the attentive young man at the far right. Only after Naaman's slaves suggest to their master that he has nothing to lose by at least giving it a try since the task is a simple and easy one, he takes his bath in the Jordan river as a mikveh as instructed and finds himself healed. But when they got to the gate of the city, Gehazi said, "That's great. Naaman then takes his bath in the Jordan river (as a mikveh) and is healed. Naaman, a man of heathen faith who is unfamiliar with the Jewish mezora, had expected the prophet himself to come out to him and to perform some kind of impressive ritual magic; he angrily refuses, and prepares to go home unhealed. Naamans unusual request stems from the ancientand biblicalconception that the earth is the locale for a cosmic turf war. The king was distraught because he knew that he couldn't heal him. Naaman is mentioned in 2 Kings 5 of the Tanakh in Hebrew as " " or "Naaman captain of the army of the King of Aram". 5; comp. He did not want sin to come between him and the Lord or to hinder the Lord's work through his life because of his greed. For example, the artist often divided the picture plane and juxtaposed his main protagonists in this manner, as in The Disobedient Prophet in the Nationalmuseum Stockholm (fig 5).11 The old prophet in that painting, moreover, resembles Elisha.12, A final question concerns patronage. These are the things he thought he would buy with the money: the oliveyards and vineyards, he's going to have servants of his own. Get a roundup of new Word by Word articles in your inbox each Friday. 14:1-12, where God himself tells Moses the ritual for cleansing one with a skin disease). 6, Nachtrge, Ortsregister, Ikonographisches Register, Bibliographie, Knstlerverzeichnis (Landau, 1983), no. Why does Jesus turn to the Father to forgive in Luke 23:34? The request is so odd that its hard to avoid wondering if Naaman needed some other kind of therapy. 9:18.) Gehazi told Naaman that Elisha had changed his mind and now Elisha wanted the gifts. Elisha's refusal of Naaman's gift in our passage, and that this expla-nation should be sought in the prophet's judicial deliberations over his servant, Gehazi, incurred after the latter had acquired Naaman's gift (vv. Why did Elisha rebuke Gehazi for things he did not accept from Naaman? Naaman wanted dirt from Israel because Israel was Yahwehs territory. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. He did not want money, wealth, power, or prestige to interfere with the call of God that was on his life. Now Naaman, the general of the king of Aram, was a prominent man before his lord and respected, for through him had the Lord given victory to Aram; and the man was a great warrior, and he was a mezora. How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible. He chased after Naaman to take the gifts that Elisha refused to accept. 6, unsold). Naaman comes to Elisha, the text tells us, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. Elisha, instead, had barely an instruction to give, and one that was not even his own: the good old go take a ritual bath in the Jordan. Too proud to follow the prophets all-too-simple instruction, Naaman almost goes back home still a leper! oil on canvas (151 249 cm) 1661 1800 (Stockholm 2005), 59, no. Tanuma, Tazria' (end), however, says that Naaman was stricken with leprosy for taking an Israelitish maiden and making her his wife's servant (comp. "I know that," he said. 57b; Deut. Since 1951 the journals has been generally recognized to be indispensable for scholarly work on the Old Testament. This event is alluded to in the words "because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria" (II Kings v. 1), and therefore the Syrian king, Naaman's master, was Benhadad (Midrash Shoer ob to. 18 (The rule is that, in general, we are forbidden, but there are certain situations where we can accept gifts, albeit discreetly. BRILL is renowned for its publications in the following subject areas; Asian Studies, Ancient Near East & Egypt, Biblical Studies & Religious Studies, Classical Studies, Medieval & Early Modern Studies, Middle East & Islamic Studies. See Piet Bakker, De Friese schilderkunst in de Gouden Eeuw (Zwolle, 2008), 140, fig. Discover God's love and plan for you, This was a demonstration of humility. Because of Jacobszs paintings devotional content, it is tempting to assume that it was intended for the Mennonite Church (Vermaning) he cofounded, and where he delivered the first sermon on 7 August 1631; see the biography of Lambert Jacobsz in this catalogue. He didn't heal Naaman. Rightfully so. Jan Pynas, Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts (Oud-Katholieke Kerk, Leiden); see the RKD website. In the more thickly painted central figures, the artist used dabs of paint to imitate metallic reflections in Naamans garments, as well as in the highlights and other light-colored details in the textiles. Deuteronomy 8:18 . I speculate that God seeing a true turning of Naaman to Himself did not want Naaman to say that he contributed toward his conversion, especially not with material and perishable things Share Improve this answer "I pray that you'll take this blessing.". Nevertheless, the now-lost painting represents an episode that immediately precedes the one Jacobsz depicted in the Leiden Collection painting. 78. The dirt which is Yahwehs domain is holy ground. Elisha, instead, just tells him what God had already told Moses. I could buy an olive orchard, a vineyard. The suggestion that vv. As a result, Israel was holy ground; the territory of every other nation was not. 1800 (Stockholm 2005), 59, no. Jacob Backer, The Tribute Money, 1630s (Nationalmuseum, Stockholm); see Grel Cavalli-Bjrkman, Dutch and Flemish Paintings, vol. The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Muse des Beaux-Arts et de la Cramique de Rouen), and The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Muse des Beaux-Arts et dArchologie de Besanon); see Werner Sumowski, Gemlder der Rembrandt-Schler, vol. In this quiet and restrained scene, Lambert Jacobsz placed Naaman in the center of the composition and gave him added prominence through his slightly larger scale and the brilliant colors of his turban and kaftan. "Elisha understood this truth perfectly, but Gehazi saw a chance for personal gain slipping away and let his greed overpower his good judgment.". So his king, his soldiers, and the people of Syria heaped praise upon him. Now the Arameans went out in bands and captured from the land of Israel a young girl, who ministered to Naaman's wife. Because it's just such a simple thing, why don't you try it? If anyone should have known and obeyed the commandments of God, it was Gehazi. Where our treasure is, there will heart be also. See Albert Blankert, Kunst als regeringszaak in Amsterdam in de 17e eeuw (Exh. Naamans wife was married to a mighty warrior that suffered from leprosy. And so the king had torn his clothes and was all upset. And when Gehazi came up, he said, "Is everything fine?" 34). I can only receive by grace the goodness of God. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. 3, B. Keil J. And he said, Did not my spirit go with thee, [when you received] when you went out to their chariot and stopped them and you received the money, and you received the garments, and the oliveyards, and the vineyards, and the sheep, and the oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? He was a man without many options and so God became his only hope. He declared that the rivers in Damascus were cleaner than any river in Israel. If God was able to cleanse a man of an incurable skin condition why would God need that persons gold, or slaves or cattle? Now in coming back, he acknowledged that there was no God in all the earth but in Israel. When he returned home, Elisha found out and punished Gehazi with leprosy for his greed. But also, Elishas rejection seems to suggest God is more of a giver than of a taker, and his gifts do not aim to setting an economical cycle of gift-giving and exchange with anyone: he freely gives his Grace (in fact, this is what the word Grace strictly means: gratuity, something freely given beyond ones obligation), which always exceeds measure or merit. The third one is, then, that of the gifts: Naaman insists on giving Elisha some gift (the text doesnt specify what, but one can assume that it might have to do with Naamans six thousand shekels of gold), but Elisha refuses him, saying As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.. Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. Elishas hands are exceptionally beautifully shaped and contrast strongly with the usually somewhat clumsy hands painted on other original work by Lambert Jacobsz. The rest of the Old Testament is the story of Gods intention to reclaim every nation on earth. BRILL's mainly English language publications include book series, individual monographs and encyclopaedias as well as journals. According to Blankert, the subject had a twofold significance for the regents: first, Elishas refusal symbolized the regents own rectitude and, second, the example of Gehazi was a cautionary note for their servants that they would pay a heavy price for deception. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. When the painting first appeared on the market in 2005, it was given to Pieter de Grebber.8 As Albert Blankert rightly recognized, however, this attribution is not tenable for stylistic reasons, despite the fact that Jacobsz knew De Grebbers work.9 Blankert also pointed out that the way in which the old Elisha and young Naaman face each other is comparable to the confrontation between Elisha and Gehazi in the Hannover painting.10 Other arguments reinforce the attribution of the Leiden Collection painting to Lambert Jacobsz. Naaman sends a letter to the king saying that he expected the king to heal him! 5, S. Paulus met sijn sweert groot L. 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