Jefferson Vann is a former missionary with the Advent Christian General Conference who now serves as Pastor of Piney Grove Advent Christian Church in Delco, North Carolina. He is the author of 46 books, including the two series mentioned below.
Conditional Immortality is the belief that eternal life is a blessing reserved only for the saved. Conditionalists hold that unbelievers will be raised at the return of Christ, judged and appropriately punished for their sins, and will die the second death in a place called Gehenna. We do not believe that God created all human beings with an immortal part that even he cannot destroy. When people die, they do not continue to live in a disembodied state. They actually die, ceasing to function until raised to life again consciously. This intermediate state is called “sleep” in the Bible. The Resurrection will wake all the dead, but only the saved will experience permanent life. The lost will literally perish.
Does your pastor preach conditionalism? Here are some resources that would help your pastor understand, preach, and teach the doctrines of conditionalism more clearly.
An Advent Christian Systematic Theology is a four-volume work that answers many typical questions about God, human nature, Christ, sin, salvation, and ultimate destiny.
Each volume is available in paperback (print-on-demand) and is currently being sold by Amazon for $15.
The 4-volume set is $60.
The Afterlife Archives is a series of five books that focus on conditionalism’s doctrines. These doctrines include God’s exclusive immortality, humanity’s potential for immortality, the unconscious sleep of the dead during the intermediate state, the resurrection to eternal life for the saved, and the resurrection to condemnation and the second death for the lost.
The set of all five paperback books in the Afterlife Archives series is currently available for $17.95. These prices may change on October 31st, 2025, but they will stay in effect for those who wish to bless their pastors with these resources during Pastor Appreciation Month (October).
Click on the pictures above to purchase the books.
Deuteronomy 27:1 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, and they said, “Watch every command I am giving you today.
Deuteronomy 27:2 When you cross the Jordan into the land Yahveh your God is giving you, set up large stones and cover them with plaster.
Deuteronomy 27:3 Write all the words of this instruction on the stones after you cross to enter the land Yahveh your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Yahveh, the God of your fathers, has promised you.
Deuteronomy 27:4 When you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to cover them with plaster.
Deuteronomy 27:5 Build an altar of stones there to Yahveh your God – do not use any iron tool on them.
Deuteronomy 27:6 Use uncut stones to build the altar of Yahveh, your God, and offer ascending offerings to Yahveh, your God, on it.
Deuteronomy 27:7 There you are to sacrifice offerings for healthy relationships,[1] eat, and enjoy the face of Yahveh, your God.
Deuteronomy 27:8 Write clearly all the words of this instruction on the plastered stones.”
Deuteronomy 27:9 Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, and this is what they said: “Be silent, Israel, and listen! This day, you have become the people of Yahveh, your God.
Deuteronomy 27:10 Obey Yahveh your God and follow his commands and prescriptions I am giving you today.”
Deuteronomy 27:11 On that day, Moses commanded the people, and this is what he said:
Deuteronomy 27:12 “When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim to empower the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.
Deuteronomy 27:13 And these tribes will stand on Mount Ebal to deliver the affliction: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
Deuteronomy 27:14 The Levites will answer in a loud voice to every Israelite:
Deuteronomy 27:15 ‘The person who makes a carved idol or cast image, which is repulsive to Yahveh, the work of a craftsman, and places it in secret is afflicted with a curse.’[2] And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’
Deuteronomy 27:16 ‘The one who dishonors his father or mother is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
Deuteronomy 27:17 ‘The one who moves his neighbor’s boundary marker is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
Deuteronomy 27:18 ‘The one who leads a blind person astray on the road is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
Deuteronomy 27:19 ‘The one who denies justice to a guest, a fatherless child, or a widow is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
Deuteronomy 27:20 ‘The one who has sex with his father’s wife is afflicted with a curse, for he has violated his father’s marriage bed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen! ‘
Deuteronomy 27:21 ‘The one who has sex with any animal is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
Deuteronomy 27:22 ‘The one who has sex with his sister, whether his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
Deuteronomy 27:23 ‘The one who has sex with his mother-in-law is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
Deuteronomy 27:24 ‘The one who secretly kills his neighbor is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
Deuteronomy 27:25 ‘The one who accepts a “gift” to kill an innocent throat is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
Deuteronomy 27:26 ‘Anyone who does not put the words of this instruction into practice is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
“Chapter 27 makes an important literary and theological connection with 11:26–32 in terms of Mounts Gerizim and Ebal and the associated blessings and curses, as well as commitment to the covenant laws. As such, these passages provide a frame for the laws in chapters 12 – 26, establishing a final link between Horeb, Moab and Shechem on the basis of today (27:1, 10–11; cf. 5:1). However, chapter 27 locates the altar and the inscription of the laws upon the mountain of curse, Mount Ebal, which must be replicated when Israel crosses the Jordan (27:1–8; cf. Josh. 8:30–35). Both the elders (27:1) and the Levitical priests (27:9) witness this event, and will ensure the future of the law. Even though Moses announces both blessings and curses (27:11–13), only twelve curses are recited by the priestly Levites (27:14–26; cf. 29:17–28).This appears to be a deliberate literary and theological ploy, providing a fitting conclusion to the laws already given, and focusing especially on secret aspects of breaking the law. Furthermore, these laws remind Israel (symbolized by the twelve curses) that they stand under the curse as far as covenant and law are concerned.”
Woods, Edward J.. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries Book 5) . InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.
“The specific details concerning the continuity of leadership in the covenant community are stated in chs. 29–30, but in ch. 27 the general principle is given, namely, that in the future there would have to be a further renewal of obedience and commitment to God’s law, which had just been declared and expounded (chs. 12–26).”
Craigie, Peter C.. The Book of Deuteronomy (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (p. 327). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.
1 “Does not humanity have hard service on earth? Are not their days also like the days of a hired man? 2 Like a servant longing for the evening shadow, and like a hired man looking for his wages, 3 thus I have been made to inherit months of futility, and nights of sorrow have been appointed to me. 4 If I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise?’, and the night stretches on and I toss and turn restlessly until the day dawns. 5 My body is clothed with worms and dirty scabs; my skin is broken and festering. 6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle and they come to an end without hope. 7 Remember that my life is but a breath, that my eyes will never again see happiness. 8 The eye of him who sees me now will see me no more; your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone. 9 As a cloud is dispersed and then disappears, so the one who goes down to the grave does not come up again.10 He returns no more to his house, nor does his place of residence know him any more.
We are now well into our reading of Job, and we are discovering that it differs from the other books we’ve read in the Old Testament in many ways. The other books mainly focus on the historical progress of God’s people, from the patriarchs to the establishment and history of Israel. However, Job doesn’t mention Israel at all. Job may have been a patriarch, but there is no effort within the book to establish any historical or ethnic connection with the Hebrew people.
So, why is the book of Job in the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible? One reason is that the Old Testament was written to answer questions that God’s people had about life. Some questions didn’t relate to which nation they belonged to. These questions were about the meaning of life, the purpose of living, and how to handle life’s challenges. So, in addition to the Torah and the historical books, a collection of wisdom literature was inspired by the Holy Spirit to address these questions.
Some wisdom literature was created to help people make wise decisions in life. The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes focus on this topic. The Song of Songs—often called the Song of Solomon—highlights the beauty and joy of human love and courtship. God wanted His people to understand that human love is not evil. It is a gift from God and should be celebrated and enjoyed within proper boundaries. Proper relationships with the opposite sex are part of God’s wisdom.
Many people have written books, poems, and stories that fall into the category of wisdom literature. Most of this literature is now gone, lost over time. However, some books and documents have been preserved. The Holy Spirit guided the writing and preservation of the Old Testament wisdom literature so that we can all benefit from it.
Most of the wisdom literature addresses what is known as conventional wisdom. This can be summarized as the belief that doing what is morally right will lead to God’s blessing of health and prosperity. Psalm 1 illustrates this by describing the wise person as a tree planted by the water, thriving and bearing fruit. In contrast, the wicked are the opposite of the wise; they will not endure because they have chosen to walk the path that leads to destruction.
With all these teachings that express conventional wisdom, the LORD saw it necessary to provide another kind of wisdom literature. We needed to understand that although it is generally true that the righteous will be blessed and successful in life, it is also true that sometimes the righteous will not experience that blessing. God has a message for those who suffer. Conventional wisdom offers only one answer to that question: you suffer because you made a mistake, you did something wrong, you committed a sin.
In the book of Job, his so-called friends were experts on the subject of conventional wisdom. They delivered long, drawn-out arguments trying to convince Job that he needed to repent and regain God’s favor. To them, the calamities Job suffered, the pain he experienced, and the losses he faced all pointed to some hidden sin he must have committed. We need to be careful when we read Job because sometimes we are reading those arguments, and the Holy Spirit wants us to see that their arguments are flawed.
The book of Job offers another view on the problem of suffering. In Job’s case, he was suffering not because God was angry with him, but because God was proud of him. Satan received permission to hurt Job because he believed that if Job endured enough pain, he would curse God.
The LORD eventually intervenes and rescues Job, but the main point of Job is not about the rescue. God is sovereign over our lives and has every right to allow us to suffer certain things, even if we are His obedient children. This serves as a helpful exception to the usual understanding of God’s justice.
There are also examples of this exception in the New Testament. One example is recorded in John chapter 9. The disciples encounter a man who was born blind. They ask Jesus who committed the sin that caused this man to suffer the fate of blindness at birth. Did his parents do something wrong, or would he do something wrong during his life, and would God punish him for it before he does it? Jesus told them that suffering was not caused by sin. It was allowed because God wanted to perform a miracle in his life. All suffering is caused by the existence of evil in this world, but it cannot always be traced to a particular evil.
Before he suffered, Job was a textbook example of conventional wisdom. He was a good man, obedient to God and considerate of others. God blessed him with great wealth, excellent health, and high honor. He considered himself a free man. However, through a series of unfortunate events, Job lost all his wealth, health, and honor. Today’s text describes how Job felt about that major reversal. He now saw himself as a hired hand, with someone else calling the shots, and Job did not like that at all.
In this section, Job lists several complaints. His description of the days of the hired man is important because it highlights what it truly means to face hardship. Let’s examine each of those complaints one by one.
Job complains about the WORK of a hired man (1-3a).
After years of living as a wealthy landowner, Job is now experiencing what it’s like to be part of the other half. He used to have an army of servants doing the hard work for him; now, it’s just him. So, he describes human life as “hard service,” and the Hebrew word he uses is the same one often translated as “army.” I know a little about what it means to be a soldier in the army, and it can sometimes be grueling work. One of the things that makes it tough is that you’re not doing what you want to do. You’re under someone else’s command—sometimes a lot of people. It can also be useless work.
Tennessee Ernie Ford sang a song about the work of a hired man. It was called “Sixteen Tons.”
“Some people say a man is made out of mud A poor man’s made out of muscle and blood Muscle and blood and skin and bones A mind that’s weak and a back that’s strong
You load sixteen tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt Saint Peter, don’t you call me, ’cause I can’t go I owe my soul to the company store.”
All of us want to do what is right and succeed. But we all go through times in life when we ask the same questions Job asks here: Why does it have to be so hard? Why does so much of our effort just lead to more effort tomorrow?
Let’s take a moment to step back and understand what’s happening. This is the Bible—God’s word to us. It tells us that God knows what we are going through and how tough it can get. He understands our nature. He remembers that we are made of dust. He sees our sweat. He hears our moaning. His message to us is not, “Quit your complaining; you deserve what you get.” His message is “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” He told the Israelites, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Job also complains about the REST of a hired man (3b-4).
He talks about his nights, but he does not spend them resting. He spends them sorrowing. He says, “The night stretches on, and I toss and turn restlessly until the day dawns.” The time he is supposed to rest is full of restlessness. He is consumed by sorrow over his past loss and anxiety about his fears of the future.
God wants His people to rest. He commanded the Israelites to take one full day off each week. They had been slaves, and He understood that they might want to keep working. But He told them to stop what they were doing regularly and trust Him. Why do we struggle so much with resting in the Lord’s presence? God wants us to take our burdens off our backs and give them to Him. Yet, we often want to keep carrying those burdens ourselves.
Job complains about the BODY of a hired man (5)
He says his body is covered with worms and dirty scabs; my skin is broken and oozing. He had spent many years being the picture of health, and now he is the picture of death. Satan was not satisfied with stealing all of Job’s possessions and family. He wanted to steal his health too.
Jesus said that false shepherds are thieves and that all they want to do is steal and kill and destroy, but he came that people might have an abundant life.
We don’t have to go through the same health problems Job faced to see that our bodies often push back against us. As we get older, things tend to stop functioning as they should. We need extra devices to help with weak eyesight, hearing, and even heart issues.
The New Testament tells us that we will receive a new body when Jesus returns. That new body will not grow old or wear out; it is designed for eternity. Job didn’t know all the details about this new body, but he did understand the coming resurrection. He said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that as the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” (19:25-26). The only way that could happen is if God raises him from the dead. Job knew that his current mortal body would be replaced by Job 2.0.
The message is that although our bodies may someday fail us, our God never will. He has a replacement body for us, one that is indestructible and created to glorify Him forever.
Job complains about the END of a hired man (6-10).
He knows his days are numbered, and it is not a very big number. He is heading for his grave. Someone else will live in his house because he will not be going back there.
Some people teach that death is not real. They believe your body dies, but you keep on living forever somewhere else. That was not what Job believed. His complaint was genuine because death is a fact. The Apostle Paul says that the penalty for sinning is death, and all of us have to pay that bill. The good news is not that death is an illusion. The gospel good news is that a new resurrection life awaits those who put their faith in Christ.
Job experienced a sudden, drastic upheaval in his life. He confronted his mortality, and it didn’t happen gradually. Go outside and look at the clouds, and if you keep watching, they will disperse and disappear. Job’s message is that this is our destiny. Conventional wisdom says that the goal in life is to be wise and successful. Job said that won’t last. We need to understand this. Only by facing our mortality can we learn to look up to God and receive the gift of His grace.
Jesus Christ revealed the promise of resurrection, life, and immortality through the gospel. Job grapples with his mortality, and rightly so—it’s a common struggle for all of us. Yet, we can also cling to his hope of a Redeemer who will come to reclaim us from the grave.
“Many still mourn And many still weep For those that they love Who have fallen asleep But we have this hope Though our hearts may still ache Just one shout from above And they all will awake
And in the reunion of joy We will see Death will be swallowed In sweet victory
Where is the sting Tell me, where is the bite When the grave robber comes Like a thief in the night Where is the victory Where is the prize When the grave robber comes And death finally dies”[1]
The stories in the Old Testament serve as lessons for us. They show the actions and behaviors that are expected of God’s people or reveal the opposite—the things believers should avoid. We need to pay close attention when reading because some Old Testament characters change their roles halfway through. They might start rebellious and then repent, or begin righteous and make a wrong turn or a terrible mistake. Therefore, reading these Old Testament narratives is not always easy.
We need to read the stories in the order we received them because that provides us with context. Context helps us understand what the characters are doing and why they are doing it. For example, today’s text is set during exile. This is the period when the Israelites are no longer in the land of Israel. They have been condemned by God for their lack of faithfulness and punished by exile. Exile is when people are taken from their land and brought to a new land by their conqueror.
Esther recounts the story of the Jews in Persia. The king had dismissed his queen, and he chose a new queen who happened to be Jewish. The villain of the story is an Agagite named Haman, who was violently anti-Semitic long before Hitler. Haman schemes to use the king’s power to eliminate the Jews.
Another key character in Esther is Mordecai, the cousin and guardian of Esther. Mordecai discovers a plot to destroy the Jews and appeals to Esther to intervene. When she learns of the plot, she wants to help save her people, but there is a problem. The protocol for appealing to the king is that he must first summon you. But Esther had not been called into the King’s presence in a month. Anyone who dares to enter the King’s presence without an invitation risks being executed. Esther understood the situation and chose to bravely enter the King’s presence to plead for her people’s lives.
If we look a little further back, we can see that another layer is at play in the story of Esther. There is a broader background as well as a more immediate one. In Esther, the sovereign God is protecting the people of Israel, from whom the Messiah will eventually come. That is another aspect we should recognize in these Old Testament stories. All of them reveal something about our Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament prepares the way for Christ’s first coming.
The book of Esther highlights one aspect of faith. It is a quality of biblical faith that isn’t often emphasized when we discuss what it means to have faith. In the New Testament book of Revelation, we find a list of all the people who will be excluded from eternal life and will be destroyed in the lake of fire. It states this: “But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
I find it interesting that the first item on the list of those who will be destroyed in hell is cowards. Of all the things that the Bible describes as bad or evil, why put cowardice first?
I think there is a very good reason for this. Remember that the New Testament also tells us that our adversary, the devil, is prowling around looking for someone to devour. It does not ask us to hide from him. It does not tell us to run from him. It does not ask us to aim our rifles at him while he is far away and shoot him. It says that we are to resist him. Resistance requires contact. We must put ourselves in harm’s way and trust that God will accomplish his will. There’s no guarantee that we will always win.
There is no bravery without an obstacle.
We learned from Queen Esther not to let obstacles prevent us from standing up against enemies’ attacks. The obstacle Esther faced was that she had to enter the King’s presence to appeal to him on behalf of her people, but doing so could have cost her life.
Other biblical characters face the same challenge. Doing what is right could very likely cost them their lives. Daniel faced the lions in the den, his three companions faced the fire in the furnace, David faced Goliath, and Paul went to his death in Rome because he knew God wanted him to share the gospel with the emperor. One of the signs of faith in the Bible is that the people of God bravely set their sights on doing God’s will even when doing so is dangerous.
Another lesson we learned from Esther is that God is at work in every conflict, but we still must be brave.
I used to enjoy playing certain computer games where you faced dangerous challenges. I especially liked playing those games in what we called God Mode. If you set your settings to God Mode, then the bullets wouldn’t hurt you. The game remained challenging, but you had all the time you needed, and you could make all the mistakes possible without dying. Some people think that Christian life is like playing a game in God Mode. They believe they can face any challenge and don’t need to worry because their faith will protect them from losing. But that’s not what the Christian life is about. Esther is an example to follow, not because she was immune to danger, but because she wasn’t. She truly risked her life to do what was right. The world is full of cowards who aren’t willing to do the same.
God says that if we acknowledge Him before people, He will acknowledge us in the presence of His angels. But cowards hide behind their ignorance. They proclaim themselves as agnostics because they don’t want to offend anyone by claiming that Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords. They think they are saving themselves through their cowardice. But the fact is that refusing to bow the knee to Christ is like what Haman did. He built gallows, intending to hang Mordecai on them. However, he ended up being hanged from the very gallows he built.
The book we are reading today is called Esther because Esther showed faith to stand up and be counted to save her people. Esther had faith, and that faith was brave. But this is not just a story of one person’s faith. Before Esther went into the King’s presence, she told Mordecai to gather all the Israelites praying and fasting for her.
Not every Christian will face the kind of challenges she did, but we should all be ready to support those who do.
The New Testament encourages us all to pray and fast, but not solely for our preservation. Note these specific times when the apostle Paul asked others to pray for him.
He asked the Roman Christians to pray that he might be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea (Romans 15:31).
He asked the Ephesian Christians to stay alert and persevere in prayer for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18).
He also asked them to pray that he would stay bold in proclaiming the gospel even though he was in chains (Ephesians 6:20).
He asked the Colossian Christians to pray that God would give him and his team an opportunity to speak the mystery of Christ (Colossians 4:3).
He asked the Thessalonians to pray that as he and his team traveled to other places, the word of the Lord would spread quickly and be honored just as it was with them (2 Thessalonians 3:1).
Biblical faith is courageous faith. One reason we can be brave is that we know an army of prayer warriors is backing us up.
Communion Meditation
John 10:18
“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I received this command from my father.”
We have discussed bravery as an aspect of faith. Esther demonstrated this bravery when she risked her life to save her people. She feared death, so she called for prayer and fasting on her behalf. Her bravery wasn’t the absence of fear; it was the courage to do what was right despite her fears.
Jesus is our example of that kind of courageous faith. He didn’t want to die, but he was brave enough to submit to God’s will and die in our place.
Today’s communion text tells us that God commanded both Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. The father told the son to do it, and Jesus bravely did it. His one active obedience demonstrated both his compassion for us and his obedience to his father.
20 Gehazi, the prophet Elisha’s servant, thought, “Look, my master did not accept what this Syrian Naaman offered him. As certainly as the LORD lives, I will run after him and accept something from him.” 21 So Gehazi ran after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?” 22 He answered, “Everything is fine. My master sent me with this message, ‘Look, two servants of the prophets just arrived from the Ephraimite hill country. Please give them a talent of silver and two suits of clothes.” 23 Naaman said, “Please accept two talents of silver. He insisted and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, along with two suits of clothes. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them for Gehazi. 24 When he arrived at the hill, he took them from the servants and put them in the house. Then he sent the men on their way. 25 When he came and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” He answered, “Your servant hasn’t been anywhere.” 26 Elisha replied, “I was there in spirit when a man turned and got down from his chariot to meet you. This is not the proper time to accept silver or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, cattle, and male and female servants. 27 Therefore, Naaman’s skin disease will afflict you and your descendants forever!” When Gehazi went out from his presence, his skin was as white as snow.
One of my favorite movies is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where Indiana teams up with his father to track down the legendary holy grail. However, when they arrive at the spot where this treasure lies, their enemy, Walter Donovan, holds them at gunpoint and seeks the grail for himself. The ancient knight who has guarded the grail for centuries warns Donovan to choose wisely, but Donovan lunges for the shiniest gold chalice he can find. Confident that he has discovered the glorious treasure, he quickly fills it with water and drinks. For a moment, nothing seems to change. Then Donovan begins to age rapidly and violently, dying before everyone. That is when the ancient knight states without emotion, “He chose poorly.”
Last week, Penny preached about another man who made a poor choice. She spoke from 1 Kings 12 about Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. He was king over all Israel until he made one bad decision, resulting in most of his kingdom abandoning him. Life occasionally offers us choices. There is a song where the singer must decide whether to go right or left at Oak Street. It’s a simple choice, but the consequences will change everything. This theme of decision-making keeps appearing as we read about the kings of Israel and Judah. It isn’t just the kings who face choices; prophets, priests, and ordinary people do too.
On Wednesday, we read about Elijah on Mt. Carmel. The problem for the people in Elijah’s day was that they had a decision to make, but couldn’t come to a conclusion. Their decision involved which God they would serve. Yahveh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, rescued them, and they should have been serving Him. However, a new god had emerged. The Canaanites worshiped Baal, and the people wanted to follow the crowd. They didn’t want to be different. So, even though they had a history with Yahveh, they were tempted to serve Baal. Many new prophets had appeared—prophets of Baal—urging the people to make a change.
The problem was that the nation could not make a choice, so for a long time, the people remained divided. Elijah asked them, “How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? If the LORD is the true God, then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word.
Elijah summoned King Ahab to gather all of Israel on Mt. Carmel, where he constructed two altars. One altar was built for Yahveh, and the other for Baal. They waited to see which God would send down fire to consume the bull on the altar. At one altar stood Elijah, while at the other stood 450 prophets of Baal. From a numerical perspective, the odds favored the prophets of Baal. But Elijah understood that God is sovereign; He will never be outnumbered. Following Him is always the right choice.
You know the story: The prophets of Baal yelled, jumped around, prayed, and cut themselves with daggers and swords until they were a bloody mess. But Baal did not show up. All afternoon, they waited. When it was Elijah’s turn, he ordered the altar of Yahveh to be doused with water three times. At the time of the evening offering, Elijah prayed, “O Yahveh God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Yahveh, answer me, so these people will know that you, Yahveh, are the true God and that you are winning back their allegiance.” Then fire from Yahveh fell from the sky. It consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the dirt, and licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, “Yahveh is the true God! Yahveh is the true God!”
Today’s passage is from 2 Kings, chapter 5. At that time, Elijah’s successor, Elisha, was the prophet of Yahveh. The story of this chapter revolves around three men who had to make a choice. I want to talk about those three men, the choices they made, and the consequences of their choices.
Who was Naaman?
In 2 Kings 5:1, Naaman is identified as the commander of the King of Syria’s army. As most of you know, I was in the military. One of the things we learned in basic training is the ranking system to identify those in command. Officers in the army fall into three categories. The lowest category is company-grade officers, which include Second Lieutenants, First Lieutenants, and Captains. The next higher category is field-grade officers, which consist of Majors, Lieutenant Colonels, and Colonels. The highest category is general officers, which are Brigadier Generals (one star), Major Generals (two stars), Lieutenant Generals (three stars), and four-star Generals. Naaman would have held the highest rank, equivalent to a four-star general. The Bible says he “was esteemed and respected by his master, for through him the LORD had given Syria military victories.
But Naaman faced a challenge. He suffered from a skin disease, and it was more than just a minor annoyance. In those times, people believed that skin ailments indicated that a person was cursed. Naaman likely exhausted all the resources at his disposal to free himself from that affliction. Yet, the disease persisted.
The Syrians were oppressing the Israelites in many ways during those days. One thing they would do was launch raiding parties that would invade Israelite territory and capture people to make them their slaves. Naaman’s wife had an Israelite slave—a young girl. One day, Naaman’s wife was speaking to her slave about her husband’s disease. The young slave girl said, “If only my master were in the presence of the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his skin disease.”
Naaman, the king’s general, not only traveled to Israel but was also given a letter from the king that provided him protection and made his visit an official state occasion. He also went to the King of Israel with that letter and a considerable amount of loot. However, the King of Israel thought it was a trap, believing that Naaman was provoking him. But Elisha heard about this and told the king to send Naaman his way.
Who was Elisha?
Elisha was a great prophet who had been anointed by the prophet Elijah and had asked for double the spirit of that great prophet. The Lord answered that prayer. The Bible records seven great miracles performed by Elijah and fourteen great miracles performed by Elisha. Naaman came with horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent out a messenger who told him, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan; your skin will be restored and you will be healed.” Naaman went away angry, saying, “Look, I thought for sure he would come out, stand there, invoke the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the area, and cure the skin disease. The rivers of Damascus, the Abana and Pharpar, are better than any of the waters of Israel! Could I not wash in them and be healed?” So he turned around and went away angry. His servants approached and said to him, “O master, if the prophet had told you to do some difficult task, you would have been willing to do it. It seems you should be happy that he said, “Wash and you will be healed.” So, he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, as the prophet had instructed. His skin became as smooth as a young child’s, and he was healed.
Naaman had a choice. He could have healing from the Lord, but it had to be on the Lord’s terms. Naaman chose wisely.
Not only was Elisha empowered by the Lord, but he also possessed the Lord’s wisdom. When Naaman approached Elisha, ready to express his gratitude with a gift (similar to the one he had given the king), Elisha declined. He refused to accept anything. Had he received the gift, Naaman would have perceived it as payment for the blessing, leaving no room for grace. Furthermore, according to the customs of that time, accepting the gift would have obligated Elisha to Naaman in the future.
Elisha allowed Naaman to bring back some dirt from Israel. Naaman believed that if he sacrificed his offerings over that dirt, it would be counted as a sacrifice to Yahveh. Elisha may not have thought that such a compromise would actually work. His only reply to Naaman was “Go in Peace.”
Elisha had a choice. He could represent the God of grace or pretend to be the power behind his ministry himself. Elisha chose wisely.
Who was Gehazi?
The title of today’s message comes from what happened next. After Naaman left, Elisha’s servant Gehazi thought that his master was wrong to refuse a gift from Naaman. He caught up with Naaman and lied to him, suggesting that Elisha really could use a gift. Naaman happily gave Gehazi twice what he asked for. But when Gehazi got back to his master, Elisha revealed that he knew what he had done.
Gehazi had a choice. He could either represent the God of grace or seek to satisfy his greed. Gehazi chose poorly. The consequence of that poor choice was that the skin disease that had afflicted Naaman now plagued Gehazi and his family forever. He had aimed to gain from Naaman, and he did gain. He gained Naaman’s pain and shame. Now, the name Gehazi is synonymous with greed. We don’t know about anything else that Gehazi did. His one choice irreparably altered his life.
The truth implied in today’s text is summarized in one of God’s titles. He is Yahveh Yireh, which you may have heard pronounced Jehovah Jireh. It means that the Lord is the provider. Gehazi—a servant of Elisha—had likely witnessed many miracles. However, he trusted Naaman’s money to get what he desired. His actions were driven by more than greed; he failed to trust God. This is where this story connects with us. We trust in God’s grace for our eternal salvation. Will we trust Him with the daily decisions we make? The same God who saved us wants us to follow Him. He desires for us to depend on Him.
At some point in the future, you and I will face a choice. The way of the Lord will lie before us, but we will also encounter a shortcut. We will have to choose between staying on the path God has given us or taking the shortcut to achieve what we desire. Our Savior encountered the same choice. The devil offered him all the kingdoms of the world without requiring him to die on the cross. Jesus rejected that shortcut, and that rejection was a victory over Satan and his lies. Therefore, when we confront temptation, we should remember Christ and Gehazi, trust God, and continue following his way.
jeffersonvann 