ELISHA THE MAN WHO GAVE LIFE (2 KINGS 4:8 17)

Transcription

1 ELISHA THE MAN WHO GAVE LIFE (2 KINGS 4:8 17) One of the better-known events in the life of Elisha is that of the woman who built for him a prophet s chamber and was rewarded with the gift of a son. This familiar story is a favorite in children s Bible classes. I am calling our lesson on the incident The Man Who Gave Life. HOSPITALITY EXTENDED (4:8 11) Elisha traveled extensively throughout Israel. One oft-traveled route (vv. 8, 9) led from Jezreel, where the king s summer palace was located (1 Kings 18:46; 21:1), to Mount Carmel (2 Kings 4:25), where Elijah had faced the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). Perhaps Elisha went to Mount Carmel to get away from the pressure of his public ministry, to rest and reflect. Three miles north of Jezreel, on the road to Mount Carmel, was a village named Shunem (see Joshua 19:18; see the map on page 6 of the article Elisha: The Man Who Did Great Things. ). Shunem was high among the hills, situated amid groves of evergreen olives and waving cornfields. It was a quiet little town, inhabited chiefly by farmers and a place of comfort and simplicity. 1 Only a few miles separated Jezreel and Shunem, but they were worlds apart regarding reverence for the Lord. Jezreel had long been a center of royal wickedness (see 1 Kings 21; 2 Kings 9:30); but in the village of Shunem, the flame of faith still burned brightly in the hearts of some. An Example of Hospitality One of the faithful in Shunem is mentioned 1 F. W. Krummacher, Elisha, a Prophet for Our Times (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1993), 59. in the opening verse of our story: Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman (2 Kings 4:8a). We do not know this woman s name, but we know that she was of childbearing age, married to an older husband 2 (v. 14) who was a farmer (v. 18). We are also told that she was prominent. This term may have less to do with her social standing than with her wealth. 3 The NIV has well-to-do. Most important, she had retained a strong faith in the Lord in an idolatrous and godless nation (see vv. 9, 16; 1 Kings 19:18). Somehow, this woman came in contact with Elisha. Perhaps it was Elisha s practice to preach in each town as he passed through, and the woman heard him. Maybe she simply recognized him one day as he went through the village; he was probably a well-known figure by this time. At any rate, she saw him and invited him home for a meal. The text says that she persuaded him to eat food (2 Kings 4:8b). She pressed him to come (CJB); she urged him (NIV); she begged him (NCV). Where I live, we would say, She wouldn t take no for an answer. Elisha was probably happy to accept her offer. Most preachers enjoy being invited to homes for meals. By this time, Elisha had a servant named Gehazi (v. 12), so the invitation was actually extended to two men. In our previous lesson, Elisha helped a 2 Why was a young woman married to an older man? Probably because it was an arranged marriage. 3 Donald J. Wiseman, 1 and 2 Kings: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter-Varsity Press, 1993),

2 woman who had nothing; in this study, he associated with a woman who was rich. Like God, he was not one to show partiality (Acts 10:34). He was equally at home with the rich and with the poor, with the powerful and with the powerless. After the meal, as Elisha was leaving, the woman apparently insisted that he eat in her home whenever he was in the area. The end of verse 8 says, And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat food. Whoever prepared the food in that household must have been a good cook. Preachers enjoy invitations to home-cooked meals; but if the food is unpalatable or inedible, they can find reasons not to return. The Bible gives no details regarding the meals in the home of the Shunammite woman, but it is not hard to imagine the conversation at the table. I can almost hear Elisha telling of his exciting years with Elijah and how Jehovah had been with them. I picture the woman smiling and nodding. She was surely strengthened by the unswerving conviction of the prophet, and he would have been encouraged to find a haven of faith in a godless nation. How precious is the time we spend with those of like faith! As you read the story, you will find that the woman evidently had to take the lead in spiritual matters in her household (vv. 8, 9, 25). The Bible teaches that the husband/father is to be the spiritual leader in his home (Ephesians 6:4), but that is not the case in many families. What should a woman do if she finds herself in that situation? Do as the Shunammite woman did: Maintain your own faith and encourage your husband in what is right (see 1 Peter 3:1, 2). One day, the woman said to her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God passing by us continually (v. 9). The word holy means set apart. This is the only time in the Old Testament that the word holy is applied to a prophet. 4 Sadly, some who claim to be men of God are not holy. Frequent visits with Elisha had convinced the woman that he was indeed a man set apart as God s special representative. She made a proposal to her husband: Please, 4 J. Robert Vannoy, notes on 2 Kings, The NIV Study Bible, ed. Kenneth Barker (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1985), 529. let us make a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there (v. 10). She wanted to build a small room for the prophet on the flat roof of her house (see the CJB). It would be furnished simply as befit the austere lifestyle of God s prophets but it would be his exclusively. It would be a shelter away from the hustle and bustle of the world. (Furniture for only one is mentioned, but provision would also have been made for Elisha s servant, Gehazi [vv. 11, 12].) We do not know how the husband responded. Did he respond enthusiastically, or did he just agree to the proposal to humor his young wife? At least he consented to the suggestion and the room was built. Though it was modest, don t you know the woman made sure everything was exactly right? I can imagine the smile on her face as she showed the room to Elisha for the first time and told him it was his. Elisha was no doubt delighted. Whenever he was in the area, he now had a place to stop and rest (v. 11). The Shunammite woman s act of generosity has inspired hundreds, if not thousands, to provide prophets rooms in their houses: rooms set aside for visiting preachers and missionaries. Encouragement to Hospitality There is a word that describes this woman: hospitable. The words hospitable and hospitality come from the Latin word hospes, which means guest. Hospitality refers to treating others warmly and generously in other words, as special guests. Hospitality is a vital topic in both the Old and New Testaments. One of the qualifications for elders is to be hospitable (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8). Peter said, Be hospitable to one another without complaint (1 Peter 4:9). The writer to the Hebrews said, Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). This probably refers to Abraham s hospitality to angels in Genesis 18 (vv. 1 8, 16, 22; see 19:1). Can we still entertain angels without knowing it? Hebrews 13:2 does not say; rather, it refers to what happened long ago. There is little purpose in 2

3 speculating on whether or not it can happen today even if it did, we would never know it! The point of the passage is that we should treat every stranger as though he has come directly from the Lord (see Matthew 25:35, 38, 40)! If you were raised in a hospitable household, what precious memories you have! Maybe you remember a father saying, There s always room for one more! Maybe you remember a mother whose eyes lit up when she learned there would be a visitor at her table. A special memory for some is when the preacher came for Sunday dinner, or when their home housed the visiting evangelist during a series of gospel services. Over the years, many brothers and sisters in Christ have told me that they date the beginning of their personal faith to times when they heard their fathers talking with preachers about God and His Word around the dinner table. Perhaps some are reluctant, thinking, But my house is not good enough to invite people in, or I would be embarrassed to offer others what we have to eat. Although the word entertained is used in Hebrews 13:2, one writer pointed out that there is a difference in being hospitable and in entertaining, as the word is sometimes used today: 5 Hospitality says, What I have, whether much or little, is a gift from God. I want to use it for Him, not I want to impress you with what I have. Hospitality whispers, What is mine is yours. Use it, rather than shouting, This is mine! Admire it! Hospitality seeks to serve instead of seeking compliments. Hospitality makes a visitor feel at home, while worldly entertaining can make the guest feel obligated. It is not the gift in the hand that matters as much as the generosity in the heart. Jesus said that if one gives even a cup of cold water to drink, in the name of a disciple, he shall not lose his reward (Matthew 10:42). May God help us all to cultivate the art of hospitality. 5 Adapted from an article by Karen Maines, quoted in Robert J. Morgan, Nelson s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 452. HOSPITALITY REWARDED (4:11 17) Gratitude: the Need One day, Elisha was resting in his upper chamber (v. 11), enjoying the hospitality that had been extended, when he decided that he should find a way of expressing his gratitude. Jesus later said, He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet s reward (Matthew 10:41a). Elisha decided that it was time for this woman to receive her prophet s reward. Then he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite (2 Kings 4:12a). This is the first time we read about Gehazi. He served Elisha in a similar fashion as Elisha had served Elijah but what a difference there was in the character of the two servants! We will say more about this later. Gehazi brought the woman to Elisha, and she stood before him (v. 12b). Elisha did not, however, speak to her. Rather, he spoke to Gehazi: Say now to her, Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care; what can I do for you? (v. 13a). We are not sure why Elisha did not speak directly to her. (He later spoke directly to her; see verses 15 and 16.) Many writers think it was because the setting was that of Elisha s bedroom and certain proprieties had to be observed. 6 I do not know what the customs of that day were, but I do know that a servant of God cannot be too careful in dealing with the opposite sex. When I was a full-time preacher and a woman came to my study, I always left the door open. (The church secretary s office was nearby.) I never went to visit or study with a woman in her home on my own; my wife always went with me. Sexual improprieties have ruined more preachers than any other moral lapse. Look again at Elisha s words to the woman: 6 C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, 1 and 2 Kings, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 3, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Peabody, Mass.: Hendriksen Publishers, 1989), 310; G. Rawlinson, 2 Kings, The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 5, 1 & 2 Kings, ed. H. D. M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1950), 65; James Burton Coffman and Thelma B. Coffman, Commentary on Second Kings, James Burton Coffman Commentaries, The Historical Books, vol. 6 (Abilene, Tex.: A.C.U. Press, 1992), 50. 3

4 Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care; what can I do for you? (v. 13a). The word translated careful can mean anxious. 7 Today, we would say, You have been very concerned for us. The NIV has You have gone to all this trouble for us. I like the way the CJB translates the first part of verse 13: You have shown us so much hospitality! What can I do to show my appreciation? (Emphasis mine.) Many of us need to work on being more hospitable; we all need to work on being more appreciative. Paul wrote, Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts... ; and be thankful (Colossians 3:15). The writer of the Book of Hebrews said, Since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude (Hebrews 12:28a). When Paul described evil men, he included this characteristic: ungrateful (2 Timothy 3:2). C. E. Macartney wrote that the most common sin is the sin of ingratitude. 8 A cynic said, If you want to find gratitude, look for it in the dictionary. 9 A child learns to count to one hundred; we need to learn to count our blessings. Someone has said that thinking precedes thanking. 10 If we give the matter some serious thought, we will discover that there is always something for which to be grateful. I enjoy stories that illustrate this. One such story tells about a man who prayed on a wretched stormy Sunday, Thank you Lord that it is not always like this. 11 A favorite is the story of Matthew Henry, who was accosted by thieves and robbed. He wrote these words in his diary: Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, [because] although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, and not [I who robbed] someone else. 12 Another story is told of an aged woman who prayed, Thank you, Lord, for two perfectly 7 Rawlinson, Quoted in Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Rockville, Md.: Assurance Publishers, 1979), Ibid. 10 Ibid., Ibid., Quoted in James S. Hewitt, ed., Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1988), 264. good teeth, one in my upper jaw and one in my lower jaw, that match so I can chew my food. 13 Elisha was grateful for what the Shunammite woman had done for him. We should be grateful for what others do for us and not take those favors for granted. Pierre Charron wrote, He who receives a good turn should never forget it; he who does one should never remember it. 14 We should also be grateful to our God from whom all blessings flow (James 1:17). On the tombstone marking her husband s grave, a mountain woman had this epitaph chiseled in rough, uneven letters: He always appreciated. 15 Would it not be wonderful if this could always be said of each of us? Gratitude: the Deed After expressing his appreciation, Elisha asked the woman what he could do for her. He did not want to stop with just saying thank you ; he wanted to show how grateful he was. He said, Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the army? (2 Kings 4:13b). In my part of the world, we would say, Can I put in a good word for you? The king and the captain (commander) of the army were the two most powerful men in the nation of Israel. The prophet had saved their lives (2 Kings 3); they were thus in his debt and would not likely refuse any reasonable request. By talking to the king, Elisha could probably have secured a place at court for the woman and her husband or have them granted any number of royal favors (including relief from taxes 16 ). He could have called on the captain of the army to enforce the legal rights of the woman and her husband. What if someone made that kind of offer to you someone who had influence with the most powerful men in the country? What would your response be? What would you request? Whatever your answer to those questions, compare it with the woman s response. She said, I live among my own people (2 Kings 4:13c). She used verbal shorthand in her answer. The CJB expands her reply like this: I m happy living as 13 Ibid., Quoted in Herbert V. Prochnow, 1400 Ideas for Speakers and Toastmasters (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1994), Hewitt, Wiseman,

5 I do, living among my own people. In other words, I don t need any royal or military favors. I prefer my house in Shunem to the king s palace. I have no quarrel with my family, my friends, or my neighbors. I m happy living right here! She was probably also implying, I did not do this to be rewarded. Just being able to help your ministry is reward within itself. The LB paraphrases her answer like this: I am perfectly content. I must pause to marvel. Not only was this woman hospitable, but she also had a contented heart! I feel like erecting a monument to her and engraving these words on the base: A Contented Woman! The Bible commands, Be content with such things as ye have (Hebrews 13:5; KJV; see Philippians 4:11; 1 Timothy 6:8); but few of us achieve that goal. For every contented heart, there are countless restless hearts that never know contentment. Perhaps the example of the Shunammite will inspire us to be content with what we have. After the woman s brief response, she apparently left the room. If I had been Elisha, I might have shrugged my shoulders and said, Well, I tried, and dismissed the matter from my mind. The prophet, however, was determined to do something to express his gratitude. He asked Gehazi for suggestions: What then is to be done for her? (2 Kings 4:14a). Gehazi said, Truly she has no son and her husband is old (v. 14b). In those days, to be barren was considered a curse (see 1 Samuel 1:6, 7). Today, being childless is lamentable; then, it was a tragedy. Robert Vannoy noted what it meant to have no son:... the family s name would cease and its land and possessions would pass on to others. It was also a great threat to this young wife s future in that she faced the likelihood of many years as a widow with no provider or protector children were a widow s only social security Why had Elisha not thought of this himself? I cannot say, but most of us have found that it sometimes helps to talk matters over with others. This can result in good ideas (perhaps even obvious ideas) that had not occurred to us. 17 Vannoy, 529. Elisha liked what Gehazi said. If the prophet could not put in a good word for the woman in the court of the land, he could put in a good word in the court of heaven. 18 He had the servant call the woman again (2 Kings 4:15a). When she came, she stood in the doorway (v. 15b), still taking every precaution not to bring reproach on the servant of God. This time Elisha spoke to the woman directly. He told her, At this season next year you will embrace a son (v. 16a). The NCV has About this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms. The woman was overcome. She said, No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant (v. 16b). Later, she paraphrased her response with these words: Do not deceive me (v. 28). She was not impugning Elisha s honesty; she just felt the news was, as we say, too good to be true. In verse 28 the NIV has Don t raise my hopes. The woman had indicated that there was nothing she needed that her life was complete but her emotional response reveals how deeply she had desired a son. It also indicates that she had given up hope probably long ago. We might paraphrase her response like this: Don t torment me with a promise of something that can never be! We are reminded of Sarah s response when the angels told Abraham that Sarah would have a son after she was past childbearing age (Genesis 18:10 12). Speaking of Sarah, the Shunammite woman was a descendant of that noble ancestor and should have remembered that nothing is too difficult for the LORD (Genesis 18:14). This would not be the first time for God to intervene and enable a barren woman to have a child nor would it be the last time (Genesis 18:1 15; Judges 13:2 24; 1 Samuel 1:1 20; Luke 1:5 25, 57 66). The Lord did not disappoint the woman. She conceived 19 and bore a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had said to her (2 Kings 4:17). Do you have children or grandchildren? Have 18 Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, ed. Leslie F. Church (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1961), The Bible gives no details regarding how she was able to conceive. My guess is that the miracle was performed on the old husband. 5

6 you watched a baby or a small child? If so, then you can easily imagine the sequence of events: The woman s joy when she realized she was pregnant, her overwhelming happiness the first time she felt the baby kick in her womb. After the birth, the mother looking down, with wonder in her face, at the new son in her arms then looking up to thank God for His gift. The next time Elisha passed through the area, the mother taking him to look at the baby. On successive visits, the mother proudly telling Elisha about the first tooth, the first word, the first step as the baby played happily at their feet. Is it possible that the young child sat on Elisha s knee as the prophet told him stories of the great men of God of old? At least, I am confident that it made Elisha smile to see this generous woman so happy. True happiness comes in bringing happiness to others. CONCLUSION We will continue the story in the next lesson. In this study, we have emphasized a number of pertinent truths, but none more important than these: the need to be hospitable and the need to be grateful. I hope we have been encouraged to be more hospitable and to express our appreciation, both to God and to others. As I close, I want to pull one final message from our text. The Shunammite woman found Elisha s promise of a son hard to believe. Nevertheless, that promise was fulfilled exactly as the prophet said it would be. God has made wonderful promises to us in His Word: If we believe in His Son and are baptized, all our past sins will be washed away (Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16). If we trust and obey, He will be with us and never forsake us (Matthew 28:19, 20; Hebrews 13:5). If we live faithfully, trusting in His mercy and not in ourselves (Ephesians 2:4), He will take us home to live with Him throughout eternity in heaven, where there will be no more tears or pain (see Revelation 2:10; 21:3, 4). Some, like the Shunammite woman, find God s promises too good to be true. You can be confident, however, that the Lord will fulfill His promises to us as surely as He fulfilled His promise to that gracious woman long ago. You can trust your life and your eternity to Him. Are you ready and willing to accept His promises? Then come to Him today! NOTE FOR TEACHERS & PREACHERS When you use this sermon, you may also want to include an invitation like this for unfaithful Christians to return to the Lord: Some Christians get their lives in such bad shape spiritually that they find it hard to believe that God will forgive them, that God s people will receive them back, and that they can make a fresh start. You can believe it! God s promises are sure! Come back today in God s way [Acts 8:22; James 5:16; 1 John 1:9]. David Roper THOUGHTS ON HOSPITALITY Hospitality is twice blessed it blesses the one who gives it and the one who receives it. The hospitality we resolve to show tomorrow benefits no one today. Hospitality should have no other nature than love. Henrietta C. Mears VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE USED IN THIS STUDY CJB Complete Jewish Bible JB Jerusalem Bible KJV King James Version LB Living Bible NASB New American Standard Bible NCV New Century Version NEB New English Bible NIV New International Version RSV Revised Standard Version 6 Copyright, 2004 by Truth for Today ALL RIGHTS RESERVED