2 Kings 4:8-37
The hour is coming, in the which all that are in
the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come
forth; they that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life, and they that have done evil,
unto the resurrection of damnation.
John 5:28, 29.
ELISHA used to go about from place to place to teach people about God. Those people who loved God were kind to Elisha and gave him food.
There was one very rich lady, who used to ask Elisha whenever he passed by her house to come in.
This kind woman wished that she had in her house a room where Elisha might sleep; and she said to her husband, 'Let us make a little room; and let us put in it a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick, that Elisha may sleep in it when he comes this way.'
And the lady's husband allowed her to have such a little room built. Soon afterward Elisha came by that way, and he slept in the room the woman had built. Elisha must have liked it very much—he could sit there alone, and think of God; and he could write in it, because there was a table in it; and when it was dark he could light the candle, and go on writing, or reading. I know that he prayed to God in this room; for Elisha often prayed to his God. I hope, my dear child, that you pray to God in the room you sleep in.
Elisha thought that the woman had been very kind to make such a nice room for him, and he wished to do something to please her: for Elisha was grateful: he was very kind to people who were kind to him. Now Elisha had a servant called Gehazi. Elisha desired Gehazi to ask the woman to come to him. And she came, and stood before Elisha. Then Elisha thanked her for her kindness in making the room for him, and he asked whether she would like him to speak to the king about her, so that the king might send for her, and take notice of her.
Then the woman said, No, she would rather stay where she was; and then she went out of the room.
So Elisha said to Gehazi, 'What shall I do for her?'
And Gehazi said, 'She has no child.'
Gehazi thought that she would like to have a little child. It was true that this lady and her husband did wish for a child. Then Elisha told Gehazi to call her again, and she came, and stood at the door.
And Elisha said to her, 'Next year you shall have a son.'
The woman was very much surprised to hear this, and she could hardly believe it. Next year she had a baby. She was very fond of it indeed. She thought it was very kind of God to give it her. Do you not think she loved Elisha more than ever, since he had asked God to give her this child?
One day, when the child was grown old enough, he went out with his father into a field where men were reaping grain: for his father had many fields full of grain, which his servants reaped. It was the morning, yet the sun was getting hot, for the child soon cried out, 'My head, my head!' The child felt such a pain in his head that he could not stay in the field.
So the father said to one of his servants, `Carry him to his mother.' The servant carried him home to his mother, and he sat on her knees till twelve o'clock, and then he died.
O how sad the mother was when she found her little boy was dead! I have often heard of little children dying quite suddenly, like this poor little boy. Every day we should think, 'Am I ready, if I were to die to-day?'
Now you shall hear what the mother did with the dead child. She went into the room she had made for Elisha, and laid him on his bed, and shut the door, and went out. Elisha lived at a place a good way off, and the lady wished very much to go and see him. I need not tell you why she wished to see him. She asked her husband to allow her to have one of the servants to go with her, and one of the asses for her to ride upon, that she might go to Elisha and come again soon. And her husband said, 'Why do you want to go to Elisha to-day? This is not the Sabbath-day'; because Elisha used to teach people about God on the Sabbath-day.
And the woman said, 'It shall be well;' but she did not tell her husband why she wanted to go: I suppose she was afraid of grieving him. A servant went with the lady, and she said to the servant, 'Go quickly, and do not stop, unless I tell you.'
At last they came to the hill where Elisha was. He was with his servant Gehazi; and he saw the woman coming while she was still a great way off, and he wanted to know why she was coming to him so quickly for he thought that something was the matter. So he said to Gehazi, 'Run now to meet her, and say, "Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child?" '
So Gehazi ran, and asked the woman whether it was well with them. And she said, 'It is well.' Why did she say it was well? Was not her child dead? But she knew that it was well, or right, because God had made her child die, and she knew that all that God does is well. Yet the poor lady felt very unhappy. When she came up to Elisha she got off her ass, and threw her arms round Elisha's feet, and Gehazi was going to thrust her away. Was not that very unkind? But Elisha would not let him do so, but said, 'Let her alone: she is very unhappy, and God has not told me what has happened to her;' because Elisha only knew those things that God told him.
Then the woman said to Elisha, 'Did I ask you for a son?'
Then Elisha saw that her son was dead. So Elisha gave his own staff, or stick, to Gehazi, and told him to go quickly, and not to stop to speak to any one by the way, and to lay the staff upon the face of the child. But the woman would not go with Gehazi: she said to Elisha, 'I will not leave thee.' She liked better being with Elisha than with unkind Gehazi. She knew that Elisha loved God; Gehazi did not love God: he was wicked, but I am not sure whether the woman knew that he was wicked for he pretended to be good.
Gehazi went on first, and laid the staff on the child's face; but the child did not hear his voice, nor did the child speak: he remained quite dead. So Gehazi went back, and met Elisha coming along with the woman, and Gehazi said, 'The child is not awaked.'
At last Elisha came to the house. He went into his own little room, and found the child lying dead on the bed, and he shut the door, and he stayed in the room alone with the dead child. Then he prayed to God to make him alive again: and then he lay upon the child, putting his month upon the child's mouth, and his eyes upon the child's eyes, and his hands upon the child's hands, and he stretched himself upon him, and the child's flesh began to grow warm. Then he got up and walked up and down, and then he stretched himself again over the child; and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
Then Elisha called Gehazi, and desired him to tell the woman to come. And when she was come into the room, Elisha said, `Take up thy son,' for the child was lying on the bed. O how glad the mother was! How thankful to God and to Elisha! Before she took up the child she fell at Elisha's feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and then she took up her child, and went out of the room.
Was not this a great wonder that Elisha had done?
Elijah once made a widow's child alive again; and Elisha made a child alive again; for Elisha was such a prophet as Elijah had been, and could do wonders like Elijah. God had promised that he should be like Elijah, if he saw him taken up to heaven: and God kept His promise.
Ought not the people of Israel to have listened to all that Elisha said, when they heard of the wonders that he did? They might be quite sure that Elisha was a true prophet.
Does God now make little children alive when they die? No: He waits till the resurrection day: then the trumpet shall sound, and all the children whose sins have been washed away in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus shall rise from their graves, and their bodies shall be taken up to heaven.
Elisha oft the kindness shared
Of one, who lands possessed;
A little chamber she prepared,
Where safely he might rest.
The prophet soon implored his God
Her kindness to requite;
And He a little child bestowed,
In whom she took delight.
This little child one summer morn,
Into the field was led;
And as he stood amongst the corn,
He cried, 'My head, my head!'
The father bade a lad convey
The child unto his home;
Upon his mother's knees he lay,
And died when noon was come.
The mother laid him on the bed,
Within the room she built,
And to the place with haste she sped,
Where good Elisha dwelt.
From far Elisha saw her come,
And longed her grief to know;
He bade Gehazi quickly run,
And hear her tale of woe.
And did the woman say, 'Tis well,'
Nor murmur with her tongue!
Though mother's hearts alone can tell,
What grief her bosom wrung.
In her distress she placed her trust
In God's great love and power;
She knew that He, Who gave him first,
Could now her child restore.
Ah! soon to heal the mother's pain,
To God the prophet cries;
The child grows warm, and once again
He open his childish eyes.
Child
No prophet lives that can perform
So wonderful a deed;
No clay-cold flesh shall now grow warm,
Although the righteous plead.
This is the time to pray for souls,
That they may pardoned be;
For rapid as a river rolls,
So hours and minutes flee.
I'll ask the righteous for their prayers,
And I myself will pray,
'For Jesu's sake, because He died,
Please wash my sins away.'
Questions on Lesson 33
What did a kind lady build for Elisha?
What did Elisha ask God to give her?
Why was the child sent home to his mother one day?
Why did the mother go to Elisha, when the child was dead?
What was the name of Elisha's servant?
Did Elisha know that the child was dead?
Did prophets know everything that happened?
What things did they know?
Who tried first to make the child alive?
What did Elisha do, when he wished to make the child alive?
If you were to die to-day, when would your body be raised?