ESOCS Devotional 25 May 2024 – Greed Generates Untold Calamity
MEMORY VERSE: “Because you have done this, you and your descendants will suffer from Naaman’s leprosy forever. When Gehazi left the room, he was covered with leprosy; his skin was white as snow.” 2 Kings 5:27 NLT
TEXT: 2 KINGS 5:19-27
But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?”
22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’ ”
23 So Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him. 24 When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed. 25 Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?”
And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.”
26 Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.
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The spirit of greed is a very dangerous component of any person’s character. At the extreme of the manifestation of this character is covetousness, which is God’s number 10 commandment to the children of Israel in Exodus chapter 20. In Acts 5:1-12, we see that even when a human being extends his greedy attitude to that which belongs to God, it is not taken kindly by the Holy Spirit. The lies of Ananias and Sapphira his wife, were, therefore, not actually to Peter or the Church. They lied to the one with whom Peter had been filled – the Holy Spirit. Of course, the couple paid dearly with their lives.
It would appear that the spirit of greed helps to promote the sin of lies. In our text, just like in Acts 5:1-12, Gehazi’s greed led him to multiple lies (vv. 22, 25). He failed to be influenced by the examples of Elisha to guard himself against receiving payment for something that God had done by Himself. The healing of Naaman did not result from any power that Elisha possessed. The miraculous power was directly from God. If Elisha had received a financial reward for the healing of Naaman, he as Gehazi, would equally have been condemned for greed. For lying to Naaman, and receiving material benefits, Gehazi was caused to reap the consequences of leprosy on himself and his heritage forever.
What with the case of Judas Iscariot, as recorded in Matthew 26:15-16? What about Achan’s case in Joshua 7:21-25? All the above instances of greed led to untimely death and generational curses. For us today, the lesson is that those who would carry out ministry work for material gains, such as Gehazi, Balaam, Achan, etc., will reap the reward of God’s curses. Let’s take heed to ourselves.
- The trap of a certain rich but extremely greedy hunter caught a very big antelope. This he carried on his head on his way home. While going, he saw a tiny grasshopper by the roadside and decided to grab it as well. In the process, he fell down and got his ribs broken. Meditate on this.
- Lord Jesus, give me the grace to eschew greed and covetousness.
Further Reading: Exodus 13:1-16; Mark 6:30-44; Romans 3:1-20
ESOCS Devotional 25 May 2024
