The Shunammite Woman During Elisha's Time
4:8It
fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she
constrained him to eat bread. So it was, that as often as he passed by, he
turned in there to eat bread. 4:9She
said to her husband, "See now, I perceive that this is a holy man of the
Mighty One, that passes by us continually. 4:10Let
us make, Please, a little chamber on the wall; and let us set for him there a
bed, and a table, and a seat, and a lamp stand: and it shall be, when he comes
to us, that he shall turn in there."
4:11It
fell on a day, that he came there, and he turned into the chamber and lay
there. 4:12He said to Gechazi his
servant, "Call this Shunammite." When he had called her, she stood
before him. 4:13He said to him,
"Say now to her, Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care;
what is to be done for you? Would you be spoken for to the king, or to the
captain of the host?" She answered, "I dwell among my own
people." 4:14He said,
"What then is to be done for her?" Gechazi answered, "Most
assuredly she has no son, and her husband is old." 4:15He said, "Call her." When he had
called her, she stood in the door. 4:16He
said, "At this season, when the time comes round, you shall embrace a
son." She said, "No, my master, you man of the Mighty One, do not lie
to your handmaid." 4:17The
woman conceived, and bore a son at that season, when the time came round, as
Elisha had said to her.
4:18When
the child was grown, it fell on a day that he went out to his father to the
reapers. 4:19He said to his father,
"My head, my head." He said to his servant, "Carry him to his
mother." 4:20When he had taken
him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon, and then
died. 4:21She went up and laid him
on the bed of the man of the Mighty One, and shut the door on him, and went
out. 4:22She called to her husband,
and said, "Please send me one of the servants, and one of the donkeys,
that I may run to the man of the Mighty One, and come again." 4:23He said, "Why will you go to him
today? It is neither new moon nor Shabbat." She said, "It shall be
well." 4:24Then she saddled a
donkey, and said to her servant, "Drive, and go forward; don't slacken me
the riding, except I bid you." 4:25So
she went, and came to the man of the Mighty One to
It happened, when the man of the Mighty One
saw her afar off, that he said to Gechazi his servant, "Behold, yonder is
the Shunammite: 4:26please run now
to meet her, and ask her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband?
Is it well with the child?'" She answered, "It is well." 4:27When she came to the man of the Mighty One
to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. Gechazi came near to thrust her away;
but the man of the Mighty One said, "Let her alone: for her soul is vexed
within her; and Yahweh has hid it from me, and has not told me." 4:28Then she said, "Did I desire a son of
my master? Didn't I say, 'Do not deceive me?'"
4:29Then
he said to Gechazi, "Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand,
and go your way: if you meet any man, Don't greet him; and if anyone greets
you, don't answer him again: and lay my staff on the face of the child." 4:30The mother of the child said, "As
Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." He arose, and
followed her. 4:31Gechazi passed on
before them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither
voice, nor hearing. Then he returned to meet him, and told him, saying,
"The child has not awakened."
4:32When
Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid on his
bed. 4:33He went in therefore, and
shut the door on them both, and prayed to Yahweh. 4:34He
went up, and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on
his eyes, and his hands on his hands: and he stretched himself on him; and the
flesh of the child grew warm. 4:35Then
he returned, and walked in the house once back and forth; and went up, and stretched
himself on him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his
eyes. 4:36He called Gechazi, and
said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. When she was come in
to him, he said, "Take up your son." 4:37Then
she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground; and she
took up her son, and went out.
4:33 shows that in praying to Yahweh that Yahweh restore life back to the son of the Shunammite woman, Elisha prayed to Yahweh in private. Implying that there are occasions meriting praying to Yahweh in private, rather than in public.
The Shunammite Woman Is A Parallel Of Sarah
The account of the Shunammite woman's family somewhat parallels that of Sarah's family. For just as Sarah was barren, so was the Shunammite woman. Just as Sarah's husband was old, so was the Shunammite woman. Just as Sarah was a great woman, so was the Shunammite woman. Just as Yahweh promised that Sarah would embrace a son "at this season, when the time comes round", so did Yahweh, through Elisha, promise the Shunammite woman that she would embrace a son "at this season, when the time comes round". And just Sarah's son would have died, and would have been resurrected from the dead, so did the Shunammite woman's son actually die and was actually resurrected from the dead! The parallels of Sarah's life and that of the Shunammite woman's life are striking!
The King Of Aram Seeks To Capture Elisha
6:8Now
the king of Aram was warring against Yisra'el; and he took counsel with his
servants, saying, "In such and such a place shall be my camp." 6:9The man of the Mighty One sent to the king
of Yisra'el, saying, "Beware that you not pass such a place; for there the
Aram are coming down." 6:10The
king of Yisra'el sent to the place which the man of the Mighty One told him and
warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once nor twice. 6:11The heart of the king of Aram was sore
troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said to them,
"Won't you show me which of us is for the king of Yisra'el?" 6:12One of his servants said, "No, my
master, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Yisra'el, tells the king of
Yisra'el the words that you speak in your bedchamber." 6:13He said, "Go and see where he is, that
I may send and get him." It was told him, saying, "Behold, he is in
Dotan." 6:14Therefore sent he
there horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and
surrounded the city.
6:15When
the servant of the man of the Mighty One was risen early, and gone forth,
behold, a host with horses and chariots was round about the city. His servant
said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" 6:16He answered, "Don't be afraid; for
those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 6:17Elisha prayed, and said, "Yahweh,
Please open his eyes, that he may see." Yahweh opened the eyes of the
young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and
chariots of fire round about Elisha.
6:18When
they came down to him, "Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, 'Please smite
this people with blindness.'" He struck them with blindness according to
the word of Elisha. 6:19Elisha said
to them, "This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I
will bring you to the man whom you seek." He led them to Shomron. 6:20It happened, when they were come into
Shomron, that Elisha said, "Yahweh, open the eyes of these men, that they
may see." Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were
in the midst of Shomron.
6:21The
king of Yisra'el said to Elisha, when he saw them, "My father, shall I
strike them? Shall I strike them?" 6:22He
answered, "You shall not strike them: would you strike those whom you have
taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before
them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master." 6:23He prepared great provision for them; and
when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their
master. The bands of Aram came no more into the land of Yisra'el.
Pray To Yahweh Only, Not To Anyone Else
6:17-20 show that it is to Yahweh that Elisha prayed. He did not pray to another mighty one, but only to Yahweh. Likewise, all servants of Yahweh should serve Yahweh wholeheartedly, and pray only to Yahweh, and not to another mighty one.
It is evident from Elisha's communication to Yahweh that he had great faith in Yahweh. For when he prayed to Yahweh that Yahweh undertake a particular action, Yahweh indeed undertook that action. Following Elisha's example, we should likewise have great faith in Yahweh, a faith paralleling that Elisha had.
How did Elisha come to acquire this great degree of faith?
It is evident from this account that Yahweh indeed provided protection to his servant Elisha, protection against even human armies! Such that when the human army of Aram surrounded the city Elisha resided in, and thought to take him captive, Yahweh's angelic army had already surrounded Elisha and accorded him due protection! There was therefore no way the Arammian army was going to succeed in its mission of capturing Elisha, for Yahweh protected him!
Likewise, Yahweh accords due protection to his servants. And when they need due protection, Yahweh's servants should pray to him for that protection, even invisible but very real protection.
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