4) A servant misaligned with the will of God.

Then Elisha said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go your way; if you meet any man, do not salute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him; and lay my staff on the lad’s face.” The mother of the lad said, “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” And he arose and followed her. Then Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, “The lad has not awakened.” (2 Kings 4:29-31)

The sad thing is Gehazi was not in a position to resurrect this body. He was obedient, doing everything Elisha told him to do, but he was not in a place to receive an impartation of this anointing to heal the sick and resurrect the dead. Elisha could do it, and Elijah could have done it, but not this guy. A staff in the hand of someone ill-equipped and out of position to receive the mantle is not near as effective as a Moses or Elisha who fathers miracles. As children who serve, you must be aligned with the will of God if you want to point others to the miraculous saving and healing power of Jesus Christ! 

Why was Gehazi out of alignment? Later in scripture, you read of a greed problem that got the best of him, similar to that of Judas Iscariot, a man who should have received a mantle and inheritance to impact his generation for the glory of God. 1n 2 Kings 5, we read where Naama, who was a captain of the Syrian army, was bound by leprosy. His wife’s young servant girl said if he would just come in contact with the prophet in Samaria and he would be cured from his leprosy. This so happened to be referring to Elisha. Naaman would go to Elisha’s house, but instead of greeting him at the door, he sent a messenger to tell him, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.” He was greatly offended by this, saying, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’ Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” (5:10-12) He, however, did not value the spiritual significance of the Jordan River since it was the place where the children of Israel crossed before entering the promise land, Elisha would cross after receiving the mantle of Elijah, or that later John the Baptist would baptize Jesus. Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean. (5:13-14) It was Naaman’s servants who begin to open his eyes to the truth and question him. Even if Elisha asked him to do a harder thing, he would do it out of desperation, but since it seems nastier and more embarrassing, he did not want to humble himself. However, he would do it. He would go and wash in the Jordan River seven times, which is a number of completion, and when he came out of the river, he was completely made whole, as his flesh was restored as that of a little child. Has God changed? Absolutely not, but he is simply waiting for us to step out in faith and obey His Word. Obedience is a testimony of our faith in Him. If we do what He says for us to do, then we can receive our breakthrough! 

When he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please take a present from your servant now.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. Naaman said, **“If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD. “In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.” He said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him some distance. (5:15-19) 

Although Elisha refused to receive any special gift from Naaman, Gehazi saw an opportunity to obtain something for nothing, and he wanted it! He did not ask Elisha’s permission or favor, but he went on his own accord to take something from him. He strove for a leper’s treasure, which only resulted in a leper’s curse! Gehazi was so selfish and lied, even using name of Elisha and the sons of the prophets as part of it. Never try to blemish the name of a righteous people. You will get exposed! So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?” He said, “All is well.” He then claimed Elisha had changed his mind and wanted a talent of silver and 2 changes of raiment for 2 sons of the prophets who had just come to him to take 2 talents of silver, one of each of the sons of the prophets. Naaman said, “Be pleased to take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried them before him. This was more than what Gehazi was asking for, and he felt conviction for going overboard in his request. Otherwise, Naaman would not have had to have urged him to receive it, but he received it anyways. When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and deposited them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed. (2 Kings 5:21-24) Now, if you recall in verse 5 in this chapter. Naaman originally went to the King of Israel with ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold and ten changes of raiment. Naaman came ready to give for his miracle, but Elisha refused to any of it. However, Gehazi was willing to receive just a little bit of it and would be satisfied. We have Gehazi’s in the church, who are willing to stab in the back their leaders in the faith out of selfish greed, and, as a result, you are cursed with leprosy! 

Even though Gehazi did this, he could not hide the truth from the man of God who was filled with discernment. When you walk with God, you will have discernment! It takes a lie to cover up a lie under one’s own embarrassment, and Gehazi would experience that. But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female servants? “Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. (5:25-27) Gehazi was more concerned about material possessions that obtaining a double portion of the anointing that was upon Elisha, and, as a result, he and his seed would be cursed with leprosy. It is not worth it! The Gehazi generation cuts off the anointing that is destined for because they chase their own calling and ministry as a result of their pride and lust. As they dismember themselves from the head out of open rebellion and disobedience, they are abiding under a spiritual curse of leprosy that will make them rejected, isolated and entirely unsuccessful. Nothing is worth missing your divine appointment with God! Don’t miss the mark and leave your designated spot too early, thinking the grass is greener on the other side. Worldly possessions cannot even compare to the glory that we receive in the LORD. Nothing is worth separating us from His presence. We may have to sacrifice things in this life, but things can take up a great deal of time of our relationship with God. Give it up so you can be endued with power from another world!

Now, I want you to think what Gehazi was supposed to have. The anointing that was upon Elijah that doubled upon Elisha was destined to explode upon Gehazi, leaving even a greater legacy and memorial than these men before him left behind, but he catered to his covetousness more than he pursued that anointing. He was not desperate enough. When it comes to a third generation anointing, it is an explosive anointing! With Abraham there was one seed of Isaac, followed by Jacob and Esau, which is double, and then Jacob’s seed birthed 12 sons! In the New Testament, it was John the Baptist, who came in the spirit of Elijah. Just as Elisha, John had clothed himself with the mantle of Elijah, receiving a double portion anointing that prepares the way of the LORD into the hearts of men. Follow John was Jesus, who would have been in the position of Gehazi, maintained such an explosive anointing that in three years He turned the world upside down. Following him was twelve disciples, who would confirm the ministry of Jesus with signs, wonders and miracles! The third generation is an explosive anointing, and Gehazi should have borne a testimony of miracles and wondrous works in the Old Testament like Jesus did in the New Testament, but Gehazi chased after worldly pleasures more. Jesus refused to repeat Gehazi’s mistakes, which is why He crucified His flesh with its lusts, destroying with the Word! As the church, we are still part of that third generation anointing! Even when viewing the early and mid-20th century of ministers, such as people of God like Smith Wigglesworth, William Seymour, Harley Hensley and Claude Ely, who were trailblazers of the Pentecostal movement in America, we are to carry the baton of their anointing. We are to start back where they started, but we are to pick up from where they left off! Their mantles did not go to heaven, but they are here, waiting for us to pick up and carry. If we do what they did, we will get what they had. Do not go after a leper’s treasure and get a leper’s curse. Pursue a heavenly one!