What is the meaning of 2 Kings 4:25? So she set out • The Shunammite woman acts immediately after her son’s death (2 Kings 4:18–24). • Her swift departure pictures a living faith that moves rather than freezes—James 2:17 reminds us that “faith, if it does not have works, is dead.” • She neither stalls for sympathy nor prepares a funeral; instead, she chooses action, echoing the urgency of the woman with the issue of blood who pressed through the crowd to touch Jesus (Luke 8:43-48). • Like Abraham rising early to obey (Genesis 22:3), she lets conviction override emotion, showing that trust in God produces decisive steps. and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel • Mount Carmel, the site of Elijah’s fire-calling victory (1 Kings 18:19-39), stands as a landmark of divine power. • By traveling roughly twenty miles to Elisha, she seeks God’s word and presence, paralleling Psalm 121:1-2—“I lift up my eyes to the hills… my help comes from the LORD.” • Her journey illustrates Hebrews 4:16, an invitation to “approach the throne of grace with confidence.” • She bypasses human consolation for prophetic intervention, displaying Philippians 4:6 in action: taking her anxiety straight to God rather than to people. When the man of God saw her at a distance • Elisha’s awareness mirrors God’s: “From afar the LORD appeared to me” (Jeremiah 31:3) and “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him” (Luke 15:20). • Distance cannot hide a faith-filled seeker; Psalm 139:2-3 affirms that God discerns our thoughts “from afar.” • The scene hints at divine foresight—John 1:48 records Jesus seeing Nathanael before they meet. he said to his servant Gehazi • Elisha involves Gehazi, demonstrating biblical delegation (Exodus 18:17-23; Mark 6:41). • Ministry is not a solo act; servants participate in God’s work, just as Elisha once served Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-15). • Gehazi’s later failure (2 Kings 5) warns that proximity to power does not guarantee purity, yet here he functions as an extension of Elisha’s compassion. “Look, there is the Shunammite woman.” • Elisha immediately recognizes her, underscoring a shepherd-flock relationship—John 10:14: “I know My own and My own know Me.” • His words cue concern; in Acts 3:4 Peter told the lame man, “Look at us,” focusing attention before a miracle. • Personal acknowledgment assures her that she is not just another face in the crowd; she is known, remembered, and about to be helped. summary Verse 25 captures a faith-driven mother racing to God’s representative, a prophet ready to respond, and a God who sees the desperate long before they arrive. The Shunammite’s action, the journey to Carmel, Elisha’s distant sight, delegated service, and personal recognition converge to show that earnest faith finds an attentive God, prepared servants, and timely intervention. |
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