How does 2 Kings 4:21 demonstrate faith in God's power through Elisha? Context Reminders • God had miraculously granted the Shunammite woman a son through Elisha’s prophetic word (2 Kings 4:14-17). • The child later collapses in the field and dies on his mother’s lap (4:18-20). Reading the Verse “Then she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door behind him, and went out.” Key Observations • “Went up” – She ascended to the upper chamber she had built for Elisha (4:10), symbolically moving toward the place identified with God’s presence and power. • “Laid him on the bed of the man of God” – She deliberately placed her dead child where Elisha had prayed and rested, signifying expectation that the same God who gave life could restore it. • “Shut the door behind him” – By closing the room, she protected the scene from mourners and doubt, preserving an atmosphere of faith. • “Went out” – Instead of preparing for burial, she immediately sought Elisha (4:22-25), acting on the conviction that God would work through His prophet. How the Verse Demonstrates Faith in God’s Power through Elisha 1. Refusal to accept finality – Burial arrangements normally began at once (cf. Acts 5:6). Her choice to place the body in Elisha’s room shows she believed death was not the last word. 2. Confidence in God’s chosen instrument – She bypassed priests, physicians, and family customs, entrusting the crisis to “the man of God.” Her faith looked past Elisha himself to the Lord who authenticated the prophet (2 Kings 3:18). 3. Memory of past miracles – Elijah had raised a widow’s son in a similar upper room (1 Kings 17:19-23). Knowing Scripture and prophetic history, she anticipated the same divine power now. 4. Active, practical steps of belief – Faith acted: she climbed, carried, arranged, shut the door, and departed. James 2:17 affirms that genuine faith produces decisive works. 5. Quiet assurance – She later tells her husband, “It is well” (4:23), echoing her settled trust that God would intervene through Elisha. Supporting Scriptures • 1 Kings 17:19-23 – Elijah lays a dead boy on his own bed, prays, and God restores life. • Hebrews 11:35 – “Women received back their dead, raised to life again.” • 2 Kings 4:30 – Her insistence that Elisha himself come underscores her reliance on God’s power linked to the prophet. • Matthew 9:18-26 & Mark 5:35-43 – Similar faith-filled responses precede Jesus’ raisings of the dead. Lessons for Today • Bring impossible situations directly to the Lord, not to resignation. • Anchor hope in God’s proven faithfulness, recalling past acts of deliverance. • Act on faith before evidence appears—faith prepares a place for God to move. • Guard budding belief from voices of doubt; sometimes faith needs a closed door. • Trust God’s chosen means—His Word and His servants—while remembering He alone supplies the power. |
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