2 Kings 4:8-17 (New Living Translation)
Elisha and the Woman from Shunem
8 One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat. 9 She said to her husband, “I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s build a small room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by.”
11 One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to this upper room to rest. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her.” When she appeared, 13 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’”
“No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.”
14 Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”
Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”
15 “Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway, 16 “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!”
“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”
17 But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.
Elisha and the Woman from Shunem
8 One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat. 9 She said to her husband, “I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s build a small room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by.”11 One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to this upper room to rest. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her.” When she appeared, 13 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’”
“No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.”
14 Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”
Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”
15 “Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway, 16 “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!”
“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”
17 But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.
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First of all, here is this woman who has a prominent story in the Bible and her account is so moving that it prompted the writer to record it. She recognizes that Elisha is a man of God and goes out of her way to make him comfortable in preparing his own room for when he passes through. She has nothing to gain from this act of service, she is after all wealthy on her own, however this is something that she can do to serve the Lord, by serving this man of God. Elisha would like to do something kind for her and suggests that he can put in a good word for her with the king. She declines this offer though, since her family takes good care of her. First off I see that she is content with her life and is well thought of by her family. I can see why if she will treat this stranger in such a kind way. Later on the servant suggests to Elisha that the woman does not have any children, so Elisha said to her that by the time he returns next year she would be holding a son in her arms. She does not ask for anything in return. Her reaction indicates an unfulfilled longing " No my Lord! Please don't lie to me like that oh man of God." How many years had this woman prayed? Begged? Pleaded that the Lord would answer her prayers. It also reminds me of Hannah, and her prayers for a son. But back to the Shunemite. She had these unfulfilled longings, but somehow she learned to accept them. She does not exhibit any bitterness in her life. In fact she appears to be serving the Lord with joy!
I could not stop thinking about this after I first read it. I read it the next day. Then the next, my Grandmother started quoting it to me without her knowledge that I read it. When that happens I know that God is trying to teach me something. Now will I listen? I know that I have unfulfilled longings in my life and quite frankly it has been harder to accept them over the past few years dealing with lack of security with church, friends, and relationships. I had begged with God, I have pleaded, I have become bitter. I still cling to God, but begrudgingly sometimes. I have found that being saturated in God's word helps these times, but I am still so far from where this Shunemite woman was. She probably accepted her circumstances and chose to serve with joy. So to have all her hope suddenly built up again was more than she dared to believe... but.. it happened! Sure enough she had her baby boy that next year. Imagine the overwhelming joy and love not just for her son, but for God as well. To have her prayers suddenly answered.
God can changes circumstances at any time. It is amazing how things can change so quickly! But obviously God allows our prayers to go unanswered for a reason sometimes. Even things that would be good. I mean for this woman the prayer for a baby was a good thing. Why would God choose to delay such a prayer? All we see is how the woman is now, a joyful woman who serves without expecting anything else in return. Who knows how the Lord molded her during those times of anguish and finally acceptance.
Indeed the Lord is molding me somehow. I pray that one day I too am able to serve with such joy as this Shunemite woman.
First of all, here is this woman who has a prominent story in the Bible and her account is so moving that it prompted the writer to record it. She recognizes that Elisha is a man of God and goes out of her way to make him comfortable in preparing his own room for when he passes through. She has nothing to gain from this act of service, she is after all wealthy on her own, however this is something that she can do to serve the Lord, by serving this man of God. Elisha would like to do something kind for her and suggests that he can put in a good word for her with the king. She declines this offer though, since her family takes good care of her. First off I see that she is content with her life and is well thought of by her family. I can see why if she will treat this stranger in such a kind way. Later on the servant suggests to Elisha that the woman does not have any children, so Elisha said to her that by the time he returns next year she would be holding a son in her arms. She does not ask for anything in return. Her reaction indicates an unfulfilled longing " No my Lord! Please don't lie to me like that oh man of God." How many years had this woman prayed? Begged? Pleaded that the Lord would answer her prayers. It also reminds me of Hannah, and her prayers for a son. But back to the Shunemite. She had these unfulfilled longings, but somehow she learned to accept them. She does not exhibit any bitterness in her life. In fact she appears to be serving the Lord with joy!
I could not stop thinking about this after I first read it. I read it the next day. Then the next, my Grandmother started quoting it to me without her knowledge that I read it. When that happens I know that God is trying to teach me something. Now will I listen? I know that I have unfulfilled longings in my life and quite frankly it has been harder to accept them over the past few years dealing with lack of security with church, friends, and relationships. I had begged with God, I have pleaded, I have become bitter. I still cling to God, but begrudgingly sometimes. I have found that being saturated in God's word helps these times, but I am still so far from where this Shunemite woman was. She probably accepted her circumstances and chose to serve with joy. So to have all her hope suddenly built up again was more than she dared to believe... but.. it happened! Sure enough she had her baby boy that next year. Imagine the overwhelming joy and love not just for her son, but for God as well. To have her prayers suddenly answered.
God can changes circumstances at any time. It is amazing how things can change so quickly! But obviously God allows our prayers to go unanswered for a reason sometimes. Even things that would be good. I mean for this woman the prayer for a baby was a good thing. Why would God choose to delay such a prayer? All we see is how the woman is now, a joyful woman who serves without expecting anything else in return. Who knows how the Lord molded her during those times of anguish and finally acceptance.
Indeed the Lord is molding me somehow. I pray that one day I too am able to serve with such joy as this Shunemite woman.
That should be a prayer for all of us! Thanks for your insight.
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