Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins

"... and all Liars" I doubt that I need to define a “lie” for anyone. Nor do I need to explain the above title. Oh, a lie might prevail for a time, but in the long run, a lie will put you where you do not want to go. One of the more familiar people in the Bible is the prophet Elisha. He may not be as well known as Elijah, but he was God’s man. Elisha is not the subject of these thoughts, but Elisha’s servant, Gehazi is. Naaman is usually the main character in this story found in 2 Kings 5. Naaman’s problem was the dreaded leprosy, and Elisha’s task was to heal Naaman. He did so after Naaman realized the power came from God. But there are some peripheral issues to consider.   Naaman had brought gifts in anticipation of being healed of this dreaded and very painful disease. Those gifts included “ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and tenchangesofraiment,”2 Kings 5:5. Perhaps this was the normal thing to do in similar situations, but Elisha was not interested in being showered with gifts for administering the gifts of God. He knew he did not deserve the gifts, and he knew that his work as God’s spokesman was a great privilege, and he was not going to dishonor or defile them by selfish attitudes. Gehazi, on the other hand, did not look at this occasion in the same way. There were treasures to be possessed. Treasures that could enhance his own style of living. Perhaps even the chance to leave the position of a servant and become a person of means, a person with wealth and with standing in his community. Such possibilities were evidently very meaningful to him, even more than his respect for others, more than his ethical standards could employ in this case. The context of this event is important to note: Elisha had a servant that aided him in his work as God’s prophet. In the events of 2 Kings 5, Gehazi’s task was to reveal instructions God required for Naaman’s healing. This is the event in which the military leader is given instruction concerning his leprosy: “Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean,” as seen in 2 Kings 5:10.  Naaman balked at these words, preferring the rivers of his own country, “Abana and Pharpar,” 2 Kings 5:12. After being encouraged by his own servants to follow the instructions of Elisha, he did so and was cleansed completely. His change of mind and heart is seen in his comment: “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel,” 2 Kings 5:15. He offered his gifts to Elisha, who said, in effect, “Thanks, but no thanks.” His work was not for sale to a soldier from Syria. But Gehazi was listening, and his sense of fairness was offended. He thought Elisha should have taken the gifts. In his mind this justified taking it for himself, saying to himself, “as the Lord lives, I will run after him, and take something from him,” 2 King 5:20.  It is here that Gehazi began to introduce his lies. He claimed Elisha had authorized him to take some of the gifts because an unexpected need had arisen. He told Naaman the lie and twice as many gifts were given to him. He took them and hid them in his house. When he saw Elisha, he lied to him, but his deeds were already known, and the penalty for the lies and the theft was severe. For Gehazi, the leprosy that once was Naaman’s now was all over Gehazi. He was a “leper”, and no amount of wealth, popularity or possessions could comfort him. The lesson here is not merely about lying, but covetousness, deception, disloyalty, treachery and materialism. Isaiah would describe it well 150 years later: “There is no peace, saith my Godtothewicked.” Isaiah 57:21. Two men, one powerful in his own nation, though afflicted with leprosy, now cleansed and whole. The other, once a trusted associate, now a leper, banished from society. Yes, it is true: “..the way of transgressors is hard,” Proverbs 13:15, Revelation 21:8.    Similar deeds come today  from those who fail to “consider the latterend,” Deuteronomy 32:29. Did Gehazi later consider this a good trade? No, and neither is it a good trade today. Truth traded for lies brings disaster, not joy.   Remember Gehazi’s greed, and learn from it. Carl B Garner

I Was Lost --- but You were in a Hurry I attended your church services this morning. You won’t remember me. I may have been one who was eleven years old, or the one who was eighty, but I was there, hunting for something. I think I may have found it if you had not been in such a hurry. The congregation sang songs about a loving Savior that made my heart beat faster. I even felt a tight choking sensation in my throat as your minister described the condition of the lost person. “I am the lost person he is talking about,” I said to myself. “From the way he is speaking, he must know me. Being saved is very important.” I looked around at you in the pew near me, and you seemed to be listening too. “These words must be very important. All of these people are so concerned,” I thought. “They want me to be saved, too.” At last the preacher finished his appeal and asked everyone to stand and sing another of the beautiful songs you all know so well. I swallowed the lump that was in my throat and wished I knew the joy that you all seem to know so well, and I wished I knew these songs so I too could sing with such joy. Then your preacher seemed to look right at me, and once again made a plea for my soul. He started telling again of all the joy I could have, but his words were being drowned out by the buzzing going on around me, and the stir created by songbooks being pulled from the rack. When I glanced around, you were putting your little girl’s coat on her and telling her to get her things together. I looked on the other side and you were picking up the toys and trash your kids had left behind. Looking in front of me, I saw someone looking at his watch, as if the time was running out. Suddenly, I did not want to look at any more of you. My eyes began to burn, my throat was hurting, and my feet were so tired, I could not walk to the preacher, even if I had wanted to respond to his appeal for my soul. You did not really care, did you? The salvation the minister was telling me about was not really important to you, was it? You did not care that I was lost. You only wanted to get your things together and get out of there. I now wanted to get away, too. I really wanted to run, but I was afraid if I did I would cause too much attention. I waited until the service was over and walked out among all of you—alone—and lost! Author Not Known