Take your Bibles with me tonight and turn to 2 Kings 4. 2 Kings 4 again.
Last week I preached to your from part of this chapter, and we looked at several of Elisha’s miracles.
Elisha performed more miracles than anyone in the Bible besides the Lord Jesus Christ. He performed double the miracles that Elijah performed. And Elisha’s miracles were very often private miracles, they were miracles of kindness and provision. That is what we are going to see tonight.
We are going to be look at verse 8 - 37 tonight and we are going to talk about one of the most interesting women in the whole Bible and the greatest crisis of her life. It’s a great story.
Before we get into it, let’s ask God’s blessing on our Bible reading tonight.
Pray
I'm going to break this story down into four parts tonight, and as we go through each part I'll give you a few principles we can learn from it.
The first part we are going to read is...
The Shunemmite’s kindness to Elisha (8-10)
[8] And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. [9] And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. [10] Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. 2 Kings 4:8-10 (KJV)
So apparently Elisha had to travel back and forth around Israel. We know there were multiple schools of the prophets. We know that there were different places of religious significance where he ministered. Apparently travel was a regular part of his life.
And running these regular routes, he had to pass by a town called Shunem. Now, the Bible tells us here there was a "great woman" in Shunem. Great probably doesn't mean that she was amazing. Great means that she was wealthy. She was the wife to a wealthy man and hers was a prominent family in that area.
This woman noticed Elisha walking buy her town and one day she saw him and convinced him to join them for a meal. It must have went pretty well because it became a regular thing - whenever Elisha went that way - he stopped in at the Shunnemite woman's home to eat.
And the Shunnemite woman must of liked this, she benefited from it, because she was eating with her husband one day and said "Bill, I've been on Pinterest and I have a project idea for you. Don't you think ti would be a good idea if we built a little addition up on the roof for the prophet to use when he comes by? We can put a bed in there and a table and a candlestick? What do you think Bill?"
And her husband (who probably wasn't actually named Bill) probably said "sure honey." So they did it. They built a little addition on their roof with an extra room that was just for the prophet.
Now, we haven't gotten very far in this story, but you can already learn a few things from this woman.
It says she was a great woman. (Again, probably talking about her wealth or social standing) but I would say that isn't the only reason she was great.
I think she was great because she showed hospitality. Because she opened her home to outsiders and used her home as a base of ministry and serving.
Folks, one of the greatest assets that you have in being a blessing to others is your kitchen table and your couch. You can invite people over, you can feed them - doesn't have to be fancy. Doesn't have to amazing. Just spend time with them and welcome them into your home.
Do you know that so often in scripture, godly people have been hospitable people. Think about Abraham welcoming the strangers. Or Lazarus and Martha and Mary taking care of Christ. Or Barnabas taking in the newly saved Paul. Or Annaias and Saphira teaching Apollos around their kitchen table.
And it's not just taught to us by example, it's taught to us by commandment.
[!bible] Hebrews 13:2 - KJV 2. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
[!bible] 1 Peter 4:9 - KJV 9. Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
Hospitality can be an amazing way God can use you to bless and help others.
Notice also that this Shunammite woman wasn't just hospitible, she had it in her heart to give and help the man of God.
She showed Elisha an amazing kindness in building him his own little private hotel room. You can tell she believed in what God was doing through Elisha and wanted to give back to him and be a blessing to him.
Jesus said this about how preachers are treated:
[!bible] Matthew 10:40-41 - KJV 40. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 41. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
And in the epistles there are commands like:
[!bible] Galatians 6:6 - KJV 6. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
In general, it's a good thing to be good and do good for the preachers God uses in your life.
Listen, you as a church and you as individuals have been very, very good to me. I can look around this room and I can think of the many people in here who have given special gifts to our family - often when we needed it. And that is special. We never expect that. We don't take it for granted.
And it is not just money or gifts:
- People in the church have watched our kids when we had to go somewhere.
- People in the church have worked around our house for us.
- One of the greatest things you have done for us is to just be a blessing to my kids.
So this woman was a great woman and she showed her greatness by her hospitality and by her extraordinary kindness to the man of God.
Let's look at the next section:
Elisha’s kindness to the woman (11-17)
[11] And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. [12] And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. [13] And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. [14] And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. [15] And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. [16] And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. [17] And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. 2 Kings 4:11-17 (KJV)
One day, Elisha is lying in his special room. he has has servant Gahazi with him and he says "What is something nice we can do for this Shunnemite woman?"
So they call her up to the room and they say "What can we do for you?" Do you want us to drop your name next time we talk to the king or to the general? Do you want political favors?
And the woman said "no, I dwell with my own people."
That shows me another thing that made this woman great - she knew her place and she was content there. She was ok just being the wife in this little village in Shunem. She was ok just being known and loved by her husband and her neighbors. She didn't need to be famous.
And that is the quality of a great person - this being ok with just being in the place God put you - and not needing fame and recognition.
There is a temptation for a lot of people to go online and try to build a following. A lot of posts on social media saying "Look at me. Notice me. See how great I am."
And I think it is far better to be the person that says "I'm ok without the attention. I'm ok blooming in obscurity if that is where God put me. I'm going to be a blessing to those God puts in my way, I'm going to love my family and my people, and that is enough."
Being great doesn't mean having crazy followers on insta. It's ok to just love your own home and your own children and your own church family. Which is what 99% of the people on earth had as their only option.
So she denies this idea. She's not interested in meeting the king. She goes back downstairs to her sourdough.
Then Gehazi says "Hey, she doesn't have any children and her husband is old." And Elisha says "that's a great idea - call her back up here."
And Elisha tells her "Listen, next year at this time, you are going to be holding a baby boy." And the woman says something like "don't tease me. Are you serious."
Elisha was serious and God blessed the family with a baby boy.
Now, this reminds me of another thing we can learn from this Shunemite woman - I think God blessed her house because of her.
Do you know what we don't see in this story at all? We don't see the husband. He isn't the key character - she is. It wasn't his idea to invite Elisha over - it was hers. It wasn't his idea to build Elisha a room - it was hers. She seems to be spiritually outclassing her husband.
And that is unfortunate, but its also common and it's a reminder that there are many houses that owe God's blessing primarily to a godly wife and mother.
Maybe ladies you are married to a spiritual potato. But don't let that hold you back. Be faithful to the Lord. Serve the Lord. God may bless your family for it.
So this woman was blessed with a son, and the son lived and grew for awhile, and they lived happily ever after.
But that is where this story get's interesting. In verses 19-25 we see...
The crisis of her life (19-25)
We'll read those verses in a second, but let me just say this - just because you are godly, just because God has blessed you - doesn't mean you won't experience trials.
This woman had quite a trial. Let's read verses 19-25:
[19] And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. [20] And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. [21] And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. [22] And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. [23] And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. [24] Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. [25] So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: 2 Kings 4:19-25 (KJV)
The boy has grown. That probably just means he's school aged at this point. Maybe 6-10. And he's out working in the field with his day when he suddenly says "my head, my head!" and dad sends the boy home to mom where he lies on her lap for a few hours and then dies.
Tragic story. Can you imagine what this woman was going through? Can you imagine the anguish of her heart as she sat and rocked her poor little baby? Can you can imagine the desperate prayers she must have been uttering?
And now, horrors! Her precious baby is dead! She's holding his lifeless body. It's getting cold. Nothing she does can wake him up.
The woman does a curious thing. She puts the boys in Elisha's room. On Elisha's bed. And she immediately starts going to meet Elisha.
I heard a preacher say that she was preparing the boy for resurrection - not for burial. It's incredible faith.
She calls her husband and doesn't tell him his only son just died. She just says "I'm going to see the prophet, can I borrow a donkey and a servant please."
Bill says "Why do you want to go see the prophet? It isn't a new moon or a sabbath?" And she says "It is well." I'm going.
I think her determination was enough to tell her hubby something was wrong and she just went. She told the servant to drive as fast as he possibly could and not to stop or slow down on her account. And she set off for Mt. Carmel to see the prophet.
Now, I looked this up. Even hurrying, this is a 3-4 hour journey. But she is dedicated.
Can I ask you something? Where do you go when you are going through a crisis? To you go to God? To you go to the word of God? To you immediately fall apart, or do you take it to the Lord?
Listen just because you are a Christian, even a faithful Christian, it doesn't mean that there won't be trials. Of course there will be trials. There will be times when the storm seems like it is swallowing you whole. The key is that you have Jesus sleeping in the back of the boat with you - and you trust that He can take care of the storm.
So we've seen
- this woman's kindness to Elisha
- Elisha's kindness to the woman
- This great crisis
Let's look at the last section of this story, which is...
The miracle
Let's read verses 26-37:
[26] Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well: [27] And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. [28] Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me? [29] Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. [30] And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. [31] And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. [32] And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. [33] He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. [34] And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. [35] Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. [36] And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. [37] Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. 2 Kings 4:26-37 (KJV)
- Sometimes our faith needs to be tennacious.
- Religious ritual means nothing without God’s power.
- We should meet God’s blessings with worship.
