BRINGING LIFE INTO YOUR FAMILY AGAIN
Building and maintaining a great family required a great and wise woman. The book of Proverbs describes her worth and character.
Pro 31:10 "Who can find a wife with a strong character? She is worth far more than jewels.
Pro 31:25 She dresses with strength and nobility, and she smiles at the future.
The strength and nobility of a woman can only be tested by the real life predicament. Her calculated decision and action before and during time of pressures will reveal her real worth. The Shunammite Woman in our text today will demonstrate the value of woman’s character when death wields its sword against her family.
THE STRENGHT OF GREAT WOMAN THAT BUILDS HER FAMILY
2ND KING 4:8-37
I - HER CHARACTER SHOWN BEFORE TROUBLES COMES
2Ki 4:8 One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she invited him to eat some food. From then on, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there to eat.
2Ki 4:9 She said to her husband, "I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God.
2Ki 4:10 Let’s make a little room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by."
2Ki 4:11 One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to his room to rest.
2Ki 4:12 He said to his servant Gehazi, "Tell the woman I want to speak to her." When she arrived,
2Ki 4:13 Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tell her that we appreciate the kind concern she has shown us. Now ask her what we can do for her. Does she want me to put in a good word for her to the king or to the commander of the army?" "No," she replied, "my family takes good care of me."
2Ki 4:14 Later Elisha asked Gehazi, "What do you think we can do for her?" He suggested, "She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man."
2Ki 4:15 "Call her back again," Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway,
2Ki 4:16 "Next year at about this time you will be holding a son in your arms!" "No, my lord!" she protested. "Please don’t lie to me like that, O man of God."
2Ki 4:17 But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.
2Ki 4:18 One day when her child was older, he went out to visit his father, who was working with the harvesters.
2Ki 4:19 Suddenly he complained, "My head hurts! My head hurts!" His father said to one of the servants, "Carry him home to his mother."
1 – SHE SOW THE SEED OF GENEROSITY V8
2Ki 4:8 “…she invited him to eat some food. From then on, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there to eat.”
Undoubtedly, this woman built the future of her family by helping other people’s present need. Even with the greatness of the universe and the multitudes of people on this planet, but God never missed to noticed the kindness that this Shunammite woman shown to His servant. In due time, God will surely compensate all the kindness that we shown to other people especially to the men of God.
2 – SHE PAY RESPECT TO HER HUSBAND V9
2Ki 4:9-10 “She said to her husband,…Let’s make a little room for him”
Wise woman knows her rightful place and she know how to submit and give respect to her husband. Notice that her husband approves all her suggestions. A woman doesn’t need to be bossy in order to get what she wants.
3 – SHE CAN DISCERN ABOUT SPIRITUAL THINGS – V9
2Ki 4:9 …"I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God.
Wise woman knows where to put her investment. She knows that the man of God is a fertile ground. Investing her seed to the right place will mean great harvest. But more than the selfish motives, this woman has a sense of spiritual awareness. She can discern the genuine from counterfeits. Hence being godly doesn’t mean ignorance.
4 – SHE SHOW KINDNESS TO GOD’S SERVANT V10
2Ki 4:10 Let’s make a little room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by."
Surely, there are many homeless people during that time. But this man of God caught the attention and care of this woman. She may never have the ability to preach and prophesy. But by helping the man of God do his task, this woman touch the heart of God. Those who are helping to advance God’s Kingdom and propagate His word will surely get the attention of the Most High God.
5 – SHE HAS NO HIDDEN AGENDA V13
2Ki 4:13 "No," she replied, "my family takes good care of me."
The above verse reveals the pureness of the woman’s motive. She doesn’t have hidden agenda in helping the prophet. She is not an opportunist. She just wants to help and that’s all. The prophet asks how he can pay all the kindness that she has given him. But the woman seems content and satisfied with the support of her own people.
6 – SHE POSSESSES GOOD MANNER V15
2Ki 4:15 "she stood in the doorway”
This woman is the rightful owner of the house. She is the sponsor or donor of the room wherein the prophet temporarily resides. But upon approaching the man of God when she was called, this woman just “stood in the doorway”. She gave the man of God a respect and privacy. She is the good example of good donors or sponsors should be. No matter how big your financial contribution to the church or the ministry, you have to remember that you are only God’s channel. And you have to maintain humility.
7 – SHE IS CONTENT WITH WHAT SHE HAS V16
2Ki 4:16 "Next year at about this time you will be holding a son in your arms!" "No, my lord!" she protested. "Please don’t lie to me like that, O man of God."
Many people ask God for something and when prayers were not answered, they lost their confidence on God. But this woman is different. Childless or not, this woman seems satisfied and never even dared to question God. She considers God as God. She understands that God, in His own wisdom has the right to give something to anyone and withhold them to someone. Surely this woman prayed for a child before, but even if the prayer was still un-answered, she serve and continue being faithful to God even without child.
8 – SHE CARES FOR HER CHILDREN V19
2Ki 4:19 Suddenly he complained, "My head hurts! My head hurts!" His father said to one of the servants, "Carry him home to his mother."
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. The sudden death of the child remind us that all what we have in this world are just borrowed from God. Nothing will stay forever except for our relationship with God. That is the very reason that we must not build our lives on the sand. Sand means everything that is temporary. We should rather build our life on the Rock. Build your lives to God and through His Son Jesus Christ.
For this same reason, we have to take all the opportunity to show care and love to the children and love ones that God has given us. For tomorrow, God may take them away from us.
II – HER CHARACTER REVEALED DURING TROUBLE TIME
2Ki 4:20 So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died.
2Ki 4:21 She carried him up to the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there.
2Ki 4:22 She sent a message to her husband: "Send one of the servants and a donkey so that I can hurry to the man of God and come right back."
2Ki 4:23 "Why today?" he asked. "It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath." But she said, "It’s all right."
2Ki 4:24 So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, "Hurry! Don’t slow down on my account unless I tell you to."
2Ki 4:25 As she approached the man of God at Mount Carmel, Elisha saw her in the distance. He said to Gehazi, "Look, the woman from Shunem is coming.
2Ki 4:26 Run out to meet her and ask her, ’Is everything all right with you, with your husband, and with your child?’" "Yes," the woman told Gehazi, "everything is fine."
2Ki 4:27 But when she came to the man of God at the mountain, she fell to the ground before him and caught hold of his feet. Gehazi began to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone. Something is troubling her deeply, and the LORD has not told me what it is."
2Ki 4:28 Then she said, "It was you, my lord, who said I would have a son. And didn’t I tell you not to raise my hopes?"
2Ki 4:29 Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Get ready to travel; take my staff and go! Don’t talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child’s face."
2Ki 4:30 But the boy’s mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I won’t go home unless you go with me." So Elisha returned with her.
2Ki 4:31 Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child’s face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and told him, "The child is still dead."
2Ki 4:32 When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed.
2Ki 4:33 He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the LORD.
2Ki 4:34 Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. And the child’s body began to grow warm again!
2Ki 4:35 Elisha got up and walked back and forth in the room a few times. Then he stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!
2Ki 4:36 Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. "Call the child’s mother!" he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, "Here, take your son!"
1 – SHE IS CALM IN FAITH AND DON’T PANIC V20-21
2Ki 4:21 She carried him up to the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there.
It is worth appreciating the positive response of this woman in the face of crisis:
• When his son died: She did not tell and declared it to anyone. She refuses to believe that the death is here permanent. She believe God can raise him from the dead
• When inquire by his husband on why she will be going to the man of God. She responded, “It’s alright
• When greeted by Gehazi and ask about the reason of her sudden coming: She answered “everything is fine”
• When she arrived face to face with the man of God: She did not directly declared that the boy is dead but she rather gave an argument by saying; "It was you, my lord, who said I would have a son. And didn’t I tell you not to raise my hopes?"
There’s no room for negative words for this woman of faith and as a result, she brought life once again to her family.
Aside from the joy that has been brought back to the family, the faith and positive reaction of this woman to the life’s crisis resulted the following:
• She spares her husband of agony
• She spares her son of abnormal life if neighbors found that he was once dead.
• She spares herself of exhaustive and unending time to explain to everyone what happen to his son and the cause of his death which will surely interrupt her from doing her action of faith.
2 –SHE IS TRUSTED BY HER HUSBAND V22-23
2Ki 4:23 "Why today?" he asked. "It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath." But she said, "It’s all right."
One word of assurance and this woman had been allowed to go by her husband. This evident the good record of this woman in the past. She has already built up her reputation of being trustworthy and her husband does not need to worry.
3 – SHE MAKES RIGHT DISCISION EVEN IN TIME OF PRESSURE V24
2Ki 4:24 So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, "Hurry! Don’t slow down on my account unless I tell you to."
This woman understands the importance of time hence she said “hurry” to the servant. But more importantly, this woman knows where to come into when trouble time comes. He came to the man of God. She knows that since God is the one who gave her son, then solution comes also from God
4 – SHE KNOWS HOW TO HANDLE DISTRACTION V26
2Ki 4:26 Run out to meet her and ask her, ’Is everything all right with you, with your husband, and with your child?’" "Yes," the woman told Gehazi, "everything is fine."
She continuously avoids distraction by refusing to give negative words. Surely that she is not fine with the death of her son. But telling it to the servant, Gehazi will just complicate the situation. She chooses to come to the right person -to the man of God.
5 – SHE KNOWS THE RIGHT TIME TO SPEAK AND TO WHOM V27
2Ki 4:27 But when she came to the man of God at the mountain, she fell to the ground before him and caught hold of his feet…Then she said, "It was you, my lord, who said I would have a son. And didn’t I tell you not to raise my hopes?"
Finding the right time and the right person, she told what is in her heart. But again she refuses to declare directly that the son is dead.
6 – SHE DOES NOT ACCEPT THE SECOND BEST FOR THE FAMILY V29
2Ki 4:29 Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Get ready to travel; take my staff and go! Don’t talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child’s face."
Probably driven by emotion or sympathy to the fate of the woman, Elisha quickly makes the decision to send his servant with his staff and bring the son back to life. This proves once again the pureness of the prophet’s heart. He don’t care who will receive the credit as long as the son will be brought to life. But such task cannot be delegated to a low standard vessel and the woman probably understands that in this case, the man of God should be the one to do it.
Woman of faith are demanding. They demand the best for the family. They demand the best education for children, for the best health care; for the best life and they know they can find them on God.
7 – SHE IS PERSISTENT V30
2Ki 4:30 But the boy’s mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I won’t go home unless you go with me." So Elisha returned with her.
This kind of persistent behavior should be our attitude especially on our prayer for our family and love ones - a kind of faith that never accepts no for an answer.
8 – SHE INVITES PEOPLE OF GOD TO BRING LIFE TO HER HOUSE V34 -35
2Ki 4:32 When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed.
2Ki 4:33 He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the LORD.
2Ki 4:34 Then he lay down on the child’s body, placing his mouth on the child’s mouth, his eyes on the child’s eyes, and his hands on the child’s hands. And the child’s body began to grow warm again!
2Ki 4:35 Elisha got up and walked back and forth in the room a few times. Then he stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!
Spiritually speaking, there might have dead boys or girls in your family today that need second life. Don’t waste your time but invite the people of God to bring life once again to your home. Today people of God bring life to your hose by prayer and by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ that brought us redemption. Fellowship with God’s people warms our spiritual life.
III – HER ATTITUDE DISPLAYS AFTER THE STORM
2Ki 4:37 She fell at his feet, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she picked up her son and carried him downstairs.
1 – SHE IS THANKFUL V37
Pro 14:1 A woman’s wisdom builds her house, yet the foolish one pulls it down with her hands.
If you have been blessed, encouraged or inspired by this sermon then it’s your turn to be an encouragement too. You can do it by sending email to this contributor at spy2rb@yahoo.com or post comment on the discussion box below.
