2 KINGS LESSON 4
We will begin this lesson in II Kings 4:1 "Now there cried a
certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha,
saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy
servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him
my two sons to be bondmen."
This one verse tells us a lot. Prophets were permitted to have
wives. We must notice that she went to the prophet for help.
Indirectly she is going to God. She knew there would be no mercy shown
her by the worldly creditor. If the creditor cannot get the money, he
will take her sons into servitude to pay the indebtedness. This is a
type and shadow of all of us, who owe our lives for the debt of sin we
committed. The penalty for sin is death. Jesus {our High Priest} paid
our debt in full for us. Let us follow the story, and see what this
man of God does to help this widow.
II Kings 4:2 "And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee?
tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid
hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil."
Elisha realizes that he must help her out of this problem. The
verse above is as if he is thinking with the words he says. Notice,
she submits to his decision, when she calls herself his handmaid. Her
husband was a prophet, so the oil is, probably, a small portion of
anointing oil.
II Kings 4:3 "Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all
thy neighbours, [even] empty vessels; borrow not a few."
These vessels are like buckets, or pots. She is to gather all of
the spare containers that all of her neighbors have.
II Kings 4:4 "And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door
upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those
vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full."
God will multiply what she has, and everytime she pours one
vessel full, she is to get another vessel and fill it, until all the
vessels she has are full. Notice, God uses what she already had to
bless her. It is like the five loaves and two fishes, which Jesus fed
the multitude with.
II Kings 4:5 "So she went from him, and shut the door upon her
and upon her sons, who brought [the vessels] to her; and she poured
out." II Kings 4:6 "And it came to pass, when the vessels were full,
that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto
her, [There is] not a vessel more. And the oil stayed."
She and her sons did just as Elisha had told her to do. They
poured until all of the vessels were completely full. Then the oil
stopped reproducing itself.
II Kings 4:7 "Then she came and told the man of God. And he said,
Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of
the rest."
This oil was so much, that it easily paid her debt, and was a
living for her and her two sons. There could have been more children,
but we know there were two sons. She waited, until Elisha told her to
sell it, before she did this. God is good. He will see to the needs of
those in service for Him. In this case, He took care of even more than
their needs.
II Kings 4:8 "And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to
Shunem, where [was] a great woman; and she constrained him to eat
bread. And [so] it was, [that] as oft as he passed by, he turned in
thither to eat bread."
This is the beginning of a totally different happening. Shunem
was in Galilee. The fact that the "woman was great" could mean great
in stature, or it could mean well thought of. It, probably, means that
she was a woman of financial means. This would be more likely, since
it would be in direct contrast to the widow earlier in the lesson. She
discovered Elisha passing her house, and she invited him in to eat. It
seemed, that every time Elisha came this way, he made it a point to
stop and eat here. Many people travelling in those days depended on
the hospitality of the people to feed them. There were no restaurants.
II Kings 4:9 "And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I
perceive that this [is] an holy man of God, which passeth by us
continually."
He must not have told them that he was a prophet, but she had
decided that he was by his clothes and his actions. Probably, he
prayed before eating, or perhaps, he spoke of the LORD.
II Kings 4:10 "Let 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."
She felt that she would like to help Elisha more, than just
feeding him when he came by. They would fix him a place to rest his
weary bones.
II Kings 4:11 "And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he
turned into the chamber, and lay there."
We see, that she had been correct in assuming he needed a place
of rest, when he came by. He did stop and rest for a while.
II Kings 4:12 "And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this
Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him." II
Kings 4:13 "And 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."
Elisha wanted to repay her for her kindness. He thought, perhaps,
she wanted him to speak for her to the king, or the captain of the
host. She was satisfied with her station in life, and told him she
would rather live among her own people. Notice, she asked for nothing
herself.
II Kings 4:14 "And he said, What then [is] to be done for her?
And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is
old."
Since she would not tell Elisha anything she wanted for her
kindness, Elisha had Gehazi to check and see, if there would be
anything she wanted, or needed. In the Hebrew families the women
thought it was a curse from God not to have children. She had not
mentioned this, but Gehazi found out for Elisha.
II Kings 4:15 "And he said, Call her. And when he had called her,
she stood in the door." II Kings 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."
There are several instances in the Bible, where people beyond
childbearing age have children. They are a gift from God. It is more
than she can believe. Her heart's desire would be fulfilled. He tells
her, the baby will be born before this time the next year.
II Kings 4:17 "And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that
season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life."
His prophecy came true. She had her son.
II Kings 4:18 "And when the child was grown, it fell on a day,
that he went out to his father to the reapers." II Kings 4:19 "And he
said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry
him to his mother."
Children, who live on a farm, love to go out and watch the fields
being reaped. He was, probably, still a small child, but old enough to
go to the field with his father. He suddenly grabs his head and begins
to complain of pain. This could have been a sunstroke, or many other
things. I personally have experienced extreme heat and fainted from
it. Your head pounds severely with this.
II Kings 4:20 "And when he had taken him, and brought him to his
mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and [then] died."
Whatever happened to him in the field was very serious. He is not
in a coma, he is dead.
II Kings 4:21 "And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the
man of God, and shut [the door] upon him, and went out."
She knew her only help was the LORD. She left the child on the
bed of Elisha. She put him in Elisha's room, so no one would disturb
him, until she could get back with Elisha.
II Kings 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."
Notice, she did not tell her husband, that their son was dead. He
does know that she wants to go for the prophet Elisha, because the
child is sick. She calls for an animal to ride, and an escort to go
with her.
II Kings 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." II Kings 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."
The husband tries to tell her, that she will not be able to find
Elisha. She knows in her heart, that she will be able to find him. She
is saying to this servant, to go as fast as he can, and not to worry
about her comfort.
II Kings 4:25 "So 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:"
His home must have been at mount Carmel. It seems, she went
directly to mount Carmel. Elisha saw her coming.
II Kings 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."
Elisha is concerned and sends his servant running to meet her to
ask of her well being. She does not tell Gehazi her problem, the same
as she did not tell her husband. Her problems are just for Elisha's
ears.
II Kings 4:27 "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.
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."
Gehazi thought that she should not have touched the prophet, and
he was about to pull her away from the prophet, when Elisha told him
to leave her alone. She had been a blessing to Elisha. He certainly
wanted to hear of her problems. Generally, the Lord revealed to him
ahead of time, about problems, but in this instance he did not.
II Kings 4:28 "Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did
I not say, Do not deceive me?" II Kings 4:29 "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."
Elisha sent Gehazi ahead, because he could travel faster. He sent
his own staff.
II Kings 4:30 "And the mother of the child said, [As] the LORD
liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose,
and followed her."
This mother was determined to get help for her son. She would not
leave, until Elisha came with her. She was not satisfied with Elisha's
staff being carried to her son by Gehazi. Elisha would have to come to
her son, himself.
II Kings 4:31 "And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the
staff upon the face of the child; but [there was] neither voice, nor
hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying,
The child is not awaked."
The woman was right. It must be Elisha. Elisha was not in error
in sending the staff. We read of aprons and handkerchiefs being sent
from the body of Paul, and healing people. Perhaps, Gehazi did not
believe the boy would be restored by this. We know the mother did not
believe this would restore him. For this type of miracle, there had to
be a vast amount of faith.
II Kings 4:32 "And when Elisha was come into the house, behold,
the child was dead, [and] laid upon his bed."
Just as the woman had told Elisha, the boy is dead.
II Kings 4:33 "He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them
twain, and prayed unto the LORD."
This means no one was in the room except Elisha and the boy. This
prayer was an urgent request of the LORD.
II Kings 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."
This personal contact of his flesh upon the flesh of the child
brought warmth to the child's body, which was cold in death. When he
put his mouth on the boy's mouth, it could have been that he breathed
into the boys mouth to get oxygen to him.
II Kings 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."
Again, he warmed the body of the child with his body. Also,
virtue could have gone from him to the child. Of course, that virtue
came from the LORD through Elisha to the boy. This sneezing seven
times shows that his lungs were full of air, again. He is breathing.
"Seven" means spiritually complete.
II Kings 4:36 "And 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."
He did not allow the mother in the room, when he was praying for
the boy. Gehazi was told to call the mother. The boy had to be a small
child for the mother to be able to pick him up in her arms. He is
alive. His mother's faith in the LORD through Elisha, had caused him
to live.
II Kings 4:37 "Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed
herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out."
This was her way of thanking Elisha for the life of her child.
II Kings 4:38 "And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and [there was]
a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets [were] sitting
before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and
seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets."
Elisha had to be visiting the school of the prophets at Gilgal,
when this verse begins. He, probably, was thought of as the head of
the prophets in the land. He had taken the place of Elijah. It would
be natural for him to check in, and see how things are going with the
would-be prophets. This great pot was to make some sort of meal for
the prophets.
II Kings 4:39 "And one went out into the field to gather herbs,
and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full,
and came and shred [them] into the pot of pottage: for they knew
[them] not." II Kings 4:40 "So they poured out for the men to eat.
And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they
cried out, and said, O [thou] man of God, [there is] death in the pot.
And they could not eat [thereof]."
This type gourd was not edible. Food was so scarce, that the
young prophet who went to the field to find something to eat, just got
the first living thing he saw. Boiled gourd would taste terrible, and
under some circumstances, could be poisonous. The wild variety would,
probably, be poisonous.
II Kings 4:41 "But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast [it]
into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat.
And there was no harm in the pot."
Elisha poured meal into the boiling pot of gourds, as he had put
salt in the water at Jericho to purify it. God told Elisha to put the
meal in the water. The act of obedience to God purified the food in
the pot.
II Kings 4:42 "And there came a man from Baal-shalisha, and
brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of
barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give
unto the people, that they may eat."
This is a miracle feeding of lesser proportions, than the
thousands Jesus fed with the five loaves and two fishes, but a miracle
none the less. There were over 100 men to be fed, here, with twenty
loaves. The man from Baal-shalisha is insignificant, as was the boy
with the fishes.
II Kings 4:43 "And his servitor said, What, should I set this
before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may
eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave
[thereof]."
Elisha knew that God would multiply the food, as he had
multiplied the oil for the widow. There would be plenty to eat, if
they would eat in faith.
II Kings 4:44 "So he set [it] before them, and they did eat, and
left [thereof], according to the word of the LORD."
We see, in this, an entirely different miracle that Elisha
brought from God, than the previous miracles he had done. When we say
that Elisha did them, we mean that the LORD did them through Elisha.
Their faith multiplied the food to fill them all.
2 Kings 4 Questions
1. Who was the woman who cried out to Elisha in verse 1?
2. Why could her husband not help her?
3. What was she crying out about?
4. What is this situation, in verse 1, a type and shadow of?
5. What was the only thing she had in the house?
6. What is she doing, when she calls herself handmaid?
7. What did Elisha tell her to do?
8. What was she to do with the vessels she borrowed?
9. Who helped her do what Elisha had told her to do?
10. What did she do, when all the vessels were full?
11. How much was the oil worth?
12. Where was Shunem?
13. What did the fact that the woman was great mean?
14. What did she tell her husband about Elisha?
15. What did they do for Elisha, besides feed him, when he came by?
16. Who was Elisha's servant?
17. When he offered to speak for her to the king, what was her reply?
18. When Elisha inquired further of her needs, what did he find out?
19. What did Elisha promise her that seemed impossible?
20. When did the promise come true?
21. Where was the son, when he took sick?
22. What was the outcome of his sickness?
23. Where did the woman go for help?
24. Did she tell her husband he was dead?
25. Where did she find Elisha?
26. What did the servant of Elisha run ahead and do?
27. Who was in the sickroom, when Elisha prayed?
28. What did Elisha do, besides pray?
29. What did Elisha do the second time he went into the room?
30. What unusual thing did the child do, to show he was alive?
31. When the woman saw her son was restored to her, what did she do?
32. What was in Gilgal, where Elisha went?
33. What did Elisha tell the young prophet to do?
34. What was wrong with the food?
35. What did Elisha do to it to make it pure?
36. What did the man from Baal-shalisha bring to them to eat?
37. How many had to eat of this?
38. What did the servitor say about this food?
39. There would be plenty to eat, if they ate in __________.
40. What do we mean, when we say that Elisha did miracles?
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