So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. The last lesson from the Shunammite woman is to be prepared to leave everything behind. She is hospitable, giving, kind, very persuasive, goes out of her way for others and has faith. Gehazi pointed out that the woman had no children and her husband was old. She didnt know what to say! Elisha summons bears to attack children who tease him. The lesson of your non-success is notcease the work, butchange the method. And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. They laughed and thought it was funny that I bothered reading the bible. Do everything without complaining and arguing, 2 Kings 4. The term comes from a root skn, "attend to," "take care," and its noun forms can be applied to high officials in Hebrew (Is. The woman from Shunem was probably from the Issachar tribe. Good teaching, and timely. And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Elisha, instead of being dispirited when he found that the child was not awake, girded up his loins, and hastened with greater vigour to the work before him. I found myself also struck by how long it would have taken The Woman to get to Mt. That just makes me laugh. The child had died in her arms. When we fail in one attempt, we must not therefore give up our work. That's why she rushed to Elisha, and did not say to anyone what had happened. She would threaten grown men twice her height and tell them she had no problem mopping the floor up with them. I respect your privacy. The prophet told the Shunammite woman that she would have a son. 2 Kings 4:8 - 37 The Shunammite woman was a wealthy and well respected person in the society. As a prophet, Elisha traveled from city to city . May we all be inspired by the healing power of radical empathy. All Rights Reserved, Eshet Manoah: Mother of the Mighty Samson. And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. She stayed away from her home for seven years. II Kings chapter 4, where we find her story, is also the haftarah portion which corresponds to parshat Vayera which tells of the miraculous birth of Abraham and Sarahs son Isaac as well as the binding of Isaac. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! When Elisha got there, he sent Jake out, shut the door behind him, and prayed earnestly to the Lord. Before she perceived that Elisha was a holy man of God, she opened the doors of her house and fed him whenever he was in town: One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. Her son was obviously not "well". Gavin Viljoen. Sign up for a special email series here. The Woman of Shunem. Each of these four miraclesmultiplying the widow's oil ( II Kings 4:1-7 ), raising the Shunammite's son ( II Kings 4:8-37 ), purifying the pot of stew ( II Kings 4:38-41) and feeding a hundred men ( II Kings 4:42-44 . Yes, I admit, she, of all the women in the Bible, is my hero. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? It may be that the Shunammite woman failed under this test, because she thought that the power to heal was more connected with Elisha himself and she refused to leave his presence ( I will not leave you ). In the midst of her despair, the Shunammite woman announces to her closest family and the man who serves the man of God, that all is well, for she knows that on this occasion, she must get to the one who has the power to make things truly well again. She appears to beoutspoken, bold and gives orders- once to her husband Get me a donkey and a servant and then to the servant she says hurry up and dont slow down- and maybe even Elisha Stay here! and Im not leaving until you go with me. The Widow's Oil. Elisha helps a poor widow. She is most likely called the Shulammite because she came from an unidentified place . While most people wouldnt be able to build a room for a prophet, God sees what we have and recognizes what we give accordingly. This is way bigger then most realize. , This is a wonderful post, Angela! } By contrast, Elisha was a busy and emotionally inaccessible man of God. During a visit to Shunem, Elisha was taken care of by a wealthy woman and her husband. I know you probably think Im reaching, so lets go to the Bible and read what it says: So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. It was just what I needed. wildflower symbolism in literature; cal state fullerton baseball staff; wilkins research paid focus group; best preath fanfic; ohio power siting board solar projects; In fact, the first description we read of the Shunamite woman (so-called because she is from the town of Shunem) is that she is an ishah gedolah a great woman. She took her family and settled in the land of the Philistines for seven years. May I remind you, sweet friend, that God is with you? She would chase you out with a broom if you spoke back, you would be publicly kicked out of her restaurant if you came in with your mistress, she visited the sick as only a saint would, made sure all the graves of the deceased had fresh flowers, always had an open door of hospitality, always a delicious dinner ready, and everyone who needed to get put in their place got put in there place. - Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? About this time next year, Elisha said, you will hold a son in your arms., No, my lord! she objected. Theme: Because of God's providence, the man or woman who trusts in God can in every circumstanceconfidently look to the future and say, "No matter what, I know it will be well". Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. Shun-am-mite. Please, man of God, dont mislead your servant!. You are to speak out (The Lord has called you out to be Bold today), Christian view of the Color Run (Holi festival): Putting the brakes on Pagan Christianity -stop bringing the World into our churches, It is well, it is well said the Shunamite woman 2 Kings 4:8-37, KNOW YOUR ENEMY Ephesians 6 - AND HIS SCHEMES. It may look impossible but bold faith sees with spiritual eyes remembering that nothing is impossible with God. What suppose to be coming out of our mouth is IT IS WELL, we must exhibit the faith of that shunamite woman as a child of God even when the going is not fine, what must be coming out of our mouth is IT IS WELL. I think this causes one to seek God first and not people. Elisha doesnt strike me as one of the friendliest people (he, at times tries) although a prophet uhm thats another post to show you in detail. Her Spiritual Perception: "And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. Reviving the child also revived Elisha to empathy and attachment. One was destitute; the other wealthy. In the midst of her despair, the Shunammite woman announces to her closest family and the man who serves the man of God, that 'all is well', for she knows that on this occasion, she must get to the one who has the power to make things truly well again. This Shunammite woman must have accepted a long time ago that it was not God's plan for her to have a child. She raced to Elisha, falling at his feet. It Is Well with My Soul is in the public domain. That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, Let me tell you about my grandmother-She had a heart of goldbut was fighting tough. Then following year she has a son. Her son was obviously not "well". God Speaks is a beautiful hardcover gift book featuring forty short letters that have been compiled from the promises and affirmations of God in the Bible. Elisha tells the woman that within a year, she will have a son and so she does. 2 Kings chapter 4 goes directly from the prophet's widow to the Shunammite woman. Second Kings 8 tells us that the Shunammite woman went to the king to ask for him to reinstate her land to her. The Ministry of the Shunammite (4:8-17) 8 Now there came a day when 2 different people running or going somewhere quickly without slowing down, they did not stop and say hello to others, nor did they allow themselves to get distracted running with a message or matter. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. Youd think a prophet would know it all, but here we see that for some reason, the Lord hid something from Elisha. I was silent, but in my mind were millions of reasons I read, Instructions on how to watch the series ( from the producer) You dont understand everything yet, you wont know its in the bible, dont say I dont recognize this from the bible or ask where did they get that from? by Melody Keller. 36 Then he summoned Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite.". She didnt cry, scream or wail, she didnt even mention the sons death to her husband. Then Elisha said, Call her. So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. In conclusion, the Shunammite woman was a well-off woman that did what she could to bless others. Elisha's words were not made-up man's words, they were God's words and when God promises something it always happens. It came right to this article. When she did return seven years later, all that shed lost was returned to her. Instead, he sent his servant, Gehazi, to offer money and protection, which she politely turned down asking nothing in return for her generosity. It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath., So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, Hurry! Isaac's wife and Jacob's mother, the second matriarch survived a difficult pregnancy and engineered the future of the Jewish people. As teachers, we imitate the modes and methods of our glorified Master, and learn at His feet the art of winning souls. But the Hebrew word used in that sentence had many nuances. God's gifts always accompany his presence. Her exact identity is unknown, although there are a couple of theories. Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the Ancient Paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. One day, Elisha asked his servant, Gehazi, what they should do for the Shunamite in exchange for all her kindness. 127) 3. 36 Then he summoned Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite.". Or bold and prominent? Her name was Abishag. Answer (1 of 4): The shunammite woman. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. did I not say, Do not deceive me? "And the dead in Christ will rise first. If you do, it could end up being a weight that keeps you back, potentially costing you your life. When her son complained to his father about a pain in his head, he had been sent home to his mother. Elisha feels that there must be something the matter, to account for the Shunammite's coming to him so unexpectedly. The journey will likely be longer than I can imagine, but it has finally begun, and that's all that matters. So Elisha went to the woman and prophesied that in a years time she would have a son. I re-read this story sometime after returning to the UK and was amazed to realise that our family had remained out of the UK for seven years, before the Lord brought us back and established us again. Her response? I know we imagine most women of the bible quiet and soft-spoken, but not the Shunamite. His anxiety is aroused, and, in his impatience to know what has happened, instead of waiting for the woman's arrival, he bids his . 2002-2023 My Jewish Learning. Her Faith is amazing- All is Well Something she repeats I would imagine- first to herself, then to her husband and then to Elisha. All is well. When she returned to Shunem, she no longer had access to her home. Eventually, the Shunammite woman convinced her husband to prepare a small room for Elisha where he could stay whenever he wanted to. Since the desire for more is never ending, find happiness with what you currently have. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. It is one of my favorite stories, and how she reappears in chapter 8. The woman of Shunem goes to see Elisha and refused to let go of his foot until he had raised her child from the dead. the Shunammite Woman Following the Lead of the Shunammite Woman. 2 Kings 4 . The Bible very clearly tells us that we need to walk by faith, and not by sight (2 Cor. The Shunamite woman follows him. As I read the story in 2 Kings 8:1-6, I sensed that God was telling us to leave the UK. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sin separates us from God, Isaiah 59:2 mentions 4 things specifically that both separate us from God and causes Him not to hear our prayers 1- defiled by blood I believe that means the shedding of innocent blood 2- iniquity that is sin 3- lies and 4- perverse lips But wait, thats, Someone asked me: Why do you read the bible? I didnt know how to respond, the question got me off guard. Still looking to reward their hostess, Gehazi and Elisha made another plan completely without her input. Elisha quickly sends Gehazi to take his staff and lay it on the face of the child, but the mother of the boy refuses to leave him, and so he goes with her. I love her characters. As a representative of God, having a prophet ask you what you desire is a great opportunity. The greatest blessings are often, if not always, hidden under rough disguises. Call me crazy, but it doesn't seem too well to me. And fyi: Issachar is mentioned40x in the bible last in Revelation 7:7 oh and some say the Song of Songs was writtento a Shumanite-and probably Abishag. And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. It is well because, when there is a parting, it is only temporary. The woman is described as a wealthy married woman in the village of Shunem. We are, however, no more powerless than Elisha, for he of himself could not restore the Shunamitesson. Jeremiah 6:16. When tragedy struck, she maintained her faith and focus. ; s why she rushed to Elisha, falling at his feet the of., giving, kind, very persuasive, goes out of her way for others and has.! A small room for Elisha where he could stay whenever he wanted to small room Elisha. Said to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son so. 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