05.6. Naamans Baptism In The River Jordan

Naaman’s Baptism In The River Jordan

2 Kings 5:10-14

We now see that Naaman humbled himself and immersed himself seven times in the river Jordan. He did not stay, however, in the water grave, but came out as a new person. That is a splendid example for us as Christians, for we also have experienced a complete renewal by putting on the new man.

Go and wash in the Jordan

Elisha did not find it necessary to speak to Naaman personally. He had his wise intentions for acting in that way, as would quickly become evident. For Naaman had to learn to humble himself. His pride had to be broken. So the prophet himself did not come out of the house, but simply sent a messenger to him with the order: "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times" (2 Kings 5:10 a). At the same time, he added the clear promise: "(...) and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean" (2 Kings 5:10 b). Literally, it says: "(...) and your flesh shall come back to you" (cf. JND; KJV). After all, one of the terrible consequences of leprosy is that the sick person’s flesh is eaten away, as it were. The powerful commander of the Syrian army, however, did not like this command. He interpreted the message of the prophet as a personal insult. He had expected a completely different treatment, a complicated ritual, as he was probably used to with the heathen magicians in his own country (2 Kings 5:11).

Surely he was deserving of an honourable treatment. After all, he was not just somebody. Surely he was able to reward Elisha nicely for his services, wasn’t he? What an order: "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times!" What a humiliation! Were not the clear and watery rivers of Damascus, the Abanah (or, Amanah) and the Pharpar, better than that narrow and muddy Jordan? Couldn’t he have taken a bath at home? Naaman could have thought up that remedy himself (2 Kings 5:12). However, he did not want to give up the rivers, nor the gods of Damascus. Only later would he recognize that there was no God in all the earth, except in Israel (2 Kings 5:15). Naaman was angry and felt deeply hurt. There his command to the charioteer could be heard: Turn the reins! Go back home! It must have been a quiet procession that started back in a northerly direction and descended from the mountains of Samaria. Maybe it happened at a resting place not far from the Jordan that Naaman’s servants had the courage to address their master (2 Kings 5:13). They did it very tactfully and with the necessary respect. They honoured their commander as a father. They gave advice that was not asked for, but it was very sober and sound. If Naaman had been commissioned to do something difficult, he would have done so! He would have employed every possible means to become healthy again. Now, however, the prophet had given a simple order: "Wash, and be clean." Why not then listen to those simple words of the man of God?

New life in Christ

It is to Naaman’s credit that he was prepared to listen to the words of his servants. He did not act in a superior way. "So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God" (2 Kings 5:14 a). Yet it must have been very difficult for him to humble himself so much in the presence of his inferiors. He had to come down from his high chariot, put off his clothes, and to sink into the Jordan, so to speak. But he did it, although nothing was left of his pride and nobility. Furthermore, he did not do it just to please his servants. He not only listened to them, but he complied with the saying of the man of God, as our verse says. He obeyed God. This is a beautiful illustration of the way of salvation. We must become conscious of our fallen state, our sinfulness, our leprous condition before God. We must humble ourselves before Him and descend from the "high chariot" of our natural pride and own importance. We must follow the path that He points out to us in His Word. The divine remedy is that we confess our sins, put off the old man and descend into the "river of death". In other words, we must identify ourselves by faith with a Christ who died for our sins.

There is no other way to be saved and cleansed, to receive new life. "No one comes to the Father except through Me", says the Lord Jesus (John 14:6). Naaman was obedient and immersed himself seven times in the river Jordan. The name Jordan means "going down" or "flowing down". This river rises between the Lebanon and Mount Hermon and flows to the Dead Sea, situated far below sea level. This is a wonderful type of the death of Christ, for He descended from the heights of heaven and made Himself of no reputation. He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death. The number seven speaks of perfection. Naaman had to immerse himself seven times in the Jordan. He had to go down completely. Nothing of the old man should remain visible. Likewise, we as believers were buried with Christ through baptism into death. We have been united together in the likeness of His death (Romans 6:4-5). But Naaman did not remain in the water grave. He came out a new creature: "(...) and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean" (2 Kings 5:14 b). That is a picture of the new life that we have received as Christians. We have not only died with Christ, but have also risen with Him to a new life. A sevenfold blessing This part of the text (2 Kings 5:14 b) sheds light on a number of important truths from the New Testament. More or less by coincidence, I have come up with seven points. Naaman’s baptism in the Jordan illustrates that:

(1) We have been cleansed from the sins and iniquities that clung to us, and defiled us in the eyes of a holy God (John 13:10; Hebrews 10:22; 1 Peter 1:22).

(2) We have been delivered from the power of sin that ruined us and spread insidiously in our lives (Romans 8:2).

(3) We have been born again (John 3:3; John 3:5).

(4) We have been made alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5; Colossians 2:13).

(5) We have entered a new world. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5).

(6) We have put off the old man and have put on the new man (Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10).

(7) From now on we should live in newness of life (Romans 6:4). Here too, it appears that Scripture usually speaks of the cleansing of the leper, and hardly ever of his cure. Likewise, sin makes us unclean before God, who is of purer eyes than to behold evil. The promise of the prophet was: "(...) and you shall be clean" (2 Kings 5:10 b). In keeping with this, we read here: "(...) and he was clean" (2 Kings 5:14 b). We too, as disciples of Christ are "completely clean" because of the word which He has spoken to us (John 13:10; John 15:3).

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