Ironworks

                 Who was Naaman? There is quite a backstory to this healing, starting in 2 Kings 5:1. Naaman was captain of the host of the King of Syria , enemy of Israel , and he was also a leper. The disease of leprosy was highly painful, contagious, and noticeable. No matter how many battles he won or how much treasure or slaves that he took as spoils , he was still a leper. He suffered the pain and the shame that went with it. In his desperation, he went to the prophet Elisha who instructed him to dip in the Jordan River seven times. Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a p...

            We are not surprised that at this time of year many of our number will come down with some sort of seasonal illness. Everything from the common cold, to the flu, and even the corona virus have effected some of us and still will throughout the “cold season”. It is at this time of year that we also may become more vigilant in washing our hands and wiping down surfaces such as door knobs. Why do we do that? We do it because we understand many infectious diseases are transferred through clothing and other inanimate objects.  So what about when Moses writes in Leviticus 13:47-59; and 14:33-35 about clothing and buildings being infected with leprosy? Is is possible for clothing or homes to have leprosy on or in them? It seems that we might be tempted to explain away this as a myth of the ancient world. If we take a closer look, we can understand that there were a variety of diseases in the ancient world covered under the blanket term lep...