She carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there. This utterance was a precise echo of the impassioned words with which Elisha himself had implored his beloved mentor, Elijah, not to die. All was quite obviously not well however, so what is going on here? Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. As we can see, this woman's action displays faith. Elishas prophecy was fulfilled and everything was good until the Shunammite womans son died. (2 Kings 8:1-2 NIV). Change). 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. He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.". Elisha offers to say a good word for her before the king, and she could care less, so she maybe wasnt high nobility-but she didnt need help in that area. )"; meaning unknown; of *Shunem), an unmarried girl who was chosen to serve as skhenet to King David. From the scripture, we learn she was a hospitable, kind and a persuasive woman. i. When her son complained to his father about a pain in his head, he had been sent home to his mother. Popular and loud? Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. but there was neither voice, nor hearing. (LogOut/ (LogOut/ There are no coincidences in the Bible, theres only Providence. The woman from Shunem was probably from the Issachar tribe. In summary, she was a woman that showed Elisha hospitality and then got blessed with a son and life-saving instructions. In spite of the woman's uncertainties, she conceives and bears a son the following spring (2 Kings 4:17 ). Unsubscribe at any time. Celebration (36-37) And he called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite woman.". both. SH-OO-n-uh-m-ay-t. Shu-nam-mite. Some translations say she was wealthy. There are many women referenced throughout The Bible that are great examples of the characteristics all believers should have. Lastly, leaving her house and land at Elishas instructions showed that she wasnt attached to them. How could this woman say It is well when her young child lay dead? The Shunammite woman lays her dead child on Elisha's bed and hurries to find the prophet. In 2 Kings 4:8-37 in the ESV translation, we see that the Shunammite woman has the gift of hospitality. Yes, I admit, she, of all the women in the Bible, is my hero. Still looking to reward their hostess, Gehazi and Elisha made another plan completely without her input. Jake arrived first and found the lifeless form of the boy lying where his mother had left him. When all was not well the Shunammite, on two occasions said, all is well.. Thus she did not accept that the death of her son was a reality that could not change. She had received her son alive a second time! And he arose, and followed her. Nope. ; "the [Divine] Father (? For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: Dont lie to me!Said the Shunammite. Her name is not known. We dont even know her name. Wailing, crying, and mourning would all have been natural responses to the death of a child. Why does the Shunammite woman insist that all is well when her beloved child has just died? And you, devoted, anxious, prayerful teacher, remainno longer a common being, you have become, in a special manner, the temple of the Holy Ghost; God dwellethin you, and you by faith have entered upon the career of a wonder-worker. " continue reading on The Shunammite woman by O.Peng Related articles. The prophet told the Shunammite woman that she would have a son. She was so insistent on him staying at her place, he couldnt say no. And hath shed His own blood for my soul. It is one of my favorite stories, and how she reappears in chapter 8. She also goes straight the King in a later chapter to regain all her land and possessions after she had left for a time after Elishas warning of a famine. The miracle story central to the novel comes from the Old Testament and it is one I had never known of before. So he called her. Lets make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. 2 Kings chapter 4 goes directly from the prophet's widow to the Shunammite woman. did I not say, Do not deceive me? And then, he lay on top of the boy, hands to hands, eyes to eyes, mouth to mouth, and breathed into the child the breath of life the embrace of life, as he had prophesied (At this season next year you will be embracing a son.), Imagine that! Come ye children chapter 22:Charles Spurgeon. Required fields are marked *. Both, however, needed a miracle, which the prophet Elisha provided. And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. Do you follow him? Speak life, hope, and faith. As teachers, we imitate the modes and methods of our glorified Master, and learn at His feet the art of winning souls. It appears as if shed been trying and eventually became content without one. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. While most people wouldnt be able to build a room for a prophet, God sees what we have and recognizes what we give accordingly. Im thankful that our Father gave us so many great examples of godly women in the Bible. He delivered this prophecy to her: At this season next year you will be embracing a son., The woman indeed became a mother and then we read of her child wandering in the heat of the day without water, becoming dehydrated, then sick, and ultimately dying. Her response was that she didnt need anything. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The father told the servants to carry his son home. Someone (I forget who) once said there are no coincidences in the Bible. She didnt cry, scream or wail, she didnt even mention the sons death to her husband. Her name was Abishag. When her son died, she could have grieved. His daughter has died and asks Jesus to lay his hand on her that she may live. The Shunammite woman asked for a donkey that she might run to the man of God. God bless, Lisa, thx u lisa i needed the ps u posted May God our Father bless u with blessing tht r over flowing, thank you for the notes -the shunamite woman is just good for me .i love these bible stories.GOD bless you. In recent years, several friends have encouraged me to pick up the baton and run with it. is it well with the child? 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. A desire fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12)! And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. No name was found for the Shunammite Woman during this research. God has created us for community and I believe passionately in the great healing he brings through people. I first encountered her during the global recession of 2008, when my husband had been offered a job in Dubai. But who was the Shunammite woman? The two could not be more different. It Is Well with My Soul is in the public domain. And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. If Jordan above me shall roll, We are, however, no more powerless than Elisha, for he of himself could not restore the Shunamitesson. I laughed when I came to this conclusion. Oh, trump of the angel! I can see her personality in these words. Your writing especially touched my heart today! Perhaps she believed that her child would live again, and perhaps she knew that he was safe in the presence of the Redeemer. forms: { 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. Is all well with your husband? And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. The prophet can tell shes upset, but the Lord had kept the reason from him and so she unburdens her sorrow before the man of God. I trust we are all of us already aware that the man who lives in the region offaith dwells in the realm of miracles.Elisha was no common man now that Gods Spirit was upon him, calling him to Gods work, and aiding him in it. ); The consensus of translators seems to be that gedolah (great) refers to her wealth. Her persistence in keeping Elisha at her house and persistence again in refusing to return home without Elisha going with her, Her boldness before Elisha, the king and in her words, Her authority in her orders and her words. Youd think a prophet would know it all, but here we see that for some reason, the Lord hid something from Elisha. Every time he was in the area he stopped to eat bread with the . She is most likely called the Shulammite because she came from an unidentified place . 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. One was destitute; the other wealthy. The Shunammite Woman's Suffering. Here we have a godly woman in Shunem who showed love and hospitality to the prophet Elisha. The Heart Of Faith. It was not until Elisha had prayed and laid himself on the child twice was the boy resurrected. Carmel (where Elisha was) and the return trip- first by Gehazi and then when Elisha went to the boy. He finds the lifeless child and revives him. No, I dont but Ill look him up. Thank you so much for sharing this teaching. Funny I had just starting playing It is well with my soul by Caleb and Sol Rexius and the Holy Spirit prompted me to search it is well. She responded with faith in the Promise-Giver. A completely new way of thinking was needed in order to contain the new thing God was about to do. Finding him at Mt. When we experience challenges, its so easy to feel defeated and the words of discouragement and despair come easily to our lips. 2 Kings 4:8-37; 8:1-6. She is describedas a great woman when I looked up the definition ofthis word used in Hebrew, it means bold, prominent, insolent, mighty, noble, loud or older. by Melody Keller. She humbly replied that she had everything she needed, but the preacher was not satisfied. 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. We can spend our entire lives striving for more and miss the joy of being satisfied with what we have. For her reward, God gave the woman a miracle: a son of her own. How is so strange a work to beachieved? 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. In fact, she made him a room upstairs in her house how couldanyone say no to that? I had a coworker who kept belting out "Cannonball!" while singing along to Panama by Van Halen. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! While he was still talking about these things, a ruler kneels before Jesus and unburdens his troubled soul. At the sound of hoof beats, Elisha glanced up seeing the Shunammite woman approaching. In this article, Ill go into detail on these three life lessons from her story: One of the first lessons that stand out about the Shunammite woman is that she used what she had to be a blessing. She didnt mess around everyday was truth day with her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. Serving God is not a lucky charm which safeguards you against hardship or ensures that you will get all you ever dreamed of. u r so right she didnt give evil a foot hold. Here's the short version (see 2 Kings 4:8-37): A wealthy woman (our Shunammite) knew that Elisha was God's prophet; so she convinced her husband to make him a small room on their roof . And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? Likewise, with whatever we have, we should do the same. Although she would be leaving her house and land, she did just that. One day Elisha went to Shunem. The way she told everyone it is well when it really wasnt. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul! 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. And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. One day the circuit-riding preacher, Elisha, and his traveling companion, Jake, came into the sleepy little town of Shunem. By leaving, the Shunammite woman showed that she held on to her possessions loosely. In spite of the fact that her emotions soared, clearly her faith grew. I really like the story of shunamite woman,all is well with me also,very much encouraged. Elisha goes to the house and locks himself in the room with the child until he returns him to life; He calls to the Shunamite woman to "take up thy son". He is our mighty deliverer and the anchor for our soul and so, we must run to him. Phonetic spelling of shunammite. Moses is a teacher by calling and an IT Professional by profession. 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. 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? At home she had been calm, maybe in shock, but the shock had worn off and the furious ride had coincided with a surge in her emotions. Jesus also said, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21 NIV). (LogOut/ (LogOut/ She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years. What must be mentioned is the author's pacing, which masterfully recreates what must have been the pace of life at those times. All we know is that she was from the land of Shunem. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holyman of God, which passeth by us continually. She was generous and hospitable, she was a wealthy and capable woman who showed great kindness to one of God's prophets. })(); Your email address will not be published. We cannot raise the dead. This teaches us to hold on to things loosely so they dont keep us back. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. To say something is well means it is satisfactory, pleasing, or good. 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. Her response to Elisha showed how amazing the idea of becoming a mother was to her: No, my lord! she cried. They laughed and thought it was funny that I bothered reading the bible. Then she picked up her son and went out. The woman of Shunems faith reminds me of Abraham in Genesis 22. We see her speaking what she wants to be true: it will be alright. She didnt know what to say! When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, Elisha and the Shunammite woman, Gatekeepers! 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. To raise the dead is our mission! Jake obeyed immediately, but the woman looked at Elisha and said, Im not leaving you. So the man of God also returned to Shunem with the woman and her servant, following after his traveling companion. She replies, All is well.. There are at least three clear parallels: hospitality, a prophecy to a barren woman that she will bear a son, and the near-death experience of that son. The way one knows such a mystical revelation is by being taught how to run the vision to make it plain upon tables that he may run that readeth it (Hab 2:1-3). I am very much proud of the great shunammite. She hosted Elisha in a room on the roof, and he blessed her because of her kind hospitality, promising her a child. When her husband asked her why, she simply said, "It is well.". And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. Her son was obviously not "well". But she left the house knowing Elisha could raise her son from the dead and thats what was going to happen. But sure enough, within a year she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy! She didnt laugh like Sarah did, but instead she said, Dont lie to me!. In the midst of our despair and out of the deep places of sorrow, may we too fall at the feet of the one who turns our mourning into dancing and lovingly clothes us with gladness. Elisha is passing through Shunem, when he brought into the house of a couple there. But the Hebrew word used in that sentence had many nuances. 9 And she said to her husband, "Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. Why should I read the bible? The Shunamite did not say my son is dead because she did not let go of her son to death. Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years. The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. } She raced to Elisha, falling at his feet. 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? In 2 Kings 4:8 we learn that Elisha became friends with a "prominent" woman in Shunem. As I read the story in 2 Kings 8:1-6, I sensed that God was telling us to leave the UK. When he was old enough, he went out to work with his father in the fields. She had no child. Her dreams were too big to be spoken. Its not often when unnamed characters in the Bible show up in more than one place. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. Her son is dead. Elisha tells the woman that within a year, she will have a son and so she does. Menu. She gave out orders. Great hymn, too Hope you are well, God bless. The Shunamite womans capacity for empathy, her ability to grow spiritually and facilitate the spiritual growth of others, her willingness to be proactive, and her humility are all qualities that I cherish and seek to emulate. What we do know of her has consistently inspires me though and perhaps the fact that we dont know her name suggests we can all find something of our story in hers. God told the widow to gather vessels and pour the oil herself ( 2 Kings 4:1-7 ). 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. Obviously, this woman recognized that her child was a gift that God gave her and that his death was not God's will. If you read on down, about 2 Kings 4:23, the Bible says, while the Shunammite woman's son lay dead, she goes on her way, saying, "it will be well.". 21. Thank you for sharing; I really like to the thronenot the phone. You might enjoy reading similar thoughts that I penned in a blog entry, Who You Gonna Run To? I look forward to reading your future posts! Alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the public domain the idea becoming! 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