Unrighteous Indignation
2nd Kings 5:9-14 Victory Fellowship
August 28, 2022 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
I. Introduction:
a. Are you familiar with the term “Righteous Indignation?”
b. Dictionary.com – noun retribution, retributive justice; anger and contempt combined with a feeling that it is one's right to feel that way; anger without guilt.
c. wikipedia - Righteous indignation is typically a reactive emotion of anger over mistreatment, insult, or malice. It is akin to what is called the sense of injustice.
d. The problem is knowing when your indignation is righteous and when it is not.
II. Relating the Text:
a. 2 Kings 5 gives an account about how Namaan had unrighteous indignation.
b. Tell the story up to today’s reading:
i. The king of Aram was always coming after the King of Israel and the prophet Elisha. He was always looking for a reason to go after Israel.
ii. They had taken some captives from Israel and a little girl who was the maid for Namaan’s wife.
iii. Upon hearing the girl’s account of Elisha in Samaria, the King sent Namaan to the King of Israel with 750 pounds of Silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 10 sets of clothes.
iv. Oh – and a letter…
v. The king of Israel did not appreciate the gift. He tore his clothes and said, “am I a God? He wants a reason for trouble!”
vi. Elisha found out about the kings distress. He got word to the king – send Namaan to me!
III. Today’s text: When Namaan went to see Elisha, he was greeted at the door by Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, who told Namaan what to do.
a. He was furious that Elisha didn’t come personally, and even thought he had better suggestions for rivers he could bath in. He was gonna go back home
b. He servants had to deal with Namaan’s URI.
i. Rod’s revised version (RRV) says that the servant said to Namaan, “Namaan! If the dude would have asked you to stand on your head, hold your breath, and spin around three times while humming yankee doodle dandee, you would have done it! Why not this?”
c. I like how Kyle Idleman summarizes this account in his book, AHA. He says the servant said in the nicest way possible, “Get over yourself and take a bath!”
d. So, no doubt begrudgingly, Namaan went down to the river Jordan and washed 7 times.
i. What do you think happened? He was healed! His un-righteous indignation was unnecessary.
IV. Application:
a. Have you ever had unrighteous indignation?
b. We need friends who love us enough to say, “just get over yourself and take a bath!”
c. Because there are some things we need to get over. There are some things our friends need to get over.
d. A true friend is one who tells us the truth in love. Not what we want to hear - but what we need to hear.
e. And if we are a true friend, we will check our friend’s unrighteous indignation when needed.
V. Identifying improper URI in professing Christians:
a. Are we quick to demand our rights and become offended or do we humble ourselves as Christ did on the cross?
b. Are we quick to forgive or do we harbor an offense?
c. When was the last time we sincerely told someone, I’m sorry – please forgive me?
d. When was the last time we cried to God over the damage our sin has caused?
VI. Conclusion:
a. Like Namaan, we can be healed when we get over unrighteous indignation and change our course of action.
b. In our culture today, there is a lot of indignation being expressed that is far from righteous.
c. God doesn’t convict us to condemn us – He convicts us to bring us to repentance - and into a closer walk with Him.
d. God won’t hurt us – He wants to help us.
e. When we let go of unrighteous indignation born out of bitterness, unforgiveness, and envy - we are on the way to healing.
PRAYER & ANOINTING
SONG: God Only Knows
2 Kings 5:9-14 NLT
9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” 11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’”14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!