Holding to the Promise
2Ki 4:8-37
(8) Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable (great, godly) woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.
Notable, great woman. Why? Some say because she was wealthy, that could be although the emphasis would usually be on the husband. My theory was because of her prayer and commitment to the Lord. She was a godly woman who loved the Lord. We see this as she makes room for the prophet.
(9) And she said to her husband, "Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. (10) "Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there."
Elisha represented the word. The word at this time usually came only through the prophets. She recognized this.
I believe that her heart was right. She wanted to protect the man of God who carried the word of the Lord.
This is her heart. She knew what was right, she wanted to keep the Word next to her. Some of us would do well to learn from this. When you know the word and what is right then make a place for it in your heart.
1Ti 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.
This woman learned also to keep her family in the word. This may be a stretch but I believe that she knew that if she took care of the man who carried the word the Lord would take care of her household.
She kept her family next to the word. We are too quick to get distracted and let our families get distracted by "other" things. Our children wind up with no respect for church or the Word of God because we have shown them that in our home priorities over the years.
(11) And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. (12) Then he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite woman." When he had called her, she stood before him.
Because of her faithfulness the Lord blessed her. The man of God called her in. When we are patient, persistent, and faithful God will always bless us.
(13) And he said to him, "Say now to her, ’Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’ " She answered, "I dwell among my own people."
This shows a lot of her character. She was not looking for a political position. She was doing this out of her heart.
(14) So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old." (15) So he said, "Call her." When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. (16) Then he said, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!"
This is what she wanted more than anything. Yet it seems that she had given up. In her old age she could not imagine that this would ever happen.
Some people believe that she may have been 100 years old. All that time waiting on a child.
Just think if she had stopped short of her desires. What if she had given up on doing to work of the Lord.
(17) But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.
The promise was fulfilled. It was a promise from the man of God who carried the word of God and it was fulfilled by the Lord.
Death of the Child
(18) And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. (19) And he said to his father, "My head, my head!" So he said to a servant, "Carry him to his mother." (20) When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
What happened to him? Some commentators say a sun stroke which is common in that day. My first thought was an aneurism.
Yet this was the promise. How could this happen?
The same question was asked of Lazarus who died yet he was the friend of Jesus. Martha said, "Lord if you had been here". Why did it happen? So that the disciples and those around could see the power of the Lord work.
Trust is the key factor. We may not understand but the Word of the Lord says, "All things work together to them who love the Lord and are called according to His promise" Romans 8:28
Process
(21) And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out.
What do you do now? What did she do once the promise was in trouble?
She placed him in the promised place. The place that had been dedicated to work of the Lord. This is good place to start when we are struggling with our children. Dedicate him to the house of the Lord.
(22) Then she called to her husband, and said, "Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back." (23) So he said, "Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath." And she said, "It is well."
Notice her response. – It is well
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
NLT What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.
How is it well? The circumstances don’t define our attitude. We cannot let what happens to us affect what is inside of us.
(24) Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, "Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you." (25) And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, "Look, the Shunammite woman!.
(26) "Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ’Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’ " And she answered, "It is well."
Again the same response. It is well. How could this be? How could it be well? She had trust in the promise that God had given her.
Abraham was told by the Lord to take Isaac and sacrifice him on the altar.
Gen 22:4-8 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. (5) And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."
This is faith in the promise that the Lord has given.
(6) So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. (7) But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" (8) And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together.
Abraham’s Faith
Heb 11:8-19 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. (9) By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; (10) for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (11) By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. (12) Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude; innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. (13) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (14) For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. (15) And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. (16) But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. (17) By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, (18) of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," (19) concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
(27) Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, "Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me, and has not told me."
(28) So she said, "Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ’Do not deceive me’?"
First Try
(29) Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child."
Why didn’t this work?
Gehazi was a servant of God. We learn later that he has a deceived heart. We learn that from the story of Elsha and Namaan the leper.
I believe it was because of his heart.
Next question is why did use Gehazi? Because he kept giving him a chance. Giving him the opportunity to follow him and walk in God’s power. He could have been the follower of Elisha. He could have taken his place yet his character was not strong enough.
Note: Elisha did not have a successor. He took the anointing to his grave as we learned what happened when they threw the man on his dead bones, the anointing caused the man to come back alive.
How many people have fallen by the wayside because their character could not hold up.
God shows His grace on people over and over again trying to use them. When will some people get it?
(30) And the mother of the child said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her.
For some reason she had no faith in Gehazi.
(31) Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, "The child has not awakened."
(32) When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed.
(33) He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.
He shu the door so that he could be alone. No doubters, only him, the Lord and the boy. And he prayed.
(34) And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.
(35) He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
It took the man of God with the Word of God to go back and continue in the promise.
Conclusion
This is a promise that God had given. This child did not come from her but from the Lord. She knew that so she could say, “It is well”. So she relied on God to fufill the promise.
This was God’s child, he would protect him.
I wonder what would happen if we dedicate our things to the Lord. Let him take care of them. This is true for tithing. I give and he takes care of the rest.
