2 Kings 4:18-22

Today in the Bible

Portion of scripture

And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and [then] died. And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut [the door] upon him, and went out. And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. - 2 Kings 4:18-22 KJV

Thoughts

1. The first time I read this I did not catch how secretive the shunammite woman was being.

2. It is clear the father was kept in the dark, and had no clue that his son had died.

3. She did not immediately greave, like most of us would do. She sought the Man of God.

4. I am convinced that this is an indicator of her great faith. She trusted that Elisha’s God could do something. To her, death was NOT a hopeless state.

Observations

1. The child was grown, no longer an infant but a child.

   1. a few years had passed

2. The boy was in pain and went to his father. The father had the boy sent to his mother. He had no idea that the boy was going to die.

3. The boy died

4. The shunammite woman laid her boy on Elisha’s bed and closed the door. She did not tell anyone that the boy had died.

5. Closing the door indicated that she had hid the boy’s death from the rest of the house.

6. She asked for a donkey so she could ride to town to see Elisha