The Reward of Providence

From: December 13, - 19, 2011 Topic: "The Reward of Providence" 2 Kings 8:1-6

This Shunammite woman (of the city of Shunem) had done well before to the prophet Elisha preparing at her home a room to sleep and giving him food (2 Kings 4: 8-37); for this reason God protected her from the misfortune that was coming to Samaria, it would be a terrible famine. Since Jehovah calls men and they do not respond harm comes to them. For that reason, the people of Israel were going to be punished with a long and terrible famine. God told the prophet Elisha in advance so that he would work on what was necessary. Chapter 4:38 tells us that Elisha went to Gilgal, another city in Israel where the sons of the prophets were. There, out of nowhere, God provided food to Elisha and his men. But, those people were hard-hearted. Either the punishment or the favor of God made them react for their own well-being. This is the way hard-hearted men are, nothing moves them because of their hardness. When small punishments do not drive men to turn to God, then God will have to send other greater and longer lasting punishments. That is why the famine endured seven years. The more hardened men become, the hotter God will turn the oven of His trials. We should not argue with God. The Shunammite woman's kindness towards the prophet Elisha was rewarded. By the mercy, goodness and love of the Shunammite towards God and the prophet, she was rewarded. There was no food in Israel in those times, theft was rising, and wickedness and cruelty was increasing. Occasionally, so much hunger would not allow those men and women to think things through. So much, that when the king was passing by the wall a woman called to complain about a chilling treatment that occurred with another woman in Israel. (2 Kings 6:26-29) She explained that the hunger was so great that the other woman said to her, "Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son." They cooked the child and ate it, but later such woman did not fulfill her part of the deal and did not bring her child to eat it also. What hunger, to come to that! "No one could escape from such great trial from God towards that nation. Hunger came for everyone: children, women, men and animals; they all starved to death because of those judgments from God. But, on the other side, there was a Shunammite woman that in the time of abundance knew well enough to do well to the Prophet lodging him at her home and feeding him. She did it because she had a pure heart for God and there was no harshness in her. And that’s why she was rewarded. So the prophet Elisha in that time of famine showed interest in helping the Shunammite. He wasn’t going to allow her and her family to starve to death, so the reward was to warn her to escape from that famine that was coming. His advice was for her to leave to another country (2 Kings 8:1). She would find abundance in any country other than Israel. This woman was rewarded because of the interest demonstrated by Elisha. The God of Providence offered her dwelling and food in the land of the Philistines (vs. 2). Hunger was exclusively for Israel, there was no hunger in the land surrounding Israel. It was the hand of God over Israel, but God wanted to deliver the Shunammite from all that misfortune. When the time of famine ended the Shunammite returned to her homeland. For seven years she was away from her town of Israel. She then went to the king of Israel to ask to have her land returned to her. There was no longer famine, she was returning from the land of the Philistines. It seemed that her land had been confiscated; the nation officially took possession of the land. She appealed to the king to have it returned. Providence was looking after this woman who did well to the holy, for such reason Providence took care of her in every aspect and part of that was the land which she had abandoned because of the famine that took place in Israel. The biblical story tells us that when she came before the king to ask to have her land returned, by the providence of God, Gehazi, the former servant of Elisha, was present before the king. Gehazi was telling the king of the miracles of Elisha. It was normally prohibited for the leprous to enter the place where the king was. And we know that in 2 Kings 5:27, the last sentence says, "and he came out (Gehazi) in his presence (Elisha) and he was leprous, as white as snow ..." But, God is sovereign and wanted Gehazi to be there, when the Shunammite came to the king with the request for the land. Precisely, Gehazi was telling the king about the miracle of the resurrection of the Shunammite woman's son. Gehazi witnessed when he laid the staff upon the face of the child and had not lived (2 Kings 4:31). And he testified that when Elisha prayed (vs. 34), the child rose from the dead. That is God, providing to those who fear him and know to give to God when God asks. By the intervention and work of God, the Shunammite’s petition was easily granted, because the king had wanted to hear about the miracles of Elisha. So God had softened the king’s hardened heart so that the woman would be rewarded for the good she had done to God in the life of Elisha. When one gives in this way, as did the Shunammite, it is to God who one gives. For such reason the reward comes from God. That King believed in the miracles of Elisha having this woman present. By speaking of Elisha she confirmed what was said by Gehazi. This was the woman and this was the son! Everything occurred in order for the king to see and have his heart softened to return to her what belonged to her. How wonderful it is to see God doing all this in favor of the Shunammite! How could the king not favor her when Heaven had favored her so much? The king understood that the young man before him was the one whom God had restored to life after death, thanks to the miracle of Elisha. So he would return everything to the Shunammite for her sustenance. The king ordered the restitution of the estate and the interest of the fruits that the land had produced during the seven years (2 Kings 8: 6). Of what the Shunammite gave God, everything was returned and with many interests. Brothers, let us follow the example of that woman, working for God is more than profit. Amen.