“All is Well!”

In 2 kings 4, we read the story of Elisha and the wealthy Shunammite woman. When Elisha visited Shunem, she urged him to visit her house for a meal. Overtime she prepared a room in her home for him, so that whenever he visited, he had a place to stay. Elisha was moved by her compassion and asked the woman if there was anything that he could offer her. The woman did not request anything from Elisha, but he was convinced that he needed to reward her kindness. Elisha’s servant Gehazi told him, that the woman did not have a child and her husband was old. He sent for the woman and prophesied concerning her conception.

“And he said, “At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my Lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant”” (2 Kings 4:16). Just like Elisha said, the woman conceived and gave birth to a son at spring time. When the child was grown, he went with his father in the field and cried out from a pain in his head. The servant was instructed to take the child to his mother. The boy sat on her lap until noon and died. The woman took her son’s body and placed him on Elisha’s bed. She asked her husband to send her a servant with a donkey, so that she could quickly go to see Elisha.

“And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath.” She said, “All is well”” (2 Kings 4:23). The passage does not indicate whether or not, the woman told her husband that the child had died. The passage suggests that he may have still been in the fields, as she sent to request a servant and a donkey. Either way her response to his queries about her travels was; ‘all is well.’ The woman urged her servant to ride quickly to visit Elisha at Mount Carmel. Elisha saw her from a distance and sent his servant to ask about her and her family. Her response to Elisha’s questions was; ‘all is well.’

When the woman got to Elisha, she threw herself at his feet in distress. “Then she said, “Did I ask my Lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’”” (2 Kings 4:28)? Elisha sent Gehazi ahead with his staff to lay it on the face of the child. Nevertheless, the woman refused to leave Elisha, so he went with her to her house. Gehazi laid the staff on the child, but there was no sign of life, so he returned to Elisha. Elisha went into his room where the child laid dead and prayed unto God. He laid his face on the child and stretched himself over him and the child became warm. When he repeated this action, the child sneezed seven times and then opened his eyes.

The woman’s son came back to life. Despite the anguish which she displayed when she met Elisha, I am encouraged by her faith and her declaration that, ‘all is well.’ She first made this statement to her husband and then to Elisha’s servant, when he came to meet her on the way. I like her initial reaction when her son died, in placing him on the bed of the prophet. The child was born through the word spoken by Elisha and she trusted that God would use him to bring him back to life. The promises of God never fails and tests and trials will try to nullify the word of God. Stay in faith and trust that God’s word cannot lie. We speak in the face of adversity and no matter difficult the circumstance, we declare that, ‘all is well.’

A.P.-Y.

Published
August 18, 2022August 18, 2022