ALL SHOOK UP (2 KINGS 4:8-34)
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I am surprised it took me so long to write the account of the Shunammite woman. For a very long time my wife and I dreamed of buying a home to entertaining pastors and missionaries. Besides supplying a room for the traveling Elisha to lodge the Shunammite woman also provided a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a lamp for him (2 Kings 4:10). Our dream died with the passing away of Doris on May 22, 2016, but Doris had a dream shortly before she passed away. She was walking through a dark and long tunnel and at the end of the tunnel was a rest area. Knowing her dreams were usually scary to her, especially dreaming of dogs, snakes and rats out to get her, I was expecting a negative response when I asked her, “Is that bad?” She said, “It was OK,” so I am still determined to provide a retreat home for pastors and missionaries, named “Doris Rest Area” to honor my wife’s love for the Lord and coworkers , if the Lord is willing, in or after my lifetime.
Elisha was the anointed successor of Elijah, who supposedly acquiesced to his student’s request for a double portion of his spirit two chapters ago (2 Kings 2:9). The second miracle of Elisha as a prophet was to raise a child from the dead, which was similar to the second miracle of his mentor Elijah, who
stretched himself upon the Zarephath widow’s child three times to heal him (1 Kings 17:21), in contrast to Elisha who stretched himself twice upon the Shunammite woman’s child (2 Kings 4:34
34-35).
What kind of person does God use in His work – prophet or otherwise? How can we join with God or a man or woman of God in ministry? Why is our support a service to God rather than a solution for Him?
Keep Calm and Be Soft-hearted
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” 11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’” She replied, “I have a home among my own people.” 14 “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked. Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!” 17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
Leighton Farrell was the minister of Highland Park Church in Dallas for many years. He tells of a man in the church who once made a covenant with a former pastor to tithe ten percent of their income every year. They were both young and neither of them had much money. But things changed. The layman tithed one thousand dollars the year he earned ten thousand, ten thousand dollars the year he earned one-hundred thousand, and one- hundred thousand dollars the year he earned one million. But the year he earned six million dollars he just could not bring himself to write out that check for six-hundred thousand dollars to the Church.
The man telephoned the minister, long since having moved to another church, and asked to see him. Walking into the pastor's office the man begged to be let out of the covenant, saying, "This tithing business has to stop. It was fine when my tithe was one thousand dollars, but I just cannot afford six-hundred thousand dollars. You've got to do something, Reverend!" The pastor knelt on the floor and prayed silently for a long time.
Eventually the man said, "What are you doing? Are you praying that God will let me out of the covenant to tithe?" "No," said the minister. "I am praying for God to reduce your income back to the level where one thousand dollars will be your tithe!"
One of the greatest ladies in the Bible was known by her native land but not her personal name. Shunem was a small village located in the possession of the Tribe of Issachar, near the Jezreel Valley and south of Mount Gilboa (Joshua 19,18). She was called a “great woman” in Hebrew, not “well-to-do woman,” as in NIV or “prominent woman” in NASB or “wealthy woman” in
RSV and ESV. Out of its 529 occurrences in the Bible, it’s been translated “great” 397 times, “high” 22 times and “greater” 19 times. Many reasons made her deserved this one-of-a-kind accolade. It was about her motivation and not money. She ministered to Elisha financially. Urged (v 8) is strong, stubborn and stout (Mal 3:13), the ren0wned verb for Pharaoh who “hardened” his heart (Ex 4:21). Her dedication and determination made the very wise and wizened Elisha closed to impossible to turn her down. After all, he did need a place of refuge, rest and reflection.
The Shunammite woman did not have room, but she made room. After a while supplying Elisha the regular passerby with food only, she had a passionate and perceptive idea to build an independent loft for him after seeing him “often/continually” passing by. In Hebrew the word could mean roof, upper room or heights. She knew the good use of ground space, personal resources and family counsel. In the room she placed a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp. The table was for eating more than writing. It was a husband and wife project, not a solo or simple affair. From “stopped there to eat,” Elisha “laid down there” (v 11), probably including his servant Gehazi. Now he could stay a longer time and had a place of his own, not a hotel but a home, and could come and go as he pleased. The room had become a residence. Even bread (v 8) was provided
The verb “trouble” (v 12) is never translated as such elsewhere in the Bible. The regular translations are tremble (Gen 27:33), afraid (Gen 42:28), quake (Ex 19:18), fray (Deut 28:26) and discomfit (Judg 8:12). She did not do such a big job for convenience, compassion or credit. She did it with timidity, trembling and thankfulness. You can read into the text her dedication, reverence and commitment. “All this trouble” is “been careful with all care” in Hebrew, with the verb and the noun from the same root, the verb “been careful” plus the noun “care.”
Elisha did not have a good relationship with the king of Israel (2 Kings 3:13) or the captains (2 Kings 1:10), but he was willing to ask a favor from them (v 13) to bless the woman in return. It shows the length he made to thank her. In the end his servant Gehazi suggested a child for her, which she was more than thankful. The woman, however, was content but she did not make the suggestion.
Keep Calm and Be Strong-minded
18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 He said to his father, “My head! My head!” His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out. 22 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.” 23 “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.” “That’s all right,” she said. 24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.”
A customer sent an order to a distributor for a large amount of goods totaling a great deal of money. The distributor, noticing that the previous bill hadn't been paid, instructed the collections manager to contact the customer. The collections manager made the call and left a voice-mail for them saying, “We can't ship your new order until you pay for the last one.” The next day the collections manager received a collect phone call from the customer who said, “Please cancel the order. We can't wait that long.”
The Shunammite woman was patient, pugnacious and peaceful. When the young boy fainted in the presence of his father while they were working in the fields, his father immediately thought of nothing but the lad’s mother. The verb “carry” (v 19) is an imperative. Here was a wonderful man who was sensitive to his wife’s loss, lament and loneliness without her precious son. He could feel her agony, apprehension and affection. The youth was a small boy, so he sat on her lap until noon when he died (v 19).
The mother had an ingenious, intrepid and impetuous idea. She placed the boy in Elisha’s room and bed, then called in the imperative - “send” a servant and a donkey so she could go quickly to Elisha and return. Several commentaries suggest the father did not know of the son’s death. Can you imagine how hard and painful it was to keep her dismay, despair and despondency to herself, and not tell the husband their son was dead? Ladies running (v 22) in the Bible, from Rebekah (Gen 24:20), Rachel (Gen 29:12) to Manoah’s wife (Judg 13:10), was a good, gutsy and grueling thing. She was sad, stunned and sweating. The husband was surprised by her decision, demeanor and directive because her chances of finding the constantly traveling Elisha on a non-festive or a non-Sabbath work day was remote, just as remote as the prophet lived, to which she comforted him with one word in Hebrew: “Shalom.” He could not see any dread, despair or doubt in her.
To her servant she added two imperatives: “drive” and “go” in Hebrew. Mount Carmel was a distance away. There was nothing to lose and no time to waste. Mount Carmel was supposedly in the western boundary of the tribe of Asher in contrast to Shunnem in Isaachar. The estimated ride to Mount Carmel was 15 to 18.5 miles away, up the mountain slope on the last leg. She could have sent her husband but, there was no record her husband had seen Elisha. Also, she needed him to guard the child and for him not to panic. She was not willing to give up her child even how remote her chances were.
Keep Calm and Be Shock-resistant
25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’” “Everything is all right,” she said. 27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.” 28 “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?” 29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.” 30 But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her. 31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.” 32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. 36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” 37 She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.
Here are some quotes on “shock”:
Keep calm and don’t be shocked.
I work in show business – there’s nothing that shocks me anymore.
I’m an electrician. Nothing shocks me anymore.
Don’t be shocked people die. Be surprised you’re still alive.
Nothing shocks me except reality TV and home prices.
Nothing shocks me except selflessness (pure intentions) and generosity.
Nothing shocks me except men’s cruelty to other men.
Nothing shocks me except the things, of course, the things which do, in fact, shock me.
Nothing shocks me. I’m a scientist. Indiana Jones.
The first shock belonged to the woman herself. She was shocked enough to find a man in the cave even though his husband has doubted (v 23). Next she was shocked to see a different person other than Elisha, the servant and not the prophet. She had no time, breath or clue to engage with Gehazi, explain to him or entreat with him. Further, there was no record she had met Gehazi before.
The next shock was Gehazi’s. He was commanded by his master to “run” (equal to her run in verse 22) and “ask” (both imperatives) her if all was “shalom” three times in Hebrew. The greeting was in vain because she ran past him saying, “Shalom” once to his three times “Shalom.” Next, true to form and consistent in character, she took hold (v 27) of Elisha’s feet, the same verb for “urged” (v 8), but the action offended the servant Gehazi, who “pushed her away” (v 27), an action translated to thrust (Num 35:20), cast out (Deut 6:19), expel (Josh 23:5) and drive (Job 18:18). Undoubtedly frustration, friction and force were shown. More shocking was his master commanded (imperative) Gehazi, “leave her alone,” or let go (Ex 4:26), idle (Ex 5:8), forsake (Deut 4:31), slack (Josh 10:6), weaken (Ezra 4:4), cease (Ps 37:8) or be still (Ps 46:10).
Gehazi’s fury with the woman was understandable, but force was unnecessary. Gehazi was in for a rude shock and a rough reprimand. “Bitter distress” (v 27) is translated as sore grief (Gen 49:23), bitter (Ex 1:14) and provoke (Ex 23:21). The prophet was sympathetic, sensitive and supportive.
The third shock belonged to Elisha. First, the Lord kept the boy’s disease and diagnosis from him (v 27). Next, the woman invoked the same declaration Elisha shared three times with his mentor Elijah (2 Kings 2:2, 4, 6). Finally he directed Gehazi with three imperatives (tuck, take, run) to attend to the child right away (v 29). Unfortunately, Gehazi not get the job done, although not his fault. Why did it work for Elisha and not Elisha? What did Elisha figure out? It’s simple as ABC. Elisha prayed to the Lord (v 33), just as Elijah had to cry to the Lord (1 Kings 17:20, 21). The miracle was not in Elisha’s staff, but in his supplication to the Lord, not in the prophet’s power but in his prayer, not in his passion but his plea.
Conclusion: Are you bottomless in benevolence, beautiful in bravery and blessed in belief? Is your God a small God, a stereotyped God or a sovereign God? How do you live - for miracles, signs and wonders? Or do you live to God (Rom 6:10), by the power of God (2 Cor 13:4) and for the Lord (Rom 14:8)? Do you live by God’s word (Matt 4:4) and live by faith in the Son of God who loved you, and gave himself for you (Gal 2:20)?
