2 Kings 4:8-378And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. 9And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. 10Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. 11And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. 12And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. 13And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. 14And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. 15And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 16And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. 17And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. 18And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. 19And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. 20And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. 22And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. 23And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. 24Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. 25So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: 26Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. 27And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. 28Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me? 29Then 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. 30And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. 31And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. 32And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. 33He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. 34And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 35Then 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. 36And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. 37Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. (2 Kings 4:8‑37).
THERE are certain sympathies of the renewed mind which we quickly recognize in each other, The Shunamite was of the distant tribe of Issachar, and not acquainted with Elisha. There were, nevertheless, links of union and understanding between them. “I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.” She understood not only that this was an holy man of God; but she understood his tastes and habits. She received him, a prophet, in the name of a prophet. She does not propose a great thing to her husband, for that would not have suited the “man of God.” This was real hospitality― entertaining a prophet according to the taste of a prophet’s mind. He was a pilgrim in the earth. How blessed it is, in a cold forbidding world like this, to see two together of one mind and understanding according to Christ. This is the communion of saints. Just so the Lord, in the house of Mary, and Martha, and Lazarus. It is not the feast that forms the atmosphere of the room, but the love. It was the mind and heart of the woman that entertained Elisha; and, oh, how little we get of it in this world!
We are, then, like this woman, to provide according to the tastes and desires of the renewed mind. Elisha found himself at home (vs. 11); and it is blessed when the saints find themselves at home in each other’s company. We are not careful enough to be imitators of such blessed samples given by the Spirit of God. The question is, have the sympathies of love spread the feast? Thus it was with the family at Bethany. “The house was filled with the odor of the ointment.”
The woman stands before Him (vs. 12). Though she was the mistress, she takes the place of the inferior. Yes, beloved, we want to cultivate the little touches of the Spirit given to us in such a scene as this, where so much of heaven shines forth.
The prophet acknowledges all her hospitality (vs. 13), and desires to recompense her; but as he had not used his interest at court for himself, to be a great one in the earth, so, in like manner, the woman would not be a great one: she says, “I dwell among my own people.” What union is here? Are you, and am I willing thus to occupy ourselves till Jesus come, in that lowly place where we are set, and not desirous to advance one step higher in this world’s ranks; content that the king’s ear, and the captain’s ear, should be closed upon our names?
She never forgets herself (vs. 14). Familiarity may lead to liberty; but here was close intimacy of two hearts that understood each other. It was not an intimacy that allowed nature to take the advantage; nor was it a liberty that would degenerate into anything common or coarse. It is blessed to see Elisha like his Master, of whom he was the shadow, having nothing, depending on the woman for a lodging. Thus was it with Jesus; yet if leprosy, or blindness, or deafness, came before Him, he had power to meet it; so also Elisha. He travels in the greatness of the strength of the Spirit, but he does nothing for himself. He can feed the armies of kings; he can restore the dead; he can heal the leper; he can make the oil to flow;—all this time he reminds us of Jesus, who has women to minister to Him of their substance.
He now speaks to this daughter of Abraham as God did to Abraham, “Thou shalt have a son.” (vss. 14-21.) Here we get into sympathy with the faith of this woman, who was a child of Abraham. When death enters her house, she is prepared. There is no surprise, no amazement; but the calmness of one who knew there was a power and grace that could meet her every necessity, the calmness and the certainty that marks the way of this dear believing child of Abraham. (vs. 21.) Here is no disturbance. She does not deal with the necessity as though there was no power or remedy above it. Beloved, when our faith brings us into the presence of God, this same calmness is ours.
Shall I look at the work of Satan, and take the sentence of death into me, and shall I not look at the work and doing of the Lord Jesus for me? The woman’s conduct was calm; so was that of Abraham in offering up Isaac; he also gets the young man and the ass, and tells them to abide, and he and the lad will go and worship. There was no doubt in his mind as to the certainty of death, but he was calmly talking of life. It is this same spirit which we observe so sweetly in the woman who knew there was relief in the prophet for her. We should cultivate this calmness and composure of soul. We should know that life in Christ is as certain to one who believes, as death through sin is certain. We know that the power of God was enough, and nothing but that power would do.
What a blessed thing, she can say, (vs. 26,) “It is well.” The moment we apply to the power and grace in Jesus, that moment we can talk of life in the midst of death. It is not well if we look to the circumstances, but it is well if we look to the power of God. She presses through ordinances, through new moons and sabbaths, through Gehazi; they will not do, she must come to the feet of the prophet of God. (vs. 27, so again in vs. 30.) Oh, beloved, I do invite every one to linger here a little moment. What a temptation, “take my staff;” but nothing will satisfy the woman short of the presence of the prophet himself. It is this that the Spirit of God desires in us. It is Jesus; Jesus Himself, and nothing else will satisfy the conscience of a renewed soul. It is a precious moment when we are brought to know that,
“None but Jesus,
Can do helpless sinners good.”
The soul rightly convicted by the Spirit of God can never rest in any ordinance. Though the prophet’s own lips propose that the staff should be taken, the woman refuses it, just as before she had refused to listen to her husband when he talks of the new moon and sabbaths. This is what Jesus wants. He came that He should Himself be used, and not another. It is HIMSELF. He has not entrusted His power to any delegate, or vicar, or representative. He wants the conscience to say, ‘none but Thou, none but Thou canst do me any good.’
(Ver. 30.) And he arose, and followed her. Jesus only waits, in the history of our conscience, for a moment like this. Ask what you will. Jesus is at the disposal of our necessity, let us tell Him we cannot do without Him, and the Son of God is at our bidding.
(Ver. 31.) I like to see the prophet’s staff no better than a piece of wood. This ordinance is rebuked, it is laughed at. If we stop short of Jesus there is no life. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life.
Verses 33, 34 present a blessed picture, the soul of Elisha breathing life into a dead child.
(Ver. 37.) Mark the calmness and the certainty of the woman. She fell at his feet, and bowed. She has no more doubt that the child is living, than she had before, that it was dead. She does not examine it, or question it. Yes, beloved, the work of Christ is a certain work! She is not amazed with any amazement; her faith is more like Abraham’s than Sarah’s. Amazement does not belong to faith. We shall have forever the wonder of adoration, but not the wonder of amazement. She was a happy mother, it is true, but happier as a child of faith who could carry her necessities up to God, and in calmness and certainty have those necessities met.