2 Kings 8:1 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land. 4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.” 5 And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now.”
As I read this passage, I was struck by 3 things.
The Shunammite’s obedience. She packed her things, left all that she knew, and went to a foreign country. That is blind obedience. Elisha told her to go. She knew that he was speaking God’s words, so she went. No questions, no “what ifs”. She left for seven years. What must have gone through her head? She left all of her land, her home, her crops, her friends…everything.
God’s providence. The Shunammite woman arrives home and someone has taken possession of her land and house. She goes to the king. Elisha’s servant just “happens” to be there recounting the story of Elisha raising the Shunammite’s son from the dead. And the woman and her son walk in the room. What would have happened if Elisha’s servant would not have been there? God clearly orchestrated everyone to be at that place at that exact moment. That just wows me. God is so powerful and in control of everything!
God’s blessing. God rewarded the Shunammite for her obedience. Not only did He provide while she was away, but He restored her lands and home back to her. And if that wasn’t enough, she received the produce (which I would assume was probably the money/profit from the land) of those seven years away. She obeyed and God watched over her. She was making money and not even having to work for it. God abundantly provided. She didn’t deserve the provision. She was asking for abundance. But, God in His mercy and kindness, choose to give her more than she needed, expected, or had asked for.
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