2 Kings 8 (Part 1) Bible Study (The Shunammite's Land Restored) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

If you can meet me, please, in the book of second Kings, as we continue in this series, in chapter eight, and we will look at the first six verses together. Second Kings chapter eight, and I will wait for you before we begin reading these verses. Let's read together. Verse one. Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, arise and depart with your household and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.

So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land. Now the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, tell me all the great things that Elisha has done. And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land.

And Gehazi said, my lord, oh king, here is the woman and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life. And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her saying, restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day she left the land until now. Righteous father, we ask that as we come to this final study of this year, that you would meet us in a special way. Lord, we hunger for you.

We long for you. And we've come, Lord, believing that you have a word for us. So we ask that you would stir our hearts. You would stimulate our minds. You would win our affections.

You would transform us. We trust that you are able. We trust that this word is able. So we ask that even in our weakness, from the preacher to the listener, that your power would be made perfect. So we rely on you, and we believe, Lord, that we will meet with you in your word at this moment.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You know, there is a debate, some debate, about this passage that we just read together, and the discussion surrounds the timing of this testimony. When did it actually take place? And the reason for this is not so much determining when this famine happened, but rather the mention of Gehazi in this text.

The last time that we encountered Gehazi was back in second Kings chapter five when he was cursed with leprosy and was expelled from the presence of the prophet and really from society altogether. At least that's what the law demanded. And to our surprise, we come to second Kings chapter eight and we discover that Gehazi is not outside the city walls. He's in the presence of the king conversing with him in his palace. This is strange.

There seems to be something wrong here. And so this has this has led some to believe that what we have in second Kings eight one to six actually took place before second Kings chapter five, which is plausible. Why? Because not every biblical author is concerned about recording and giving their account in a strict chronological order. We see that in different places.

We even see that in the gospels. So again, there are some who say this happened before second Kings chapter five, but I believe that there are other worthy explanations for why Gehazi is here when he shouldn't be. And we're gonna explore that in this study, but before we go there, we have to take our time to uncover other truths that preceded. And that's what we'll be doing today because Gehazi isn't the only one who makes a surprising reappearance in this narrative. There's someone else.

The Shunammite woman. You remember her. Right? We thought that we learned a lot from her and we did, but the Holy Spirit obviously wants to teach us even more things from her example, and that's what we're going to learn as well. All to say that there is much in store for us tonight, including what we can learn from this famine.

Let's look at verse one again. Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, arise and depart with your household and soldier wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine. And it will come upon the land for seven years. There are three things that we can draw from verse one about this famine alone. Now we've discussed this a few chapters ago, but it's worth revisiting and there's an additional thought that I wanna present to you.

How long did this famine endure? Seven years. Now, this is under Elisha's ministry, but this was not the only famine that these people experienced. We remember that there was a famine before this and we'll talk about that, but there was also a lengthy famine during the ministry of Elijah. And how long did that last according to James chapter five?

Three years and how long? Six months. You're right. So three years and six months. Now here's a second observation.

Elisha declares the one who is behind this famine. What does it say there in the middle of verse one? For the Lord has called for a famine. This drought is orchestrated by God himself. And why is that important to know?

Because it reminds us that famines were not natural occurrences under the old covenant for this people. They weren't part of the cycle of the year or every few years. Famines were foreign. Famines were actually something that the people didn't have to experience. But they were triggered when the people disobeyed persistently.

And we've talked about this from Deuteronomy. Allow me to quote it in your presence once more so that we can make this more concrete in our understanding. In Deuteronomy 11 verse 16, the Lord already forewarned the people in his law the following. Deuteronomy eleven sixteen, take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and he will shut up the heavens. So that there will be no rain and the land will yield no fruit and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you.

So here's what's interesting. When we connect the first insight with the second, we can make this conclusion. It's a disheartening truth about the people of Israel. That under Elijah's ministry, evidently they did not repent. Even though on Mount Carmel, the true God destroyed Baalism.

And with that miraculous demonstration, the people still returned to their sin in a persistent manner. And so what did the Lord do? Because they didn't learn to repent after God showed them mercy in that way, and even after that level of chastisement, he says fine, you didn't learn with three and a half years, I'm gonna double it. Here's seven years. Let's see you'll learn this time, if you'll learn this time.

Because you see to go back to sins that we vow to never revisit again only invites greater discipline from a loving heavenly father, especially if we've been disciplined for those sins before. And unfortunately, many deceive themselves by thinking that the consequences that they had to endure and they survived will be the same consequences they will have to face again if they indulge in those same sins again. So let this be an example for us. The Lord will not treat us with such indifference. He loves us too much.

So if we didn't learn the first time, if we didn't learn the second time, if we didn't learn the third time, he will change his ways with us every single time if necessary in order to win our holiness and to win our devotion to him. And so we get a sense, we get an an insight of how god treats his own. He didn't learn with three and a half years, so let's prolong it. Let's go with seven now and see if you will truly repent and come back to me. Here's the third observation about this famine.

There is evidence that this particular drought was not solely because of the idolatry of the people. Why? Because there's a clue with the first word of the first verse. What is it? Now.

If you have a different word for word translation like the new king James, and I believe the king James, it will read it will be rendered what? Then. So that's a word that the notes sequence, that something happened before this and there's something now following. So we're meant to connect what Elisha warns about here with what just happened. And and what did we learn last week?

That the people endured another famine. Some argue man made famine because of the siege, or it was another famine and they just the Syrians just capitalize on it. Nevertheless, the people were suffering, they were starving, and the Syrians were bringing to a point of near extinction or potential exile. And what did God do? He intervened with supernatural provision and protection and preservation.

And if you read that account, you'll notice that there is a staggering omission of something. A staggering omission. You know what it is? The lack of response from the people after God came through for them. There is no sign of an acknowledgment of the goodness of the Lord.

There is no hint of repentance, not even a word of gratitude for him coming through for them. I'm persuaded that a major catalyst to this prolonged famine in second Kings eight is a result of a lack of thankfulness on the part of the people of Israel. God registers how we respond to his provision, to his power, to his providence in our lives. Whether it's common grace or uncommon grace, God looks at how people respond to his mercy. And if there is a lack of gratitude, to us that may not seem significant, but it is to the one who is the source of everything that is good in our lives.

And I believe because there was silence here on the part of this people, the Lord said, fine. Here's more discipline. You won't acknowledge me. You won't give me glory. Then here's another famine.

But God doesn't just take note of the wrong that sinners or even his children might do. He takes note of the good that his servants do as well. How do we know that? In the very fact that Elisha comes to the Shunammite woman and gives her this awesome revelation of what's to come what's about to come to pass in order to prepare her. And I think this is God's way of demonstrating the extent of his reward to those who make the effort and even sacrificially give to the advancement of his purposes on the earth, especially in a day of apostasy like this day.

So you remember, this is the same woman who when she learned Elisha would come through her town, decide to give him a meal every single time, and more than that, decide to make an extension to her home in order for him to rest there whenever he would like to rest. And the reward in that immediate context was that she received what she could not have and that was a son. But God went beyond that. He didn't just provide this woman a child, he provided her insight of the future in order to preserve her life and her the life of her household altogether. And so this really shows how God keeps in mind those who have done good to his people and his cause.

And it reminds me of this New Testament verse in Hebrews chapter six verse 10. This is a verse for those who serve God and are tempted to believe that, maybe God has overlooked my sacrifice. And part of that temptation is when people, especially the people of God, don't recognize you for your sacrifice or praise you or reward you. Look what the Holy Spirit has included in his word. In Hebrews six ten, for God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints as you still do.

I love that verse. Someone beautifully commented on it by saying that while God will never remember our sins, he will never forget our service. He will never remember our sins, and he will never forget our sacrifice for him. And I would add that his reward outweighs whatever contributions we make in this temporal life because it is temporal one, and it is granted and it is responded to with eternal reward. Things that people can't steal, or moths can't eat up, or rust can destroy.

But let me stay here for a while, because it's difficult for some people to remain persistent in their service to the Lord. And I love what the author says here because he mentions the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints. If you lack the motivation to serve God with your gifts, to serve God consistently in the house of God, do it for his name. Do it for his name. Not even necessarily for those who bear his name, do it for his name.

And you'll find greater grace to serve those who bear his name. So that's an encouragement to me that ultimately I'm doing it for the Lord. I'm doing it for my master. I'm doing it for his smile. Whether people smile at me or not, will people recognize me, it doesn't matter.

I'm doing it for his name. And there's a warning in this passage as well. Because only when we do it in his name and for his name are we rewarded. If I'm doing it for my name, I lose my reward. Right?

So if I'm here preparing bible studies and preaching every Sunday for my name, then I will appear before the judgment seat of Christ and all my works will turn into ash. That's what Paul teaches in first Corinthians chapter three. So it must be for his name. That will motivate you to work, and that will also keep you with the right motive in your work. This woman served this man of God and the Lord did not forget him.

He spoke to Elijah and says, you need to go to that Shunammite woman and tell her that she needs to flee from here because I'm gonna bring a famine. Not even the king received such a privileged word. But this widow, I say widow because I believe based on what we read, her husband was no longer with them. You remember the husband to this woman? We learned there in second Kings earlier, in chapter four, that he was old.

He was much older than she was and based on how this text reads, doesn't seem like he's there anymore. But God is there, watching over, taking care of her, providing for her. What a wonderful God we serve. Now I can't move on without bringing up an interesting detail in Elisha's warning to this woman. Read it carefully.

This really stood out to me when I was reading it the other day. Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, arise and depart with your household and sojourn wherever you can. Highlight those three words. Wherever you can for the Lord has called for a famine and it will come upon the land for seven years. No doubt, this is supernatural revelation.

God has made this known to the prophet and he's making it known to this woman. But within it, we find an intensely practical truth. He tells this woman something's about to happen. You need to leave, but he gives her liberty where to go. Go wherever you can.

Do you know why this is encouraging to me? Well, it should be encouraging to all of us, especially those who are troubled by the notion that every single decision that you make in this life, whether it's big or small, must not be made unless you receive or it is approved by supernatural disclosure. Have you met people like that? I have. And those people, as much as they think it's spiritual to live that way are actually tormented in many cases.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't be praying about your plans. You have to pray about everything. But to remain completely inactive unless some spectacular sign is granted to you, is not only unscriptural, it can be very harmful. So go wherever you can. What's the biblical approach to some of these decisions that we have to make in life?

It is to continually seek God's guidance. Yes. Pray without ceasing. And if it provides clear answer, then you have another reason to praise him. But if he doesn't, then what the Bible proposes is that you make the most righteous, wise, God glorifying decision, and trust that God is going to protect you from making the wrong choice as you step out and obey him.

So this woman was told, go wherever you can. You have options. And that mindset is found in the New Testament as well. You might you might be shocked where you're gonna find this. Go to first Corinthians chapter seven.

Look at verse 39. In this chapter, Paul gives us insight about marriage, divorce, singleness, being engaged in the context of a particular persecution that the that the Corinthians were experiencing. If you don't view it in that light, you can draw some strange conclusions that give some awful counsel to people. You have to view first Corinthians seven in light of a trouble that the people at this time were experiencing. Nonetheless, universal truths that can still be applied in any context, including this one.

Notice this in first Corinthians seven thirty nine. A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives, but if her husband dies, she is free to be married to who? To whom she wishes. Only in the Lord. I think this dispels a lot of Christian teaching about what to look for in a candidate in a spouse.

It really demystifies it, doesn't it? What did he tell them? He says, if your husband dies, you are free to be married to who? One condition, they have to be Christian. They have to be in the Lord.

So what does this mean? Does it mean that you don't pray about your spouse? No. You better be praying about your spouse. But it also means that it's okay to be drawn to somebody based on their personality, and who they are, and compatibility, and their vision, and their character.

You can assess things in such a way. I've talked to people who have told me, should I consider so and so? And I say, well, are you attracted to so and so? No. I'm not attracted to them whatsoever, but I'm just wondering they might be God's will.

No. Probably not actually. No. But they're godly. Okay.

Great. They're godly but you're not attracted. So keep them in the category of sister in Christ for your sake and hers. To whom she wishes. It's not as mystical as people like it to be.

Can God make wonderful stories and testimonies of how people come together? Absolutely. Yes. But if you're waiting to meet somebody on that premise alone and if it doesn't come in the way you think it should happen, in the spectacular supernatural undeniable way, you might be waiting for a while. To whom she wishes?

Only in the Lord. So you don't have total liberty. So what we see in the scripture is that, in moments where we may not understand, there may not be a chapter or verse on it. What do we do? Well, you take God's righteous precepts and his wisdom and you see the examples and you receive people who have biblical insight and you make the most guided, wise decision that you can with the options that you have.

And trust that the Lord will lead you. So go wherever you can. And how does she answer it? Look at verse two. So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God.

She went with her household and soldered into the land of the Philistines seven years. This is wonderful. Number one, she obeyed. In faith, she obeyed without delay. There is no resistance.

There is no protest. She went when she heard the word. And here's why this can inspire us, because the land of Israel was in plenty at this time. Wasn't it? If we're connecting chapter eight with what we read in chapter seven last week, then we understand that the economy in the land of Israel at this time knew a radical shift in the favor of of the people.

And so just when things were beginning to look good, God tells us when we get up, you need to move for several years. So all she had to really work with was the word from the prophet. But everything that she's seeing, businesses are opening up again. People are remodeling their homes. The stark market is looking great.

Just when things are are looking wonderful, she's told pack up your bags. Things are gonna change course very quickly. And so she had to trust that. Moreover, consider the difficulty of leading the promised land in general. God gave them this land.

This was his promise to the people, and though they were generally apostate at this time, to choose to be among the Philistines was no better, in terms of your surroundings and your influence. And we have seen many times in the scriptures how when people stray from the place that God had determined for them, it it doesn't turn out good. They don't benefit much from such a decision. However, this is a unique case, isn't it? So this woman is not like Abraham back in Genesis 12, where the famine came to the land of Canaan and out of his fear, he moves to Egypt.

He didn't get a word from the Lord. And what happened? Lying and all this craziness, and he ended up bringing Hagar back, and we know what happened with Hagar. Nor is this like David who who thought in his exhaustion and his weariness, the best way to deal with Saul chasing me is to go beyond the border and to live among the Philistines. And we saw the trouble that he got himself there too.

This is a woman who received permission from the Lord, like other instances where others have received permission from the Lord to go to a foreign land and to sojourn there for a while. And that's an important word here. What does it say here in verse two? Look at the last few words. She sojourned and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

You know what the word sojourn means? To temporarily stay somewhere. So she she intentionally, she was mindful, reminding herself and her household, we are not here for the long haul. Seven years. The Lord gave us seven years and year after year, they were reminded of that.

I'm sure day by day. So even in this, the Holy Spirit is telling us that she sojourned, she obeyed the Lord those seven years faithfully. And I couldn't help but compare this with another couple. A couple also fled the promised land due to a famine, but they didn't receive a word from the Lord, and they experienced a very different outcome. Go to Ruth chapter one.

And I want us to look at Elimelech and Naomi briefly who made a similar move to a different country, but didn't have the confidence of God's permission. Look at Ruth chapter one beginning in verse one. Let's read the first two verses together. In the days when the judges rule, there was a famine in the land and a man of Bethlehem and Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab. He and his wife and his two sons.

The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of the two sons were Mahlon and Helion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem and Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. Can you compare verse one and verse two in terms of their traveling plans and see if there's a difference? What did they decide to do in verse one?

They went to do what in the country of Moab? Sojourn. How did that turn out? Good. Look at the last two words of verse two.

They went to the country of Moab and what? Sojourned there? They remained there. They didn't sojourn there. They remained there.

This is a strong reminder for us that if we choose to step outside of the will of God for any reason, you are in danger of staying there much longer than you planned. Always. You may plan it. You may plan the timing of it. You may plan the resources you'll spend in that season, but you can never determine it.

Here they are deciding to sojourn, but they ended up moving permanently. They remain there. And Lamech and his family quickly became comfortable in Moab. See, the the Shunammite woman refused to remain comfortable in the land of the Philistines, but they did. And what happened here is that this people group had a rich history of being enemies of the people of God, and because they worshiped a false God, eventually, what happened in Moab began to affect what happened in this family.

And this often happens with people who profess God is king. Do you know what the name Elimek means? God is king. God is king. So he had the name, but he wasn't living it.

Right? So God is king, but I'm gonna tell myself where I'm gonna go and how long I'm gonna be there for. Though this is clearly against God's will. So who's really king here? This man, who was the man of the house made this decision and when he sojourned and even planned to return, he remained there long enough to make decisions that would permanently alter his future and the future of his family.

How do we know that? Look at verse three. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi died and she was left with her two sons. Verse four, these took Moabite wives. So you stay there long enough for your children to do something that was clearly against God's word.

God is not against, different ethnic groups marrying, but he is against different faith groups coming together. And this was true even in the old covenant. These took Moabite wives, the name of the one was Orpon, the name of the other Ruth, they lived there about ten years. This is the very thing that God warned about and they made themselves more vulnerable and susceptible by going into the land that they shouldn't have gone to in the in the first place. And this is what we're supposed to learn from this, that even a single deliberate step of disobedience will often lead to a deeper descent into sin.

It started out as just a little vacation in Moab and ended up becoming something that would have generational effects. Now thankfully, God redeemed it through Ruth. We know that story. But that's not always the case for people. And the longer you and I remain outside of God's will, the more likely we are to make decisions that can do such things to our futures.

And I think it's very possible that the sons were just imitating the relaxed attitude that their father had concerning God's word. They saw it in dad. So, yeah. Should be a problem for us. And let me just say this before we move on.

Elimelech is a picture of a father who really has the the interest of his family in mind, but only in the physical realm. So he leaves the promised land because there's a famine that was induced because of people's sins. Right? It was in the day of the judges, and he wants to provide for his family. Bread.

Physical bread. And that's spiritual bread. And I wanna speak to the men here, and maybe it's possible that some some of the men here grew up with a dad like that, where he expressed his love primarily and exclusively in his provision for you. He worked hard, he paid the bills, he got you wonderful gifts, he helped you pay for your school, and those are wonderful things, and I believe that's part of being a godly man. But if that's all you're providing your children, without the instruction and the admonition and the fear of the Lord, then you're not completely walking in your purpose as a man, as a father.

Here's a lemon like he's he's providing in one sense, but what ended up becoming more detrimental? The lack of food or the lack of the spiritual nourishment? The lack of the spiritual nourishment. You have to trust God. You have to take him at his word.

And that's what the Shunammite woman does. She was much different. Look here at verse three of second Kings chapter eight. And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land. So here's what I see in this woman.

She acted in faith when she left the promised land. She acted in faith when she remained in the land of the Philistines. And she acted in faith when she returned to her home. Every step of the way, she was in tune with obedience. Obedience and reliance on the Lord.

How do I know that? Because she didn't leave midway. She didn't leave after a few years. She waited until the seven years was complete. Additionally, she didn't delay when the seven years were complete.

I mean, you stay somewhere for seven years, you would think, okay, you're adjusted to a new way of life, a new routine and so maybe I'll stay here a little bit longer, I'll linger here. She doesn't do that either. So she doesn't abort it early nor does she prolong it unnecessarily. The moment the seven years were up, she went back. She went back.

So this is precise obedience. This isn't flimsy. This isn't general. This isn't circumstantial. This is calculated.

This is k. The Lord told us this amount of time, no sooner, no later. That's wonderful. And I'll tell you why that level of obedience is important because it secures God's blessings in our lives. That kind of righteous stubbornness in a way.

And how do I know that it secures God's blessings in our lives? Because look what happens next. I want us to read here the next few verses beginning in verse four. Now the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God saying, tell me all the great things that Elisha had done. And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold We've seen that that word over and over in many verses of this study.

Behold, like, pause and see what's about to happen. Behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, my Lord, oh king, here's the woman, here's her son whom Elisha restored to life. It was at the time, out of all the things that Elisha had done, it came to the point where he was explaining to him the testimony of this boy being resurrected from the dead. And while he is sharing that testimony, the woman who is part of that testimony walks in the room and confirms the story.

And her presence in light of that testimony being shared, I believe was necessary for this unrighteous king to be willing to give her back what she lost. Now here's what I thought about. What if she had left the land of the Philistines before the seven years? What about out of her frustration, it's been three years. Enough of this.

I'm gonna go back and she goes back. What if she delayed? What if she had not trusted the Lord to wait seven years? I wonder if it would have messed up the timing of all of this. But because she trusted the Lord and she walked according to his ways, according to his desire, she stumbled upon the right circumstance to unlock the blessing of her property being brought back to her.

Just trust God, would you? Just take him at his word. Believe him. Believe him every step of the way. You and I are gonna be held accountable on one thing.

What his word said and how you responded to it. Even though things look different, even even though if your obedience looks very costly, if it is costly, Notice, she obeys the Lord and what happens when she returns? Somebody takes her land. Somebody takes her home. Is this what I get for trusting the Lord?

Going to the land of the Philistines for seven years and I come back and instead of coming back to an empty home, I come back to somebody occupying it. My produce, my field. Remember, she was a wealthy woman. She had a lot. Is God still worthy to be trusted and obeyed when it's costly?

She doesn't complain. Oh, you see this consistency in her character. Whether it was her son who was prematurely sick and dies because of that sickness, all is well. All is well to her husband, all is well before the prophet. And now she comes back to the land, her land and it's taken from her and though she doesn't say it, she demonstrates it.

She goes, okay. I'm gonna go to the king and I'm gonna make an appeal. She's gonna raise her fist to the heavens. This is a remarkable woman. So as challenging as waiting on God may be or as inconvenient as his commands might seem, you can't afford to rely on your human wisdom.

Especially when it contradicts God's word. Because you have no idea what blessings await the other side of your obedience. You have no idea. Speaking on relying on our own wisdom, let's talk about Gehazi a little bit, shall we? This rebel, how do you explain his presence in the palace of the king?

How is he here of all places? Well, you heard earlier that a common explanation is that this took place before second Kings chapter five. But I think there are challenges with that. So there are some other possibilities and people will claim that he must have repented. He must have confessed his sin and God was merciful to him by reversing the curse.

And as much as we would love to believe that he had a change of heart, there is no shred of evidence that Gehazi got right with God. So you have others who would say, well, okay, yes, he did receive this indictment, this judgment of leprosy, but it didn't develop right away. It was a slow process. And so, for a period of time, he was still fine and he was able to function in society, which enabled him to engage with the king in this manner. Okay.

But that really contradicts this verse, where we read in second Kings five twenty seven that he went out from Elisha's presence a leper like snow. So this is advanced leprosy immediately. So what is the answer? I think we're left with only one conclusion that Gehazi had a unique relationship with the prophet Elisha, and because of that, he was granted special though limited access to the king who wanted to satisfy his curiosity, who had inquiries about Elisha's life, his story, his abilities, and so he summons Gehazi, who had a front row seat to it all. And how that worked, practically, we're not told, but that seems to make to make the most sense that he calls for this man, though he's a leper, so that he can inquire of him in order to to know more about the prophet.

And if that is true, then it also provides an insight about the human heart. That the king's curiosity about the things of God and Gehazi's ability to recount them accurately does not signify a right relationship with the Lord. So we might be excited that the king of Israel is, finding some thrill in discovering what Elisha is all about, what he's able to do, and the testimonies that are associated with him. But that doesn't mean that he he wants God. There are many people who have an interest in the Bible.

I've met people like that. I've met people who've come on Friday night Bible studies, who after the study will come up and they have they just have this curiosity about the things of of the of the Word, the the historicity of it, the revelation of it, the prophecies about it. But they have zero interest of the God of the Bible. They don't want a relationship with him. They're just curious.

They're just fascinated, maybe. It's just an intellectual kind of stimuli. Mental gymnastics. And you have others like Gehazi who can who can rehearse church history with a PhD level of knowledge. Memorized it.

Can explain any doctrine. Any theological concept. And are lepers, unrepentant, still filled with greed and operate in deception. So you have this pair. One is interested in the things of God, but is wicked.

Another who can explain the things of God, but is wicked in his own way. This is interesting. It's quite telling of the human condition. It's not what you know, it's what you do with what you know. Yeah?

It's not how fascinated you are with the truth, it's if it's won your devotion. So no matter how excited you are about these things or how well you can articulate them, that won't save you. Only when that truth has won your heart does it mean something to you and to others. So what shall we do? We have to make a conclusion about Gehazi.

I don't think the author is too interested in trying to explain to us how he is here. I think there's a greater truth to be learned. And it's about providence. And that's what we're gonna conclude on. There are a couple of thoughts about providence that I wanna bring to your attention.

Let's look at verse six again. And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her saying, restore all that was hers together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now. Let me mention to you the brilliance of God's providence. The brilliance of God's providence in how it accomplishes more than one redemptive purpose at a time.

Because the obvious conclusion here is that God orchestrated all of this so that the woman would arrive at this particular moment, so that the king would hear the testimony, see the evidence of it, and be moved to get behind supporting this woman in the way God supported this woman. Or whatever was going through his mind to to actually accept her appeal. But it's more than that. As much as God had the woman in mind, right, to reward her and to preserve her, I believe that God had the king in view as well. What do you mean?

Because Gehazi is testifying of what the Lord had done through Elisha, and at the same time, there's a double witness. You have the woman and her son appearing before the king of Israel confirming that this was true. With what end in mind? To entertain the king? No.

To hopefully cause him to see this is the true God. He's real. The gods that I worship, they can't do this. There's no testimonies like this. And so I'm persuaded that the Lord orchestrating this was also to cause the king to reconsider his lack of faith in the true God.

He gave this king a chance, another chance with this testimony, this brilliant testimony. And so I love the way God moves because you see one testimony and there are hundreds of other testimonies attached to that one. God is doing something in your life which is wonderful, but there are other things that he's doing in that. There are all these different subplots in God's work. It's it's wonderful and I think in eternity we're gonna spend thousands upon thousands of years connecting all the dots.

And so we just see two things, at least that's what I see. The woman being provided for and also the king being provided for. In what way? Yes, the woman her property, but this man another chance to witness the truth so that he can come to the truth. So the brilliance of God's wisdom in his providential work, but also the purpose of pain in his providential work.

Who would have thought that the Lord bringing this woman a child and allowing that child to die would be the necessary testimony for years to come that when this woman would lose everything, it would be that testimony that would win everything back. At least seven a minimum of seven years has has transpired between this woman and her son, and this encounter with the king. Surely, it's more than that. So who would have thought that the trauma of this boy's dead death and the glorious testimony of his resurrection had something greater in mind that would take years upon years before it was realized? So you and I have scars and we wonder the purpose of these scars.

You might not know it for another decade. You might not know it for another thirty years. You have no clue. But we have stories like this to comfort us in those moments of waiting and wondering that this is not in vain. My my turmoil is not pointless.

There's something to this. I may not be able to see it. I may not be able to explain it. And I'm sure you've tossed in bed back and forth trying to wonder what why this? Why?

And I wonder what the reaction of this woman was. She was a woman of faith. She was she was a smart woman. I wonder what she thought when she went back home and realized it was this testimony that would win the king's temporary affection to allow me to have everything that I lost. This is no ordinary king, by the way.

The context suggests that he is Jehoram. And who is he the son of? Remind me. Good. Ahab, and his mother was Jezebel.

Did Ahab have a reputation of being kind with people's property or no? No. No. No. You remember Naboth's Vineyard.

Right? And so this is this is a king whose dad was very manipulative. Right? And it makes you wonder, what are the chances that this king is not gonna take advantage of the situation and manipulate it so that he could come out with something very low. Very low if we see his history and his upbringing.

And yet, it would be Gehazi's word and this woman's appearance at that time, and that particular story, out of all of Elisha's testimonies, that would soften his heart and say, you can have it back. And not just have it back. Read verse six carefully again. So the king appointed an official for her saying, restore all that was hers together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now. So not just your house and your land, but whatever produce that might have been developed in your absence, all of that is being brought to you, as though you were here.

Everything that was taken from you is gonna be given back to you. I'm sure she would have been happy if she just got the keys back to her front door. But no. We're gonna we're gonna work this out and figure out what was what was developed and what was produced, and we're gonna we're gonna put that into your account as well. Because the Lord goes above and beyond for those who serve him.

He goes above and beyond for those who serve him. That's really the lesson of this testimony and this study, that you will never go wrong serving the Lord sacrificially. Never go wrong. And though you serve him, and things happen in your life that don't make sense, treatment that doesn't seem to align with faithfulness, There's a reason for it. There's a reason for it.

It's developing a wisdom in you. It's developing a character in you. It's developing a story in you that when it's shared might win people to the savior. They say I've read this in many, many accounts of ministers that their messages and that their counsel and that their interactions with their members radically change when a chapter of suffering comes their way. God's curriculum in his school is very fascinating to me, very interesting.

And all it requires of us is just to trust him, believe him, let him lead, and let him write this story. And as he's writing that story, as we learn, that doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have some liberty to make choice as you were informed by the word of God. Go wherever you can. And so I want us to end here tonight asking us for both of those things, for his perfect leadership so that we wouldn't miss one testimony, and at the same time, for the wisdom and the balance to know when to move, how to act, what to decide, and to believe that he will guide us even though we don't get supernatural guidance in it. Shall we pray?

Can we take our time? I think this is a very fitting study for the last study of our year, of this year, as we prepare for a new year. And the praise team can join me on the platform as we are ready to sing to the Lord. Thank you, Lord. We bless your holy name.

You are beyond good to us, Lord. Oh, God. We thank you for 2024. We thank you for every testimony. We even thank you for the tests, the trials, Lord, that you were able to bring us through.

Thank you, Lord, that these things occur not because we have something to prove to you, but so that we can confirm the faith that we have in you and realize I do trust him, I do believe in him, I do love him. So, Lord, we we honor you, we crown you with our praise for everything, oh God. And we we ask even now, Lord, if there is a crossroads that some are standing at, not knowing where to go, that this study would be the nudge to push them in the right direction. And for those who have done all that they can to obey you and it and it just seems to cost them more than anything else, may they believe you and may they rest in you, knowing that they will never go wrong obeying what your word has to say. Even if it encourages delay, even if it causes inconvenience, Lord, we believe you that you only have good in mind for us.

So help us be patient in our obedience. Help us be patient as we wait on you. Lord, tonight, we pray that you would deposit in our hearts the ability to retain these truths when they matter the most, when we are faced with similar things that might challenge us to distress you. Lord, bring these things to mind. Help us remember.

We will not, oh lord, divert from your way. We will not be like Elimelech and Naomi and choose to be the king of our own lives, the queen of our own decisions. We trust in you. Even in famine, even in discomfort, we'll wait on you. In Jesus' name, amen.

Let's stand and worship the Lord. Just worship him with the heart that he has taught us so much in 2024, and that he has more for us should he tarry in 2025.