Gazuntite!

One Year Bible (June 23)

2 Kings 4:18-5:27

“GAZUNTITE!”

As a fourth/fifth grade teacher, one of our yearly challenges is administering state testing to all students. Some students don’t show up on testing days and their tests have to be made up. Some students always come late. Some hurry through as quickly as possible, and some “are slow as molasses”.

Not only that, but our teachers' cell phones must be turned off and put away in a drawer, and all writing and decor of every kind must be removed from the walls. It’s a BIG DEAL!

Then there is a paper that we sign to administer it correctly without helping students. Students must be spread out throughout the room and can’t move about or talk to others. Teachers have to make sure that the environment is quiet. Very quiet! I can adhere to all of the rules given to me, except for this one!

Each year we always face a “certain surprise”. A student will sneeze loudly sometime during testing. Without missing a beat, all the students will say, “Gazuntite!” or “Bless you!” It is automatic; they do this without giving it a thought! Do they even know what they are saying or why? Hmmm…

“Gazuntiite” or “Gesundheit” (which was borrowed from the German) means “health”. When they sneeze a person is showing that they may be getting sick and this word is the same as the English phrase, “Bless You!”. Today’s lesson is about Sneezes and Blessings!

In today’s Bible passage we will look at…SEVEN SNEEZES and SEVEN SUBMERSiONS.

First, let’s look at the SEVEN SNEEZES. Remember the woman from Shunem who offered her home in hospitality to Elisha? Her husband was old and she had no children, so Elisha “put in a good word for her with his boss”.

Sometime later her only son got very sick and died. Gehazi took Elisha’s staff and tried to raise the boy from the dead to no avail. Soon Elisha arrived and laid his body on the boy placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands while the boy was laying on the prophet’s bed.

What would you do if you were raised from the dead? Well, the Bible tells exactly what happened next.

“This time the boy SNEEZED SEVEN TIMES!” GAZUNTITE!!! I guess you could say that he was BLESSED indeed! ( 2 Kings 4:35) In fact, I bet you will never think of a sneeze in the same way again!

Secondly, let’s look at the SEVEN SUBMERSIONS. (to dip, plunge, place below water)

“The King of Aram had a great admiration for Naaman, the commander of the army because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories.” (5:1)

The problem was that this mighty warrior, Naaman, had leprosy. Naaman had a servant girl who was from Israel and she knew of Elisha, the prophet. Naaman told his King of Aram what the girl had told them. The king sent him on his way to the King of Israel with a letter of reference in hand. The king of Israel didn’t know what to do with Naaman. He just thought this was a trick for the King of Aram to pick a fight with him. (Do you see how jumpy with their fingers ‘on the trigger’ these kings were at this time?)

Elisha hears that the King of Israel “Has torn his clothes in dismay” and sends him a message, “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel!” (5:8)

Naaman is a very influential, wealthy commander and he brings his chariots, entourage, and gifts with him. He is associated with royalty and expects “The Royal Treatment Spa Package”.

He gets the “Mud Bath” without the perks! In fact, Elisha doesn’t even come out to greet him or bring him his fluffy white robe. He merely sends him a message, “Wash yourself SEVEN TIMES in the Jordan River”. ( 5:10)

No Greeting? No Perks? No Bowing? No Small Talk? Naaman throws a “Hissy Fit”. (This is Southern talk meaning that the man is “Royally Chapped”!!!!!) To add insult to injury, the Jordan River is DIRTY. His water at home is much cleaner. “Not gonna do it. Wouldn’t be prudent!”

Naaman is actually getting a little more than your basic “Spa Day”. He is getting some "Humble Pie” as well!

His advisors appeal to his senses, “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!” (5:13)

So, Naaman dips SEVEN TIMES! Not, six, or five, or four… He DIPPED SEVEN TIMES.

Interesting that the word SEVEN means COMPLETELY in the Bible, isn’t it?

Naaman was not only COMPLETELY healed that day, but he also found the God of Israel as Elisha the prophet had told the king. He went home a CHANGED MAN ready to worship God! God didn’t just heal his BODY. He touched his SOUL!

SEVEN SNEEZES and SEVEN SUBMERSiONS…What an amazing day of miracles in the land of Israel through the prophet, Elisha!

A humble boy is raised back from death to life, and an important commander is humbled in life to face his own death so that he may find eternal life.

Tomorrow, we will look at the SEVEN x2 Miracles performed by Elisha. (It's definitely a Double Portion!)

All I can say about today’s story is… “GAZUNTITE!”...

That means "Blessings, My Sisters"!!