2 Kings 8:1-6

2 Kings 8:1-6

As this extended section of the miracles that Elisha performed comes to an end in 2 Kings 8, a familiar family comes back into the picture. Some of the first we saw Elisha ministering to was the Shunammite woman, who had provided for him in so many ways, and her son, whom had been raised from the dead. Elisha apparently stayed in touch with this family and may have even spent more time with them in the time that had passed since we last saw them. So after receiving word that a famine was about to come on the land, Elisha warned her and her family of the coming famine. He encouraged them to leave Israel for 7 years so that they would not have to endure the famine, which they did. They traveled to the land of the Philistines and lived there for 7 years. But when they came back to Israel, they found that they no longer had their land.


Meanwhile, the king was speaking with Elisha’s servant, Gehazi. This is an interesting pairing, as the king had an on and off relationship with Elisha. While he supported Elisha in some ways, he hated Elisha at times as well. Furthermore, Gehazi was the servant who had been plagued with leprosy after he sought out rewards from Naaman for the minor role he played in Naaman’s healing of leprosy. In 2 Kings 8, however, we find them discussing the great works of Elisha. It appears as if they had put their differences behind them and were truly amazed at what Elisha was able to do. In the middle of their conversation on how Elisha had even been able to raise people from the dead, the Shunammite woman and her son entered into the room. She was seeing if there was any way that they could receive their land back. After hearing her story about what Elisha had done for them, knowing that Elisha held this family in high regards, the king restored all her land and gave back to her all that it produced while they had been away.

It seems as if these two men ended up closer to the Lord in the end. They had been through some rough times and had doubted God’s presence and ability on multiple occasions. But the testimony of Elisha finally convinced them that God was who He said He was. They could deny all that God had done through Elisha. It was clear that God had been at work. Time and time again, Elisha’s words came true just as he had predicted. That begs the question, what do others see in us? Is it evident that God is at work in our lives? Our lives should point back to God, proving that He is still at work today. When people see us, they should see God. When people hear us speaking, they should hear about God. Our lives should reflect the truths taught in Scripture, and our words should boldly proclaim His Gospel. When our walk matches our talk and we live lives dedicated to God’s service, people will not be able to deny that God is still at work. They will see God and hopefully turn to Him. It is our responsibility to share this Good News with others.

This marks the end of this extended section of Elisha. While Elisha is still in the story of the kings for several more chapters, the story will now begin to focus back in on the various kings of Israel and Judah (much like 1 Kings). We will continue down the line of kings seeing who remained obedient to God and who drifted from Him. As a side note, remember that there were 2 “Jehoram’s,” one in Israel and one in Judah. 2 Kings 8 refers to the “Jehoram” in Israel as “Joram.” He is the man who has been king during these last several chapters where the story has focused more on Elisha than Jehoram/Joram himself, and this is where the story will pick up next.

Matt