Naaman then takes his bath in the Jordan river (as a mikveh) and is healed. For Parents Only: CBN Animation Club & DVDs, login to access full-length Superbook episodes, FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SUPERBOOK DVD CLUB. He's trying to start a fight. ii.). In this quiet and restrained scene, Lambert Jacobsz placed Naaman in the center of the composition and gave him added prominence through his slightly larger scale and the brilliant colors of his turban and kaftan. This painting was first attributed to Lambert Jacobsz (and dated around 1630) by Jasper Hillegers; see Jasper Hillegers, Lambert Jacobsz (15981636) en zijn werkplaats: Atelierpraktijk in Leeuwarden omstreeks 1630, De Vrije Fries 89 (2009): 6792. And in the letter it said, "I want you to heal my general of this leprosy." 1800 (Stockholm 2005), 59, no. To demonstrate his gratitude, Naaman, wearing a richly decorated turban and pale turquoise kaftan, came before the prophet to offer Elisha precious gifts, including the purple cloak on which he rests his left hand. This also shows the place where the king and the people were at spiritually because the king doesn't think to call Elisha there to heal Naaman. And they said, "Hey, it looks like the servant of the prophet's coming." When he returned home, Elisha found out and punished Gehazi with leprosy for his greed. The Bible calls him "the servant of Elisha, the man of God. Now the servant Gehazi, when he saw Elisha turning down these gifts, he began to think, "Wow, what I could do with just a little bit of that loot. Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts was not always attributed to Lambert Jacobsz. Now you see, he starts to read his mind at this point, or he starts to discern what was on his heart. He wanted to thank Elisha by giving him presents, but Elisha refused. For example, Naamans turban and sashas well as the sash of his youngest servantfeature the same decorations as Belshazzars sash. This is where Halbertals remarks might come in handy: if a gift is supposed to start a gift cycle, why is Elisha not willing to partake in it? God is the one who gives, not Elisha. They want to lavish the servant of God with gifts. Naaman was happy to give Gehazi the gifts and then he continued on his journey. Why should Elisha receive a gift for him? Another composition with small-scale figures is the 1635 Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Now Naaman was the captain of the host of Syria, he was a great man with his master, he was honorable, because the LORD had actually helped him to subdue many nations. Can we simply say no, thanks, you keep it to that uncle who has sacrificed some of his time and money to give us (again) a pack of three handkerchiefs for Christmas? Dan saya sudah mendapatkan ijin dari orang tua saya untuk menggunakan website ini. Now I told you that a fellow that would have this kind of a gift would have problems. Scattered pinpoint losses are also found in the more thinly painted areas. 6, unsold). How to react to a students panic attack in an oral exam? A1A16. During the same period, Jacobsz painted two other large-figure paintings depicting Elisha rebuking Gehazi in the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queens University, Kingston (fig 3) and in the Landesmuseum Hannover (fig 4).7 In both the Kingston and Hannover paintings, the artist focused on the interactions of the two protagonists, with the elderly prophet admonishing his chastened servant by wagging his finger. See Grel Cavalli-Bjrkman, Dutch and Flemish Paintings, vol. 20-7). But here is Elisha refusing the gift. [5], As the object of the narrative of Naaman's sickness and restoration to health is, apparently, to form a link in the long series of miracles performed by Elisha, the redactor of II Kings did not concern himself to indicate the time when this event occurred. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. 5; comp. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! He was a great warrior and highly respected because he had given victories to Aram. Aramean raiders invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naamans wife as a maid. Amsterdam, Museum Het Rembrandthuis; Aachen, Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum) (Zwolle, 2008), 3034, 20411, nos. Sperkitap web sitesini kullanarak, Kullanm artlarmz ve Gizlilik Politikamz kabul etmi olursunuz. Naaman hears that Elisha, the prophet of Israel, can heal him, so he makes the trip. The "money and garments" is clear, but why did Elisha mention the other 3 pairs of things? 20-7). 18 (The rule is that, in general, we are forbidden, but there are certain situations where we can accept gifts, albeit discreetly. Pieter de Grebber, Belshazzars Great Feast, 1625 (Museum Schloss Wilhelmshhe, Kassel). The Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, uses the word baptizein for the dipping that heals the heathen Naaman from the skin disease called tzaraath. Klostermann ("Die Bcher Samuelis und der Knige"), while supplying, with the Alexandrian codex, the word , connects this passage with Naaman's departure with the loads of earth, and renders the passage as "and he carried away from him about a cor of the earth of Israel."[5]. Around 1627, after finishing his training, Backer moved to Leeuwarden to assist his former neighbor with the production of paintings, especially large-figure history pieces.4 The collaboration between Jacobsz and Backer, his main assistant, must have been harmonious. The leprosy that was upon Naaman is going to be upon you and your family. 10:8. And this is what God said about His land, You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. But we rebel against that simplicity. Heres where the story usually ends in our telling, but that would result in the omission of one very odd detailwhat Naaman asks to take back home. Articles on this page may be used in conjunction with the Gospel Doctrine course of study. As a result, Israel was holy ground; the territory of every other nation was not. Now the Arameans went out in bands and captured from the land of Israel a young girl, who ministered to Naaman's wife. When a joyful Naaman stood before Gehazi and Elisha, with skin clean and pure, Naaman pleaded, "Take a blessing [gift] of thy servant.". Elisha refused the gifts Naaman offered for his use of God's power, but Gehazi did not. 2 Kings 5:20,26 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him, Genesis 14:22,23 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, . Because of Jacobszs paintings devotional content, it is tempting to assume that it was intended for the Mennonite Church (Vermaning) he cofounded, and where he delivered the first sermon on 7 August 1631; see the biography of Lambert Jacobsz in this catalogue. Lambert Jacobsz, Elisha and Gehazi (Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queens University, Kingston). Moreover, the figure of Elisha was thought to resemble the old man at the left in De Grebbers Conferring of the Sword on the Coat-of-Arms of Haarlem from 1630. He knew the request came from a sincere theological change of heart. I speculate that God seeing a true turning of Naaman to Himself did not want Naaman to say that he contributed toward his conversion, especially not with material and perishable things Share Improve this answer The artist began the composition on top of the ground by painting in part of the architectural setting, leaving a reserve for figures such as Naaman, Elisha, and Gehazi. You can now hide this message or find out more about cookies. 2 Kings 5:4. Knowledge of this print is evident in Jacob Backers The Tribute Money in Stockholm, which he executed during his Leeuwarden period. A Bible Story for Adults. Subscribe for free and get daily or weekly updates straight to your inbox, The three things you need to know everyday, Highlights from the last week to keep you informed. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Naaman, standing outside of Elisha's house, was furious when he was greeted by a messenger instead of the prophet himself. Truce of the burning tree -- how realistic? He was a man without many options and so God became his only hope. The man standing in the door to the right is Elisha's servant Gehazi. Now Naaman, the general of the king of Aram, was a prominent man before his lord and respected, for through him had the Lord given victory to Aram; and the man was a great warrior, and he was a mezora. ( ). L.J (Yet another landscape with a large ruin and a river within the foreground Naaman speaking to Gehazi, the prophet Elishas servant, who came after him, and for whom a carriage waits in the distance). BRILL is renowned for its publications in the following subject areas; Asian Studies, Ancient Near East & Egypt, Biblical Studies & Religious Studies, Classical Studies, Medieval & Early Modern Studies, Middle East & Islamic Studies. 2, Dutch Paintings c. 1600c. So Naaman became enraged. He was accustomed to being in charge and to giving the orders. The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But the Lord revealed to Elisha what Gehazi did and prophet rebuked him saying, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever" (verse 27). The Bible doesn't say whether God told him not to receive the gift from Naaman, but we see that Elisha was quick to refuse the offer, desiring only to honor God. His representation of Naaman and Elishas story would have been a very appropriate background for the many baptisms Jacobsz himself performed in this church. Naaman was a powerful man and a warrior who was used to giving commands and having those commands obeyed. Elisha did not accept Naaman's gifts because he wanted Naaman to know that his healing had nothing to do with Elisha but everything to do with the God of Israel. But rather than personally receiving Naaman when the latter arrives at Elisha's house, Elisha merely sends a messenger to the door who tells Naaman to cure his affliction by dipping himself seven times in the Jordan River. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? This was Gods land. Leprosy has been a scourge on the human condition for thousands of years. He was sent to the door by Elisha with a message for Naaman to wash in the Jordan River seven times to be healed of his leprosy. )"The temptation to use priesthood power for personal gain has plagued man throughout history," states the Church Educational System's Old Testament Student Manual. Jacob Backer, The Tribute Money, 1630s (Nationalmuseum, Stockholm); see Grel Cavalli-Bjrkman, Dutch and Flemish Paintings, vol. Somehow I would like to deserve or earn God's blessings. He chased after Naaman to take the gifts that Elisha refused to accept. Among them are paintings by Lambert Jacobszs teacher Jan Pynas (1581/21631), who depicted the subject in a 1627 painting, now in the Old Catholic Church in Leiden, and one by Pieter de Grebber (ca. Why do we kill some animals but not others? The name "Naaman" means "nice guy!". I can think of a few favors I would ask of a prophet in a receptive mood, but dirt certainly isnt one of them. Elishas healing of Naaman in the Bible (the leper [and] commander of the army of the king of Syria) is a familiar story to many (2 Kgs 5:127). As he found himself cured, he praised Elishas god and wanted to thank the prophet by giving him presents. Naamans wife was married to a mighty warrior that suffered from leprosy. Not only is Elisha's gesture of refusal reminiscent of that in the Leiden Collection painting, but Gehazi similarly stands behind the prophet in both works. The biblical text (Cf. Acceleration without force in rotational motion? Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Anyone who is stricken with this disease knows that they will endure years of pain and ultimately death. Gehazi accepted two talents of silver and two changes of clothes. In the healing of Naaman we find some interesting things, and one of them is that typically, we, all of us, really have difficulty with just accepting the grace of God. When we come before the Lord in our time of prayer, it's important for us to humble ourselves like Naaman did to receive favor from God. And in fact, they sent a fellow back carrying a bag. Why would God have rejected Cains offering? I can hire me some servants. And so Naaman came to Elisha's house and Elisha didn't even go out to meet him but sent his servant Gehazi out with the orders, "Go down to the Jordan River and just dip in the Jordan River seven times, and after you've dipped seven times, you'll be cleansed of your leprosy."
Shane Mcclanahan Parents, What Does The Name Russell Mean In Hebrew, Articles W