My Weblog: The Gospel Preacher.

In Ezekiel 3:9, it is written, " 9 ^aAs an ¹adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: ^bfear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. "  God says that there are times when He makes our foreheads harder than flint.  There is a time to be hard-headed and speak God's word, for in Ecclesiastes 3:7, it is written, " 7 A time to ¹rend, and a time to ²sew; ^aa time to keep silence, and a time to ^bspeak. "

We see an example of this with Elisha the man of God, for in 2 Kings 5:15-20, it is written ( please read the entire chapter to get the immediate context ), " 15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is ^ano God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take ^ba ¹blessing of thy servant.  16 But he said, ^aAs the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, ^bI will receive none.  And he urged him to take it; but he refused ( Emphasis mine, R.E.W. ).  17 And Na´-a-man said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth?  for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.  18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rim´-mon to worship there, and ^ahe leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rim´-mon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rim´-mon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.  19 And he said unto him, Go in peace.  So he departed from him a little way.  20 But ^aGe-ha´-zi, the servant of E-li´-sha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Na´-a-man this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. "  Earlier in this chapter, we see that Elisha told Naaman to wash in the Jordan seven times, and he would be clean ( see verse ten ).  This statement is a foreshadowing of Scriptural baptism ( see also Acts, chapter 22 ( especially verse 16, for example ), for example ).  Once Naaman had washed in the Jordan river, he was then one of God's covenant people ( see also Exodus, chapter 3 ( especially verses 10-17, for example ); chapter 14; 24:1-8 ( especially verse 8, for example ); Psalm 50:5; and Romans 1:1, 7, for example ).  Rimmon ( or Hadad ) was the chief god of Syria.  Thus, the house of Rimmon would apply to any house of false worship, whether it be Baptist, Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist, etc ( see Matthew, chapter 10 ( especially verse 20, for example ); John, chapter 6 ( especially verse 27, for example ); 2 Corinthians, chapter 13 ( especially verse 3, for example ); and 1 John 5:6, for example ).  Notice that the prophet Elisha granted a pardon, on behalf of the LORD, to Naaman, whenever he was required to go into the house of Rimmon when his master, the king of Syria, worshiped there.  This pardon applied only to Naaman, and not to his master, the king of Syria, who was not one of God's covenant people.  This observation would apply to someone who is a member of the secret service, for example, who would be required to be in the presence of the king of America ( i.e., the president of the United States ).  Whenever the president of the United States enters the Washington National Cathedral, for example, which is a house of false worship, to worship there, members of the secret service would be required to be present there with him.  If a Christian, a member of the church of Christ, had a Bible study with a member of the secret service, and he obeyed the gospel message ( see John 3:16, 17; and 36; 14:6, 15; Acts 15:1-21 ( especially verse 7, for example ); and Ephesians 1:1-14 ( especially verse 13, for example ), for example ), he would then be one of God's covenant people under the New Testament, but he would still be required to enter the Washington National Cathedral when the president of the United States went there to worship.  However, the LORD would pardon him in that situation, since he is a Christian, a member of the church of Christ, and he now knows that the Washington National Cathedral is a place of false worship.  In those times when the president of the United States does not go to the Wahsington National Cathedral, then that member of the secret service would be free to attend a local congregation of the church of Christ to worship God.  This observation is not in support of the sinful ( see Psalm 119:65-73, 142, and 151; John 17:1, 3, and 17; Romans 15:1-4 ( especially verse 4, for example ); 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16, 17; and 1 John 3:4, for example ) claim of freedom of religion ( or the justifying of false religion ), since the LORD pardons only the Christian, the member of the church of Christ, and no one else, in this situation.  Repeatedly, we find in the Holy Bible that God condemns the claim of freedom of religion ( or the justifying of false religion ).  Second Kings, chapter five, is another example of this.

Secondly, the willingness of Elisha to pardon Naaman, on the LORD's behalf, is a foreshadowing of what the apostle Paul ( see 1 Corinthians 1:1 ) wrote ( see 9:1 and 16:21, for example ) in 2:6-8, namely: " 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are ¹perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the ²princes of this ³world, that come to ⁴nought: 7 but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ¹ordained before the ²world unto our glory: 8 which none of the ¹princes of this ²world knew: for ^ahad they known it, they would not have ^bcrucified the Lord of glory. "  God clearly says that the rulers of this age do not know the hidden wisdom of Him.  Thus, just as the king of Syria, Naaman's master, did not know God, the president of the United States, for example, does not know God, and is not saved.  It is not possible to be saved outside of the church of Christ ( see Matthew 16:18, for example ).  Thus, in God's eyes, the rulers of this age are simply placeholders, who hold positions in government to ensure that we, as Christians, for example, members of the one, universal, New Testament church, the church of Christ, can live, work, and worship in safety ( see 1 Timothy 2:1-4, for example ).  Furthermore, since Naaman was pardoned for being with the king of Syria in the house of Rimmon, where the king worshiped, this means that there are additional burdens in the lives of those who were not raised in the church.  Specifically, since Naaman held the position that he had in relation to the king of Syria, he was required to be in his presence in the house of Rimmon, even after he was one of God's covenant people.  God, in His infinite wisdom ( see Job 21:22, for example ), allows for these extenuating circumstances, provided that we are faithful to Him unto death ( see Revelation 2:10, for example ).

Elisha, the man of God, refused the present that Naaman offered to him.  Greed is a sin, for in Hebrews 13:5, it is written, " 5 Let your ¹conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, ^aI will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. "  Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, was punished for committing this sin.  Please search the scriptures daily ( see Acts 17:10, 11, for example ). 🕮