2 Kings 8:1-61Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the Lord hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years. 2And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land. 4And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. 5And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. 6And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now. (2 Kings 8:1‑6)
You remember about the little boy who became ill in the harvest field, and was carried home and died; but soon was made alive and well again by God’s power when Elisha prayed. (2 Kings 4:18-3718And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. 19And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. 20And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. 22And 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. 23And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. 24Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. 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: 26Run 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. 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. 28Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me? 29Then 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. 30And 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. 31And 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. 32And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. 33He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. 34And 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. 35Then 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. 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. 37Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out. (2 Kings 4:18‑37)).
Sometime after that, Elisha knew, there were to be seven dry years in the land of Israel, when even the nice fields near Mt. Carmel, where that boy’s parents lived, would grow little food, and he said for them to go to another land to stay, this family knew Elisha always told, them what was true, and that he learned from God, so they obeyed and went to another country nearby.
After seven years the famine in Israel was over, and this family returned to their home. But someone else had gone to live in their house and claimed their fields! The woman and her son went to the king to ask him that their home should be given back to them.
Before they came to the king, a man, who was the servant of Elisha, was telling the king of the great things Elisha had done, and how he had raised a child from death. Just then the woman and her son came in to the king!
“This is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.”
The king asked the mother about this, and she told him the same, and must have been glad to tell the king of God’s great mercy to them.
The king had been in wars, and of course had seen many dead people, but no doubt this boy was the first person he ever saw who had been raised from death. Another boy had been raised to life when Elijah was a prophet, but he did not live in Israel.
So, because of that most wonderful act for the woman’s son, the king was willing to grant their request, and ordered one his officers to see that their home and fields were restored to this family, and also, grain and fruit. They must have been happy to have their good home again, a grateful to God for all His help to them through Elisha. This is the last we are told of this family.
Perhaps this story teaches us of a future time when the nation of Israel shall again have their own land of Palestine. It will then be because of One raised from death, their Messiah, Christ.
All our blessings, too, are, and always will be, because of that same One, The Lord Jesus, “Who was delivered for our offenses and raised again.” Romans 4:2525Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25).
ML 07/23/1939