"Test of Faith"
Click below to download the Cornerstone Connections leader’s guide and student lesson. This week’s resources also include two lesson plans and a discussion starter video which offer different ways of looking at the topic. Each lesson plan includes opening activities, scripture passages, discussion questions, and real-life applications.
Naaman, although wealthy and powerful, received healing only when he humbled himself and obeyed God’s “strange” command to wash in a polluted river.
Chapter 20, Royalty and Ruin
(Prophets and Kings)
Chapter 21, Royalty and Ruin
(Prophets and Kings)
The willingness of Naaman’s servant to speak up and offer help from her God made all the difference in Naaman’s story. It truly changed his life. Her faith in God extended beyond what she learned in childhood. She had a personal faith in God that she was not afraid to share. Captivity had taken her far from her family and friends, but she had kept her belief in God. She prayed to Him daily, had a deep knowledge of His power and love, and never hid her devotion from her master or mistress. When Naaman’s illness distressed the household, the girl was quick to share what she knew—that her God could heal him! When we encounter people with pain and challenge, we can share some experience of ours that would give witness to the power of God to heal, help, and give hope.
Read the following Bible verses.
Which one is your favorite? Why? Create a video or Instagram story sharing how God’s Word has spoken to you in a personal way through this verse. If you make a video, post it on social media, Vimeo, or YouTube. Tag your family and friends or send them a link.
Sharing a Bible verse with others is one way to witness, but an extra-meaningful interaction takes place when we share our personal faith in a way that helps others. The servant girl in our lesson saw a problem and knew that her God could meet that need. She gave Naaman directions for where to find help. Naaman would have missed out on healing if the girl had remained silent. When we see others in need, we can put our love for God into action as we speak up and share words of help and healing with them. For some people we interact with, we might be their best chance to connect with God.
Read Matthew 4:19 (NIV).
19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
Read Romans 6:13 (NIV).
13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
Just like Naaman’s servant knew God could heal, we know God can powerfully change lives. God’s way is the best, so we should lead others to Him. Like a person found when they are lost in a forest, we as rescuers should lead them to the help that is found in God. We fill our own minds with God’s Word and pray for His Holy Spirit; then we can be used by God for the good of others.
Read Mark 9:35 (NIV).
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
As we think about the topics of pride and humility, we realize that part of our calling to serve and witness involves being humble. The servant girl was in a position of humility, yet she offered help to her master despite living in captivity. She could have been bitter and wished harm to come to her master, but God’s love compelled her to humbly serve.
Read John 4:28-30; 39-42 (NIV).
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
Read 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV).
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Jesus interacted with the woman at the well in a way that was kind and meaningful. She immediately told others in town about Jesus. Her initial witness brought many people to Jesus, who healed and helped them in many ways. If she had not shared her story, many people would not have believed in Jesus. When Naaman’s servant directed him to Elisha, the ultimate result was not just physical healing, but Naaman and his family began to believe in God as well. Helping others can often be life-changing and eventually result in their acceptance of salvation and eternal life.
Read John 13:35 (NIV).
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Naaman’s servant could have stayed quiet, but she had God’s love in her heart and that compelled her to try to help him. She was a follower of God, and this fact was made obvious by her compassion. When we see a need and try to take care of it, we are serving as the hands and feet of Jesus. Romans 12:11 says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Naaman and his family were saved because the young servant girl had that kind of spiritual passion burning in her heart. Today’s lesson urges us to always be ready to speak up for God!
God offers you opportunities to witness, encourage, enlighten, or help others. How will you prepare today for those upcoming opportunities?
Our story for today is about Naaman—the powerful military leader who had leprosy. That was really scary stuff! Besides the disease, he also experienced the stigma associated with the disease. And there was no cure.
For a Relational Bible Study (RBS) you’ll want to get into the Scripture passage and encourage the youth to imagine participating in the story while it’s happening. Then you will be able to better apply it to your own situation today.
You will need to ask God for the Holy Spirit to be present as your small group discusses the questions (no more than 3-6 people in a group is recommended). Start with the opening question. It is a personal question and the answer is unique for each individual. There is no right answer and nobody is an expert here, so don’t be surprised when you hear different responses. You are depending on the Holy Spirit to be present and to speak through your group. Say what God prompts you to say, and listen to what others share.
Take turns reading the chapter out loud. Follow that with giving the students some time to individually mark their responses to the questions (a PDF version of the handout is available as a download). This gives each person a starting point for responding when you start to share as a group. Next, begin the discussion by asking the students to share what they marked and why on each question as you work your way through. Feel free to take more time on some questions than others as discussion warrants.
Encourage each person in the group to apply what is discussed to their personal lives and to share with the group what they believe God wants them to do. Then ask them to pray that God will help each of them to follow through in doing so. Remind them to expect that God will show them ways to live out the message of this passage in the coming week, and that they are free to ask others in the group to help hold them accountable.
Be sure everyone takes time for personal applications before you end your Sabbath School time together.
Download RBS Handout
What is the worst sickness you’ve had?
Read 2 Kings 5:1-27.Naaman Healed of Leprosy
1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” 16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 18 But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.”
19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said.
After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”
21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.
22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’”
23 “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.
25 When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”
“Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.
26 But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? 27 Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.
1. Why did an Israelite girl send Naaman to Elisha for healing?
A. She was too young to know any better.
B. She felt pity for Naaman.
C. God placed her there for “such a time as this.”
D. Her parents brought her up to share her faith.
E. She hoped doing it would enable her to return home.
F. She experienced Stockholm Syndrome.
G. Elisha’s miracles made a big impression on her.
H. God is always reaching out to others, and this was one way He did it.
I. Other.
2. Which of the following methods would you have used to heal Naaman?
A. Holding a dramatic healing service.
B. Charging him a high price (he could afford it) and using the income for years.
C. Having a special prayer for healing, and then touching the leprosy to cleanse it.
D. Having him dip in the dirty Jordan River seven times.
E. Demanding that Syria stop invading Israel.
F. Doing whatever God impressed me to do at that moment.
G. Offering an exchange of healing for the return of the servant girl to her family.
H. Preaching a sermon or giving a Bible study, and then healing him.
I. Other.
3. Why do you think Naaman got so upset about the instructions for healing?
A. As the army commander, he expected special treatment.
B. It was humiliating.
C. Elisha didn’t even have enough respect to show his face to Naaman.
D. This had nothing to do with his leprosy.
E. The king hadn’t been able to heal him, and it seemed this prophet couldn’t either.
F. The Jordan River was unclean.
G. This had to be one of the craziest plans for healing someone from leprosy.
H. Naaman gave orders; he didn’t take orders.
I. Other.
4. If you had been one of Naaman’s officers, what would you have done?
A. Go inside the house and grab Elisha to make him face Naaman.
B. Go back to Syria with disgust and disappointment.
C. Huddle up for a brainstorming session.
D. Recommend Naaman try dipping in one of Syria’s cleaner rivers.
E. Suggest another raid on the Israelites.
F. Team up with the other officers and force Naaman to do it.
G. Reason with Naaman that anything was worth a try at this point.
H. Offer to join Naaman in doing the Jordan River dip.
I. Other.
5. Why did Naaman have to dip seven times in the Jordan for healing?
A. God’s favorite number is seven.
B. That type of leprosy wouldn’t have come off with just one washing.
C. This was more than just a quick fix.
D. It served as a test for Naaman’s obedience.
E. It served as a way for Naaman’s pride to be washed away.
F. Naaman didn’t know how to swim.
G. Seven was a number used for healing leprosy (Lev. 14:7-8, 16, 51).
H. Other.
6. What prompted Gehazi to get the gifts from Naaman?
A. Greed.
B. Naaman was a Gentile and didn’t deserve his wealth.
C. This was so little compared to what Naaman had received.
D. Nobody would know.
E. God’s free gift isn’t really free—you have to pay something.
F. Gehazi wanted to be able to pay more tithe to God.
G. It would make Naaman feel better if his offer was accepted.
H. Other.
7. How do you respond when people don’t treat you the way you think you deserve to be treated?
8. When has your desire for more stuff turned out to be a problem?
Naaman’s story thrills people of all ages. At the same time, the ending is a mixture of joy for Naaman and his household, and tragedy for Gehazi and his household. How sad that in the midst of God’s miracle of healing a proud Gentile, an Israelite succumbed to selfishness and greed. And this was in spite of Gehazi already having been in Elisha’s company for a number of years. Following God’s plan for doing things results in happy results. But the opposite eventually happens for those who don’t. This serves as an invitation for us to trust God and do what He asks us to do.
Take this beyond our Sabbath School discussion and live it out in the coming days, weeks, and months. Here are a few ways you could apply this lesson to your own life. The Holy Spirit might impress you to do one of the following, or He may impress you to adapt it in some way to better suit your life. Either way, we know that God wants us to live out what He shares with us in Scripture.
