Elisha & The Son of Promise
[By Calvin Allen]

Elisha has long been a fascinating bible character to me, and one of my favorite people in the scriptures! There is, in 2 Kings 4, a compelling story that reveals much about the character of Elisha as well as the Shunemmite woman in this story.

In verse 8 of this chapter we find Elisha coming to a town or village of Shunem, north of Jezreel and about 20 miles from Carmel where Elisha lived. It appears this village is on the normal route Elisha takes as he makes his rounds throughout the country going about his prophetic duties. The simple statement in verse 8, “as often as he passed by” (NKJV), is an indication of the diligent efforts of Elisha to be busy about the Lord’s work.  He understood the job that the Lord had given him to do and no doubt learned from the great examples of those who had come before him, namely Elijah! How much of our daily lives is given to some spiritual activity that will benefit others, ourselves, and ultimately bring glory to God?  Everything we do in our life can and should be viewed through the spiritual lens of God’s Word.

At some point on his normal journey through Shunem a “notable” woman persuaded him to stop and eat some food that she would prepare for Elisha and his servant Gehazi. What a wonderful testimony of this woman’s faith and love for strangers that she would be so willing to prepare food for them. Not only was she willing to prepare a meal for them, she persuaded her husband to build an additional room on their house so that Elisha and Gehazi would have a place to stay when they would come through. This required no small effort and investment on their part to accommodate the man of God! While it is true they had the means to make this investment, the example of their willingness to go to this effort says much about the love they have for their fellow man and for God, knowing what Elisha’s work was.

During one of Elisha’s stays in Shunem, he asked his servant to go to the woman and ask her how he could repay them for their effort and great kindness which they had shown them. So, when Gehazi asked the woman what she wished to be done for her, she replied, “I dwell among my own people” (NKJV)!  In essence, what she says is, I live among my family and many others and have need of nothing. This is evidence of the purity of her motives to help Elisha and his servant. This is a valuable lesson for us to learn about the things we do for others. Do we perform these good works in hopes of receiving something in return in the form of monetary remuneration, maybe even praise from others for the good deeds we have done, or are our motives as pure as that of the Shunemmite woman?

Elisha was not content with her answer and wanted to do something great for this woman. So, he asked his servant what should be done for her. Gehazi’s observation was that she had no son and her husband was old, an indication that she may have been several years younger than him. So, Elisha called for the woman and told her that she would have a son within the next year! God honored the promise Elisha made to the woman and she indeed had a son at the same time the next year.

Some years later it happened that the boy died and his mother took him and laid him on the bed she had prepared for Elisha and then commanded her servant to prepare a donkey and go with her to meet the prophet. Interestingly, when her husband questioned her about going to Elisha she said, “It is well” (NKJV), as if to say, don’t worry, everything is ok! Time was of the essence in her mind and she wasn’t about to risk having a lengthy conversation with her husband regarding what she was about to do.

Elisha looked out and saw the woman approaching and sent his servant to meet her and ask if everything was alright with her, with her husband, and her son. It is almost humorous to think of the scene of Gehazi approaching the woman and asking if everything is ok and her saying to him, without stopping, “It is well” (NKJV).  She had no interest in talking with Gehazi, she knew who the only person was who could help her. There may be times in our life, when faced with certain problems that requires the counsel of others, that we seek out the wrong person, possibly because we know their response will be what we want to hear. The Shunemmite woman knew that there was only one person who could help her and she went to great lengths to ensure that she got what she needed! It requires a certain amount of wisdom and determination in seeking out the right kind of help or counsel when faced with life’s difficulties.

The woman displayed great faith in Elisha knowing that God could, through His prophet, raise her son from the dead! So, we then are presented with a remarkable showing of God’s power through his servant in a most unusual way of bringing life back to the son that Elisha had promised to the woman some years earlier! Gehazi’s use of Elisha’s staff couldn’t raise him, only Elisha in the very intimate way of laying on the boy mouth to mouth, hands to hands covering his whole body could bring life back to the boy’s cold body. Praise God, the woman’s son had been brought back to life in remarkable fashion.

So, what are we to learn from this story? We see that we are to display a loving hospitality to strangers. Examine ourselves to ensure that we are pure in our motives to help others and to have an unrelenting faith in God and determination to serve Him, so that He will be glorified for His great majesty and power!