“And Elisha sent a messenger to him saying,
‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times,
and your flesh shall be restored to you,
and you shall be clean.’”
2nd Kings 5:10

The context:

A man from Syria came to Elisha the prophet seeking to be healed of leprosy. Elisha told him to go wash in the Jordan river seven times and he’d be healed. But the man turned away very angry, asking his servants why he should have to do this ridiculous thing, why did it have to be the Jordan, couldn’t he wash in the rivers in the area where he lived? He was ranting and raving, he was indignant that the prophet would tell him to do such a “foolish” thing. Because it made absolutely no sense to him, he turned away and started back home.

But one of his servants reasoned with him saying that if Elisha had asked some great thing for him to do to be cleansed, wouldn’t he do it? So what’s the big deal? Just do it, do what the man of God said. So he conceded, and went and did as Elisha had said …and he was healed. Then from the demonstration of the power of God when he realized he was healed, the man was astounded and he said that the God of Israel is the true God. He made a vow that day that he would turn from all other gods and worship only the Lord God of Israel. He continued:

vs 17:
“…for your servant will no longer offer
either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods,
but to the Lord.”

The point of this story is that obedience is such a powerful thing before God, that it will change things completely. The test of obedience will oftentimes be something the Lord demands which may seem to make absolutely no sense at all. Dip in the Jordan seven times? Are you kidding, Lord???

If you have a problem and bring it to the Lord, listen carefully to his instruction. If he tells you to do something unusual, just do it. First, be sure of what he’s telling you, don’t let Satan play with your mind. But when you’re sure, just do it.

One time the Lord asked me to go to someone and ask forgiveness of him. My reaction was, “Me??? HE is the one who should be asking ME for forgiveness.” It made no sense to me. But I had walked with the Lord long enough to understand that his ways are not our ways, and that obedience will change things. I went and asked forgiveness. And that brought HIM to repentance, and the problem was healed.

In 1st Samuel chapter 15 we see the prophet bringing to King Saul the order from the Lord to attack and destroy the Amalekites, leaving nothing alive. The Amalekites were a hybrid giant race, demoniacs among the peoples of the land of Canaan, and God intended to remove them. So …Saul attacked and destroyed them … BUT … he took the King of the Amalekites alive, and he took the best of their sheep “to sacrifice to the Lord your God.” For that …he lost the kingship. He lost it because he didn’t follow the entirety of the Lord’s command.

vs 23:
“Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he also has rejected you from being king.”

Attention to detail is very important. If he tells the king to destroy all, he means all. Saul destroyed all …EXCEPT the Amalekite king. And he lost the kingdom because of it.

The ways of the Lord are higher than ours, different from ours, and that’s why we must follow his directions to the letter. If he tells you to dunk yourself in the river 7 times, do it. Ask for confirmation, and when you’re sure, just do it. He has purpose in what he says to you.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:9