It's over, let the tears flow! Here we have a godly woman in Shunem who showed love and hospitality to the prophet Elisha. She was described as a well-to-do Woman. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. We have the same opportunity to trust God as the Shunammite woman did. If you have been unsuccessful until now, you must not infer that you are not called to the work, any more than Elisha might have concluded that the child could not be restored. She humbly replied that she had everything she needed, but the preacher was not satisfied. She was strict to all the laws of the church and expected everyone in the family to follow along. Your writing especially touched my heart today! When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, This woman got permission from her husband to set up a guest room for Elisha, acknowledging Elisha as a true prophet and holy man of God. Her response was that she didnt need anything. )"; meaning unknown; of *Shunem), an unmarried girl who was chosen to serve as skhenet to King David. Elisha and the Shunammite woman, Gatekeepers! Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. Both, however, needed a miracle, which the prophet Elisha provided. So when Elisha said that she was going to have a child this sounded too good to be true. Though the Shunammite woman had no thought of reward when she made room for God, he fulfilled her heart's desire. He decided to bless her and said next year at this time, you will have a son. She was hospitable yet called everything out as it was. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazihis servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? He gave her a son. When her husband asked her why, she simply said, "It is well.". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); (function() { She went ahead to entreat her husband to make a little room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a . If Jordan above me shall roll, Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. What must be mentioned is the author's pacing, which masterfully recreates what must have been the pace of life at those times. This utterance was a precise echo of the impassioned words with which Elisha himself had implored his beloved mentor, Elijah, not to die. Verse 26. The father told the servants to carry his son home. Elisha Raises the Shunammite's Son (). The preacher was filled with gratitude for this womans generosity and asked what he could do to repay her kindness. That's why she rushed to Elisha, and did not say to anyone what had happened. In Hebrew, it is one word, shalom, which means peace, health, welfare, security, safety, wholeness, and completion. Elisha didnt know something, why? Her Faith is amazing- All is Well Something she repeats I would imagine- first to herself, then to her husband and then to Elisha. Carmel she insists that he immediately accompany her to Shunem. Elisha, who had cursed 42 children with death by bear-mauling just because they had taunted him for being bald, was now stirred to absolute heart-to-heart empathy. This scene was one of giving his own life force to embrace and resuscitate that child. Gehazis visit just wasnt good enough for her. The Shunammite narratives appear within the cycle of Elisha stories involving miracles. We are, however, no more powerless than Elisha, for he of himself could not restore the Shunamitesson. 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. Maybe she was loud and insolent? The mother carried her son downstairs after he came back to life, so we can guess he was a child, not an adult. If your first method has been unsuccessful, you must improve upon it. Or bold and prominent? It was not until Elisha had prayed and laid himself on the child twice was the boy resurrected. Her story is found in 2 Kings 4 and 8. is it well with thy husband? Elisha originally sent Gehazi, his servant, to the boy with Elishas staff, but the woman from Shunemsaid you can send him, but Im not leaving back home unless you come with me- what persistence! Elisha helped him off the bed, opened the door, and delivered him alive into the arms of a beaming mother. And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. No name was found for the Shunammite Woman during this research. Determined to repay her kindness, Elisha asked his servant for advice. In spite of the fact that her emotions soared, clearly her faith grew. And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to bedone for thee? A desire fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12)! Dont slow down unless I tell you to., As she approached the man of God at Mount Carmel, Elisha saw her in the distance. love it as I prepare for delivery of this sermon. Who says that to a prophet? Scripture says that this woman from Shunem was a wealthy woman who, seeing Elisha was a holy man of God, blessed the prophet with meals and a place to stay. This is way bigger then most realize. She simply said, All will be well.. It is well, it is well with my soul. Gavin Viljoen. When sorrows like sea billows roll; She didnt laugh like Sarah did, but instead she said, Dont lie to me!. I am a joyful wife and mother of three, just turned loose the last of my little chicks, and getting ready to spread my own writing wings. She was generous and hospitable, she was a wealthy and capable woman who showed great kindness to one of God's prophets. Why should Istudy? The last lesson from the Shunammite woman is to be prepared to leave everything behind. } Sometimes God gives us a promise and it seems like the promise is 'dead'. As a prophet, Elisha traveled from city to city . She, most likely, came from a prominent family, had all she needed, was strong headed, and influential. So the woman arose and did according to the saying of . The woman believed Elisha when he told her there would be a famine in the land. But sure enough, within a year she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy! Second Kings 8 tells us that the Shunammite woman went to the king to ask for him to reinstate her land to her. Input/Output: Change Your Environment, Change Your Life. The Shunamite woman also was modest, undemanding, and seemingly self-aware. 2 Kings 4:8 - 37 The Shunammite woman was a wealthy and well respected person in the society. This wasnt the first time Elisha tried or did stay back by sending a messenger something Elijah didnt do. In summary, she was a woman that showed Elisha hospitality and then got blessed with a son and life-saving instructions. The Shunammite's son dies seemingly without warning. She replies, All is well.. She was always giving and thought of others, but watch out if you didnt serve her right, didnt open the door for her or told her that her meatballs tasted funny ohh weee not fun! One day she asked her husband if they could build a little room for him to stay in when he comes to town. Also, she refused to go back to her dead son unless Elisha came with her. 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. We see her speaking what she wants to be true: it will be alright. the Shunammite Woman Following the Lead of the Shunammite Woman. In the story, the prophet Elisha warns this woman to leave her home and travel wherever she could because a famine was coming on the land for seven years. Refrain: It is well with my soul, It is well, it is well with my soul. Second Kings 4 records the account of Elisha and the Shunammite woman. When he was old enough, he went out to work with his father in the fields. All we know is that she was from the land of Shunem. Does it not rather direct us to our true power by shutting us out from our own fancied might? One morning he got a terrible headache, so his dad sent him inside the house to his mother. The miracle story central to the novel comes from the Old Testament and it is one I had never known of before. "And the dead in Christ will rise first. She didnt know what to say! She is only mentioned once by the title "Shulammite," in Song of Solomon 6:13. Jake wanted to pull her off of him, but the preacher said, Leave her be. Praise God! In fact, she made him a room upstairs in her house how couldanyone say no to that? 9 And she said to her husband, "Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. But the Shunammite woman spoke faith, life and truth. Still looking to reward their hostess, Gehazi and Elisha made another plan completely without her input. Her soul is bitter within her, and the Lord has hidden it from me., Then the woman spoke, tears streaming down her face. Now when the Shunammite boy came back to life, it says he sneezed 7 times, but what really happened was the boy spoke the true name of the Messiah-YAHSHUA. I love the marvelous stories from Elijah and Elisha. How she knew where to find Elisha is anyones guess. So Elisha went to the woman and prophesied that in a years time she would have a son. Pointing out the impact of what we consider to be small gift, Jesus said: And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy . One had two sons; the other was barren. 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. The way she told everyone it is well when it really wasnt. Whenever Elisha travels through the town of Shunem, him and his servant, Gehazi eat with the Shunammite and her husband. And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. May I remind you, sweet friend, that God is with you? Twice, in this short narrative, the Shunammite woman reassures someone that everything will be alright. Does anyone else think thats funny? Then she picked up her son and went out. Your email address will not be published. She shows hospitality to the prophet Elisha and his servant, Gehazi as they pass through her village of Shunem on their way to Mt. Then Elisha said, Call her. So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. Challenge: What is one thing that you can trust God for today? Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Just as He came in deepest sympathy into the nearest contact with our wretched humanity, and condescended to stoop to our sorrowful condition, so must we come near to the souls with whom we have to deal, yearn over them with His yearning, and weep over them with His tears, if we would see them raised from the state of sin. And when he had called her, she stood before him. Thank you! Thank you for sharing this. So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. She was so insistent on him staying at her place, he couldnt say no. Instead, he sent his servant, Gehazi, to offer money and protection, which she politely turned down asking nothing in return for her generosity. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.". May we all be inspired by the healing power of radical empathy. If we yield to unbelief we shall be staggered by the evident fact that the work to which the Lord has called us is quite beyond our own personal power. Lyrics courtesy of Timeless Truths. She tells her husband Send one of the servants and a donkey so that I can hurry to the man of God and come right back. Yea, I know! And hath shed His own blood for my soul. The episode of the Shunammite woman teaches that the charitable giving of food advances the resurrection of the dead, for "she urged him to have a meal" (II Kings 4:8) and thereby merited the resurrection of her son (Cant. Although she would be leaving her house and land, she did just that. Lets look at the passage again to find our proof. Shunammite - Women of the Bible. She didnt cry, scream or wail, she didnt even mention the sons death to her husband. it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. Sometimes things happen and we definitely do not feel well, is it okay to say it is well at such times? You are to work miracles, to do marvels. Do you follow him? { The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. Nevertheless, the Shunammite wasn't immune to the heartache of our broken world. She was beyond persistent and always got what she wanted. One a widow; the other married. And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. The woman from Shunem is one of the unnamed women of the Bible but her testimony of faith is one we can still learn from today. Gehazi pointed out that the woman had no children and her husband was old. The Shunammite Woman witnessed a miracle not once, but twice. (2 Kings 8:1-2 NIV). And although she experienced miraculous things, she herself was a down-to-earth role model for women in every era, and a model of the power of empathy. The Shunamite woman follows him. Did I not say, Please dont mock me?. Use whatever resources you have to be a blessing to others. He is dedicated to helping others grow personally and spiritually and lives by the motto "In This Life and The Next". And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. I love the way you zero in on the Shunammite womans faith! One day the circuit-riding preacher, Elisha, and his traveling companion, Jake, came into the sleepy little town of Shunem. 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 technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. So he called her. Any true revgfelation is revealed by Gods vision just as he revealed to the prophets of old.Romans 1:19,20 teaches us to look at the visible (physical creation) to understand the invisible (spiritual). "You . It is well because, when there is a parting, it is only temporary. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The story unfolds among four principal characters: Elisha, God's prophet; Gehazi, his assistant; the Shunammite woman, a wealthy and pious woman; and her young son, miraculously born. . What an interesting character we have. The Deity of Christ in the Gospel of John, Follow The Abundant Heart on WordPress.com. })(); Your email address will not be published. II Kings 4 contains four miracles the prophet Elisha performed during the reign of the Israelite king Jehoram ( c. 850 BC ). Trust you are too. There is much to be admired about her -. is it well with the child? The Chosen, a fan fiction phenomenon A christianreview. Well, when one sneezes, one is having an involuntary bodily function occur to cast out virus that has become lodged in the lungswhen one sneezes to remove those virus (demons) it is by the name YAHSHUA as we sneeze that is the sound that is made by the human body to effectively remove or cast out those germs/virusesunderstand? 8 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to () Shunem, where there was a [] notable woman, and she [] persuaded him to eat some food. When she reaches the prophet, she catches hold of his feet in her distress and when his servant tries to pull her away, Elisha tells him to leave her alone. But she called forth the things which . And the incident revived the Shunamite woman, too, to bond with her son: And the woman bent down, and picked up her child, and embraced him.. That just makes me laugh. WOW, just what I needed, profound and hits home. 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. forms: { With the Shunammite woman spoke faith, life and the mother of the church and expected everyone in the to! To say it is well when it really wasnt, life and the dead in will... Lord in the society story central to the woman and prophesied that a! Child was grown, it fell on a day, that he out... 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