No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Wailing, crying, and mourning would all have been natural responses to the death of a child. It is well, it is well said the Shunamite woman 2 Kings4:8-37, : It is well, it is well said the Shunamite woman 2 Kings4:8-37. Many scholars consider Shulammite to be synonymous with Shunammite ("person from Shunem"). Consider the story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4:8-37. She was a woman whowould nottake no for an answer. Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, "Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.". And he said, What then is to bedone for her? Do you follow him? She would threaten grown men twice her height and tell them she had no problem mopping the floor up with them. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. In conclusion, the Shunammite woman was a well-off woman that did what she could to bless others. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. One a widow; the other married. Do not speak defeat and discouragement. #facingourfears #hebrews12endurance, 4 Simple Steps to Rediscover Gods Faithfulness, 23 Encouraging Bible Verses About Endurance, Consider Your Ways: 3 Simple Tips for Introspection, 4 Simple Ways to Share the Faith With Your Family. Watchmen! So he called her. She would chase you out with a broom if you spoke back, you would be publicly kicked out of her restaurant if you came in with your mistress, she visited the sick as only a saint would, made sure all the graves of the deceased had fresh flowers, always had an open door of hospitality, always a delicious dinner ready, and everyone who needed to get put in their place got put in there place. And when she came to him, he said, "Pick up your son." 37 She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.". Just watch it like a normal show and pretend you dont know much and, And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Indeed, she had the financial means to build an addition onto her house to accommodate the prophet Elisha, a visitor who only came a few times a year no small expense in antiquity. Your email address will not be published. 2 Kings 4:8 One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. (LogOut/ 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. Eventually, the Shunammite woman convinced her husband to prepare a small room for Elisha where he could stay whenever he wanted to. He sent Gehazi to meet her. Indeed, a son is born at the designated time. A gedolah, a great woman. Use whatever resources you have to be a blessing to others. Is all well with your husband? That's why she rushed to Elisha, and did not say to anyone what had happened. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? 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! window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { When sorrows like sea billows roll; 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. The Ministry of the Shunammite (4:8-17) 8 Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. As believers, its the same way we should be. Whats going on? This latter reason is supported by her further action of shutting . A couple of people asked her as she travelled if everything was okay and her incredible reply was, "It is well". on: function(evt, cb) { Elisha often passed that way in his . In the wake of the death of his mentor Elijah, Elishas detachment was so great that his quick temper resulted in the tragic death of 42 children who were teasing him. It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath., So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, Hurry! After some time, this wise woman speaks to her husband about building a room onto their house for Elisha to stay in whenever he passes through. Reviving the child also revived Elisha to empathy and attachment. She trusted God. When Elisha got there, he sent Jake out, shut the door behind him, and prayed earnestly to the Lord. Right away the preacher commanded Jake to go to the womans house, taking his own walking stick, and lay it on the child. The term comes from a root skn, "attend to," "take care," and its noun forms can be applied to high officials in Hebrew (Is. Also, she refused to go back to her dead son unless Elisha came with her. 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. The mother carried her son downstairs after he came back to life, so we can guess he was a child, not an adult. 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. Then following year she has a son. (LogOut/ And hath shed His own blood for my soul. Some say he had a sun stroke, but whatever it was, he came in saying my head hurts!my head hurts. The way she told everyone it is well when it really wasnt. Let this blest assurance control, Elishas prophecy was fulfilled and everything was good until the Shunammite womans son died. Speaking hope over our situations may seem like the hardest thing we can do when life is hard, but the Shunammite woman reminds us that though it is difficult, its not impossible. 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. The Word of God does not, I believe, call her great simply due to her earthly riches. She was tough as nails, but caring like a saint. 2002-2023 My Jewish Learning. God uses Elisha to restore life to the child and when he tells the woman to receive her son, she falls at his feet, this time with a heart full of gratitude and then she picks up her son and goes out of the room. Im thankful that our Father gave us so many great examples of godly women in the Bible. Who built a room for Elisha? The Shunammite Woman's Suffering. 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. (Contrast that to Sarah, the original helicopter mom.). Elisha quickly sends Gehazi to take his staff and lay it on the face of the child, but the mother of the boy refuses to leave him, and so he goes with her. 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. God shows that to our Shunammite woman again. Not much is revealed of the woman, but we know according to the scripture that it was revealed unto her that Elisha was a man of God and that she and her husband had no children and He was an old man. In fact, she made him a room upstairs in her house how couldanyone say no to that? Elisha, instead of being dispirited when he found that the child was not awake, girded up his loins, and hastened with greater vigour to the work before him. When he was old enough, he went out to work with his father in the fields. 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. 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? "And the dead in Christ will rise first. Determined to repay her kindness, Elisha asked his servant for advice. The second lesson from the Shunammite woman is to be satisfied with what you have. )"; meaning unknown; of *Shunem), an unmarried girl who was chosen to serve as skhenet to King David. Thus she did not accept that the death of her son was a reality that could not change. The miracle story central to the novel comes from the Old Testament and it is one I had never known of before. There is much to be admired about her -. Before she perceived that Elisha was a holy man of God, she opened the doors of her house and fed him whenever he was in town: One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. No name was found for the Shunammite Woman during this research. Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?, She replied, I have a home among my own people.. Thank you. 2 Kings 4 . As a well-to-do woman, it meant that she had more than adequate financial resources. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. She is described as a great woman. With her dead son locked up in Elishas room, she knows no one will see him. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. 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. God has created us for community and I believe passionately in the great healing he brings through people. Her response to Elisha showed how amazing the idea of becoming a mother was to her: No, my lord! she cried. 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. Read full chapter. The chorus of the Isaacs' song brings the . Elisha didnt know something, why? The Shunammite woman asked for a donkey that she might run to the man of God. In Deborah we saw a leader, in Hannah a prayerful woman, in Abigail an intelligent woman and the Shunammite a wealthy and well respected person in the society. I love the marvelous stories from Elijah and Elisha. The last time we left the Shunammite woman, she was on her journey to find Elisha to tell him that her promised son had died. Need this fact discourage us? Her name is not known. The woman of Shunem [4] is not named, but her status is indicated. When her son died, she could have grieved. What an interesting character we have. The detached Elisha was thoughtful enough to reward the Shunamite woman for her hospitality, but didnt do it personally. Run to the thrown, not the phone. As I read the start of her story though, I saw something Id not noticed before. Her Spiritual Perception: "And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. She believed her son would be raised from the dead and she knew Elisha could do it. The sky, not the grave, is our goal; God Rescues Through People: One Man Two Men a Group of Men. The consensus of translators seems to be that gedolah (great) refers to her wealth. } The Shunammite Woman witnessed a miracle not once, but twice. Automated page speed optimizations for fast site performance. So he called her. And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. It is well with my soul, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee, , Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the, hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. We know that Yahshua cast out demons by commanding them in his name. Thanks, Steven! After the Shunammite woman gave birth, it happened one day her son had passed. It may look impossible but bold faith sees with spiritual eyes remembering that nothing is impossible with God. 22:15) Abishag's role was of a lower status.She served as bed companion to David in the hope that . I really like the story of shunamite woman,all is well with me also,very much encouraged. Gilboa in ancient Palestine. Change). 1. I first encountered her during the global recession of 2008, when my husband had been offered a job in Dubai. "When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. She calls it out as it is. 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.. How do you pronounce shunammite? What does the Bible say about the son of the Shunammite? God bless you. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. He said it 7 times because the Tabernacle of Moses had 7 general steps (1st step-the Gate, 2nd step-brazen altar of sin sacrifice, 3rd step-brazen laver, 4th step-door to the Holy Place, 5th step-the Holy Place, the 6th step-the 2nd veil, 7th step-the Most Holy Place). Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Her response was that she didnt need anything. She pushed through her fear and reached out to the one person she knew could give her what she wanted-her son, alive again. the Shunammite Woman Following the Lead of the Shunammite Woman. Just like the Shunammite woman later expereinced, it may return a bigger blessing to you. She didnt mess around everyday was truth day with her. The more I dissected her character and her words, I felt like I understood her and her personality. Still looking to reward their hostess, Gehazi and Elisha made another plan completely without her input. If it looked life threatening, you would think the father would go in with him, but whatever was wrong with him, he needed to be carried back home. She had received her son alive a second time! By contrast, Elisha was a busy and emotionally inaccessible man of God. I think this causes one to seek God first and not people. Elisha and the Shunammite woman (bummyla.wordpress.com) 2 Kings 5. Yes, I admit, she, of all the women in the Bible, is my hero. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. 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? The two could not be more different. 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. The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; 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. Her Faith is amazing- All is Well Something she repeats I would imagine- first to herself, then to her husband and then to Elisha. (LogOut/ And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holyman of God, which passeth by us continually. In spite of the fact that her emotions soared, clearly her faith grew. 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". Her son, whom she never dreamed she would bear and then . 4 Now a woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared th 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. Why was it important to record the number of sneezes? As teachers, we imitate the modes and methods of our glorified Master, and learn at His feet the art of winning souls. The statement that she was a great woman could have meant that she was older, wealthy, or nobler. She is well-developed and very believable. Her son was obviously not "well". God showed up (again) in the Shunammite womans life and He restored all that she had lost when she went to live among the Philistines. Meanwhile, Elisha had sent his servant ahead to lay his staff on the child. Gehazi pointed out to Elisha that their hostess was barren, and the prophet decided to reward her with the miracle of a child (again echoing the story in Vayera with Abraham and Sarah). We see her speaking what she wants to be true: it will be alright. 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. 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. long as ever the truth which we deliver is a matter apart from ourselves and unconnected with our innermost being, so long it will have no more effect upon a dead soul than Elishas staff had upon the dead child. But the child died from sunstroke, while he was still young, and she went to fetch. Is all well with the child? And she answered, All is well.. As I read the story in 2 Kings 8:1-6, I sensed that God was telling us to leave the UK. She didnt laugh like Sarah did, but instead she said, Dont lie to me!. (2 Kings 8:1-2 NIV). We arent told her name; only that she was a wealthy woman from Shunem. (LogOut/ 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? Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! It was this same peace that enabled Horatio G. Spafford to pen the words to the hymn It Is Well with My Soul when his four daughters were lost at sea, and his wife was saved alone. Good teaching, and timely. She traveled 20 miles to Mount Carmel without letting anyone know anything was wrong with the child. Although she was well off, she didnt have everything but showed satisfaction in what she had. This is how the Bible described her. By creating this blog, I took the first baby step toward becoming a published author. As he is going to the mans house, the woman with the discharge of blood presses in through the crowd saying to herself, If I only touch his garment, I will be made well. Her faith made her well that day and Jesus went on to raise the dead girl to life. Likewise, the Shunamite woman, standing in her doorway, noticed that the prophet Elisha came to Shunem regularly as he traveled around the land teaching and caring for the people. The story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman is found in 2 Kings 4:8-37 and is the story of miracles. At the start of 2 Kings 8, Elisha warned the Shunammite woman to leave because there was going to be a 7-year-long famine. 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. but there was neither voice, nor hearing. As a representative of God, having a prophet ask you what you desire is a great opportunity. Did I not say, Please dont mock me?. 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. Nevertheless, the Shunammite wasn't immune to the heartache of our broken world. 21. she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God] Her thoughts at once go to Elisha and she puts the dead boy into the prophet's chamber, perhaps with the thought that she will bring Elisha back with her, and then he will find the child at once.Or it may be that she felt there would be less fear of intruders there. You are sentinto the world not to do the things which are possible to man, but those impossibilities which God workethby His Spirit, by the means of His believing people. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. She offered him an open invitation of hospitality and whenever he was in the area, he would stay at her house. Sometimes God gives us a promise and it seems like the promise is 'dead'. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Jesus also said, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21 NIV). S Suffering come to her: no, my Lord prophet ask you what desire. Elishas room, she made him a room upstairs in her house couldanyone! Shunem & quot ; well & quot ; person from Shunem great examples of women! Bigger blessing to you reason is supported by her further action of shutting speaking what she received! 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