4:9And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this [is] an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. 4:10Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. 4:11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. 4:12And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. 4:13And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what [is] to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. 4:14And he said, What then [is] to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. 4:15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 4:16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, [thou] man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
This is a story of a Shunammite woman that found favor with the Prophet of God ( Elisha ). This dear woman thinking that the man of God might need a place to rest, prepared a quarters near her home for the Prophet. Elisha like most people are having someone show them favour wanted to do something in return for this woman and her husband . The man of God offered to go to the King in her behalf or to the Captain of the army. This Shunammite woman didn't need the help of the King or the help of the Captain of the armies. The man of God speaking to Gehazi his servant discovers that the Shunammite woman has no children and that her husband is getting to old to have children. Elisha calls this woman to inform her that within the time frame of one year, she would have a male child. The response was the same as most women that are barren and have tried for a long period of time to conceive, nay Man of God do not lie to me or get my hopes up. The Word of the prophet was honored by the Lord that within a year the Shunammite woman and her husband had a male child. The child grew and became a young man.
4:19 And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. 4:20 And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and [then] died. We find in scripture that the young man suffered a heat stroke in the fields with his father. The father instructions the labours to take him to his mother, the child dies in her lap. The Shunammite woman doesn't call for the under taker instead, she lays her deceased son on the bed that was prepared for the man of God. Instead of making funeral arrangements, she makes haste to find the man of God.
4:22 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. 4:23 And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? [it is] neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, [It shall be] well. 4:24 Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not [thy] riding for me, except I bid thee. 4:25So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, [yonder is] that Shunammite: 4:26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, [Is it] well with thee? [is it] well with thy husband? [is it] well with the child? And she answered, [It is] well. 4:27And 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. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul [is] vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid [it] from me, and hath not told me. The Shunammite woman in greeting with the servant of the man of God says all is well, she knew in her heart that the servant couldn't do anything for her that she must see the man of God. After getting to the man of God, she falls at his feet and he discerns the sorrow of her heart. Elisha was surprised that God had not revealed unto him that the child had died.
4:32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, [and] laid upon his bed. 4:33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD. 4:34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 4:35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 4:36And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. Here's where in we tie in the subject, it's not over until it's over. The man of God had connections with an Almighty God. Most folks would have buried their child, this woman realized that this child was a gift from God.She realized that this was a man of God, that had power with God and that God honored his prayers. See God has the final say so, even when your told that you'll never amount to anything or that God can't use you in ministry. God has the final say-so, it ain't over till it's over. The Bible's full of stories, how that God turned defeat into victory. The Bibles full of how God had the final say, so the next time you think, it's over seek God. It ain't over till it's over, thus saith the Lord. |
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