LESSON 12   
   *December 11 - 17   
      
      
   Gehazi: Missing the Mark   
      
   SABBATH AFTERNOON   
      
   Read for This Week's Study:   
      
   Gen. 39:4-6; 2 Kings 4; 5; 8:1-6; Jer. 9:23, 24; John 13:1-17; 1 Tim. 6:10.   
      
   Memory Text:   
      
   "It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his   
   commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him" (Deuteronomy 13:4, NIV).   
    Gehazi was a servant. Not just any servant, but the servant of one of the   
   greatest prophets in Israel's history: Elisha. Elisha had been called by the   
   Lord to minister to the prophet Elijah, in preparation for Elisha's own   
   prophetic ministry (1 Kings 19:16). For many years Elisha served Elijah and   
   listened, observed, and thus understood what it meant to be a prophet. When   
   Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind of fire (2 Kings 2:11), Elisha's   
   time had come. His ministry was not as fiery and glamorous as Elijah's, but he   
   exerted a far-reaching influence.   
      
   Thus, Gehazi had a wonderful opportunity to be closely associated with someone   
   as blessed of God as Elisha. It's hard to imagine all that he could have   
   learned and seen in the years that he worked with the prophet.   
      
   Yet, as we will see this week, despite so much potential and many great   
   opportunities, Gehazi became a miserable failure. His story serves as an   
   example of someone who gets sidetracked and becomes unable to distinguish the   
   important from the peripheral. How crucial it is for us to learn from his   
   mistakes!   
      
   *Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 18.   
   SUNDAY   
   December 12   
      
   Servanthood   
      
   Write brief job description of a servant based on the following verses: Gen.   
   24:2-4; 39:4-6; Luke 14:17; 17:7, 8; Acts 2:18.   
      
   Being a servant means primarily that one puts aside one's own wants, wishes,   
   and comfort and involves oneself totally in someone else's life. A servant is   
   there to assist the master in carrying out the master's plans, wishes, and   
   activities. Sometimes being a servant involves carrying messages, accompanying   
   someone, acting for the person, and doing menial jobs that needed to be done.   
   At other times it involves managing finances and households, but always the   
   servant acts not to further his own ends but to further his master's.   
      
   Gehazi was the servant of prophet Elisha. Being a servant to a prophet was a   
   unique privilege. It involved more than menial labor. It was a type of   
   apprenticeship. Elisha himself had served as Elijah's servant (1 Kings   
   19:19-21). Although the job of prophet depended on a divine call, it would   
   seem that this special time of serving together helped the would-be prophet   
   develop his faith and trust in God. By serving his master Elijah, Elisha would   
   be learning to put himself aside and serve others. This would prove to be the   
   best qualification for any future ministry. We have no record of Gehazi's   
   calling, but we will see the opportunities that he was given.   
      
   This servant idea is by no means restricted to Old Testament times. Jesus said   
   that the willingness to be a servant was a prerequisite for any leadership   
   position in the church (Mark 9:35).   
      
   Read John 13:1-17. How does this passage show the link between leadership and   
   servanthood?   
      
   The disciples have been with Jesus for three years. They have learned from His   
   teachings, they have even shared in His healing ministry, and yet they are not   
   ready to go out as God's ambassadors. They were ready to learn in theory and   
   enjoyed the association with Jesus, but they still were not prepared to put   
   themselves aside and humbly serve one another.   
   How do we get the humility and the death-to-self needed in order to serve   
   others? How do we learn to serve others with an attitude of seeking nothing   
   back for ourselves?    
   MONDAY   
   December 13   
      
   Learning Firsthand   
      
   A good teacher teaches by example and gives plenty of opportunities for the   
   student to apply what he or she is learning. Elisha was this type of teacher.   
      
   Read 2 Kings 4:8-17. What is Gehazi's role in the narration? What   
   opportunities is Elisha giving Gehazi?   
      
   The story of the woman of Shunem follows another miracle involving a woman. In   
   2 Kings 4:1-7, Elisha helps a widow clear her debts and keep her two sons from   
   being sold into slavery. And now Elisha is on his way to Shunem. Given the   
   general status of women in biblical times, it is strange that the narrator   
   gives a married woman such status. Her husband's name is not given. All we   
   know is that he is consulted about the building of the guest room and that he   
   is old, even though he still seems to be fit enough to supervise the   
   harvesting of his fields. In the first part of the story Elisha actively   
   involves Gehazi. He sends him to call the woman and includes Gehazi in his   
   expression of thanks. He asks Gehazi's opinion and acts on Gehazi's   
   suggestion. Gehazi rises to the occasion by being observant and showing   
   sensitivity to the woman's real needs. Elisha  gives Gehazi the opportunity to   
   initiate a miracle. Within a year, the miracle-child is born.   
      
   Read 2 Kings 4:18-31. What change in attitude do we see here in Gehazi as   
   compared to what we saw in the previous story?   
      
   The miracle-child is now a young boy. Gehazi is still Elisha's servant, but   
   something of the sensitivity he once had seems to be gone. When the woman   
   arrives and brushes past him to grab hold of the feet of Elisha, Gehazi tries   
   to push her away. He sees only the "rudeness" of the Shunammite woman, who   
   oversteps any type of social convention in her action (vss. 25-27). He does   
   not seem to be able to see her deep distress as does Elisha.   
   It sometimes is easy to be so self-centered and self-absorbed that we become   
   insensitive to the feelings and needs of others. Who hasn't been on both ends   
   of that equation? How can you learn to be more sensitive to the feelings and   
   needs of others? Also, how can you learn to bear gracefully the insensitivity   
   of others toward you?    
   TUESDAY   
   December 14   
      
   A Question of Faith   
      
   Read 2 Kings 5:1-19 and answer the following questions:    
   1) Why did the king of Israel react as he did? Was his reaction reasonable or   
   unreasonable? What did he really fear was going on?   
      
   2) Why did Naaman react as he did to Elisha's command to him? What good   
   reasons did he have for his reaction? In what ways did his reaction reflect   
   the king of Israel's toward the letter?   
      
   3) Read verse 12. What kind of logic is the captain using there? What mistake   
   is he making?   
      
   4) How does Naaman refer to himself before Elisha after the miracle happened?   
   What does that say about him?   
      
   5) Why do you think Elisha refused to take any money from the captain? Why   
   would it be important that he not take any?   
      
   6) Read carefully verses 17-19. What is going on here? How do we understand   
   Naamam's request and Elisha's response to it?   
      
      
      
   WEDNESDAY   
   December 15   
      
   Gehazi's Fall   
      
   It's hard, at least from our perspective today, to understand why characters   
   in the Bible did what they did at times, especially in the face of so many   
   miraculous events. The incredible healing of Naaman happened right before   
   Gehazi. He saw not only the power of God but the actions of his master, who   
   refused to take any money from the captain. One would think that would have   
   been more than enough to humble him before God and man, but apparently it   
   didn't.   
      
   Read 2 Kings 5:20-27. How did Gehazi, at least at first, rationalize his   
   actions? What little bit of nationalism, or ethnic prejudice, is hinted at in   
   Gehazi's thoughts?   
      
      
   The Bible is full of warnings against the love of money and the dangers of   
   earthly possessions. These warnings are directed not only toward the wealthy.   
   It is not the amount of material possessions that we have that is the problem   
   but rather our attitude toward what we have. The battle against greed requires   
   constant attention. We continually have to adjust our thoughts toward our   
   possessions and surrender them to God. We can keep our perspective by   
   consistently giving not only material possessions but also time. The love of   
   material things blinds us to our true mission and purpose in life and in the   
   end can cause our eternal ruin, if we are not careful.   
      
   It is strange that Gehazi swears to himself by the living God and then goes   
   off to deceive. Does he think that the living God does not see him? What a   
   powerful testimony to the power of our own corrupt hearts to deceive us!   
      
   Naaman, meanwhile, is very generous about giving Gehazi the gifts, but he   
   probably goes away with some questions, especially when his two servants   
   return and report Gehazi's strange behavior. Gehazi has let his greed   
   interfere with the witness that Elisha wants to give to this new convert.   
      
   Of course, in the end, the same God who performed miracles revealed the truth   
   to Elisha about what Gehazi did, and, just like that, his ministry and life   
   were ruined.   
   It's very easy to underestimate the incredible hold that the love of money (1   
   Tim. 6:10) can have on us. What examples, from either biblical or nonbiblical   
   history, can you think of where money led to someone's ruin? How can we learn   
   to protect ourselves from what can be a very dangerous temptation?    
   THURSDAY   
   December 16   
      
   Living on Leftovers   
      
   We last hear of Gehazi in 2 Kings 8:1-6. What do we find the ex-servant of   
   Elisha doing?   
      
   Many years have passed since the great miracle of the raising of the   
   Shunammite's son. Gehazi's skin disease must not be too disfiguring, for we   
   now find him in the royal court. Gehazi, Elisha's "ex-servant," is talking   
   about what has been. He is bragging about Elisha and his miracles, and in   
   doing so he is most likely reflecting on his own importance by his connection   
   to Elisha.   
      
   We never may have heard of this storytelling session had it not been for the   
   timing of this event. The biblical author tells us that at the precise time   
   that Gehazi was telling about the miracle of the Shunammite's son being   
   brought back to life, the Shunammite appears before the king. God in His   
   providence uses Gehazi's bragging to help the woman of Shunem. The woman of   
   Shunem is by now most probably a widow, as no mention is made of her husband,   
   and it is unusual that a woman would appear before the king on such business   
   instead of her husband. She is most likely in charge of her family until her   
   son becomes of age. She has been out of the country for seven years during a   
   severe drought. Having the right relationships and knowing the right people   
   may be important and seen as advantageous from a human point of view, but God   
   views things differently.   
      
   What relationship really counts, and why? See Jer. 9:23, 24.   
      
   And so Gehazi fades from history. The sad part of the story is the fact that   
   Gehazi could have been doing God's work. He could have learned from Elisha. He   
   could have been the next major prophet or perhaps a leader and teacher in the   
   schools of the prophets. Now all he can do is speak about the good old days   
   when he worked with the prophet. Gehazi could have been making history; now   
   all he can do is live in the past.   
   We need to recount and remember God's dealing with us in the past. But at the   
   same time, we need to be careful about dwelling on what happened in the past,   
   at the expense of living correctly in the present. How do we strike a right   
   balance here? How can dwelling too much on the past negatively influence our   
   walk with the Lord today?    
   FRIDAY   
   December 17   
      
   Further Study:   
      
      
   "Solemn are the lessons taught by this experience of one to whom had been   
   given high and holy privileges. The course of Gehazi was such as to place a   
   stumbling block in the pathway of Naaman, upon whose mind had broken a   
   wonderful light, and who was favorably disposed toward the service of the   
   living God. For the deception practiced by Gehazi there could be pleaded no   
   excuse. To the day of his death he remained a leper, cursed of God and shunned   
   by his fellow men.   
      
   " 'A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall   
   not escape.' Proverbs 19:5. Men may think to hide their evil deeds from human   
   eyes, but they cannot deceive God. 'All things are naked and opened unto the   
   eyes of Him with whom we have to do.' Heb. 4:13. Gehazi thought to deceive   
   Elisha, but God revealed to His prophet the words that Gehazi had spoken to   
   Naaman, and every detail of the scene between the two men."--Ellen G. White,   
   Prophets and Kings, p. 252.    
   Discussion Questions:   
      
      
     What are some of the warning signs that money or the pursuit of it is taking   
   the place of God in our lives? How can we learn to use money and not let it   
   use us? What role do tithing and giving offerings play in connection with the   
   whole question of the influence and power of money over our lives?    
     As a class, go over your response to Thursday's question. What are the   
   things that really matter in life, and why is it so easy to lose track of what   
   really matters?   
      
     What reasons might have led Gehazi to think that he could get away with his   
   deception? He knew God existed; he had seen miracles take place, some quite   
   incredible, in fact. Yet, despite all this, he tried to deceive his master.   
   Perhaps he had done similar things before and gotten away with it. Perhaps in   
   his own mind he truly rationalized his actions. We don't know. What we do   
   know, however, is that it's not that hard to deceive ourselves. What are ways   
   we can learn to protect ourselves from falling into the same self-deception?   
      
     Go back to 2 Kings 5:17-19. What lessons should or should we not draw from   
   Naaman's request to Elisha about bowing down in the house of Rimmon?   
      
     What are some practical ways you can serve others?   
      
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