Women of the Bible - The Woman from Shunem

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2 Kings 4:8-36

 

We don't know this woman's name....other than she is referred to as "The Shunammite Woman" and that she was well-to-do, according to scripture.

One day Elisha went to Shunem, and this woman  urged  him to stay for a meal.  So....whenever Elisha passed that way, he would stop there to eat.  The woman said to her husband, "I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God.  Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him.  Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us."  

One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down.  He had his servant ask the Shunammite woman what they could do for her for all the trouble she had gone to, but she requested nothing.  Elisha still wanted to do something for her kindness and his servant told him that the woman had no son and that her husband was old.  Elisha had his servant call the woman and he told her that at "about this time next year" she would hold a son in her arms.  The woman was very hesitant to believe Elisha....but she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.  The boy grew and one day he went out to his father working in the field and complained that his head was hurting.  The father had his servant carry the boy to his mother, where he sat on his Mother's lap until noon, and then he died.  She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God (Elisha), then shut the door and went out.  She saddled a donkey and said to her servant to lead her to Elisha, and not to slow down for her unless she told him to.  When Elisha discovered what had happened to the boy, he was going to send his servant to lay Elisha's staff on the boy's face....but the woman insisted that she would not leave Elisha, so he followed her back to the house.  Elisha went into the room and shut the door and prayed to the Lord....he then stretched himself out upon the boy and the boy's  body grew warm.  Elisha turned away...walked back and forth in the room....and then got on the bed and stretched out upon the boy once more.  The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.  Elisha had his servant call the Shumannite woman and when she arrived he told her to taker her son.  The woman fell at Elisha's feet and bowed to the ground....in thankfulness!!!

Conclusion:

The woman's kindness to Elisha didn't go unnoticed, although she expected nothing in return for what she had done for Elisha.  She was a woman of strong faith.  She insisted that Elisha be the one to come and save her son, and she knew that was possible because he was a "man of God".   Shouldn't we be the same way about our faith in the Lord?   We shouldn't put our faith and trust in anyone but HIM, because HE will never fail us, or let us down.

'Till next week, Sweet Reader!!!

HOPE you have a "Terrific Tuesday"!!!

In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!