August 14, 2023
“Then the king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, ‘Tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done.’ Now it happened, as he was telling the king...”
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“Then the king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, ‘Tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done.’ Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son was restored to life, appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, ‘My lord, oh king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.’” 2 Kings 8:4-5 (NKJV)
It was a conversation in the background that the writer of 2nd Kings places into the foreground, something that Elisha had spoken to the woman whose son he had restored to life. Elisha gave her a tip that only a prophet could know, something about a coming 7-year famine, along with advice about what to do “Rise, go, you and your household, and sojourn wherever you can sojourn.” She follows the prophet’s counsel, apparently to her advantage, and stays in Philistia seven years.
Why does it help us to know this? Remember back in 2 Kings 4:9-10, when this woman proposed a little house remodeling project to her husband? She sensed that Elisha was a “holy man of God,” i.e., the Lord’s prophet, and wanted to make this accommodation for him. Why? Simply because Elisha was the Lord’s servant.
“Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple – I assure you: He will never lose his reward!” Matthew 10:41-42 (HCSB)
God doesn’t miss cold cups of water, and He remembered this woman’s kindness to His servant by showing kindness to her. So, here was God’s kindness in His “famine warning system.” Consider what that must have meant to her. Today’s passage is not the main focus of the chapter, but what an encouragement Elisha’s tip must have been, assuring her that the “Keeper of Israel” had by no means forgotten her. A small kindness carries a massive encouragement.
Now, after seven years, because Elisha’s short-term prophecy (concerning famine) was exactly fulfilled, this woman trusts the Word of the Lord (concerning repatriation) and returns home. And what does she find? Gehazi is preparing the king to give favor to her plea (concerning her property) before he even hears it!
Faith is not FACT until it is tested, and this woman received what all who faithfully trust the Lord’s Word receive: Intimate personal knowledge that the Lord can be trusted! The prophecies concerning Jesus’ advent, crucifixion, and resurrection have been fulfilled. Now it is up to us to faithfully believe His (yet) unfulfilled promise of return and commit to following Him, knowing He’ll be talking to the King when we enter into eternity. “Oh, just the person we were speaking of….”
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