This morning in speaking to the
children from this passage in 2 Kings chapter 4, we encounter
in these verses from 8 through 25 the story of someone who is
called a great woman, a great woman. I always like it when
the Bible reminds us that there were more than men talked about
in Scripture, and there are women and children, and there are people
of all ages and all status and all levels. And here is a woman
that the Bible expressly tells us is a great woman. I wonder what made her great.
I wonder what made this woman great. We're not told. Except
perhaps we are. Maybe she had lots of money. That makes some people great,
in their own eyes at least. Maybe she had lots of friends. Again, popularity can be something
that seems to make people great. Maybe she had land and property
and a big home and people around about thought, well, she's a
great lady living in a great house. But I think what the Bible tells
us of this lady's greatness is that it lay in her generosity. Did you know that greatness flows
from generosity? If we are kind, if we are gentle,
if we are generous, if we are understanding, if we have a kind
spirit, then that kindness will manifest itself as generosity
to those in need. And this woman was great because
she took care of those who were in need. Kindness for kindness's
sake. Not because she was obliged,
not because she felt it was a duty, not because there was anybody
looking over her shoulders, but because she took pleasure in
helping people who were in need. In this case, we find that the
one in need was a weary traveller and Elisha frequently travelled
from the city of Samaria, which was in the mountains, to a place
called Mount Carmel. And it seems as if Samaria was
the capital city or a main, major city, and Carmel was a place
where he was able to get a little bit of peace and a little bit
of relaxation. And so he travelled between Samaria
and Mount Carmel. frequently in order to do his
work and to take time of quietness with the Lord. And as he travelled,
he went through this lady's village. And there she was, looking out
to see who was passing by that she might do that person some
good. The Bible talks about entertaining
angels, unawares. And here was a lady who entertained
an angel unawares. I'm sure that when the New Testament
talks of that, this lady was in the mind of the writer because
she did not know that this was a man of God. She did not know
that this was a prophet, but she was out there endeavouring
to comfort and sustain the weary traveller, perhaps with some
food, perhaps with something to drink as he made his way. And that provision that she made,
her kindness, it developed into a family friendship. And Elisha became friendly with
that family. And after a time, this lady realized
that Elisha was a man of God. Because it seems that the prophet
didn't advertise the fact that he was a prophet. But there was something in his
attitude, something in his actions, something in his conversation
that revealed his nature and his role. And for this lady's
love of God, she sought to help and to serve God's servant. So she fulfilled a kind gesture. She was thoughtful of him and
she said to her husband, let us make a little private room
for this man of God. Let's put a bed in it and a table
and a stool and a candlestick, just simple things, but essential
for the travelling prophet as he made his way between Samaria
and Mount Carmel. We learn that Elisha wished to
do something in gratitude to this lady's kindness and for
her and her family. And he offered to recommend her
to the king or to the captain of the horse. Can I put in a
good word for you? Can I say something kind, perhaps
give you a recommendation to someone important? Elisha, his
status in the capital was good at this time. And I think it's
very interesting what the lady says. She said to Elisha, I dwell
amongst my own people. Now think about that for a moment. What that lady was saying was,
thank you, sir, but I don't need any recommendations to the king.
I don't need anything from the captain of the host. I dwell
amongst my own people. I am content with the things
that I have here around about me. My husband, this home, these
friends that I have, I'm content with these things. In 1 Timothy
6, in verse 6, we are told, Godliness with contentment is great gain. And this lady had godliness and
contentment. She was a woman who was at peace. And I think there's something
lovely about that phrase, and I want you to just note it, this
phrase that she used. Because when we think about the
church, and when we think about the family of God, This is the body of Christ. We are the body of Christ in
this place. So look around. These are your people. This is
your family. These are the ones with whom
you are at peace. These are your people amongst
whom you dwell. Let us regard them as such and
let us cherish and bless one another as the Lord enables. We're told that Elisha had a
servant, and his name was Gehazi. This is the first time we have
mentioned of this servant Gehazi, and we're going to hear a little
bit more of him in the future. But he seems to be a man, a serving
man, who went with Elisha in order to help look after his
needs. Not in the same way as Elisha
went with Elijah. Gehazi did not have that role. But what Elisha wanted to do
was to do some good for this lady. But she said, I don't need
anything. But Gehazi, he noticed that there
were no children in this house. And so he said to Elisha, Elisha,
maybe you can do something for this lady. There's no child here.
You know, Pastors and preachers and prophets don't know everything. And it took Gehazi to figure
out what this lady needed. And I'm sure Elisha went before
the Lord in this matter, and the Lord told him that he was
going to cause this lady to have a child within the normal course
of time. And Elisha told her that she
would have a little baby soon. And we can but imagine the joy
that filled that home in that situation. But there's a second
part to this story. In fact, there's a third part,
and we're not going to reach the third part today, but there
is a second part that I want to mention to you right now.
Because this little boy grew up. And as he grew, he wanted
to go and spend time with his dad in the field. And out he
went in the field to help the reapers as they were going about
the business of farming in the land. And we're told that one
day the little boy, as he joined his father, became ill in the
field. And he cried out that he'd had
a headache, he had a sore head. And his father returned him to
his mother, where he sat with her in the quietness of that
home, until after a little time, that child died. And our first reaction to that
situation is, Why? Why did that child die? Here's
a child that had been promised by God, that had been given through
the means of a man of God, that had recognised this woman's generosity
and kindness, and had been given to the lady, and now in his infancy
had been taken away. Was there a reason for this loss? Was there someone who needed
the trial? Was there someone who could benefit
from what would flow from it? Was there someone to blame? And I want us to notice this
lady's reaction. She had one overriding urge. She had to go to the prophet.
She had to go to the man of God. What do we do when tragedy comes? What do we do when sadness comes
into our lives? When sorrow is part of our experience? Let us take a page from this
woman's book. Let us follow her example and
let us go to God. Let that be the overriding urge
for us in our times of trial and trouble. Let us go to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Let us go to him who is gentle
and kind and loving. Let us go to our great prophet
Elisha was God with the people of Israel at that time. He was
God's representative, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the mediator
to whom we go, for he is the one that leads us into the presence
of the God who loves us. The lady didn't even tell her
husband. She laid the child dead on the prophet's bed. And I think
in some small way she was saying, I'm leaving this matter with
God. I'm leaving this matter with the prophet. I'm putting
this child on the prophet's bed, not into his own bed, but there
in that little chamber, in that little room that had been set
aside for the prophet, there the child was laid. She was leaving him with the
prophet's God. And she asked her husband for
an ass, and she asked for a young man to lead it. The husband was
surprised. Why, he says, this isn't a religious
day. Sometimes we think that we should
just think about God on a Sunday. But you see, the Lord has a way
of drawing our attention to him every day. And that's what we
should interpret from the challenges that we face every day, that
it's a reason to go to the Lord any day and every day. That's
the difference between religion and faith, between ritual and
trust. And here was a lady who trusted
God. And I think that there's more
to relish in this woman's words. I've been impressed at all the
things that this woman said down through this story, but here
is the one which perhaps gives the greatest insight into this
lady's attitude and faith. She told her husband, it shall
be well. It shall be well. And I want
you to hear those words this morning. It shall be well. There's her child, the child
that she loves, that little infant lying on the prophet's bed, dead. And she says to her husband,
I'm going to see the prophet. It shall be well. In that hour
of great grief, in the midst of her need, she trusted the
Lord and she declared her faith in him. And here we're going
to end the account today. This is what you do in a good
television programme, a good series. You leave the people
thinking, what's going to happen next? Well, if you're really
interested, you can go and read what happens next. because here
this great lady from Shunan gets on that donkey and she heads
to see the Prophet. Tune in next week for the next
exciting instalment. It shall be well. Let's take our hymn books. We'll sing 222. 222. There is
a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins and
sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.