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The image features a textured background with rock-like patterns, overlaid with text "RAISING THE SHUNAMMITE'S SON 2 KINGS 4:18-27" and a date "MAY 19, 2024."
Bible Passage 2 Kings 4

2 Kings 4:18-27 Raising the Shunammite’s Son

  • Tony Raker
Date preached May 19, 2024

This study will be of particular interest to parents and to all who have the responsibility of children, with the key words around which the whole story revolves are in v. 26: “Is your child well?” The child may be the object, but the actions and reactions have to do with the nature and quality of our relationship with God, personal care and interventional prayer.

2 Kings 4:26: “Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?

  • Grammatical Usage: “Well” in the Hebrew is “shalom” meaning, “complete, sound, peaceful.”
  • Literal Interpretation: Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all complete with you? Is all sound with your husband? Is all peaceful with the child?
  • Contextual/Comparison: God keeps His Word, God continually uses His Word. The child has the central place in the incident as is God’s manner of instruction (Matthew 18:2) given:

 

  1. THE CONDITION OF THE CHILD.

What is the spiritual condition of every boy and girl? It is important that we should be clear about this, and the answer is emphatically stated in vv. 20; 32. In v. 31, Gehazi speaks as though the child might just be sleeping, but the scriptures declare that the child was dead – and, allegorically, that is the spiritual condition of every boy and girl who is not a Christian. This does not mean that our children are necessarily morally bad; it means that they are spiritually dead – look up and compare Romans 5:12 with 1 John 5:11-12. We are all born in sin (Psalm 51:5), and we are dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1) until we receive new life through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:36). In Matthew 18:1-11, our Lord, in speaking of children (v. 5), whom He describes as “little ones” (v. 6), goes on to say that they are “lost” (v. 11).

Notice that the prophet was clueless as to what had transpired and his instruction to his servant regarding his staff was useless. God was in the midst using the child to instruct according to His way: only He is omniscient; only His presence will suffice. This is both a humbling and enabling lesson for all involved.

 

  1. THE CONCERN OF THE MOTHER.

Quite naturally when this tragedy fell upon her this mother was moved to action (vv. 19-24). This raises the question: what should be our first concern for our children? Should it be for their physical welfare, their education, their career…or should our first concern be for their spiritual welfare? This mother knew her child was dead, and she was filled with a deep concern that he should be raised to life. Notice God’s attitude towards children:

    • Psalm 139: God calls children into being. He is deeply and intimately involved in our growth and development before as well as after birth – subject to God’s call to become and be.
    • 1 Samuel 3:19: God commissions children for His purpose. The experience of being a child provides a spiritual space in which that child can recognize God’s presence, accepting and responding to God’s specific invitation.
    • Mark 10:13-16: God blesses children. His deliberate act of blessing children, the lowliest of the low, is a powerful sign and a political act about how His Kingdom works, proving shocking and bewildering. But Jesus goes further than this by suggesting that ‘whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it’ (Luke 18:17). We do not just learn from the Bible about how children are to be valued, loved and cared for and what sort of lives God wants for them; Jesus says that we must learn from children; they tell us important things about our own spiritual health. This is how we learn to become children of God.

 

  1. THE FAILURE OF THE SERVANT

Gehazi was sent by Elisha to lay the prophet’s staff upon the child, but when he did this nothing happened! (Vv. 29-31). What is the lesson here? It is a warning against becoming formal and professional in our service for God. It is easy to serve Him without having first prayed about the matter. It would seem that Gehazi had no prayer, no preparation, no persistence and no faith, and therefore nothing happened (2 Timothy 3:5).

 

  1. THE TRIUMPH OF THE PROPHET.A. He began on his knees. Compare vv. 32-33 with Matthew 6:6. The man of God must be alone with God before he can communicate the life of God. Before we can minister life to those who are dead in trespasses and sins we must be in touch with God ourselves.

B. There was personal contact. Notice in v. 34 what intimate contact there was of eye, mouth and hands. This suggests that if we are going to win the children to Christ we must: (i) be able to see things from the child’s standpoint; (ii) be able to speak in the child’s language; (iii) be able to enter into the child’s interests. Each of these is essential if we would establish real contact with those we are seeking to win for the Lord.

C. There was intense desire and effort. In v. 34, we are told that the prophet “stretched himself out upon him”. It is true that “with strong great wrestling’s souls are won”, and this applies to work among children just as much as it does to work among adults. It is always hard work, demanding the sacrifice of time and energy. It often proves disappointing, but it is gloriously worthwhile work and brings great reward to the worker.

D. There was patience and perseverance (v. 35). The miracle did not happen all at once. Elisha had to hold on to God and to work on in faith. Maybe we fail because we get impatient and give up just when we should be pressing on believingly and trusting God to give the victory.

 

  • Conclusion: How personal is my relationship with God?