And the guy urged him, but still he refused.In the healing of Naaman we find some interesting things, and one of them is that typically, we, all of us, really have difficulty with just accepting the grace of God. How does a fan in a turbofan engine suck air in? ), Naaman returns to Elisha with lavish gifts, which Elisha flatly refuses to accept. 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. thinks the king referred to was Jehoahaz, while Schenkel ("Biblical Lexicon") suggests Jehu, but the general view is that it was Jehoram. Amsterdam, Museum Het Rembrandthuis; Aachen, Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum) (Zwolle, 2008), 32. Wheelock, Arthur K., Jr., Christiaan Vogelaar, and Caroline van Cauwenberge. rev2023.3.1.43269. 552 et seq.) . Finally, before embarking for Syria, Naaman makes a strange request: to load two mules with dirt to take back with him. The regents of the Leprozenhuizen in Haarlem and Amsterdam seem to have used Naamans story to show their integrity, as city councils often fall back on stories from classical history. Elisha did not accept Naaman's gifts because he wanted Naaman to know that his healing had nothing to do with Elisha but everything to do with the God of Israel. The Bible calls him "the servant of Elisha, the man of God. The Lord healed Naaman. Naamans wife was married to a mighty warrior that suffered from leprosy. When the two meet, Elisha tells him rather dismissively that he needs to take a bath in the Jordan River. The suggestion that vv. There are some old damages to the canvas support with associated paint losses, as in the two figures immediately to the left of Naaman. It only takes a minute to sign up. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.. The guy is just looking for trouble. 16001652/3), who executed the biblical narrative as a portrait histori for the regents of the Haarlem Leprozenhuis (Leper Asylum) in 1637 (fig 1).1 De Grebbers work shows some affinities with Jacobszs painting in its compositional format and half-length depiction of elaborately dressed figures, but the two paintings differ greatly in character and in their treatment of the biblical subject. He said, "That guy didn't even have the graciousness to come out and meet me himself. When he discovered that he was stricken with leprosy, he searched for a cure -- and of course, at that time, there was no cure. Lambert Jacobszs interpretation of the story is consistent with Mennonite beliefs. Elishas healing of Naaman in the Bible (the leper [and] commander of the army of the king of Syria) is a familiar story to many (2 Kgs 5:127). How could he engage in traditional Israelite ritual? (The mikveh is a bath used for ritual immersion in Judaism. I want to do some great thing for God. He came to the door to tell Naaman that he should take a dip in the Jordan River seven times. A1A16. In the past, the edges of the painting appear to have been folded over a smaller stretcher about an inch from the current edge. The king of Israel didn't know what to do, yet Elisha (Eliseus) sent a message to the King, advising that the King tell Naaman to come to see him. Among them are paintings by Lambert Jacobszs teacher Jan Pynas (1581/21631), who depicted the subject in a 1627 painting, now in the Old Catholic Church in Leiden, and one by Pieter de Grebber (ca. Iconclass is a classification system pertaining to art and iconography, designed to describe and classify subjects, themes, and motifs represented in images. 1631 (Private collection, United States); Peter van den Brink, Jacob Backer (1608/91651) (Exh. When a joyful Naaman stood before Gehazi and Elisha, with skin clean and pure, Naaman pleaded, "Take a blessing [gift] of thy servant.". 2, Dutch Paintings c. 1600c. When he discovered that he was stricken with leprosy, he searched for a cure -- and of course, at that time, there was no cure. Sign up for our Premium service. Previous commentary: Next commentary: About this commentary: are made available by the generosity of . Naaman then traveled to Samaria to see Elisha, but the prophet never received him: he just sent a messenger to meet Naaman and his entourage by the door. And they said, "Hey, it looks like the servant of the prophet's coming." Saya mengerti ini adalah website yang berdasarkan ajaran Alkitab. But Elisha said, As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing. A4. Naaman sends a letter to the king saying that he expected the king to heal him! And he came to Elisha and he sought to give to Elisha some of these gifts that he had brought from Syria and Elisha said, "No, I don't want your gifts. Blankert also noted the strong resemblance of some figures in Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts with those in Jacobszs Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard in the Muse des Beaux-Arts et de la Cramique de Rouen and especially with those in the painting with the same subject in the Muse des Beaux-Arts et dArchologie de Besanon. The first one is that between the faith and humility of Naamans young servant (who barely knows of Elisha and still is willing to tell her master to go meet the prophet) and that of Naaman himself, who traveled all the way to Elishas house and was yet willing to leave uncured simply because the prophet did not receive him in person. In 2 Kings 5:1519, the elated Naaman returns to Elisha and begs him to take payment for healing him. Naaman was happy to give Gehazi the gifts and then he continued on his journey. The Lord healed Naaman. Naaman was the captain of the army of the king of Aram (Syria). Nevertheless, the now-lost painting represents an episode that immediately precedes the one Jacobsz depicted in the Leiden Collection painting. Naaman is understood as Moab in the expression "Moab is my washpot" (Ps. It's FREE! [4], According to Rabbinic teaching, Naaman was the archer who drew his bow at a venture and mortally wounded Ahab, King of Israel (I Kings xxii. Naaman would build and altar on the dirt and make an offering to the one true God. Why would God have rejected Cains offering? R. vii. In the healing of Naaman we find some interesting things, and one of them is that typically, we, all of us, really have difficulty with just accepting the grace of God. The present format appears to be at, or near, the original dimensions. UFOs and Christianity: What Hath Roswell to Do with Jerusalem? Help us purchase electrical generators for churches. 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. You can now hide this message or find out more about cookies. The practice in Lambert Jacobszs workshop included the frequent variation and copying of originals by some leading painters of the time, such as Rembrandt van Rijn (160669), Jan Lievens (160774), and Gerrit von Honthorst (15921656). Discover God's grace, His officers convinced him of the wisdom of obeying the commands of the prophet. The leprosy was gone.He was so excited he headed back to the prophet's house because he was loaded down with all kinds of gifts that the king of Syria had sent. Deuteronomy 8:11-14 , Elisha hearing from God refused out of obedience to God anything Naaman offered because after all he was entitled to payment as a prophet. He was originally a disciple of Elijah. For an extensive discussion of this work, see Neeltje Khler, ed., Painting in Haarlem 15001850: The Collection of the Frans Hals Museum (Ghent, 2006), 46869. Naaman believed that There [was] no God in all the earth but in Israel (2 Kgs 5:15) and wanted to return to his homeland with holy ground. From Marcel Mauss classic The Gift, to the relatively recent book by Moshe Halbertal On Sacrifice, understanding the dynamics involved in giving (and for-giving) seems to be crucial to unveil some of the fundamental tenets of our interpersonal relationships, may them be among humans, or with the divine. And unfortunately, some people who have had a ministry of healing or whatever have been guilty of using that to enrich themselves. Simon Kick, Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts, 1644 (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemldegalerie); Werner Sumowski, Gemlde der Rembrandt-Schler, vol. One day, his wife's Israelite servant girl told her about the power of God moving through the prophet Elisha. 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? It. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions The artist worked with loose and gestural brushwork. So Elisha catalogs the types of gifts that he refused in order to emphasize his role as a mere channel of the divinity as opposed to miracle-worker. In De Grebbers painting, the patrons assume the roles of Naaman and three of his servants. He wanted to always remember the true God who healed him. 20-7). Rawlinson, "Ancient Monarchies," ii. Michael S. Heiser is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (M.A., Ancient History) and the University of Wisconsin- Madison (M.A., Ph.D., Hebrew Bible and Semitic Studies). They also receive 3 DVD's of each new Superbook episode.If you are already a Superbook DVD Club member and have enabled streaming access, please login to access full-length Superbook episodes. 14:1-12, where God himself tells Moses the ritual for cleansing one with a skin disease). Sources: April 1984 and April 1985 general conference reports and the Church Educational System's Old Testament Student Manual. Lambert Jacobsz, Elisha and Gehazi (Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queens University, Kingston). Just mad. Because it's just such a simple thing, why don't you try it? 3, B. Keil J. All rights reserved. )"The temptation to use priesthood power for personal gain has plagued man throughout history," states the Church Educational System's Old Testament Student Manual. Naaman tells his lord this and he is sent to Israel with a letter to the king. 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 then praised the lord of Israel as the only true god. Dealing with hard questions during a software developer interview, How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner, Partner is not responding when their writing is needed in European project application. But he listened to the advice of his captains, humbled himself, and obeyed the word of the Lord -- and thus received his healing. The paintings present restoration integrates these condition issues and unifies the composition well. An Israelite maid he had captured advised him to go see the prophet Elisha. 1800 (Stockholm 2005), 59, no. Naaman traveled to Samaria, where Elisha told him to take seven dips in the river Jordan. Gehazi told Naaman that Elisha had changed his mind and now Elisha wanted the gifts. He did not want money, wealth, power, or prestige to interfere with the call of God that was on his life. Does Cast a Spell make you a spellcaster? She has done all the leadership work but finds no one is doing her bidding with the follow-up details. Jacobsz also painted original compositions, of which his assistants made copies and variations. The model for the elderly man was also used for a version of The Tribute Money in Stockholm by Jacob Backer in his Leeuwarden period; see Grel Cavalli-Bjrkman, Dutch and Flemish Paintings, vol. Oh how simple it is. 5, Nachtrge, Ortsregister, Ikonographisches Register, Bibliographie (Landau, 1994), nos. 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. 2,Dutch Paintings c. 1600c. Amsterdam, Museum Het Rembrandthuis; Aachen, Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum) (Zwolle, 2008), 3034, 20411, nos. Edited by Arthur K. Wheelock Jr. and Lara Yeager-Crasselt. 34). Another example can be found in Lambert Jacobszs estate inventory, in which Jacob Backers name is later added to a large painting of Paul with a sword, that was initially only attributed to Lambert Jacobsz. Gehazi's Greed and Leprosy 15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, "Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Private Collection (sale, Sothebys, London, 7 December 2005, no. When Naaman left Elisha's house to return home to Syria, Gehazi was filled with greed. The baths cured Naaman. We have rules about when one may accept charity from an idol worshipper. Why would he ask for dirt? For Parents Only: CBN Animation Club & DVDs, login to access full-length Superbook episodes, FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SUPERBOOK DVD CLUB. Gehazi was Elisha's helper. When Naaman offered Elisha money and clothes, why did Elisha refuse? New versions are added only when a substantive change to the narrative occurs. (2 Ne. So Naaman became enraged. This also shows the place where the king and the people were at spiritually because the king doesn't think to call Elisha there to heal Naaman. Backer A. van Dijck (Landau, 1983), 669, no. This was Gods land. 20-7 act epexegetically to Elisha's refusal to accept Naaman's gifts is plausible for three reasons. Elishas hands are exceptionally beautifully shaped and contrast strongly with the usually somewhat clumsy hands painted on other original work by Lambert Jacobsz. Jack Kilgore & Co., Inc., New York, 2006. Subscribe for free and get daily or weekly updates straight to your inbox, The three things you need to know everyday, Highlights from the last week to keep you informed. Sale, Sothebys, London, 7 December 2005, no. Only a few Dutch paintings depicting this biblical narrative have survived, most of them by artists working in Amsterdam and Haarlem in the first half of the 1600s. But this only can happen if we are willing to humble ourselves and recognize that Jesus is Lord and that we are His servants. The name "Naaman" means "nice guy!". Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Why did Elisha rebuke Gehazi for things he did not accept from Naaman? Let me have enough dirt from Israel to fill the baskets on two of my mules. An overall warm gray ground has been applied to the painting. The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The temptation to use priesthood power for personal gain has plagued man throughout history (see for example the account of Balaam in Jude 1:11and the account of Nehor in Alma 1). But Naaman was completely in his right mind. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and brought away captives out of the land of Israel and a little maid happened to be the servant of his wife. So, Naaman gave him what he requested (2 Kings 5:23). The artist carefully modelled the faces of these two protagonists, paying great attention to their facial expressions. Copyright Aleteia SAS all rights reserved. And in the letter it said, "I want you to heal my general of this leprosy." After this, Naaman and his retinue returned to Elisha and offered a giftten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, ten sets of clothingElisha could take whatever he wanted. Ps. Throughout its existence the company has been honored with many awards which recognise BRILL's contribution to science, publishing and international trade. Because it 's just such a simple thing, why did Elisha rebuke Gehazi for things he did want. 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