And although she experienced miraculous things, she herself was a down-to-earth role model for women in every era, and a model of the power of empathy. Elisha and the Shunammite woman, Gatekeepers! Twice, in this short narrative, the Shunammite woman reassures someone that everything will be alright. Elisha helps a poor widow. Leaving her dead child laid out on Elishas bed in her home, she mounted a donkey, headed to find Elisha, and demanded that he personally attend the child. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. She was definitely a notable woman of faith and courage. The Shunammite woman didnt shy away from doing all that she could for Elisha. In conclusion, the Shunammite woman was a well-off woman that did what she could to bless others. If so, how sad to consider the immediate distress of 2 Kings 4:20. We must seek God with faith immediately. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holyman of God, which passeth by us continually. It was Elishas idea for her to become a mother, not hers. We arent told her name; only that she was a wealthy woman from Shunem. Her soul is bitter within her, and the Lord has hidden it from me., Then the woman spoke, tears streaming down her face. In spite of the woman's uncertainties, she conceives and bears a son the following spring (2 Kings 4:17 ). In fact, he was dead. Carmel. All was quite obviously not well however, so what is going on here? When she returned to Shunem, she no longer had access to her home. His anxiety is aroused, and, in his impatience to know what has happened, instead of waiting for the woman's arrival, he bids his . Theme: Because of God's providence, the man or woman who trusts in God can in every circumstanceconfidently look to the future and say, "No matter what, I know it will be well". Everything is fine. Her Spiritual Perception: "And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. Thank you so much for sharing this teaching. I know you probably think Im reaching, so lets go to the Bible and read what it says: So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But sure enough, within a year she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy! No name was found for the Shunammite Woman during this research. So he called her. Let us make a small enclosed upper chamber and place a bed, a table, a chair, and a lampstand there for him, so that he can stop there whenever he comes to us. In both cases, Abraham and the Shunamite woman focused on empathy to determine the needs of their visitors. Run to the thrown, not the phone. And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? Here we have a godly woman in Shunem who showed love and hospitality to the prophet Elisha. She was described as a well-to-do Woman. That's why she rushed to Elisha, and did not say to anyone what had happened. God bless you. thank you so much what an exposition. Maybe she was loud and insolent? As a representative of God, having a prophet ask you what you desire is a great opportunity. The child had died in her arms. She gave out orders. This is way bigger then most realize. She humbly replied that she had everything she needed, but the preacher was not satisfied. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, This woman talked to her husband and made a request. Im so much inspired by this woman, she didnt focus on the death of her child but all she said was IF IS WELL,at the end of everything it was well just as she said wooow wat a brave woman, Hi Rene, But the child died from sunstroke, while he was still young, and she went to fetch. Christians, Muslims and Jews worship the sameGod? So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. Why couldnt Gehazi (i.e. The Shunammite woman and her husband often saw Elisha, the man of God, passing their home, and eventually she prepared a room for him so he . O man of God, dont deceive me and get my hopes up like that (2 Kings 4:16 NLT). Pointing out the impact of what we consider to be small gift, Jesus said: And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.. Why should I read the bible? 36 Then he summoned Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite.". Second Kings 4 focuses on some of the miracles performed by Elisha, but lets zoom in on the story about the woman of Shunem. She traveled 20 miles to Mount Carmel without letting anyone know anything was wrong with the child. Ruth is also the host of a week day show called This Is My Story on UCB2, which is part of United Christian Broadcasters. The Word of God does not, I believe, call her great simply due to her earthly riches. Rather than spending a long time being unhappy, the Shunammite woman shows us that we may eventually have to accept our circumstances and so, why not be satisfied sooner rather than later? While he was still talking about these things, a ruler kneels before Jesus and unburdens his troubled soul. We are, however, no more powerless than Elisha, for he of himself could not restore the Shunamitesson. Just as He came in deepest sympathy into the nearest contact with our wretched humanity, and condescended to stoop to our sorrowful condition, so must we come near to the souls with whom we have to deal, yearn over them with His yearning, and weep over them with His tears, if we would see them raised from the state of sin. In recent years, several friends have encouraged me to pick up the baton and run with it. Your email address will not be published. It came right to this article. Some amazing stories and great truths from those amazing men, but also the characters that are in their stories also, like this Shunammite woman. After some time, this wise woman speaks to her husband about building a room onto their house for Elisha to stay in whenever he passes through. At the start of 2 Kings 8, Elisha warned the Shunammite woman to leave because there was going to be a 7-year-long famine. Lessons to be learned from the Shunammite, Spurgeon Notes: Resurrection, then, is our aim! Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath . There are no coincidences in the Bible, theres only Providence. 1. (LogOut/ For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: She replies, All is well.. listeners: [], Your writing especially touched my heart today! The Shunammite narratives appear within the cycle of Elisha stories involving miracles. Observe carefully what Elisha did when thus foiled in his first effort. But despite the great opportunity, she decline. Dreams can live again. She put her son on Elishas bed and made plans. If your first method has been unsuccessful, you must improve upon it. The Shunammite woman was kind and generous. We know that Yahshua cast out demons by commanding them in his name. I love her characters. She made each holiday in the year like Norman Rockwell memory. Time passed, and the boy grew. I really like the story of shunamite woman,all is well with me also,very much encouraged. This wasnt the first time Elisha tried or did stay back by sending a messenger something Elijah didnt do. We have the same opportunity to trust God as the Shunammite woman did. The woman from Shunem is one of the unnamed women of the Bible but her testimony of faith is one we can still learn from today. Challenge: What is one thing that you can trust God for today? 2 Kings chapter 4 goes directly from the prophet's widow to the Shunammite woman. Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the Ancient Paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. ( know anyone like that?) It seems that more supervision would have prevented his deaththe lack of it is surprising in a woman we know to be attentive and empathetic. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.". If we yield to unbelief we shall be staggered by the evident fact that the work to which the Lord has called us is quite beyond our own personal power. He went into the room and did exactly as he was told, muttering, I dont see how this is gonna help. And sure enough, nothing happened. And when she came to him, he said, "Pick up your son." 37 She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Instead, he sent his servant, Gehazi, to offer money and protection, which she politely turned down asking nothing in return for her generosity. When we fail in one attempt, we must not therefore give up our work. She would chase you out with a broom if you spoke back, you would be publicly kicked out of her restaurant if you came in with your mistress, she visited the sick as only a saint would, made sure all the graves of the deceased had fresh flowers, always had an open door of hospitality, always a delicious dinner ready, and everyone who needed to get put in their place got put in there place. (LogOut/ I think this causes one to seek God first and not people. Moses is a teacher by calling and an IT Professional by profession. Rabbah 2:5:3).The Rabbis relate in a playful manner to the story of the son of the Shunammite woman, in order to derive the laws relating to corpse impurity. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. Its not often when unnamed characters in the Bible show up in more than one place. If Jordan above me shall roll, This latter reason is supported by her further action of shutting . A gedolah, a great woman. As a prophet, Elisha traveled from city to city . Speak life, hope, and faith. (LogOut/ Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, "Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.". The Ministry of the Shunammite (4:8-17) 8 Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. the Shunammite Woman Following the Lead of the Shunammite Woman. I am a joyful wife and mother of three, just turned loose the last of my little chicks, and getting ready to spread my own writing wings. Lastly, leaving her house and land at Elishas instructions showed that she wasnt attached to them. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. Thanks, Steven! Just watch it like a normal show and pretend you dont know much and, And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to. Then she picked up her son and went out. Elisha doesnt strike me as one of the friendliest people (he, at times tries) although a prophet uhm thats another post to show you in detail. Sometimes God gives us a promise and it seems like the promise is 'dead'. At first, it was simply a meal that she urged Elisha to stay and have when she met him in her hometown. Thank you. It is one of my favorite stories, and how she reappears in chapter 8. The story unfolds among four principal characters: Elisha, God's prophet; Gehazi, his assistant; the Shunammite woman, a wealthy and pious woman; and her young son, miraculously born. Hello. but there was neither voice, nor hearing. A wealthy woman, who lived there with her husband, invited the preacher and his companion to stay for chicken and dumplins. Perhaps the Shunamite woman could not allow herself to be totally emotionally involved with an unexpected and un-asked for child conceived as a result of a prophecy in her later years? We cannot raise the dead. The preacher was filled with gratitude for this womans generosity and asked what he could do to repay her kindness. It was not until Elisha had prayed and laid himself on the child twice was the boy resurrected. Thank you! Because of her deep empathy for Elisha, the Shunamite woman knew precisely what words to use to shake him from his detachment: As the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you, she cried. You are not, therefore, to look upon the restoration ofthese dead children, which in Gods name you are called to bring about, as being a thing unlikely or difficult when you remember who it is that works by your feeble instrumentality. 2 Kings Chapter 4. The strength of this womans testimony was that she refused to walk in fear. There is mention that her husband was old, so we can only guess that she may have been much younger. She would make sure the prophet Elisha had food, water and a place to sleep wheneverhe went through Shunem. The Deity of Christ in the Gospel of John, Follow The Abundant Heart on WordPress.com. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. Perhaps she believed that her child would live again, and perhaps she knew that he was safe in the presence of the Redeemer. Let me tell you about my grandmother-She had a heart of goldbut was fighting tough. The child grows, but one day he becomes ill and dies and this is where the story really gets really interesting. Examine wherein you have failed, and then, by changing your mode, or spirit, the Lord may prepare you for a degree of usefulness far beyond your expectation. Both, however, needed a miracle, which the prophet Elisha provided. In fact, he was dead. Consider the story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4:8-37. By contrast, Elisha was a busy and emotionally inaccessible man of God. She did not perform the heroics of providing wells of water for the Israelites in the wilderness (Miriam), nor did she receive an oracle from God about masterminding the plot to guarantee the future of our people (Rebecca), nor did she pound a tent peg into the head of a sleeping enemy general (Yael). 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. Jesus also said, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21 NIV). Scripture says that this woman from Shunem was a wealthy woman who, seeing Elisha was a holy man of God, blessed the prophet with meals and a place to stay. Despite the longtime connection between Elisha and the Shunamite woman, the prophet was still so emotionally detached that at first he sent only Gehazi to attend to the child. Her name was Abishag. Oh, trump of the angel! . Isaac's wife and Jacob's mother, the second matriarch survived a difficult pregnancy and engineered the future of the Jewish people. And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. In the story, the prophet Elisha warns this woman to leave her home and travel wherever she could because a famine was coming on the land for seven years. long as ever the truth which we deliver is a matter apart from ourselves and unconnected with our innermost being, so long it will have no more effect upon a dead soul than Elishas staff had upon the dead child. She is hospitable, giving, kind, very persuasive, goes out of her way for others and has faith. It may look impossible but bold faith sees with spiritual eyes remembering that nothing is impossible with God. But she left the house knowing Elisha could raise her son from the dead and thats what was going to happen. The two could not be more different. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. The statement that she was a great woman could have meant that she was older, wealthy, or nobler. In other words when we breathe we inhale-Yah, we exhale Wehwhen we sneeze we involuntarily say YAHSHUA, It is good as a man of God also to know what you are doing in faith we must have the true faith and know that all power and authority has been given to us and we have power to raise the dead,heal the sick,to set free those who are oppressed by the devil and to preach the gospel news and Elisha must be a good example to us. Because she had a special relationship with the prophet Elisha, her child was miraculously conceived and miraculously resurrected. The woman of Shunem [4] is not named, but her status is indicated. And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, 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. For her reward, God gave the woman a miracle: a son of her own. Now, this may not seem like a reward but lets look a little deeper. And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. Although she was well off, she didn't have everything but showed satisfaction in what she had. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The Shunammite's son dies seemingly without warning. 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. Who is the Shunammite Woman in the Bible? well mostly tv lol. But around noontime he died. So he called her. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! She stayed away from her home for seven years. Gavin Viljoen. Meanwhile, Elisha had sent his servant ahead to lay his staff on the child. And she answered, It is well: Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. And although she experienced miraculous things, she herself was a down-to-earth role model for women in every era, and a model of the power of empathy. Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, The Shunammite woman had a lot of faith. } Although she would be leaving her house and land, she did just that. As he is going to the mans house, the woman with the discharge of blood presses in through the crowd saying to herself, If I only touch his garment, I will be made well. Her faith made her well that day and Jesus went on to raise the dead girl to life. And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. Likewise, with whatever we have, we should do the same. She was beyond persistent and always got what she wanted. It is believed that the location of the Biblical Shunem, is located in the northern part of modern day Israel. Her response was that she didnt need anything. Hebrews 11: 1 tells us that. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. It was fun correcting him She was always giving and thought of others, but watch out if you didnt serve her right, didnt open the door for her or told her that her meatballs tasted funny ohh weee not fun! 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Then he summoned Gehazi and said, & quot ; Call this Shunammite. & quot ; was,! Have encouraged me to pick up the baton and run with it will not leave thee remembering. From city to city heart of goldbut was fighting tough his eyes how she reappears chapter... In this short narrative, the second matriarch survived a difficult pregnancy and the. Determine the needs of their visitors is our aim to pick up the baton and with! Us a promise and it seems like the promise is & # x27 ; why.