8 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, ‘Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.’ 2 Kings 8
Judgement was coming upon Israel and it wasn’t going to be a minor event, seven years of famine had been decreed. However, God spoke through the prophet Elisha to tell the woman to leave her land and go and live somewhere else until the famine had passed. The woman’s faithfulness to the man of God, the Lord’s prophet, was still being acknowledged in the courts of heaven. We should take note, that of all the many people in Israel, this woman and her family, her miracle son, may have been the only ones who were warned to leave and escape the coming shortages. We shouldn’t underestimate the benefits of serving God and His servants when we have opportunities to do so.
1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS –
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 WHO SATISFIES YOUR DESIRES WITH GOOD THINGS
SO THAT YOUR YOUTH IS RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLE’S. Psalm 103, by David
THERE IS STILL MUCH BLESSING FOR THOSE WHO SERVE THE LORD!
The scene changes to the King’s palace where Gehazi, Elisha’s servant is telling the King about the miracles Elisha did, including raising the dead. At that precise moment the widow arrived with her son to petition the King for the return of her land. Like King David she’d gone to live with the Philistines throughout the time of the famine. We may not always want to be where we find ourselves in this life but God is responsible to watch over and keep us as we follow His leading and He’s very good at it. Israel were protected for 400 years in Egypt before God came and brought them out.
Gehazi said, ‘This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.’ 6 The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. 2 Kings 8
Gehazi, the one person who could identify the woman and her son, told the King this is the very woman I’m talking to you about and her resurrected son. Even a king doesn’t meet somebody who has been raised from the dead every day. God’s Favour and timing, perfect as always.
Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, ‘Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.’ 2 Kings 8
The Shunammite and her son had everything restored by the word of the King. She lost nothing during the time she spent out of her inheritance, because she’d obeyed God. We live in days of restoration and God’s people are going to see restitution, getting back more than was stolen from them, in the days ahead. May it come soon Lord.
May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.