The Sevenfold Cleansing

 

Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall
come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

THE 5th chapter of II Kings relates the healing of Naaman by Elisha. Naaman was the captain of the hosts of Syria, but he was a leper. The Syrians had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maiden, who waited on Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! then would he recover him of his leprosy."

The incident was told to the King of Syria and he sent a letter, with presents of silver, gold, and raiment, to the king of Israel, requesting that he heal his general, Naaman. When the King of Israel read the letter he rent his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me."

When Elisha heard of it he sent word, "Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel."

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots and stood at the door of the house of