Elisha’s Ministry - What Is God Doing? The Promised Son Restored Series

2Kings 4 v 27 When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet, and Gehazi came near to push her away but the man of God said, “Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.”

Interesting reaction this was from Gehazi, the servant. It perhaps did not show much discernment or respect. After all, this woman had cared for both Elisha and the servant for many years. Elsiha quickly gathered that the woman was in great distress of soul.

2Kings 4 v 28 Then she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” 2Kings 4:29 Then he said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go your way. If you meet any man, do not salute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him, and lay my staff on the lad’s face.” 2Kings 4:30 The mother of the lad said, “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you,” and he arose and followed her.

Verse 28 is hurting distress speaking. She could not understand why God would do this? The instructions were given to Gehazi to go on before, and Elisha and the woman would follow. Can you see this woman in distress going with Elisha? She knew God’s power lay with Elisha, and I think all her hope lay in Elisha. The prophet did not encourage her and never mentioned having faith in God like we might have done. He and the woman hurried on.

2Kings 4 v 31 Then Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad’s face, but there was neither sound nor response, so he returned to meet him and told him, “The lad has not awakened.”

Okay now, what do we make of this? The exercise did not work. Commentators have so many opinions, from saying Elisha acted in haste, to, it was a token exercise just to comfort the mother. Those faithless ideas I reject. I have my own idea. The prophet’s staff was an object of authority, so taking the staff and laying it on the face of the boy was marking him out to wait the authority of God through the prophet. It was not meant to perform this miracle as Gehazi probably thought.

I saw a good comment in The Pulpit Commentary – “Although on some occasions it has pleased God to allow miracles to be wrought by the instrumentality of lifeless objects, as when Elisha's bones resuscitated a dead man (2 Kings 13 v 21), and when power and strength went out from the hem of our Lord's garment (Mark 5 v 25-34), and still more remarkably, when "handkerchiefs or aprons from the body of Paul were brought unto the sick, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits were cast out of them" (Acts 19 v 12); yet the instances are, comparatively speaking, rare, and form exceptions to what may be called the usual Divine economy of miracles.”

2Kings 4 v 32 [[When Elisha came into the house, behold the lad was dead and laid on his bed 2Kings 4:33 so he entered and shut the door behind them both, and prayed to the LORD, 2Kings 4:34 and he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him, and the flesh of the child became warm. 2Kings 4:35 Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and stretched himself on him and the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes. 2Kings 4:36 He called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite,” so he called her and when she came in to him, he said, “Take up your son.” 2Kings 4:37 Then she went in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and she took up her son and went out.]]