seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Kings 4:18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 He said to his father, “My head! My head!”
His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.
22 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”
23 “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.”
“That’s all right,” she said.
24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’”
“Everything is all right,” she said.
27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”
28 “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”
29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”
30 But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”
32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” 37 She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out
His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.
22 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”
23 “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.”
“That’s all right,” she said.
24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’”
“Everything is all right,” she said.
27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”
28 “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”
29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”
30 But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”
32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” 37 She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out
Boy the commentaries are preachy this morning. One would think that bringing someone back from the dead should teach us something. At any rate.... the easy English site was, once again, the easiest for me to understand.
So the boy was dead. The mother did not bury him but she went to fetch Elisha. Earlier, Elijah had helped the son of a widow in Zarephath (1 Kings 17:17-23). Perhaps this woman from Shunem had heard about that. The God of Elisha was the same as the God of Elijah. And it seems that the woman realised that.
Her husband asked her why she was going. It seems that his faith was never as strong as hers. His religion was for special occasions, for example Sabbath days and *estivals. But she wanted to serve God at every opportunity. She told her husband that everything was all right. Of course her child was dead. But she insisted that everything was all right. She said this because she was trusting God. God had made a promise to her by his prophet. And she knew that God is able to perform his promises.
The journey from Shunem to Carmel was 25 miles long. The woman’s servant made the donkey move quickly. Elisha sent his servant to discover what the problem was. The woman replied with a statement of her faith. She did not want to talk about her problem. She was trusting God.
Elisha did not know what the problem was. God did not tell everything to his prophets. The prophets were only human. They did not know everything. It was then that the woman spoke. The woman said to Elisha that she had not asked for a son. And she had also told him not to tell lies to her. The woman did not explain her problem, but Elisha understood. She was reminding Elisha about the promise that God gave to her. That is, the promise that she would have a son. Elisha saw that it was necessary to act immediately.
Elisha told Gehazi to run. He must put Elisha’s stick on the child. (The stick was something that showed Elisha’s authority.) Perhaps Elisha hoped that the action would bring the boy back to life. But that did not happen immediately. Then Gehazi showed a serious lack of *faith. He did not continue to pray. Perhaps he had already decided that the situation was hopeless. He left the body and he returned to Elisha. Gehazi told Elisha that the boy was dead. Gehazi had done what Elisha told him. But Gehazi had acted without faith. Good actions without faith achieve nothing.
When Elisha reached the room, he spread himself upon the boy. Elijah did similar things in 1 Kings 17:21. These actions may seem strange to us, but they show a desperate state of prayer. At first, the boy became warm. That showed that he was starting to become alive. Then the boy sneezed. This showed that he was alive. God had answered his mother’s prayers. We shall read more about this family in 2 Kings 8:1-6.
Her husband asked her why she was going. It seems that his faith was never as strong as hers. His religion was for special occasions, for example Sabbath days and *estivals. But she wanted to serve God at every opportunity. She told her husband that everything was all right. Of course her child was dead. But she insisted that everything was all right. She said this because she was trusting God. God had made a promise to her by his prophet. And she knew that God is able to perform his promises.
The journey from Shunem to Carmel was 25 miles long. The woman’s servant made the donkey move quickly. Elisha sent his servant to discover what the problem was. The woman replied with a statement of her faith. She did not want to talk about her problem. She was trusting God.
Elisha did not know what the problem was. God did not tell everything to his prophets. The prophets were only human. They did not know everything. It was then that the woman spoke. The woman said to Elisha that she had not asked for a son. And she had also told him not to tell lies to her. The woman did not explain her problem, but Elisha understood. She was reminding Elisha about the promise that God gave to her. That is, the promise that she would have a son. Elisha saw that it was necessary to act immediately.
Elisha told Gehazi to run. He must put Elisha’s stick on the child. (The stick was something that showed Elisha’s authority.) Perhaps Elisha hoped that the action would bring the boy back to life. But that did not happen immediately. Then Gehazi showed a serious lack of *faith. He did not continue to pray. Perhaps he had already decided that the situation was hopeless. He left the body and he returned to Elisha. Gehazi told Elisha that the boy was dead. Gehazi had done what Elisha told him. But Gehazi had acted without faith. Good actions without faith achieve nothing.
When Elisha reached the room, he spread himself upon the boy. Elijah did similar things in 1 Kings 17:21. These actions may seem strange to us, but they show a desperate state of prayer. At first, the boy became warm. That showed that he was starting to become alive. Then the boy sneezed. This showed that he was alive. God had answered his mother’s prayers. We shall read more about this family in 2 Kings 8:1-6.
I found this at a site called wordlibrary.
The Shunammite woman had three qualities that are essential in every woman of God.
Contentment
A kind heart (compassion)
Persistence
A kind heart (compassion)
Persistence
She told that Elisha guy not to mess with her heart. She didn't have a child. She was happy with her fate. Then that prophet came along and changed that. Now she had a son and the loss of that son would be totally unacceptable. She told that prophet she was perfectly content the way things were. Then he came along, gave her a son.... and if that baby was sick... then that prophet had to make things better... because if he didn't... then it would mess with her heart.... that grief would be twice as bad. Not only would she have to grieve the loss of a child she was content to live without.... but now she would feel the emptiness..... She would not allow this to happen. She would insist that this prophet make things right.
I found this picture the other day.... I think it explains it... she didn't want to feel like this.....
And... as a side note... does anyone else find it odd that this has happened twice? What illness could this be?
