Introduction
There are many different aspects in Naaman’s servant girl’s life that influenced her
growth. In Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems, three systems that influenced the servant girl
were the Mesosystem, the Macrosystem, and the Chronosystem. According to the spiritual
elements of the ecological system, the young servant girl grew into maturity through emotional,
Spiritual, and Moral trials.
Social Elements
The three social elements that influenced the young girl are the Mesosystem, the
Macrosystem, and the Chronosystem. The Mesosystem around her would be Naaman. Naaman
was a person of high power and social status. He was the commander for king Aram’s army.
Meaning he was a big enemy to her people. Another person that would influence her would be
Naaman’s wife, this is because the young girl was an Israelite that was taken from her home and
became a servant for Naaman’s wife. This being said, they had a big impact on her behavior and
how she viewed the world. The next social element would be the Macrosystem. Since she is from
Israel, her beliefs and culture are different from those in Syria. She came from a place that
honored God. She showed her strong faith in God by expressing to her master that Naaman could
be healed by God’s power. Even though she was brought into a different culture she still clung to
her faith. The final system would be the Chronosystem. The Syrian army was a persistent enemy
of both Israel and Judah. In the previous days of Ahab and Jehoshaphat, Syria fought against
Israel and won. “The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot
facing the Arameans. He died that evening, and blood from his wound flowed into the bottom of
the chariot. Then the cry rang out in the army as the sun set, declaring: Each man to his own to
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his own city, and each man to his own land!” (1 Kings 22:35-36). She was living in a time of war
and was eventually brought into slavery because of this.
Spiritual Elements
The three spiritual elements that influenced Naaman’s wife’s maid in growing towards
maturity are Emotional, Spiritual, and Morals. She was affected emotionally because she was
taken away from her family at a young age. Going through that type of situation would be
scarring. It would be discouraging, and in the context of her beliefs in God, she was most-likely
questioning God on why certain events took place. But although she was thrown into something
that was out of her hands, she still kept to her faith. This touches on the spiritual element because
you can see how she is continuing in pursuing her God and her beliefs while surrounded by a
foreign culture. This also leads into her maturing morally. While she was dealing with everything
she went through, she cared for her master enough to speak up and give information on how
Naaman could be healed. “She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master were with the prophet
who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his skin disease.’” (2 Kings 5:3). This shows her faith in
God and his power.
The servant girl’s Influence in the Local Community and the Kingdom
The servant girl influenced her local community by offering to heal Naaman because
Naaman was an important and high-power person. He also just helped king Aram’s army defeat
her people in the war. She was making a bold move by offering to giving information on how to
heal him. The servant girl also influenced the Kingdom of God. This is because her story is a big
testament to her faith in God. We still read about her today and how she was an amazing example
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of following God and pursuing him while going through trial. Therefore, impacting the kingdom
of God even in the present day and our modern world. By the end of the story, the people end up
recognizing God's power. “Then Naaman and his whole company went back to the man of God,
stood before him and declared, ‘I know there’s no God in the whole world except in Israel…’” (2
Kings 5:15).
Conclusion
The servant girl is a great example of young people doing great things for the kingdom of
God. Naaman and his wife, the Syrian king, the servants who accompanied Naaman, and the
prophet Elisha himself, all felt the impact of the little maid who was grounded in her belief in the
Lord and his power. Although there were various social and spiritual elements impacting her. She
continued to trust in God and have faith in who he is.
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