TITLE: DON’T BURY IT YET
SCRIPTURE: II KINGS 4:8-37
A common precursor among new preachers when they want to preach about faith is to ask the congregation - “how many of you have faith?”
• The question actually doesn’t make sense because there is no such thing as “people who have faith” and “people who don’t have faith”
• The truth is everyone puts their faith in something
• A more sensible way of asking this question would be to ask them -- “On whom or what or where do you or have you placed your faith today?”
An atheist might ask me “what’s the difference?” Well, simply put, we can have faith in many things, but God alone is faithful. God alone is capable of honoring and responding to our faith. The Shunammite woman in this passage also had placed her faith in things other than God. One day God wanted to deal with her misplaced faith, and it is fascinating to watch how it unfolds in our text this morning. Let’s visit the text and see what we can learn and apply to our lives in an effort to make us stronger in the Lord.
There are times when there seems to be a disconnect between our walk with God and the outcome of our prayers. Sometimes circumstances can seem to contradict the fact that God is watching over our lives and guiding its events for our good. So, what do we do when such contradictions confront us? We are going to look at a narrative from the OT in which a woman’s faith seems to be shortchanged and then examine how to respond to the forces of doubt.
The Bible from Genesis to Revelation has detailed and shined the light upon some very powerful and very interesting woman. We find such a one in our text for examination.
• The Shunammite woman was a wealthy and well respected person in society
• The Bible describes her in such a fashion
• In DEBORAH we saw a leader
• In HANNAH a prayerful woman
• In ABIGAIL an intelligent woman
• And the Shunammite a wealthy and well respected person in society
• This gives us a true picture of how the Bible views woman
Shunem was a small town just off of a major international roadway, known as the Via Maris. The Via Maris was a major trade route in the Ancient Near East, going from EGYPT through ISRAEL up to DAMASCAS (Syria), where it then connected with other routes to ASSYRIA or BABYLON. This was a major pipeline for trade and the people who lived along the route had a chance to profit by the travelers and live in a wider world due to the trade potential.
This town, Shunem, was in a region that we know the prophets were active, but it’s away from Elisha’s home base in Samaria.
• We don’t really know where he was going while he was passing through Shunem
• But it makes a lot of sense that he needed somewhere to land when he was in this region
This saga really revolves around this woman who notices the traveling Elisha and shows him hospitality by giving him some food. Elisha makes a habit of stopping in whenever he travels that way, and over time she recognizes that he is a Holy Man. I like that term “Holy Man.” What does that mean in today’s terms?
• Only Jesus was Holy for He is God
• A Holy Man is one who strives to be like Jesus Christ
• It is one who keeps the Word of God in his heart and takes action on that Word
• Feed the Poor -- helps heal the Sick -- has the Fruit of the Spirit
• Follows the commands of the Lord
• Has Love and Compassion for all
• Spreads the Word of God
• As you can see, we will fall short, but the Lord did say that we should strive for perfection as He us perfect (Be Ye Holy, for I am Holy)
• In human terms, I would consider one who strives for perfection in the Lord a Holy man
The woman and her husband build a small room on their house for Elisha to stay in when he passes through, and he becomes a regular guest in their home. Elisha wants to repay the hospitality, and so he (in an odd, indirect way) asks her how he can repay the favor. Perhaps his royal connections can help them? She responds that she and her husband don’t really need anything more than what they have, they are self-sufficient.
Elisha continues to ask his servant what should be done, though, and Gehazi (the servant) responds by pointing out that she didn’t have any sons, and that her husband was old.
• Kind of like he presents something that she has always wanted
• But, Oh well….her husband is pretty old
• Guess there is nothing we can do about that little issue
• I wondered at this point, ‘why did you bring it up then?’
• Then I remembered – JEREMIAH 32:17 “AH LORD GOD! BEHOLD THOU HAST MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH BY THY GREAT POWER AND STRETCHED OUT ARM, AND THERE IS NOTHING TOO HARD FOR THEE”
The Shunammite was a noblewoman who delighted in showing hospitality to Elisha. The Lord surely took note of this and wanted to reward her with a long-forgotten desire of her heart, in return for all the good things she was doing to ensure the comfort of his servant. ST. MATTHEW 10:41 “HE THAT RECEIVETH A PROPHET IN THE NAME OF A PROPHET SHALL RECEIVE A PROPHET’S REWARD; AND HE THAT RECEIVETH A RIGHTEOUS MAN IN THE NAME OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL RECEIVE A RIGHTEOUS MAN’S REWARD.”
This woman however just like any other had longed for a child but failed. Then like any other childless woman, had made up her mind to move on with life. Gradually she became comfortable with where she was in life. This was obvious when she said -- ‘I HAVE A HOME AMONG MY OWN PEOPLE’. Though her husband was old, she had nothing to fear because she had her own house and if her husband dies before her, she is assured her people will continue to look after her.
• I am sure she was a mother to many children in the community
• I am sure she was a wonderful Aunty to all her nieces and nephews
• In time she grew content and satisfied with such
Paul the Apostle said in I CORINTHIANS 2:9 “THAT NO EYE HAS SEEN, NO EAR HAS HEARD AND NO HUMAN MIND HAS EVER CONCEIVED THE THINGS GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”
• Discovering these things actually takes a step of faith
• The problem with comfort zones is they replace our faith in God with a fake sense of assurance found only inside our comfort zone
• At such times God walks us to a place where he challenges our faith
• There are times we can grow too comfortable because life is pretty good
• We grow too comfortable for God to work a miracle on our behalf because we focus too much upon how good God has already been too us and that’s as good as it is going to get
Real faith lays claim to God's promises, but it also submits to his plan for victory.
• The Shunemite woman had accepted God's plan for her life of not having children and was a happy, joyful person
• It is the Sovereignty of God
• God does not ask our permission
• God does not need our approval
• God delivered Peter - but let James die
• God let the Three Hebrews go into the fire - but kept them in the midst of it
• Jesus raised Lazarus - but He also let him die a second time
• God uses medicine to heal some people - but not others
• Quit trying to run God's business!
• Rather, submit yourself to God's plan!
• There is more than one answer
• God's delays are not God's denials
• God has three answers to prayer: Yes – No – Wait
• There is timing involved
• We must give God the freedom to work out the timing
• Whatever you are about to give up on
• I stopped by to tell you – DON’T BURY IT YET
Think about this for a moment with me -- when a surgeon operates, he messes up the exterior to get to the interior. god does the same thing.
• He messes up our temporary circumstances in order to remake our spiritual natures to conform to our future heavenly environment
• HEBREWS 10:35-36 -- “SO DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR CONFIDENCE; IT WILL BE RICHLY REWARDED. YOU NEED TO PERSEVERE SO THAT WHEN YOU HAVE DONE THE WILL OF GOD, YOU WILL RECEIVE WHAT HE HAS PROMISED”
The text tells us the Prophet Elisha called the woman and told her she would have a son by that time next year. The prophecy was fulfilled, and the woman had a child, but the narrative was not over. The Bible further tells us that the boy grew up to be a fine lad. Then the disaster strikes. Now the woman’s response to the tragedy is interesting.
• Instead of arranging for the dead boy’s funeral
• Jews in general bury the dead within 24 hours
• She placed him on Elisha’s bed and she took off
• This was an act of faith
• She believed God could raise her son from the dead
• Her child died that same day in his mother’s lap
• She immediately left to find Elisha and asked him to come heal her son
• Elisha came back with the woman to Shunem
• Can I tell you again?
• No matter what you are going through – DON’T BURY IT YET!
We can be sure this son, born in their old age, was very precious to his parents, so that when he died, it would have been a much more severe blow and loss to their lives.
• This was a child of promise
• A child of prayer
• Given in love
• And yet taken away
Sometimes we receive a promise, but the promise is taken away. What do you do, then? It's amazing to see how this mother maintained her faith and confession in spite of the child's death.
• She guarded her lips
• When her husband or the prophet asked, "Is everything all right?" She by faith answered "Yes"
• She undoubtedly believed that since the child's birth had been a miracle, that another miracle could restore him to her
This is exactly the way we also should respond to God in our times of refinement. We must not complain, turn our backs on God or return to our old ways. But fully submit ourselves to God’s authority and allow Him to refine our faith and let it grow. When we do God is faithful to honor and reward us.
Just like us today, her faith required a little more work. Elisha was at the school of the prophets on Mount Carmel. This grieving Mother immediately traveled to him and threw herself at the prophet's feet and held onto them in distress. Finally, she interceded, "DID I ASK YOU FOR A SON, MY LORD? DIDN'T I TELL YOU, ‘DON'T RAISE MY HOPES?’"
• The Hebrew of that phrase hints at a tricking of a person
• Was she to get a gift only to have it cruelly withdrawn?
• Elisha sent Gehazi to raise the child - but she didn't move
• She was like those who won’t trust to any but God himself
• There are times we don’t need to go to the Pastor
• There are times we don’t need to start a Prayer Call
• There are times we must look to Christ and Christ alone!
When the prophet arrived at his room, he found the child dead upon his own bed. He went through various steps in the process of raising the child --
• He sent Gehazi with his staff -- too no avail
• He and Gehazi prayed to God for the child – still nothing happened
• He stretched himself out on the child as if he would communicate some of his own life to the child -- still nothing
• The text records the child's body became warm from his heat -- still no life in him
• Can I tell you – DON’T BURY IT YET
• He put mouth-to-mouth as if to breathe into him the breath of life
• Eye to eye as if to restore sight and light
• And his hands to the child's hands as if to put strength into them
• There still was no resurrection of this dead young man
Elisha walked out of the room. Oh, but DON’T BURY IT YET. The Prophet Elisha went down from the room and walked around the lower level of the house, possibly to the child's room, then went back up and stretched himself out upon the child again -- probably in the same manner -- face-to-face, body to body.
• One has to wonder what Elisha was thinking
• He left the room like he had given up
• But, DON’T BURY IT YET
You know the rest of the Story. The Prophet went back into the room and the young man SNEEZED SEVEN (7) TIMES and then he was alright. Can I tell you the goal of our enemy is to cause us to stumble by making us to have doubt.
• Adversary want you to think there is something deficient with you or your faith
• Therefore, God won’t hear or answer your prayer
First of all, we are acceptable to god only by the blood of Jesus.
• That is the only price and it’s all sufficient
• If we are covered by the blood, we are acceptable whether we feel like it or not
Another area is whether we have the needed caliber of faith for a miracle to take place.
• The miracle to the Shunemites’ son shows how the miracle was a process of seeking God and trying different things
• We all have a measure of faith
• We all have a mustard seed -- very small amount of faith
• That is all that’s necessary for the largest of miracles
• Don't let the enemy rob you
• Tenacity is probably more important than some abstract “faith”
• You can do all things through Christ!
• Just DON’T BURY IT YET
As I close this morning, I am reminded of a story I once heard.
--I heard a story about a train traveling through the night in a very violent rainstorm
--The lightning flashes were almost blinding, the rain hitting the windows was deafening and the strong gust winds rocked the train from side to side.
--When the lightening flashed and lighted up the darkness, the passengers could see the rising water along the tracks.
--This created terror in the minds of the passengers.
--Several passengers noted that through all the noise, lightening and wind, one of the passengers, a little girl, seemed to be at perfect peace.
--Finally, one passenger asked her, “How is that you can be so calm when all the rest of us are so worried about what might or could happen?”
--The little passenger smiled and said, “My father is the engineer.”
--Put it all in God’s hands
--Hold on to your dreams
--Hold on to whatever God has promised you
--Don’t give up on your Aspirations
--DON’T BURY IT YET
