(Lessons from the Shunammite woman. 2Kings4:8-36)
In the last one year, particularly at the start of this year, I found myself asking the question: ‘Is it well?’ I had been hit on many sides by certain realities and had lost hope, cut down some big dreams and had become irritated by the number of people so eager to tell me ‘it is well’. Not because it wasn’t, but I’ve come to realise life has a way of getting to you like that if you let it.
The phrase ‘it is well’ has become something of a cliché in our world today that I fear that the true meaning of those words has been lost.
‘It is well’ has become the perfect response to news of crisis, and those words practically jump out of our mouths almost before we permit them to. That in itself is no bad thing if we mean what we say. It is just terrible if we speak them to give the impression that we are not hurt, or worse still, to fool our consciences into believing that nothing happened.
A study of the story of the Shunammite woman (in 2 Kings 4:8-36), the Biblical character who famously used these words, shows the woman saying, ‘it is well’ on two occasions; the first when her husband, who was not aware of their son’s passing, questioned her going to see the Prophet, when it was neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath (vs.23), apparently, those were the times when it would be normal to go see the man of God.
The second was when Elisha, having recognised her from a distance as she approached him on Mount Carmel, sent Gehazi to meet her and ask if all was well with her, her husband and son (vs.26). She replied by saying ‘it is well.’
But by the time she got to the man of God, she fell and held him by his feet; the Bible records that she was deeply distressed. PAUSE!
That she declared ‘it is well’ did not mean she wasn’t hurt; in fact, I believe that she had taken in and appreciated her situation, because studying further we find that she points to how that she had been content without a child, and that the promise of a child was hope raised and now the child being taken from her was just crushing (vs.28).
This much pain could have been enough excuse to contract the ‘eehya’ committee, get the professional Shunammite mourners together and throw the biggest pity party in Shunem history at her residence...
But no, that wasn’t what she did. She went straight to the vessel through whom the blessing was promised. Surely, he has a connection with the Source, and the Source must have an answer to why, even though she had protested against having her hopes raised, this blessing seemed to be turning into a mirage; for her the vessel through whom the promise had come would be the channel through whom she would get an explanation – she went straight to Elisha; notice that she did not even report the incident to her husband.
And even when Elisha sent Gehazi to go lay his staff on the boy, she insisted on staying with the Prophet and her insistence resulted in Elisha going with her, and brought about her miracle.
Bottom line:
1. She wasn’t ignorant of her situation; she knew and appreciated it, she did not lie to herself. (vs.27)
2. She knew who to talk to. (vs.28)
3. She was persistent. (vs.30)
This is for you if you’re asking if it is well, and if yes, how well?
God’s answer to you is ‘Yes, it is’; ‘It is very well’.
Please believe it, because He means it when He declares that “All things work together for your good.”(Romans 8:28)
