2 Kings 4:8-37

2 Kings 4:8-37

Another interesting parallel between Elijah and Elisha appears in the next story in 2 Kings 4. In 1 Kings 17, after the widow’s needs were met, her son died, and Elijah was there to raise him back from the dead. In 2 Kings 4, after the widow’s oil was replenished, Elisha met a family who had no son. This family provided food and lodging for Elisha every time he passed through their town. They knew him to be a prophet of God and wanted to provide all that they could for him so that he could continue his ministry. While Elisha was grateful for their hospitality, he wanted to give back to them. This is an awesome picture of thanksgiving and a giving heart. While Elisha was glad to receive whatever they offered him, he felt like it was not enough for him to just receive great gifts. He wanted to show his gratitude by providing for them as well. This is very different from the American culture where we try to see how much we can get. The only time we ever seem to care for and provide for others is around Christmas and in times of disaster around the world.


But Elisha wanted to help them out anyway he could. At first, the woman was unwilling to tell him anything she wanted. All she had done for Elisha had been from her heart, and she had never expected anything in return. So she continued to refuse to burden Elisha with her desires. His servant, however, discovered that they had always wanted to have a son. Now old in age, they seemed to have resided to the fact that they would have no children. After hearing this news, Elisha told the woman that she would indeed have a son in a year. At first she thought he was lying, not seeing how it was possible. She did not want to get her hopes up only to have them crushed one year later. But as spring rolled back around, the woman conceived and had a son, just like she had always wanted.

This is where we see another parallel between Elijah and Elisha. Like the widow’s son in 1 Kings 17, this woman’s son becomes ill and dies. After going out to see his father one day, he returned home with what appeared to be a severe headache of some type. Moments later, he died, and she laid him in the extra room they used for Elisha. After his death, the woman immediately saddled up her donkey and set out to find Elisha, knowing that if anyone could bring her son back from the dead, he could.

This woman showed great faith, just like the widow in the previous story. She knew that Elisha was a prophet from God, and that if God so willed, He could bring her son back from the dead. Part of her motivation for going to see Elisha was her faith that he could indeed bring healing to her son. But I think there was something else as well. She went out of fear and possibly anger. Elisha had promised that she would have a son, and to lose him so early made her wonder if what Elisha had told her was true. While he had not promised how long the child would live, she probably assumed that he would have a long life. This is so much like the way we treat God. We believe that He is all-powerful and wise. We believe that He has the ability to bring healing, but when tragedy strikes we become angry. Not understanding why it happened, we wonder if God really cares for us any longer. Why would He allow tragedy to strike His own children?

What we can take away from this woman is that even though she was probably angry and upset at what happened to her son, her anger did not deter her from going to God with her problem, and in the end, her son was brought back from the dead. Although we may not always experience a “happy ending” like this, we can trust that God is still in control. No matter how the situation turns out, when we turn to God for help, He will be there for us. The first place we should turn when tragedy strikes is God!

Matt