What role does faith play in the miracle of 2 Kings 4:36? Verse Focus: 2 Kings 4:36 “Then Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, ‘Call the Shunammite woman.’ So he called her and she came. And Elisha said, ‘Pick up your son.’” The Scene in Context • A barren woman had earlier received a son through Elisha’s promise (4:16–17). • The child suddenly died (4:18–20). • Instead of preparing for burial, the mother saddled a donkey and raced to find Elisha at Mount Carmel—an unmistakable act of faith (4:22–25). • Elisha prayed, stretched himself on the child, and the boy came back to life (4:32–35). • Verse 36 records the climactic moment: the prophet calls the mother to embrace her living son. Faith Woven Through the Miracle 1. Faith of the Shunammite Woman • She believed God had given the child; therefore she believed God could restore him (cf. Hebrews 11:35). • Her silent resolve—“It is well” (4:23, 26)—reveals confidence in God’s goodness even before she saw results. • She bypassed Gehazi and clung to Elisha’s feet (4:27), insisting on God’s chosen channel for help. 2. Faith of Elisha • Elisha’s immediate response was prayerful dependence, not panic (4:33). • He expected God to act; when the boy sneezed seven times, he did not treat it as coincidence but as answered prayer (cf. James 5:16–18). • His command, “Pick up your son,” was spoken with certainty that the miracle was complete (Mark 11:22–24). 3. Faith Expressed in Obedience • The mother obeyed every directive—saddling the donkey, traveling swiftly, entering the upper room, and finally picking up her child (James 2:22). • Her obedience demonstrated that biblical faith is more than mental assent; it steps forward when God speaks. God’s Sovereignty and the Gift of Faith • The text never credits faith as the power that raised the boy; God alone holds that power (Psalm 115:3). • Nonetheless, God delighted to work through the trusting hearts of His servant and this mother. • Their faith did not force God’s hand; it aligned them with His will and opened the way for them to witness His glory (John 11:40). Key Parallels to Strengthen Understanding • Elijah and the widow’s son (1 Kings 17:17–24): similar prayer posture and resurrection, underscoring continuity in God’s work. • Jesus and Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:36–42): “Do not fear; only believe,” echoing the need for faith in the face of death. • Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.” Both Elisha and the Shunammite lived that reality before the child breathed again. Living Lessons Today • Trust God’s character when circumstances contradict His promises; faith holds fast until He moves. • Seek the Lord relentlessly, as the Shunammite did, refusing to settle for anything less than His intervention. • Speak and act in harmony with faith—words like Elisha’s and steps like the mother’s—while resting in God’s sovereign timing. |
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