How does Gehazi's action in 2 Kings 5:21 contrast with Elisha's integrity? Setting the Scene • Naaman the Syrian, healed of leprosy after following Elisha’s God-given instructions, tried to reward the prophet with costly gifts (2 Kings 5:15). • Elisha refused: “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it” (v. 16). • Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, watched the treasure slip away and hatched a personal plan. Gehazi’s Choice in 2 Kings 5:21 “ So Gehazi pursued Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, ‘Is everything all right?’ ”. • Gehazi acts alone, without Elisha’s knowledge. • The word “pursued” shows eagerness—he literally runs after wealth. • Appearance of goodwill—Naaman assumes trouble; Gehazi’s approach seems urgent and altruistic. • Gehazi’s next step (v. 22) is to invent a lie about visiting prophets needing silver and clothing. Elisha’s Integrity on Display • Refuses all payment, safeguarding God’s glory as the sole healer (vv. 15-16). • Stands “before the LORD,” conscious of divine presence; money can’t buy God’s favor (cf. Acts 8:20). • Consistently models self-denial, mirroring earlier prophets: “I have taken no one’s ox or donkey” (1 Samuel 12:3). Key Contrasts Between Gehazi and Elisha • Motive – Gehazi: personal enrichment. – Elisha: honor God, keep grace free. • Method – Gehazi: deception—lies to Naaman (v. 22) and later to Elisha (v. 25). – Elisha: transparency—public refusal of gifts. • Object of Trust – Gehazi: riches (cf. Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve God and money”). – Elisha: the living LORD. • Result – Gehazi: leprosy clings to him and his descendants (v. 27). – Elisha: ministry remains credible; he continues to be used powerfully by God (2 Kings 6–7). • Witness to the Nations – Gehazi’s action risks distorting Naaman’s new understanding of God’s grace. – Elisha’s integrity magnifies the LORD before a foreign commander. Lessons for Today • God’s gifts are never commodities; selling grace undermines the gospel (Romans 3:24). • Integrity is tested when no one is watching; hidden greed eventually surfaces (Numbers 32:23). • Ministry credibility depends on financial uprightness (2 Corinthians 8:20-21). • Consequences of compromise can be generational, but faithfulness blesses many beyond ourselves. |
    |