God had just healed Naaman the great man by the words of Prophet Elisha and so Naaman offered gifts which the prophet refused. Now Gehazi the servant of the prophet who was supposed to be a candidate of a ‘four-fold’ anointing was so careless that he allowed himself to get possessed by the spirit of greed. He said in verse 20 of our text; “My master has spared Naaman and received nothing from him” (paraphrased). Can we see Gehazi’s notion and view of ministerial power and anointing? He felt every beneficiary of God’s healing anointing or any other form of power must pay and so anyone who did not pay was ‘spared’. This is the notion some people (also supposed ministers) have today. They monetize and materialize the grace of God upon their lives, without knowing they are in Gehazi’s path; a path to spiritual leprosy.
Gehazi ran after Naaman- it is only one who has lost the essence of his anointing that would run after someone because of material things. Such a person is a man-pleaser and ends up prophesying for his/her belly and not the will of God. Gehazi not only ran after Naaman for the gifts, he also lied in the name of his master-the prophet Elisha- saying “my master sent me, he said there are two young men of Ephraim, give them (not ‘give me’) a talent of silver and two changes of garment” (paraphrased). Of course Naaman was equal to the task; he gave the young man much more than that for which he asked. When Gehazi returned, Elisha asked where he went to, but Gehazi lied again saying he did not go anywhere. This is the state of some potential glory vessels today, people who God wants to empower as Ambassadors of Heaven. They allow greed to fill their hearts and they make a mess of God’s grace upon them, they begin to lie easily and even commit all sorts of immorality, yet most are under training to carry the ‘anointing’ just as Gehazi- sinning in active training. Of course God cannot be mocked, whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap- the scriptures say.
Elisha who already knew what happened asked a rhetorical question which I ask us today. Think about it and walk in its light;
Is it a time to receive Garments, and Oliveyards, and Vineyards, and Sheep, and Oxen, and Menservants, and Maidservants? (2Kgs. 5:20b)
We need to answer this question, is it a time for all these? We perform a miracle by God’s grace and we’re already clamouring for honour of men, combating with God for his own glory which He doesn’t share.
We seek material gains when we’re supposed to be tarrying in the presence of God and diligently seeking his face. I mean this is what led to the sudden death of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. There was revival in the church, much manifestations were happening and the Holy Ghost was fresh in action, but even in this atmosphere of Power, they chose to sin in covetousness, they never knew it was not a time for ‘these material gains’. Gehazi instead of getting a ‘four-fold’ anointing got a full dose of leprosy and he also became an ancestor to a leprous generation. May we not fall in into such in the name of Jesus.
Let me show you what Paul did according to his account in Galatians 1:16-24. God had called Paul and shown him mysteries that even the other Apostles had not seen or experienced, yet he did not go about boasting or robbing shoulders with other Apostles or even try to go to the headquarters of the church-Jerusalem. He went rather into Arabia, then Damascus- supposedly small quarters. Then after three years he went to Jerusalem to see Peter and was with him fifteen days, not seeing others except James the brother of Jesus. Paul understood the importance of waiting and working with God’s time in holiness and used it judiciously. He knew it was not a time to receive any rewards; he was just starting and needed to get trained. So he spent three years away, tarrying and learning under the tutorship of the Holy Spirit and some people who God placed in his path. After that he came just to Peter in Jerusalem, the head at that time and learnt from him for a period of fifteen days. If young ministers would learn to wait on the Lord and serve diligently and faithfully, God himself would take them into lime light and we would have few or no ‘Gehazi-ministers’ who have become leprous as a result of greed and just working without God in their lives.
Please don’t be a Gehazi; our generation needs more Elishas that would have the anointing to raise the dead even if dead.
God bless you.
Ikpa Onwuka
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