What can we learn about God's compassion from Elisha's actions in this verse? \A Window into God’s Heart\ “Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body grew warm.” (2 Kings 4:34) \Compassion That Draws Near\ •Elisha places his own face, eyes, and hands on the dead child. •This dramatic nearness pictures the Lord who “is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion” (Exodus 34:6). •Personal contact shows that divine compassion is not distant; God is willing to bridge every gap to bring life (cf. John 1:14). \Compassion That Shares Our Condition\ •Elisha matches feature to feature—identifying fully with the boy. •Jesus, the greater Prophet, “took on flesh” (Philippians 2:7) and “was made like His brothers in every way” (Hebrews 2:17). •God’s compassion enters our helplessness rather than solving problems from afar. \Compassion That Warms What Is Cold\ •The first change Elisha senses is warmth. •Ps 103:13–14 reminds us that the Lord “knows our frame” and revives what sin and death chill. •Salvation often begins with a quiet warming before full restoration (Luke 24:32—“Were not our hearts burning within us?”). \Compassion That Persists\ •This is Elisha’s second attempt; he refuses to give up (2 Kings 4:33–35). •Mark 8:22–25 records Jesus healing a blind man in stages—another portrait of purposeful, patient mercy. •God’s compassion pursues until the work is complete (Philippians 1:6). \Compassion That Mirrors God’s Own Nature\ •Elisha’s act echoes Elijah’s earlier resurrection of the widow’s son (1 Kings 17:21). •Both foreshadow Christ raising Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:41), the widow’s son at Nain (Luke 7:13–15), and Lazarus (John 11:43–44). •Each scene reveals a consistent, unchanging heart: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). \Take-Home Truths\ •God willingly draws close to the broken. •He identifies with us to impart life. •His compassion warms, revives, and completes what He begins. •What Elisha did in a bedroom, Jesus does on a cosmic scale—turning death to life for all who trust Him. |
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