What role does obedience play in the Shunammite woman's response to Elisha's warning? Setting the Scene • The Shunammite woman’s story resumes in 2 Kings 8, years after Elisha raised her son (2 Kings 4:32-37). “Now Elisha had spoken to the woman whose son he had restored to life: ‘Get up and go with your household and live wherever you can, for the LORD has decreed a seven-year famine, and it has already begun.’ So the woman got up and did according to the word of the man of God, and she and her household went and lived in the land of the Philistines for seven years.” The Clear Call to Obedience • Elisha, the recognized prophet of the LORD, delivers a specific, time-bound warning. • Because the famine “has already begun,” delayed action would mean certain hardship. • The command is straightforward: “Get up…go…live wherever you can.” Obedience here equals physical relocation. Immediate, Unquestioning Compliance • “So the woman got up and did according to the word of the man of God.” – No debate, negotiation, or reluctance recorded. – Her response mirrors Abraham’s prompt departure in Genesis 12:4. • Obedience involves costly disruption—abandoning home, fields, routines—but she submits without visible hesitation. The Heart Behind Her Obedience • Respect for prophetic authority: 2 Chronicles 20:20 links prosperity to believing the prophets; she lives that principle. • Trust in the LORD’s sovereign care: Proverbs 3:5-6—acknowledging Him in all ways leads to directed paths. • Gratitude-fueled loyalty: Elisha had restored her son; past mercy strengthens present obedience. • Prior pattern: earlier she had willingly provide lodging and later surrendered her dead child to Elisha’s care (2 Kings 4). Obedience is a lifestyle, not a single act. Fruit That Followed Her Obedience • Preservation during famine: She and her household survive outside Israel’s stricken borders (cf. Psalm 37:19). • Perfect timing of return: After seven years she meets the king at the very moment Gehazi recounts her earlier miracle (2 Kings 8:5). Only God orchestrates such providence. • Restoration of property and income: The king commands, “Restore all that was hers and all the proceeds of the field from the day she left until now” (2 Kings 8:6). Obedience positions her for blessings exceeding what she relinquished. Scripture Echoes on Obedience • 1 Samuel 15:22—“To obey is better than sacrifice.” • Luke 11:28—“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” • James 2:17—Living faith expresses itself through action, exactly what her quick departure demonstrates. Lessons in Simple Statements • God’s warnings are merciful invitations, not mere foretelling. • Obedience is measured in deeds carried out promptly, not intentions mulled over indefinitely. • The cost of obedience is temporary; the reward is enduring. • A history of walking with God equips the believer to respond rightly when the next command comes. |
    |