Carrying Some Dirt (part 1 of 2)

…please give your servant a load of dirt, enough for a pair of mules to carry, for your servant will never again offer a burnt offering or sacrifice to a god other than the Lord. – 2 Kings 5:17  (NET)

In the fifth chapter of the second book of the Kings, a Syrian general by the name of Namaan is introduced into Israel’s historical narrative.  He is introduced as “the commander of the king of Syria’s army” (5:1b).  Right away, an interesting and often overlooked fact about him is offered, as it is said that “through him the Lord had given Syria military victories” (5:1d), and for this reason, it’s reported that he “was esteemed and respected by his master” (5:1c).  Imagine how a member of the covenant people would respond to this type of statement.  The insistence that the Lord had given Syria military victories through him would certainly play a role in how this man would be perceived by the people of Israel.  This “Lord” that had delivered victories to Syria is to be understood as the Creator God of Israel.

However, the thing for which the readers of Scripture are most familiar with Namaan is that “this great warrior had a skin disease” (5:1e).  Generally, this “skin disease” is referred to as “leprosy,” but in the Scriptures, “leprosy” is a term that is used to denote a variety of skin ailments, up to and including that which is often thought of as leprosy in modern times.  Due to his skin condition (whatever it may have been), it is said that he was informed by one of his wife’s servants---a young girl from Israel---that there was a prophet in Israel that could “cure him of his skin disease” (5:3b).   

As indicated by the Scriptural narrative, Namaan seized on this information and went to Israel to visit the prophet Elisha.  There Namaan received instruction as to how he could be cleansed, eventually acceded to the directive though he initially opposed it, and was ultimately healed of his ailment.  His response to being healed of his troubling condition was to say “For sure I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel!” (5:15b).  To give weight to his proclamation, Namaan offered to give Elisha a gift.  Elisha refused the gift. 

Upon this refusal by the prophet, which was undoubtedly an odd occurrence in Namaan’s experience, Namaan is reported to have made a very interesting request.  This Syrian general asks Elisha to “please give your servant a load of dirt, enough for a pair of mules to carry” (5:17a).  He asked this of Elisha because, according to his pronouncement that “there is no God in all the earth except in Israel,” Namaan never again wanted to “offer a burnt offering or sacrifice to a god other than the Lord” (5:17b). 

One might think that this would be easy enough to avoid.  Namaan could not simply not offer worship to another god.  For Namaan there was a complication, as the king of Syria, from whom Namaan had garnered respect and esteem and honor, precisely and presumably because “the Lord had given Syria military victories” through Namaan (the source of Namaan’s honor is thus understood to be the Lord God of Israel), relied on Namaan when he went to the temple of his god to offer worship. 

Namaan, with knowledge of this and speaking with a heartfelt conviction, said, “May the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to worship, and he leans on my arm and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this” (5:18).  Noting Namaan’s sincerity in this, as it was in conjunction with the request of dirt from the land of Israel---dirt on which Namaan, presumably, was going to kneel down in worship to the Lord---Elisha replies favorably to him, saying “Go in peace” (5:19b).