ELISHA AND THE SHUNAMMITE WOMAN - THE RECIPIENT OF GRATITUDE
SERIES – MESSAGES ON ELISHA – HIS LIFE AND MINISTRY Number 10
INTRODUCTION: Recapping from the last message. Elisha stayed with the childless couple at Shunem on his travels, and it was all of God’s providing.
1. It was the Lord’s provision that he had a place of rest and reflection. The journey was hard with much apostasy and godless kings. His ministry in the northern kingdom was a constant battle with Baal and all forms of idolatry.
2. His room was an oasis, a relief from the battle, and a necessary benefit to him. I think some servants of the Lord try to be stalwarts and keep on keeping on. It is not good. One gets worn out and becomes frazzled, no use in the Lord’s service. Even the Lord rested and that is a great example to us.
3. This woman’s conviction to provide a room, was of the Lord. God moves people to provide in ways God’s servants don’t contemplate. We realise a lot through hindsight when we can understand how the Lord has led. In this life we often don’t see the Lord’s provisions to us for they are like treats along the way and we don’t see the significance of them at the time. I think it would be a huge surprise for us if we could see the way the Lord really looks after us. Of course if we are out of His will, then I don’t know just how much we can expect. Even so, I think He provides for His wayward child with the means of turning the backslidden one back to Him. Think of being lost in the bush by turning off the path as Pilgrim did in Pilgrim’s progress, and then found himself in trouble. One dilemma in being lost is that you don’t know in which direction to go unless you get even further away. In our waywardness, there are barbed wire fences to turn us to a certain direction, and a creek to lead us in a certain way. God is prompting his wayward one back to His direction. He is gracious like that and is not willing for His child to be stubborn and unfruitful. If you are one who is walking astray today, then the Lord is not happy with your path. Remember the times of fellowship you had, and return to the Lord. Don’t delay but do it today.
(A). THE MARK OF GRATITUDE. Gratitude! It is a quality that emanates from God Himself. The New Testament lists unthankfulness (KJV), or ungratefulness as being one of the sins particularly evident in the last days. It is found in this verse - 2Timothy 3 v 2 [[for men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, etc.]] The Lord graciously healed 10 men with leprosy on a certain day. I want to read that account - Luke 17 v 12 [[and as He entered a certain village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him, Luke 17:13 and they raised their voices saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Luke 17:14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests,” and it came about that as they were going, they were cleansed. Luke 17:15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, Luke 17:16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him, and he was a Samaritan. Luke 17:17 Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed, but the nine - where are they? Luke 17:18 Was no one found who turned back to give glory to God except this foreigner?” Luke 17:19 He said to him, “Rise, and go your way. Your faith has made you well.”]]
You will note at the initial encounter that there were 10 who pleaded the mercy of God, even calling on Jesus using the term “Master” which is Lord. They were all cleansed, but how many returned to thank the Lord who had saved them from a miserable life and an early death? One only.
Are we any different? Listen to what Paul wrote. Colossians 3 v 15 [[Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful. Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Col 3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.]] How many Christians truly obey those commands? O, yes, lip service is paid on Sunday morning but how many issue forth thankfulness out of a grateful heart? Some in public do it orally, but everyone should be in that state in their spirits. It is all part and parcel of our Christian confession. We live in an age of entitlement. People expect things, free handouts from the Government and show no thankfulness for what they have received. Don’t let Christians be named among the expectant entitled of the church.
The last time we spoke about Elisha, we titled the message, “Christian How is Your Little Chamber Furnished?” Today I want to take up the next part of that episode with the Title “The Recipient of Gratitude”. Elisha and his servant Gehazi had been coming and going for a bit, setting out on ministry and then returning to the specially prepared chamber the woman kept prepared for him, maybe for both, but unlikely. Gehazi may have been accommodated for elsewhere. Well one day, the heart of Elisha stirred within him and it was gratitude that prompted him to call Gehazi for a simple mission. He was to find the Shunammite woman because he wanted to show her kindness in the same way she had shown kindness to him.
The woman arrived and we have an unusual approach from the prophet. This is the verse - 2Kings 4 v 13 [[He said to him, “Say now to her, Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the army?” and she answered, “I live among my own people.”]] Before we comment on this verse we ought to note that the wording contains a special word. Where the NASB translates as “careful for us with all this care”, the word literally is “anxiety”, “anxious for us with all this care or anxiety. “You have taken all this trouble in lodging both me and my servant, and in attending on us”. It is like some of our women who want to provide hospitality for someone coming, and get all anxious about it. Who are we reminded of in the New Testament who was like that, rushing around trying to get all the work done and everything in order and to present a scene of tidiness and capability? Why, it was Martha of course, while Mary preferred to be at the feet of Jesus listening to Him. That is an interesting study, but not for today.
We do know that Paul enjoined on us not to be anxious for anything. Did you note there that Elisha spoke to the woman through his servant, which on face value, seems just a little odd. It is a totally incorrect notion to imagine that the prophet saw himself above the woman. It is all a matter of interaction. Some have said that “Most likely, in all things which he required, Gehazi was his messenger to the house, and so the woman would more readily reply to him than to his master. It is clear from what follows that Gehazi was acquainted with the family concerns.” It is very common to approach someone through the agency of another who relates better to that person, or knows that person better.
In verse 13, the prophet asked what can be done for the woman; in other words, what can Elisha do to help the Shunammite. He suggested two possibilities, a mention of her before the king or before the army captain. I am not sure what either would have done because the king, being a king of Israel after the split in the days of Reheboam and Jereboam, meant that he was an evil king like all who sat on Israel's throne. The woman’s reply was concise and embracing, “I live among my own people.” In other words, what she is saying has been well written of by Gill – “I live among my own people” - she was content and satisfied with her present state of life, and the situation she was in, and with her friends and neighbours she lived among, and did not care to remove, though it was to a higher rank of life, maybe, and to greater dignity and honour, maybe, and she had no case to make to the king or general, nothing to complain of; and she had friends enough to speak for her, should she want any assistance.” She was absolutely content with her simple life. Again, that New Testament verse applies – “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
THE WINDOW OPENS. In verse 14, probably a little after the first request, Elisha asks Gehazi what can be done for the woman. There seemed nothing she needed or desired after. It seems the servant knew the woman in her household and more of her personal affairs affecting her. That would be understandable. It is absolutely commendable that Elisha persisted to find a way to express his gratitude, but his servant’s answer may not have been quite what he had expected. The woman was childless. Why was she childless? This is a very sensitive area, and one we don’t intrude in, lightly. There are several reasons for this state and I am not going to say any more today, except for one thing. You will notice that the passage says her husband was old, the inference being, he was not of much use in the necessities of childbearing.
It was not unusual in marriage in these cultures, for a man to be quite older than the woman for one reason or another. It is believed that Joseph was much older than Mary, which was the reason he was not alive when Jesus was ministering with his disciples. I believe the Shunammite couple had tried for a child and hoped for a son for a long time, because barrenness in the Middle Eastern culture is quite a stigma, and a son meant the inheritance would not be lost to another family. Why then did she remain childless? I am going to ask another question – “Why was Sarah kept childless for all those many years? In both those cases, God had done it, so that His provision would result in God’s own timing, and that He would be glorified as a result. God knew what He was doing. He always knows what He is doing! Gehazi was able to detect this woman’s sorrows, and the very thing that was lacking in her life. The Shunammite woman was kept by God for His time, so that His glory might be revealed in her, and through the word of the prophet.
There is one more case I want to consider. It is that of Hannah. The Lord had closed Hannah’s womb and it was a grievous matter for Elkanah and Hannah. Just to understand the sadness of heart for women like Hannah, let us read a short account - 1Samuel 1 v 9 [[Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD, 1Sam 1:10 and she, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly, 1Sam 1:11 and she made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.” Eli was a bad priest and even interpreted Hannah’s distress as her being drunk, but in her defence (verse 15) Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.”]]
Back again, in the next verse in 1 Kings, (verse 15), the woman was called and came and stood in the doorway, but this time the exchange was made between the woman and Elisha directly. In verse 16, Elisha gave her the promise that in a year she would be holding a son. As with Sarah, it was the promise of a miracle. Abraham was past it and so was Sarah, but God’s miracles don’t stand on human logic. Human logic could never have created the universe out of nothing, though humanist human logic tries to explain creation. Human logic could never have fed thousands with five small loaves and two fish, though humanist human logic explains away any miracle. Human logic could never have restored sight to a man at the gate Beautiful at the Temple, though humanist human logic would dismiss such a miracle. Rationalists have replaced God with their own intelligence. It is deluded rationalists who argue that God is wrong when it comes to marriage, when it comes to gender, and wrong when it comes to how the earth is populated by living creatures; and wrong when it comes to human morality. Let me tell the rationalists that a day of reckoning is coming and their satanic philosophies will be exposed.
Christians do not walk by rationalism or humanism. They walk, and live by faith. As you have received Christ Jesus, so walk in Him. By faith we believe it was God who instituted marriage. It is by faith we believe the whole animal and plant kingdoms were created. It is by faith we understand the principles of morality are for holiness. Also, we accept the blind man was healed at the Temple by the power of God. And it is by faith that Sarah and the Shunammite woman must believe the word of God to them. Paul explained to the Hebrews - Hebrews 11 v 11 [[By faith, even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Heb 11:12 Therefore, also, there was born of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.]]
Let us look at the woman’s response when Elisha gave her the promise of a son - “No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant.” Why did she say that? Let us consider Sarah again – This passage tells much - Genesis 18 v 9 [[Then they (that is, three men who were angels in fact) said to him (Abraham), “Where is Sarah your wife?” and he said, “Behold, in the tent.” Gen 18:10 He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son,” and Sarah was listening at the tent door which was behind him. Gen 18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age. Sarah was past childbearing. Gen 18:12 Sarah laughed to herself saying, “After I have become old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” Gen 18:13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child when I am so old?’ Gen 18:14 Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you at this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”]]
There are parallels here with these two women. Both were really unlikely to have a child, well impossible. Both were promised a son within the year. One asked not to be lied to (solemn words in the Hebrew), and the other laughed at the prospect. Did these women, in their responses to the messages, lack faith to believe God? OR was the news just so incredible, it was just too much to take in and come to grips with it? I think it was the latter reason. However, faith prevailed. One commentator said, “The blessing promised was so great, and appeared so unlikely of fulfilment, that the woman implores Elisha not to raise false expectations in such a matter.”
This is what happened to Sarah - Genesis 21 v 1 [[Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised, Gen 21:2 so Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. Gen 21:3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.]] The heir had been promised and the heir was given. God is faithful. In the case of the Shunammite woman, God records this - 2Kings 4 v 17 The woman conceived and bore a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had said to her. Again, God is faithful. An heir had been promised, and an heir had been given. For Hannah, this was the result - 1Samuel 1 v 20 [[It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son, and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the LORD.”]]
God has given such wonderful promises to us, found in the bible, but how do we handle them? Do we tend to laugh at them in dismissal? Do we reject them on the grounds of improbability? Do we think it is God’s encouragement merely, but in reality might apply to others, not ourselves? Do we accept them from the hand of God and apply them all to us? There are so many of these promises but I will mention just 5.
(1). If God be for us, who can be against us.
(2). Is anything too hard for God?
(3). Come unto me all you who are burdened and heavy laden and I will give you rest.
(4). If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(5). I will never leave you nor forsake you.
To close I wish to suggest some ways the woman was blessed through all of this. Her faith in the Lord was confirmed and it increased. Therefore God became closer. She gained a dignity and respect in the community. Her love extended to embrace a son as well as her husband of course. Any situation where a woman thinks she has to do her duty to the marriage and not respect her husband is not Christian.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
