Free Bible lesson for kids · Elijah and Elisha
Naaman Is Healed
Naaman, the great captain of Syria, was a leper, and a little maid from Israel told her mistress that God’s prophet could heal him. Elisha sent word to wash in Jordan seven times; Naaman was angry at first, but he listened to his servants, dipped seven times, and his flesh came again like the flesh of a little child. Jesus Himself remembered Naaman to show that God’s mercy reaches every nation (Luke 4:27).
- Bible passage
- 2 Kings 5:1–19
- Big idea
- God graciously heals and saves those who humbly trust His word.
- Memory verse
Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
Jeremiah 17:14 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
Naaman, a great captain of Syria, had a skin disease called leprosy (2 Kings 5:1). A little maid from Israel told his wife that the prophet in Samaria could heal him (2 Kings 5:2–3). So Naaman came to Elisha’s door, and Elisha sent word: “Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean” (2 Kings 5:9–10).
Naaman went away angry, for he thought the rivers of Damascus were better (2 Kings 5:11–12). But his servants said, “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?” (2 Kings 5:13). So Naaman dipped seven times in the Jordan, and his skin became like a little child’s (2 Kings 5:14). He said, “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel” (2 Kings 5:15).
Read it in the Bible: 2 Kings 5:1–19 (KJV)
1Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. 2And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. 3And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. 4And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. 5And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. 6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. 7And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that 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? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. 8And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. 13And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. 16But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. 17And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD. 18In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing. 19And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
Questions to ask
Who told Naaman’s wife about the prophet in Samaria?
A little maid from Israel who waited on her (2 Kings 5:2–3).
Why was Naaman angry at first?
He expected something great, and he thought the rivers of Damascus were better than the Jordan (2 Kings 5:11–12).
What happened when he dipped seven times?
His flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean (2 Kings 5:14).
What this story teaches
- God’s way is best, even when it seems small (2 Kings 5:13–14).
- Pride can keep us from obeying God (2 Kings 5:11–12).
- God can use a young girl to point others to Him (2 Kings 5:2–3).
- God’s mercy reaches people from every nation (Luke 4:27).
- There is no God in all the earth but the LORD (2 Kings 5:15).
Jesus Makes Us Clean
Naaman’s skin was made clean in the Jordan. Jesus can make our hearts clean, for His blood cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Ask God to help us obey Him humbly, even when His way seems small. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “God graciously heals and saves those who humbly trust His word.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Jeremiah 17:14 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors · about 10 minutes
Seven Dips
You need: Seven sticker dots on each child’s arm, a hula hoop as the Jordan
- Every child starts with seven “spots” on their arm.
- Jump into the Jordan (the hoop) and out again, counting. After each dip, peel off one spot.
- After seven dips, the child is clean and shouts, “Now I know there is no God but Israel’s God!”
Naaman obeyed and dipped seven times in the Jordan, and his skin became like a little child’s.
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 45 minutes
Humble Service
You need: Cleaning supplies, gloves
- Naaman almost missed God’s healing because of pride.
- Clean the parts of the church nobody wants to: restrooms, trash cans, the nursery toys.
- Talk afterward: where does pride keep you from obeying God?
Naaman had to humble himself to be healed. God gives grace to the humble.
Pray
Ask God to help us obey Him humbly, even when His way seems small.