THE SHUNAMMITE WOMAN

THE SHUNAMMITE WOMAN

HER CHARACTER: Generous and hospitable, she was a wealthy and capable woman who showed great kindness to one of God's prophets. 

HER SORROW:

To lose the son that had been promised her.

HER JOY:

To experience just how deep God's faithfulness goes.

KEY SCRIPTURES:

2 Kings 4:8-37; 8:1-6

HER LIFE AND TIMES

HOSPITALITY

Elisha stayed for a meal at the Shunammite woman's house after she "urged" him to do so. He felt so well taken care of, so comfortable, and so at home that he made a habit of coming to her home whenever he was in the area - often enough that the woman asked her husband to have a special room added just for Elisha.

Hospitality played an important role in the lives of the people of the Middle East. Desert travel was strenuous, and Holiday Inns hadn't yet been invented. When travelers came to a town at the end of the day, they would stop in the town's center or near the town gates and wait for an invitation for the night. If no invitation came, they would spend the night outside.

Hosts were responsible not only to feed and provide sleeping arrangements for their guests but also were expected to ensure the safety of the guests, protecting them from robbery and harm (Genesis 19:8). When meals were served, the host acted as a servant, serving the guests and watching over their needs. If one guest was particularly favored over another, he or she would be served an extra large or extra special portion of the food (Genesis 43:34).

Examples of hospitality are plentiful in the Scriptures. Abraham made a sumptuous meal for the three strangers who visited him (Genesis 18), preparing bread, a tender calf, curds, and milk. Rebekah practiced a basic form of hospitality when she offered water to Abraham's servant and his animals (Genesis 24:15-21). Solomon fed everyone in his palace, plus aliens and visitors to the region. His list of daily provisions in 1 Kings 4:22 provides a picture of what was required to feed a staggering number of people. Nehemiah not only refused to demand "the food allotted to the governor," he also generously fed at least 150 people each day (Nehemiah 5:17-18).

Six times the New Testament exhorts believers to be hospitable. There's no talk of fatted calves or extravagant dinners in these passages, just a simple exhortation to make sure you care for those around you. As Romans 12:13 puts it, "Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." You never know, you just might entertain angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2)!

HER PROMISE

The Shunammite woman knew there was hope even in the most devastating of circumstances. She had been promised a son when she was barren, and now she tenaciously held on to that promise even though her little son lay dead on Elisha's couch. "It's all right", she said to her husband, knowing full well that their boy was gone. The God who had given her the promise wasn't gone. She knew he wouldn't forsake her.

"It's all right." Can you express that sentiment even when your world is crashing in on you? Perhaps not. Remember, however, that even in the most agonizing of circumstances, even when you feel abandoned, even when tragedy strikes - God is there. Trust his word and gain assurance from the Shunammite woman who, in the midst of appalling circumstances, could say, "It's all right."

Promises in Scripture

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?-NUMBERS 23:19

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.-2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-4

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ.

-2 CORINTHIANS 1:20

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful -HEBREWS 10:23

HER LEGACY OF PRAYER

"About this time next year," Elisha said, "you will hold a son in your arms. 2 Kings 4:16

REFLECT ON: 2 Kings 4:8-37

PRAISE GOD:

That he never overlooks even a small kindness performed out of love for him.

OFFER THANKS:

For the kindness you have experienced at the hands of others.

CONFESS:

Your tendency to overlook others' needs because you are so focused on your own.

ASK GOD:

To make you jealous for opportunities to care for

others in basic and practical ways. 

Lift Your Heart

The Shunammite woman is a wonderful example of someone who anticipated Jesus' words to his disciples to "seek first his [the Father's] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). Like the lilies of the field, she didn't worry about God's provision and so experienced it abundantly. Ask for an opportunity this week to perform an act of practical kindness or hospitality for someone else. Consider lending your prayers, your gifts, and your energy on a regular basis to a group or ministry working to bring justice to those most in need of it.

Father, show me someone's need today. Then help me break out of my own small world and find a way to show your love to that person.