How does 2 Kings 4:23 demonstrate faith in God's timing and provision? Setting the Scene in 2 Kings 4 • Elisha regularly passed through Shunem, where a godly woman and her husband hosted him. • God rewarded her generosity with the miracle birth of a son (2 Kings 4:16-17). • Years later, the child suddenly died in her lap (4:20). • Without announcing the tragedy, she saddled a donkey and headed straight for Elisha at Mount Carmel (4:22). The Crisis and the Question (2 Kings 4:23) “Why would you go to him today?” he replied. “It is not the New Moon or the Sabbath.” But she said, “It will be all right.” • The husband’s question reveals a fixed idea of when one should seek prophetic help—special days only. • The wife’s simple answer—“It will be all right” (Hebrew: shalom, “peace”)—defies the visible disaster lying back in their home. “It Will Be All Right”: A Declaration of Faith • She does not deny her son’s death; she declares God’s peace in spite of it. • Her words act as a verbal banner of trust, refusing to accept death as the last word. • By speaking shalom, she anticipates the outcome God will bring through His prophet (cf. Romans 4:17-21). Faith in God’s Timing • She refuses delay. Though it is “not the New Moon or the Sabbath,” she knows God chooses His own moments. • Psalm 31:15: “My times are in Your hands.” She lives out that conviction—every hour is God’s hour. • Her urgency shows confidence that when God burdens the heart, that very day is ripe for a miracle (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:2). Faith in God’s Provision • The boy’s life came from God in the first place (2 Kings 4:17); she trusts the same God to sustain it. • Philippians 4:19: “My God will supply all your needs.” Her need is life for her son; her Provider is unchanged. • Mark 5:36 records Jesus telling Jairus, another desperate parent, “Do not fear, only believe.” The Shunammite models that attitude centuries earlier. Echoes of This Faith Throughout Scripture • Abraham ascended Moriah saying, “God Himself will provide the lamb” (Genesis 22:8), confident before the provision appeared. • Hannah left the tabernacle “and her face was no longer downcast” (1 Samuel 1:18) though her womb was still barren. • Habakkuk 2:3: “Though it linger, wait for it; it will surely come and will not delay.” Bringing It Home • True faith speaks peace while circumstances scream the opposite. • God’s calendar is not bound to feast days, business hours, or predictable schedules; He acts when His glory and our good align. • Like the Shunammite, believers can approach God immediately, confidently, expectantly—declaring, even before the answer manifests, “It will be all right.” |
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