{2 Kings 5}
“But the Syrians had gone out on raids,
and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel.
She waited on Naaman’s wife.”
When we think of mission and service in the kingdom of God, our minds go to meeting needs and planting churches. But perhaps it is captivity, enslavement, and bond servitude that would bring the most glory to our King. It must have been horrific for this little girl’s family to see her be ripped away by her captors and never to be seen again. Oh the anger, vigilance of vengeance, sorrow, and loss that perhaps gnawed at her loved ones . . .
But this little girl portrays nothing of this sort.
She went and she served as a slave in the household of strangers. It is verse three where she truly shines, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” Most individuals would despise their masters who enslaved them. Most slaves would want evil and not good for those they serve. Not this girl. She served well and proclaimed with urgency the solution found in the one true God, the God of Israel. She did not shy back, nor did she serve in silence. She did not hold back truth when she was the one who gripped the answer. As a result of her captivity, this little girl had the eye of the king of Syria and the commander of his army. Slavery was the platform for proclamation. And because of her courage, the leadership of a pagan nation realized the one true God.
So often when the story of Naaman’s healing is taught, we laud the prophet Elisha for his use as a mighty instrument of God, and then we go to Naaman whose physical and spiritual destiny were transformed that day by obedient faith. When perhaps the one who did the most was the little girl who, in captivity and servitude, chose to speak and glorify the LORD. Through her a lost nation heard of the one true God.
We must ward ourselves against despising unconventional people or platforms. Who would have thought that a little girl would create access to a lost nation or that slavery would be her catalyst? This is not our only example of imprisonment as a platform. There is Paul (who once was notorious for the persecution and murder of believers) and Silas in Acts 16, who when praising God at midnight had the opportunity to share with the Philippian jailer and he and his household were saved. In Acts 26, Paul was attacked by a mob of Jews and put on trial before King Agrippa and Festus. During his trial, he shared his entire testimony and pointed all in his hearing to Christ. And of course Jesus Christ Himself our ultimate example of raw suffering was tortured and put to death which led to the proclamation of truth and glorious eternal life. Perhaps persecution is not so peculiar a platform after all.
~Elizabeth