The Man of God – (2 Kings 4)

During one of the most challenging periods in Israel’s history, neither kings of the northern nor southern kingdoms wanted to pursue the will of God, Elisha was chosen to carry the message of God to the masses. Yet, because his predecessor (Elijah) did not formally anoint him in the presence of his countrymen, there would have been apprehensions with regard to Elisha’s credentials as the man of God. However, the following events that revealed the power that God had bestowed upon Elisha, laid to rest all doubts about the calling of the prophet hailing from the small town of Abel Meholah.

Cancelling our Debts

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

2 Kings 4:1 (NIV)

The widow found herself in a desperate situation as her late husband’s debts had not only wiped out their savings but also posed the threat of losing her sons, which was devastating. When she sought help from Elisha, the man of God instructed her to take stock of what remained in her house. With supplies depleted, all she could account for was a small jar of olive oil.

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

2 Kings 4:3-4 (NIV)

The woman followed Elisha’s instructions precisely. After closing the door behind her and her sons, she proceeded to pour the oil into the jars collected from her neighbours, one by one. Her sons continued to bring jars, and she filled them. Once the last jar was filled to the brim, the flow of oil stopped. Elisha instructed the woman to sell the oil she and her sons had gathered and live off the proceeds.

The lesson to be learned from this incident is that God is prepared to assist us with all our needs, regardless of their magnitude. While some may perceive the woman’s predicament as trivial, the inability to hold on to her sons was a distressing ordeal for her. God remarkably provided for her and, in doing so, bestowed peace upon her heart. His provisions are available to everyone even the marginalized, provided we are willing to adhere to His instructions, even in the face of humiliation. We must serve as conduits of His grace rather than exploiting the anointing bestowed upon us by Christ for financial benefit.

Provides During a Famine

While Elisha resided in Gilgal, a group of prophets came to meet him. Elisha instructed his servant to prepare stew for the assembled people. However, due to a famine in the land, the servant struggled to find sufficient herbs and vegetables to feed the gathered crowd. As a result, he inadvertently gathered some wild vine, unaware that it was poisonous. During a famine, individuals are compelled to find alternative food sources to ensure their survival. Consequently, famines are often succeeded by outbreaks of disease caused by the consumption of unsafe food that would have been avoided under normal circumstances.

The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.
Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

2 Kings 4:40-41 (NIV)

In a similar incident, on one occasion, a man arrived from Baal Shalishah, bearing twenty loaves of barley for Elisha. At Elisha’s behest, his servant arranged for the bread to be served to the company of prophets. However, the servant was worried that twenty loaves would not be enough to feed the hundred men who had gathered and expressed his concern to Elisha.

But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over. ’” Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

2 Kings 4:43-44 (NIV)

God provided multiplied bread through Elisha to feed the prophets during a famine, almost a thousand years before Jesus walked the earth. In the midst of severe famine, when people were hesitant to discard food, God used Elisha to remove poison so that the food could be consumed safely. Such were the provisions of the LORD for His people that even during trying times, He used His servant, Elisha, to deliver them in an unprecedented manner.

Restores our Life

Once, Elisha visited Shunem and a wealthy woman living there invited him for a meal. She recognized Elisha as a holy man and suggested to her husband they build a room for him to stay in whenever he visited. Elisha, grateful for her hospitality, wanted to repay her. When he found out that the woman had no son and her husband was old, he prophesied that she would have a son. The following year, she bore a son just as Elisha had promised.

Tragically, the boy died after complaining of a headache in the fields. The woman hurried to Elisha, but the man of God was kept in the dark by the LORD about the boy’s demise. He immediately sent his servant Gehazi ahead with his staff to revive the boy but it was to no avail. Elisha then went to the boy, prayed, and stretched himself over the child. Miraculously, the boy sneezed seven times and came back to life.

God was also teaching Elisha about faith. Elisha’s attitude shifted from experiencing the unconditional love of God to a conditional one when he sought to repay the woman for her hospitality. Had God given the couple a child according to His plan, they might not have witnessed the unbearable pain of his sudden death. What we must understand is that the birth of a child to an elderly couple is not the primary miracle; however, God bringing the boy back to life will be something that no one will soon forget.

Elisha demonstrated the power to multiply food, cure illnesses, and even raise the dead, as God used him mightily throughout the land. He was anointed by God as the successor of Elijah and had surpassed his master in both faith and deeds. In the entire Bible, only Jesus performed miracles greater than Elisha.

Many believe the prophet Elijah to be the foreshadowing of John the Baptist, however, it seems that it is his protege who shares commonalities with another Prophet. The miracles performed by Elisha were similar to those performed by the Messiah during His time on the earth. These miracles and several others that we read in the book of Kings had never been seen before and thus established the authority that God had bestowed upon Elisha.

Discussion Questions

1. Why did the Shunammite woman refuse to believe Elisha?
2. Why was the man of God kept in the dark about the death of the Shunammite’s son?
3. What can we learn about Elisha from these four unique events?