A Promise, Sudden Death, and Raised to Life

2 Kings 4:8-37

    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. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. 9 And she said to her husband, "Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. 10 Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there."
    11 And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. 12 Then he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite woman." When he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said to him, "Say now to her, 'Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?'"  She answered, "I dwell among my own people."
    14 So he said, "What then is to be done for her?"  And Gehazi answered, "Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old."  15 So he said, "Call her." When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 Then he said, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son."  And she said, "No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!"  17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.
    18 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, "My head, my head!"  So he said to a servant, "Carry him to his mother." 20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. 22 Then she called to her husband, and said, "Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back."
    23 So he said, "Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath."  And she said, "It is well." 24 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, "Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you." 25 And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel.  So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, "Look, the Shunammite woman! 26 Please run now to meet her, and say to her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?'"  And she answered, "It is well." 27 Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, "Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me, and has not told me."  28 So she said, "Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me'?"
   29 Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child."  30 And the mother of the child said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her. 31 Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, "The child has not awakened."
    32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. 33 He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. 34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. 35 He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 And he called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite woman." So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, "Pick up your son." 37 So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.

Here is the story of Elisha and the Shunammite's son.  It is a recollection of a promise of God, a sudden end unexpected death, and the rising from death to life.  Elisha had been often traveling past her home until the woman of Shunem talked with her husband to give him a room to rest in on his journeys because she knew him to be a man of God.  He finally asked what he could do for her, if she needed protection from the army or the king’s favor for government assistance or anything, but she was well off and needed nothing.  Elisha was moved by He LORD to tell her He would give her a son, but she told him not to give false promises and hope.  She had the son anyway and was happy until suddenly his head hurt badly  and he died that day at noon in her arms.  She road to Mount Carmel to speak with Elisha and ask why God allowed her to have a son who was only to be taken away so soon from her.  She reminded him that she never asked for a son in the first place.  This took Elisha by surprise because the LORD had chosen to hide what happened from him; as a prophet, he assumed he should have known, but also knew that this was God’s doing, so he sent his servant to the child ahead of him in a hurry.  The servant Gehazi put Elisha’s staff on the boy until he arrived and laid himself on him to warm the cold corpse until the LORD brought his life back to him.  The Shunammite mother was exceedingly grateful and honored him as a prophet of the LORD, knowing that the son was a gift and so was the death and resurrection of that precious grace of God.  We see the parallel of God’s Son given for us and His resurrection, we see our complaints when we lose someone or something valuable which He gives us, and we learn also to be exceedingly thankful for all He provides in His food will and grace, no matter what trials or loss we face.  Our certain hope which anchors the soul is in our own resurrection because of His at the last day (1 Peter 1:3, Philippians 3:10, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22).  We then should be content and hopeful with an eternal vision in the midst of trials and loss, for our gain is so much greater (Philippians 3:7-8)!  There is truly great comfort in this certain hope.