This is a “stand alone” blog but is best understood in light of the Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Here is a wonderful story about a righteous woman who appears to be married to a man who does not do righteousness but allows his wife to both learn it and do it. This woman because of her faithful actions becomes a blessing for her whole family both in the short-term and in the long-term. This story begins in 2 Kings chapter 4 verses 8 through 37 and concludes in chapter 8 verses 1 through 6.

The woman and her husband are wealthy and live in the land of Issachar and in the town of Shumen. There is no name given to her, she is simply called the “Shunammite woman.” Most of Israel at this point in time is not following the Father and His ways; their king is a wicked one and they, Israel, are under constant attack from Syria.

The story begins with the Shunammite woman recognizing a man of Elohim and providing for his needs. She feeds him regularly.

Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a rich woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. (2Ki 4:8)

But this righteous woman wants to do more for this man of Elohim; so she petitions her husband and they build a place for the man of Elohim to stay when he comes to their area. She says,

Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lamp-stand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.” (2Ki 4:10)

The man of Elohim wanted to return the kindness that this righteous woman has shown him but she appeared to have all she needs, except a son. So he tells her that she will receive a son at the moed (the appointed time) the following year.

So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.” (2Ki 4:14)

Then he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!” But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her. (2Ki 4:16-17)

But one day while the son is working with his father in the field he is suddenly in pain and, since the father does not see a problem, he sends his son to his wife for care.

And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. And he said to his father, “My head, my head!” So he said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” (2Ki 4:18-19)

But while the child is in her lap he dies and she then lays him on the bed of the man of Elohim.

When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. (2Ki 4:20-21)

Now this is the point where, for me, this story really got interesting.

Rather than telling her unbelieving husband that his son has died she requests that he let her go to talk with the man of Elohim. I say that this man is an “unbelieving husband” because of the way she phrases here request of him and the response he has. It is interesting also that she never lets the words that her child has died come out of here mouth; instead she says, “it is well.”

She said: ‘Send me, I pray thee, one of the servants, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come back.’ So he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the new moon nor the Sabbath.” And she said, “It is well.”
(2Ki 4:22-23)

Please notice three things: This man knows when the new moon is, he knows when the sabbath is; but it does not appear that he has the habit of learning from the man of Elohim on either of those set-apart days, days in which the righteous do no work. She, however, does!

This righteous woman also acts only with her unbelieving husband’s permission. First she asked her husband, “Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall” and now she says “I pray thee” for his permission for her to leave, to take a servant and an ass with her to see the man of Elohim.

Finally, I am not a big “name it and claim it” kind of guy and I understand well that YHVH does not even hear the prayer of a wicked man; but I do think it is interesting that the words that came out of her mouth when she talked to her husband and when she talked to Elisha were “it is well.”

After a very rough 20 mile ride (one way) to Mount Carmel, Elisha sees her coming and sends his servant to her.

Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’ ” And she answered, “It is well.” (2Ki 4:26)

Now, she comes to Elisha, but does NOT tell him that her child has died. She communicates her distress another way.

Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, “Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and YHVH has hidden it from me, and has not told me.” So she said, “Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?” (2Ki 4:27-28)

She refers to Elisha as “my lord” and he refers to Elohim as YHVH! I found it interesting to see that the name of the town that this Shunammite woman comes from is Shumen which means in Hebrew “two resting-places.”

This part of the story finishes with Elisha going back with her and raising her son from the dead.

I’m sure after this miracle occurred that the husband, and the surrounding area, was made aware of yet another wonder that Elisha had done. But while this may seem like the end of the story it is actually the beginning of the ongoing providential work of YHVH on behalf of this righteous woman and her dear family.

2nd Kings chapter 8 begins with a Elisha warning the Shunammite woman that a seven-year famine is coming to the area.

Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for YHVH has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.” So the woman arose and did according to the saying of the man of God, and she went with her household and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years. (2Ki 8:1-2)

Because of the woman’s faithfulness and the trust, that Elisha has now establish with her husband, they take his council and leave their home and land and move their family to the land of the Philistines for seven years. But upon their return, seven years later, the family home and land seems to have been taken over by others; and the woman goes to see the king in order to get her home and land back.

It seems odd to me that she and her son would go to the king instead of her husband. Was it because her elderly husband had died during that time? It was certainly providential that she and her son were the ones to go to the king.

It came to pass, at the end of seven years, that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went to make an appeal to the king for her house and for her land. (2Ki 8:3)

At the very same time that the righteous woman with her son are on their way to see the king, Elisha’s servant is meeting with him and the king is asking about all the miracles that Elisha has done. Just as the servant mentions the son being raised from the dead the woman shows up at the kings door and the servant says “this is the woman and this is her son!”

Then the king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done.” Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son he had restored to life, appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” (2Ki 8:4-5)

Amazing! Only YHVH could orchestrate these events to bless this righteous woman (and her family) who took care of the man of Elohim and always acted with the consent of her husband. Because of her righteous acts she, being apparently barren, received an heir, helped the family survive a famine and preserved their home and land for her extended family.

And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now.” (2Ki 8:6)

To me this is a Proverbs 31 woman in action.