READING FOR NOVEMBER 14, 2025: 2 KINGS 5, 1 PETER 4, PSALM 119:25-32 2 KINGS 5 This is a story of two men who were powerful in their separate domains, one in the spiritual realm and one in the political realm. It is also about how their closest assistants made different choices, one to serve his master and one to serve himself. We might be able to locate ourselves in one of these four categories. Naaman was the successful commander of the army of Aram. Yet he had leprosy. In our fallen world, no one is immune from suffering—no matter how great. A servant of his wife, a young girl from Samaria, informed her mistress that, if her husband could meet Elisha, he could be healed. What an act of kindness and faith!
So, Naaman contacted his king who blessed the trip and wrote a letter of recommendation to the King of Israel. The King of Israel falsely assumed this was a setup to give Aram a pretext for invading Israel. He tore his clothes in distress. Elisha wondered why the king was so upset. It reminds us of when Jesus wondered why his disciples were so afraid in the storm with him sitting right among them in the boat (Matt. 8:26). Let’s not always jump to the worst-case scenario too quickly but have the perspective of this servant girl. Remember God is with us.
Naaman rode in great pomp to Elisha’s house with his chariots and horses, only to have Elisha just send out his assistant with an odd prescription: dip seven times in the Jordan River. Naa- man was insulted. He imagined something grander, more like how Charleton Heston parted the Red Sea in the movies. As he prepared to leave, his wise assistant pointed out his pettiness and convinced him to obey. Do assistants ever need to save their bosses from letting their pride harm themselves? A good assistant can do this without being offensive. There is even a term for this: “managing the boss.” Of course, Namaan was healed.
In gratitude, Naaman wanted to shower Elisha with gifts. Ever surprising, Elisha said no thanks. Naaman, now a believer in the God of Israel, asked Elisha’s opinion on a dilemma he faced. Naaman was required to assist his King in bowing down to the god of Aram. Naaman proposed that he take with him dirt from Israel so that, when helping the king bow, Naaman’s knees would rest upon ground from Israel, representing his faith in the true God. Elisha approved the plan. Dilemmas of this sort are not uncommon for those Christians whose families are of other faiths. How can Christians live out their faith without disrespecting their family?
This story was about to have a happy ending when greed suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Elisha’s assistant thought that this was an opportunity for him to benefit materially from Naaman’s desire to be generous. He raced after him and concocted a false story about needing some money and clothes for visitors. Although he succeeded in getting the valuables from Naaman, he returned to a waiting Elisha who, being a prophet, knew what happened. Elisha ordered leprosy to come upon his assistant. Greed, in fact, is the real tragic disease.
READING FOR NOVEMBER 14, 2025 CONTINUED: 1 PETER 4, PSALM 119:25-32 1 PETER 4 How can we be like Christ? By being willing to suffer for our faith without sinning and being dedicated to living our days on earth for the will of God no matter the cost. This means neither hating those causing our pain nor denying our allegiance to Jesus. If we in fact live this way, it will surprise those who are hurting us. Have any of us had such an experience? If so, we should be totally grateful that God has deemed us worthy to suffer this way.
But what about the gospel being preached to the dead in verse 6? This is as difficult to under- stand as 3:19. Once again, the question about getting a second chance to respond to Jesus af- ter death comes up. Here is a possible interpretation: 1) Those who reject Christ malign Christ- ians (vs. 4); 2) God, however, will hold those who reject Him accountable for their sins(vs. 5); 3) Christians who are now dead had the Gospel preached to them when they were alive(vs. 6a); 4) they were maligned by unbelievers when they were alive, but now Jesus confirms their eternal life as He does unbelievers of eternal judgment (vs. 6b). This line of thinking should give those receiving this letter hope that their suffering for God will not be in vain nor permanent.
Peter stresses that the end is near. Whether it is the Lord’s return or our physical death, this is so true. That being the case, we need to pray seriously, love each other deeply, and not com- plain about serving. We need to be cautious about speaking our opinions if they aren’t sup- ported biblically. It never hurts to back up a statement with biblical references. Peter closes the chapter in much the way James spoke about suffering. Reframe it as a positive if it is truly due to our faith. Of course, make sure we are not suffering for being in the wrong. His final comment is to keep the faith and put our lives in the hands of the mighty, loving Creator.
PSALM 119:25-32 This section of Psalm 119 reminds us that even those who live according to God’s Word will be laid low by life. The Bible is no guarantee of an easy life. It does promise to guide the reader to effectively cope with these life challenges. Even though God knows all the Psalmist’s experiences, he recounted all of them to God and received a positive response. This suggests the wisdom of our keeping God constantly involved in all our affairs. Notice the Psalmist asks God to teach him His Word. Just the intellectual act of reading is not enough. We need to ask God for understanding of what we are reading. Then we need to stop and reflect upon it: meditate on the meaning and application of God’s Word for our lives.
The Psalmist admits there are times when our soul is weary. It is wise to be aware of that, so we aren’t surprised when it happens. He gives a remedy for these gloomy moments: 1) find strength through the Bible; 2) avoid deception through the Bible; 3) set our hearts on the truths of the Bible; 4) hold fast to the guidelines of the Bible; 5) obey the commands of the Bible. In this way, we are broadened from a merely worldly view to an eternal perspective.
