The Shunammite Woman

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Let us Praise the Lord our God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZsRU6-3MTc

2 Kings 4:8-37 New Living Translation (NLT)

Let’s Begin

One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat.

Let’s take a closer look at this verse

This passage in scripture is all about the Shunmmite woman. We can note that she was:

·        Not Jewish

·        Very wealthy

·        Hospitable

·        Generous

·        Compassionate

·        Faithful

·        Has a heart for God

This woman was known in her village and we see that she crossed paths with Elisha at some point and extended an invitation for him to come to her home. Whatever circumstances caused their paths to cross, it is apparent that Elisha made an impression on this woman. Her persistent urging with Elisha to come for dinner will turn into a blessing for her.

Let’s Read

She said to her husband, “I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God. Let’s build a small 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.”

Let’s take a closer look at this verse

The Shunammite woman has a keen spiritual eye and heart. She shares with her husband her concern for Elisha’s comfort while in town. Her suggestion is that they make set up a place for Elisha for whenever he comes to town. Note also her concern for the necessity for him (bed is obvious, but also the table, a lamp & chair). We can see that her character is one of kindness, compassion, hospitable, cares about the things of God, honest and submissive. Her relationship with her husband is one of respect and honor, for he listened to her counsel and the room was added. Reminder of the Proverbs 31 woman. What a blessing she is to her family & to Elisha.

Let’s Read

One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to this upper room to rest. He said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her.”

When she appeared, Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’”

“No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.” Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”

Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”

Let’s take a closer look at this verse

Here Elisha feels moved to bless the Shunammite woman believing that perhaps he can put in a good word on her behalf to the King or the Commander of the army, since it was obvious that her need was not for money nor material things.

I loved her reply to Elisha’s question of, “what can we do for you”? She replied by honoring her husband & family, as she answers, “My family takes good care of me.” Her heart is content and it is reflected in how she answered Elisha.

We also see how grateful Elisha is towards the Shunammite woman and her household. She has been kind and gracious, so Elisha still wants to do something for her and turns to his servant Gehazi and asks, “What can we do for her”?

There is nothing like the Spirit of God, who can discern all things and looks into our hearts’. So the Lord uses Gehazi at this moment to state an obvious fact, and Gehazi says, “She doesn’t have a son and her husband is an old man”.

Wow, how knowingly and sensitive the Lord is to know exactly what is the desire of this woman’s heart and to make it known to Elisha. How faithful is our God!

We have seen:

·        The character of the Shunammite woman

·        Her household

·        God’s heart to bless those who bless His people.

·        God’s Faithfulness to answer every prayer and meet every need (both for Elisha and the woman)

Let’s Read

“Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway, “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!”

“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”

But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.

Let’s take a closer look

Here the Lord went straight to the issue of the Shunammite Woman’s heart! Her desire for a child was important to her, but for whatever reason, she was fearful. The scripture does reveal to us through her response that she was afraid. Listen carefully to her words:

“No, my Lord!” O man of God,

don’t deceive me and

get my hopes up like that”.

What caused her to be afraid? What caused her to be deceived before? And why doesn’t she believe? Perhaps like Sarah, she desired a child but instead she would have to accept the fact that she is barren? Perhaps, like Hannah she has been crying out to the Lord for a child but to no avail as of yet? Whatever happened in her past we do not know for certain, but something was haunting her.

For in that moment when she heard Elisha pronounce the blessing of a child, her heart just broke and she cried out loud, “No, my Lord!” O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that”.

In life so many times our past wants to cause us to fear and to not believe. But we must confront our past through the blood of Jesus and allow His blood to cleanse us and to make us whole and a new creation through Jesus. Then can we go forward in victory without our past haunting us.

For me personally, this is something that I needed to deal with a few years ago, because I was so burden with guilt. I didn’t know what was going on within my heart, other than I had to face my past and ask God to give me the strength and the wisdom to face the lies. With Him carrying me in His loving arms, was I able to find victory and deliverance from the torment of my past.  

Examine yourself and allow God to heal any wounds that may be in your heart.

Psalm 26:2

Examine me, O Lord, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.

Let’s Read

One day when her child was older, he went out to help his father, who was working with the harvesters. Suddenly he cried out, “My head hurts! My head hurts!”

His father said to one of the servants, “Carry him home to his mother.”

So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died. She carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there. 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.”

“Why go today?” he asked. “It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath.”But she said, “It will be all right.” So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, “Hurry! Don’t slow down unless I tell you to.” 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. Run out to meet her and ask her, ‘Is everything all right with you, your husband, and your child?’”

“Yes,” the woman told Gehazi, “everything is fine.”

Let’s take a closer look

What faith this woman has as she responds, “It will be all right” and “everything is fine”.

We need to take heed and learn from this woman, as she puts into action her faith.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

She does not allow anything to distract her nor get in the way of reaching the source of her faith. She wants to go straight to the man of God. Not her husband, not Gehazi and not the journey there will stop her from reaching Elisha. How important it is for us to see her faith and her determination to meet with God that there isn’t anything that she will allow to hinder her!

This character of determination, urgency, holding fast to God during a time of trouble is something admirable in her. We as believers must be persistent and determined to reach the heart of God with all prayer and supplication so that our requests will be made known to God.

What a wonderful illustration this story provides!

Let’s Read

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. She is deeply troubled, but the Lord has not told me what it is.”

Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? And didn’t I say, ‘Don’t deceive me and get my hopes up’?” 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.”

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. 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.”

When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. 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 as he stretched out on him, the child’s body began to grow warm again! Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!

Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. “Call the child’s mother!” he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, “Here, take your son!” She fell at his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs.

Let’s take a closer look

Elisha can see that the woman is desperately hurt, troubled, perplex on all sides, but not defeated.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

She humbles herself before the man of God as her heart cries out “Why”, but her very first words are “Did I ask you for a son”? Like Elisha, we can see that her heart is broken but not her faith! She comes broken and humbled to make her request be known and Elisha jumps into action.

Oh no, the Shunammite woman says to Elisha, I am not leaving here without you. You provided this blessing, so please now keep your promise and come with me to deliver my son.

Oh, once again we see her persistence, her humility and her faith. Such a beautiful way to worship the Lord in our time of trouble.

The rest of the story is the beginning of her walk with the Lord. The Shunmmite woman gained rich experiences with God because she dared to walk by faith and not by sight.  

We will find in 2 Kings 8:1-6, how God describes yet another encounter that The Shunammite Woman has with Him. And just like her, our walk will have many encounters, many blessings and many testings with God.  So let us learn from her example, the importance of what to do and how! And gleam from her, the beauty of trusting God and coming to Him in humility and with faith. 

Background
After this experience with Elisha, we know that there was a famine in the land approximately some seven years later. This woman (the Shunammite), retired during the famine to the low land of the Philistines; and on returning home some years afterwards, she finds her house and fields in the possession of a stranger.  

Let’s take a look at the continuous faithfulness of our God  as we read  (2 Kings 8:1-6 ).

Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.” 

The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years. 

At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to appeal to the king for her house and land. 

The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.” 

Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, “This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 

The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.”

Note to Self

We don’t even know her name. But, God does. And, He included her story in His written Word for our benefit. What inspires you about this woman?

Do you believe the woman’s sudden appearance before the king was a coincidence? If not, what does it tell you about our God?