Gehazi A Leper As White As Snow Background

Gehazi A Leper As White As Snow

Background • Elisha had a servant named Gehazi (2 Kings 4 -5) • We know the story of Namaan the leper, but do we know the story of Gehazi the leper in the same chapter?

Lessons Learned • He would not be influenced by the gracious acts of kindness that surrounded him (2 Kings 2: 9, 15; 4: 1 -44) – “be ye imitators together of me, and mark them that so walk…” (Phil. 3: 17) • He thought he knew better than his master; Elisha was kind, Gehazi was greedy – “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20: 35)

Lessons Learned • He wanted to profit from God’s grace to another – “turning the grace of God into lasciviousness” (Jude 4) • He had one thing on his mind, money – “For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world…” (Mt. 16: 26)

Lessons Learned • Just saying something, “All is well, ” doesn’t make it so – “sound speech that cannot be condemned” (Tit. 2: 8) • He, like David (2 Sam. 11), let one sin lead to another; his greed led to his lying – “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tim. 6: 9 -10) – Covetousness (Lk. 12: 15; Col. 3: 5) – Greedy (1 Tim. 3: 8; Tit. 1: 7; 1 Pet. 5: 2)

Lessons Learned • He was a liar – “lie not one to another” (Col. 3: 9) • He tried, like Achan (Josh. 7: 11, 21), to hide his sin and then went and stood before his master; he felt safe like most sinners do – “The eyes of Jehovah are in every place…” (Prov. 15: 3) … “Your sin will find you out” (Num. 32: 23)

Lessons Learned • He was rewarded with the leprosy that was once belonged to Naaman; his punishment was “poetic justice” – “shall eat your flesh as fire” (Jas. 5: 3) • He was responsible for his own sin even though he was connected to a righteous man of God – “each one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14: 12)

Gehazi: The Leper • Seven years later Gehazi retold all the great things that Elisha had done (2 Kings 8: 1 -6). Did he repent? We are not told. Was he still a leper? We are not told. • Will you learn from a leper?