Death to Life

Introduction

A. Ever found a dollar lying on the street? You know someone lost it, but there is really no way of finding out who might have lost the money. What would you do if you found a larger sum of money? ILL. “Kindness: Norma Hayduk.” As we enter the gift giving season, perhaps we find ourselves receiving an unexpected gift. We accept such gifts with both a feeling of astonishment and gratefulness. Special gifts also bring a sense of reciprocity. We like to give to those who give to us.

B. Tonight we look again at an episode in the life and ministry of Elisha, God’s prophet. Elisha is given a special gift and he in turns gives to the one who gave to him. It is a special story of joy and giving. Appropriate for this time of the year.

The Story

A. Elisha lives at Mount Carmel. From time to time he must journey around the area. One of those places is Shunem. There he meets a wealthy woman who invites Elisha to her home. In time she and her husband build Elisha a room on top of their house. Here he can have some privacy and whenever he is in Shunem he has a place to stay. Hospitality was not uncommon in those days. Strangers were often invited into the home. In this woman’s case, she went well beyond what was expected in terms of hospitality. Building a room speaks of her wealth and her desire to have this prophet in her home. She regards Elisha as God’s holy man. She wants to honor him whenever he comes to Shunem.

B. Elisha wants to repay her overabundant hospitality. Through Gehazi, his servant, Elisha asks the woman if she is in need of a military or political favor. Elisha can speak to the king or the commander and try to do something for her if she needs it. Her response is that she lives among her own people. In other words, she is safe and protected. Elisha then asks Gehazi what might be done for her. Gehazi says that she doesn’t have a son and her husband is old. This might remind you of Sarah and Abraham. It is the same general type of story. This couple are probably getting on up in years. There are no children to carry on the family name or to provide for them in their latter years.

C. This time Elisha calls for the woman so that he can speak directly to her. He tells her that by this time next year she will have a child. Her reaction is one of disbelief. She begs Elisha not to lie to her. She is not accusing him of lying, but it would be comparable to our saying “don’t you lie to me” said in such a way as to pronounce disbelief. It happens just as Elisha says it would.

D. Time passes — years in fact. The child grows and is in the fields with his father one day. Suddenly he cries out that his head is hurting. Probably suffering from heatstroke. The boy is returned to his mother and dies while she hold him. She gets up and takes the dead child to Elisha’s room. She then gets a servant and donkey to go to Elisha. Her husband asks her if everything is okay and she answers that it is. At Mount Carmel, Gehazi meets the woman and inquires about her family. Again, the woman says that everything is fine. But once in Elisha’s presence she falls on her face and begins to hold onto the feet of Elisha. She is probably crying and in great distress. Gehazi tries to pull her away but Elisha rejects his attempt.

E. The mother in bitter distress tells Elisha that she didn’t ask for a son. Now, Elisha knows what needs to be done. He sends Gehazi ahead of him to see if his staff will heal the boy. The woman refuses for Elisha to remain at Mount Carmel. Elisha then heads to Shunem. Arriving there he finds that his staff has had no effect. He prays to God; stretches out on top of the boy and warmth begins to return to his body. Elisha gets up, walks around, and then returns to the boy. This time the boy awakens and is reunited with his mother. The woman expresses her thanks and leaves.

Application

A. The story is interesting, but what are we supposed to understand about the text? Of course, this once again verifies Elisha’s role as prophet, but there is something more. Some have focused on the role of the woman in this story. That is feminist theology and is really not a part of the story. Hospitality was common in those days. That the woman has a more prominent role than her husband is not surprising for the home was the woman’s domain as the fields were her husband’s. The point is not about the woman except as it pertains to the real point of faith.

B. That seems to be the real point of the story. Elisha raises a boy from the dead. Elijah did the same thing in 1 Kings 17. This is further verification that Elisha is God’s prophet; that like Elijah he is special as well. But the real point of the story is faith. From the beginning of the story, we have the woman demonstrating faith. She builds a room for the man of God. Why? Because she believes him to be God’s holy man. Elisha promises a son to her. While not wanting to get her hopes up, she doesn’t deny his words. Faith. And when her son dies, she goes to Elisha, believing that he is the only one who can restore her son. Faith in action. This woman exemplifies faith and is not willing to be deterred in that faith.

C. Notice in verse 30. The woman’s words are the exact same words which Elisha used in 2 Kings 2 when Elijah was taken from this earth. Elijah was telling Elisha to stay in a city and he would return. Elisha refuses. Why? Because he wants God’s blessing and he will not leave the one who can get it for him. Faith in action.

D. This is the point of the story for us. Certainly, verifying Elisha’s place among the prophets is important, but for us we must come to understand the importance of consistent and persistent faith. Did God through Elisha have to raise this boy from the dead? No. There are plenty of others that God didn’t raise from the dead. Why this woman? Why this boy? To demonstrate to us the importance of persistent faith. Even if the boy had not been raised from the dead would not change who Elisha was nor who God is. But that God chooses to allow his power to be seen through Elisha for the benefit of this woman speaks about God’s compassion and this woman’s faith.

E. Do we have the same kind of faith? A faith that trusts the Father although we don’t know the outcome? A faith that is persistent and consistent although we aren’t guaranteed favorable results? A faith that refuses to be pulled away by those who do not understand? A faith that says “I will not leave you” no matter what? ILL. “Faith: Seeing the Unseen.” This story doesn’t say that God will bring every dead body back to life on this earth. What it does say is that God has the power to do so. And isn’t that what the resurrection of Jesus is about? It is proof that all who have faith in Jesus will be raised once again — not in this life but in the one to come (1 Cor. 15). This Shunammite woman’s faith speaks to us. It speaks to us about persistence and consistency in our walk with God. It speaks to us about not understanding but refusing to let go of the one who can help us the most. Are you holding on to God’s unchanging hand? Invitation.

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