What can we learn about God's timing from the events in 2 Kings 4:20? Setting the Scene • Elisha had promised the Shunammite woman a son (2 Kings 4:16–17). • The child grew, then suddenly collapsed in the field (4:18–19). • 2 Kings 4:20: “After the servant had picked him up and brought him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.” • This death set the stage for his later resurrection (4:32–37). What We Notice in the Moment of Noon • Noon is the brightest part of day—yet darkness falls for this mother exactly then. • No warning, no gradual decline; the crisis arrives swiftly. • God allows the child to die even though He had miraculously given him life earlier. • Elisha, the prophet of God, is absent when the tragedy strikes. Lessons on God’s Timing • God’s gifts are never accidental – He gave the son in His time (4:16-17). – He allows the son’s death in His time (4:20). – He restores life in His time (4:34-35). – “The LORD gives and the LORD takes away” (Job 1:21). • Divine delays are purposeful, not indifferent – Elisha’s distance created space for faith to grow in the mother (4:22-24). – Jesus delayed two days before going to Lazarus (John 11:6) so “that you may believe” (John 11:15). • God often acts when human resources are exhausted – The mother held the boy “until noon” but could not hold back death. – Israel at the Red Sea had no route of escape before the waters parted (Exodus 14:13-16). – Paul reminds, “When we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). • Timing reveals greater glory – Resurrection after death is a greater testimony than prevention of death. – “This sickness will not end in death; it is for God’s glory” (John 11:4). – Habakkuk 2:3: “Though it lingers, wait for it; it will surely come and will not delay.” • Faith thrives in the gap between promise and fulfillment – The Shunammite woman clung to Elisha’s promise (4:28). – Abraham “did not waver in unbelief regarding the promise of God” (Romans 4:20). Living the Truth Today • Expect God’s perfect chronology—He is never late, never early (Galatians 4:4). • Refuse panic in the waiting; rehearse His past faithfulness (Psalm 77:11-12). • Pursue Him actively while you wait, as the mother saddled her donkey and went straight to Elisha (2 Kings 4:22-25). • Anticipate that today’s unanswered crisis may position you for tomorrow’s unmistakable miracle (Ephesians 3:20-21). |
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