CHAPTER V.
At the appointed time, upon the day following, Naaman again presentedhimself before Jehoram, king of Israel.
The latter had assembled about him his courtiers, counselors and wisemen. He appeared no longer troubled nor disturbed. He looked withserene eyes upon Naaman, into which, however, there flashed a look ofloathing as he remembered that the man before him was a leper.
The courtiers, counselors and wise men of the Kingdom also looked withaversion upon Naaman, notwithstanding the nobility of his form, hishandsome, proud face and the magnificence of his raiment, for in Israelthe leper is an object of intense aversion, and, had Naaman been anIsraelite, he would have been banished in spite of his rank, wealth andthe services he had rendered to his country.
The king of Israel and those of his court were deeply incensed thatBenhadad, king of Syria, had sent into their midst, to the person ofthe king himself, a man afflicted with leprosy.
Naaman stood, with folded arms and grave face, waiting for the king tospeak.
For some moments Jehoram was silent, pondering the wisest and mostjudicious manner of making known to Naaman his wish regarding him.The king was perfectly sure that Elisha would extricate him from hisdifficulty, for had not the prophet bade his servant say, 'Why hastthou rent thy garments?' which meant literally, 'Why art thou troubledand of so little faith?'
But the king, laboring under an erroneous idea as to Benhadad's motivein sending Naaman to him, wished so to act as to leave Benhadad nopretext for making war upon him. Benhadad had in reality desired tobe complimentary in the wording of his letter in order to propitiateJehoram, so that the latter would command Elisha to heal Naaman.
"Naaman of Syria," said Jehoram, "I did promise thee an answer to theletter of thy king. Go thou to the house in Samaria of the prophet,Elisha, and say unto him, 'I am Naaman of Syria, a leper, who hast cometo thee to be made whole.' Then will Elisha heal thee of thy leprosy."
"My lord, I know not where dwelleth this Elisha," said Naaman.
"I will send a servant to guide thee," said the king.
So Naaman entered his chariot, and with all his retinue, started forthe home of the prophet. The king's servant led the way on foot. Themagnificent caravan passed through the streets of Samaria, wound amongthe hills and stopped before a small and lowly dwelling.
Lifting himself from among his silken cushions, Naaman calledimpatiently to one of his servants,
"Why hast the caravan come thus to a halt?"
"At the command of the king's servant, my lord," was the reply.
"Send to me the king's servant," cried Naaman, angrily.
In a few moments the servant of the king stood beside the chariot.
"Why hast thou thus stopped the caravan of Naaman?" asked the Syriannobleman, angrily.
"My lord, I am but fulfilling the orders of the king, my master," wasthe reply.
"Thou speaketh falsely," cried Naaman, with increasing anger. "Thymaster didst command thee to conduct me to the house of Elisha, theprophet."
"My lord, I have obeyed the order of my master," said the servant."This is the house of Elisha, the prophet."
"'Tis impossible!" cried Naaman, incredulously. "A great man likeElisha must surely dwell in a palace. This is the abode of a man,humble, obscure; Elisha is rich and famous."
The king's servant regarded Naaman wonderingly.
"Pardon me, my lord, but thou dost know little regarding the prophetElisha," he said. "'Tis true that his fame hath gone forth over theland, but Elisha hath not riches; he is a man, poor and humble; hedwelleth not in a palace, this is his home."
Naaman, perplexed and wondering, waved the servant of the kingimpatiently aside and summoning one of his own servants, said to him:
"Go thou into the house of Elisha and say to him that Naaman, generalin the Syrian Army, high in favor with Benhadad, king of Syria, dothdesire speech with him."
The servant passed into the house of Elisha. In a short while he cameforth alone.
"Is not the prophet, Elisha, within?" asked Naaman, impatiently.
"Yes, my lord," was the answer, "but I saw him not. The servant ofElisha did carry the message to his master."
"And what answer sendeth Elisha?" asked Naaman, with eagerness.
"Elisha desireth to know, my lord, what is thy will with him," repliedthe servant.
Naaman's brow darkened with displeasure.
"Is it thus that the great and rich Naaman of Syria is received by thepoor and humble Elisha?" he cried. Then, remembering the errand uponwhich he had come, he controlled his indignation, thinking, "I musthumor this man if I would have my will of him: Go thou again into thehouse of Elisha," he said, "and bid the servant say to his master, thatNaaman of Syria hath journeyed from Damascus that Elisha may heal himof his leprosy."
The servant turned away and passed into the house. In a few minutes hereturned with the servant of Elisha who, approaching Naaman, said:
"My master, Elisha sayeth unto Naaman of Syria, 'Go thou and batheseven times in the Jordan and thy flesh shalt recover health and thoushalt be clean.'"
"Dost thy master mean to mock me that he treateth me as though I werebut a common outcast leper?" cried Naaman. "I did think that he wouldhave come out to see me, and, touching with his hand the place of theleprosy, would have invoked the name of Jehovah, his God, and healedme. Go wash seven times in the Jordan? What marvelous power doth theJordan possess? But enough of this folly. Thy master doth but speak injest. Go say to him that Naaman of Syria came not to be mocked, but tobe cured of his leprosy, and that he bringeth with him a great treasurewith which to reward Elisha."
"My lord, it would avail naught for me to carry thy message to mymaster," said the servant. "Elisha hath spoken," and, turning, hepassed quietly among the servants of Naaman and entered the lowlydwelling of his master.
Naaman sat for some moments in silence. The servant of the king lookedup at him eagerly and seemed about to speak, but awed, perhaps, by theSyrian's white face and sombre eyes, remained silent.
At length, Naaman roused himself, sprang to his feet, and drawing hissplendid form to its full height, cried in a loud voice:
"Back to Damascus! Naaman hath but come upon a fool's errand." Thenturning upon the servant of the king, he cried, in tones of greatanger, "Go to thy master, Jehoram, king of Israel, and say to him thatBenhadad, king of all Syria, will know how to avenge the insult thathath been offered to Naaman."
"But, my lord, the king, my master, didst intend thee no insult,"protested the servant. "The ways of Elisha are not like unto the waysof other men."
"Stop not to parley with me!" cried Naaman, furiously. "Be gone ere Ibid my servants drive thee hence."
The servant of the king bowed his head and passed swiftly away.
"Now, onward to Damascus," said Naaman, throwing himself wearily backupon the cushions.
At that moment, however, one of Naaman's servants, a white-haired oldman, approached the chariot and said:
"Wilt my lord hear patiently old Masrekah whose hair has grown gray inhis service and who didst serve his father before him?"
"Speak, my good Masrekah," answered Naaman.
"My lord, thou art a mighty man of valor and know not the meaning offear," continued Masrekah. "If the prophet, Elisha, bade thee do someact difficult of achievement, thou wouldst have listened and obeyed?"
"Ay, most willingly," replied Naaman.
"Then, my master, do not despise this thing that Elisha bid thee dobecause it is a simple thing," said Masrekah. "My lord, I do notbelieve that Elisha doth intend thee mockery and insult. Didst thounot take heed of the words of the king's servant, 'The ways of Elishaare not like unto the ways of other men?' Thou, my lord, didst expectto find him in a palace, but instead he dwelleth as do the poor andlowly. Thou didst think that he would heal thee with ostentatious andimpressive ceremonial, but he sendeth thee word to go to bathe seventimes in the Jordan and thou shalt be clean. My Lord, despise not thebidding of Elisha."
"Thou speaketh with the wisdom of years, my good Masrekah," answeredNaaman. "Naaman will give heed to thy words. I go to bathe seven timesin the Jordan."