Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

In this chapter [reading before v8 and beyond v37] we will meet four nameless and helpless people

A widow in debt
A well to do woman whose son dies
A man who has a disaster (puts poisonous vegetables in a famine)
We meet all in a time of famine

A huge range of human experiences

Women/men
Poor/rich
Four experiences: Debt, Death, Disaster and Dearth

The chapter is mainly taken up with the woman whose son dies

Death leaves us all helpless
It leaves with the longest pain
Can God meet this need?

Yes
The man of God with the word of God is able to face death

Let us approach the passage as if we are journeying through it

Not the fastest but a more scenic route
We need to learn how God deals with death
But we need to look at additional things

The Lord often rewards kindness

The woman has a heart for the man of God

Example
She knows he needs a rest
She provides for Elisha’s needs

God is no debtor and promises the woman’s needs will be met

Elisha chooses his words carefully
Gen 18:10

We can understand why God gave Sarah a son

Why did God give this lady a son?

God wants this lady to experience the joy of having a baby
Example from Dale Ralph Davies
There are times when God gives us the desires of our hearts
God rewarded her kindness to the man of God

The Lord takes away (as well as gives)

Loss is part of a fallen world

Examples
God is no respector of age – some people die young

The woman is determined to take her problems to the man of God

Elisha was God’s representative on earth – in coming to Elisha, she is coming to God

The husband – is he a believer?

He does not want to build the house
He thinks Elisha is just for ‘Sundays’

The woman tells the husband shalom – ‘it is well’

She will only pour out her heart to the Lord
We can pour out our hearts to God

The man of God did not know the circumstances

Sometimes those around us do not know any more than us
The Lord knows

Sometimes we need to tell people that we do not know

The Lord raises the dead

The woman is determined to lay hold of God alone until He answers – v30

Does this remind you of Jacob, Isaiah and the Lord Jesus?

We do not know why Elisha sent Gehazi ahead with his staff

Perhaps to show there is no ‘magic’ in his staff
Perhaps to show the boy really was dead

Elisha did not raise the boy from the dead

He prayed to God
God brought the boy back from the dead

Acts 26:8
Although God’s prophets and apostles were used to raise people from the dead – it was God at work

Jesus raised three people from the dead by His own authority

He raised the widow of Nain’s son – the opposite side of the hill to the Shunam and the Shunammite’s son

Why this women’s son and not us?

We believe in a resurrection
We believe that all will be raised – to the judgment (either everlasting life or everlasting judgment)
Recital from John Duncan

This is our confidence – for ourselves and our loved ones

Closing Remarks