Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

[Diplomat]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

Originally posted by Queen:

A woman of God needs to be persistent.

Queen's Addendum [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] ***One thing I do constantly is remind God of His promises concerning me; He's a God of integrity and will not go back on His word or allow His word to fall to the ground; I just have to keep my end of the bargain, i.e. the pre-conditions that precedes the promises***. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I was listening to Creflo Dollar this morning and as I read your post, was reminded of something he said in his teaching on "Honor in Marriage". While God is a God of integrity, a part of being persistent is making sure that we are in a position to receive from God the things we ask Him for. I think the Shunammite woman represented that. I had a good chuckle when Dr. Dollar spoke about how some ladies were asking God for the best husband, but they themselves were so messed up that there was no way God was going to send the man they were asking for their way so they could mess him up too. I like the idea of persistence, but we have to be in a position to receive that which we are asking for, even if it is the area of finances - as previously discussed - where we need to be good stewards.

A time will come in all our lives when satan will attempt to steal something that God has decided to bless us with. This is the time to stand on God's word against the devil (Ephesians 6:13). The Holy Spirit within you will strengthen you to do this once you have set your heart to stand on God's Word.

As long as we are in position to receive, all things are possible to them that believe. Though it tarries, it will surely come, if we faint not.

[Diplomat]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

Originally posted by Queen:

CEW, pardon me too if I seem like I'm taking over your thread. Feel free to jump in with any corrections, additions, comments. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I only started it and I am really enjoying your contributions so keep going. I will be adding my comments/perspectives at various points as is necessary.

BTW, do you realize her story (blessings and restoration) continues in 2 Kings 8?

There is another aspect to this story as it pertains to Elisha, but I will leave that for later [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] .

[Guest]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

Queen, you just got me very excited.

1. How did the Shunammite woman show kindness to the prophet of God?

She showed him hospitality by offering him a meal and preparing a room in her home for him for whenever passes through her town.

2. How can we show our love to the work and people of God?

By being kind and supportive

3. How was the Shunammite woman's persistence in seek healing for her child demonstrated?

She went back to the prophet and reminded him of the promise of a son. Since she was promised her son, then he would not be taken away from her.

4. How can we persist in seeking God's face?

By prayer and reading His word

5. How did Elisha go about in raising the dead child?

He prayed then he then got into bed with the boy and covered him with his body, mouth on mouth, eyes on eyes, hands on hands. As he was stretched out over him like that, the boy's body became warm. Elisha got up and paced back and forth in the room. Then he went back and stretched himself upon the boy again. The boy started sneezing--seven times he sneezed!-and opened his eyes (2 Kings 33-35 Msg.)

6. What do you think he was doing as he walked up and down in the room (2 Kings 4:32-35)

Praying

7. What role does prayer play in holding unto the promises of God?

That is the key

[Queen]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb]

Originally posted by Queen:

A woman of God needs to be persistent.

Queen's Addendum [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] ***One thing I do constantly is remind God of His promises concerning me; He's a God of integrity and will not go back on His word or allow His word to fall to the ground; I just have to keep my end of the bargain, i.e. the pre-conditions that precedes the promises***.

By CEW
I was listening to Creflo Dollar this morning and as I read your post, was reminded of something he said in his teaching on "Honor in Marriage". While God is a God of integrity, a part of being persistent is making sure that we are in a position to receive from God the things we ask Him for. I think the Shunammite woman represented that. I had a good chuckle when Dr. Dollar spoke about how some ladies were asking God for the best husband, but they themselves were so messed up that there was no way God was going to send the man they were asking for their way so they could mess him up too. I like the idea of persistence, but we have to be in a position to receive that which we are asking for, even if it is the area of finances - as previously discussed - where we need to be good stewards.[/qb]

That's our keeping our end of the bargain, the pre-conditions that precede God's promises. I do agree with you, it's one thing to pray for a good spouse, it's another to be prepared and in an a position to receive him/her.

A time will come in all our lives when satan will attempt to steal something that God has decided to bless us with. This is the time to stand on God's word against the devil (Ephesians 6:13). The Holy Spirit within you will strengthen you to do this once you have set your heart to stand on God's Word.

As long as we are in position to receive, all things are possible to them that believe. Though it tarries, it will surely come, if we faint not.

Talking about waiting, I use to be THE MOST impatient person on the planet (still working on patience) [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I learned to not just always ask for things and expect an immediate answer but also to seek God's face for His timing...that eliminated a lot of headaches and anxiety.I'm still learning. Everyday is a learning process for me. I'm telling you, I thank God for who He is, because If I had to deal with me or put up with me, like He did...tsk,tsk tsk, I don't even want to think about the possible actions I would take [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Queen]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

Originally posted by Compry:
[qb]7. What role does prayer play in holding unto the promises of God?That is the key [/qb]

Nice work.

As far as prayer playing a key in holding onto the promise of God, LIke CEW said earlier, we have to be in a position to receive those promises. For example, I think we discussed being faithful stewards yesterday. There is a passage in Malachi 3 (can't remember the exact verses, it's towards the end of the chapter) Those verses talks about God opening the windows of heaven and pouring out blessings on His people and rebuking the devour for our sake. We could pray for those blessings to pour upon us, however, we would have to position ourselves and back up to the verse that says "bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse" do not rob me in tithes and offerings etc.

Once we do those things, i.e. align ourselves to receive his blessing then we can pray, hold on to those promises and expect them to be fulfilled.

[Diplomat]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

Question: Did anyone noticed that Elisha's first attempt at bringing the boy back to life failed? Any lessons we can learn from that?

[Dailybread]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

Originally posted by Queen:
[qb]

Originally posted by Compry:
[qb]7. What role does prayer play in holding unto the promises of God?That is the key [/qb]

Nice work.

As far as prayer playing a key in holding onto the promise of God, LIke CEW said earlier, we have to be in a position to receive those promises. For example, I think we discussed being faithful stewards yesterday. There is a passage in Malachi 3 (can't remember the exact verses, it's towards the end of the chapter) Those verses talks about God opening the windows of heaven and pouring out blessings on His people and rebuking the devour for our sake. We could pray for those blessings to pour upon us, however, we would have to position ourselves and back up to the verse that says "bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse" do not rob me in tithes and offerings etc.

Once we do those things, i.e. align ourselves to receive his blessing then we can pray, hold on to those promises and expect them to be fulfilled. [/qb]

I agree well done Compry! I also echo #7 that is indeed the key!

Queen the verses you mentioned:

KJV - Malachi 3 : 8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. 12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

[Dailybread]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] Question: Did anyone noticed that Elisha's first attempt at bringing the boy back to life failed? Any lessons we can learn from that? [/qb]

Excellent point CEW... Some people may have given up and said it's not God's will so let it be. However Elisha knew that God wants us to have life and have it more abundantely.

A very good lesson which was brought forward in the very beginning of this topic is to be persistent and not give up.

[Queen]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] Question: Did anyone noticed that Elisha's first attempt at bringing the boy back to life failed? Any lessons we can learn from that? [/qb]

As DailyBread said, persistence. I wonder if while Elijah was pacing back and forth if he was inquiring of the Lord his will, or was he worried just a tad since his first attempt with the staff failed(I doubt that) or praying asking for directions from God what to do next. God must have told Him to stretch out on the boy, you think?

[Diplomat]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

DB, Queen: Well, that part of the story intrigued me and my inquiring mind went to work trying to understand why Elisha's faith did not bear fruit in that instance. Sure God is soverign and I am left to wonder if that was all there was to it. I think some people would have figured: "OK. it is not the will of God.", yet there was nothing in the text to suggest that God was not going to intervene.

Here is what I discovered. You may recall that Elisha was understudy to Elijah, and in 1 Kings 17, we find Elijah raising a dead child. According to verses 19-22, we read: "And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived."

Because of Elisha's role then, it is reasonable to think that what we see here is that Elijah, the master, had left a complete example to his servant. However, in the case of the Shunammite's son, we see a deviation of that. Elisha sent his servant, with his staff! That may seem insignificant, but in my mind it is not. From the onset of Elisha's ministry, he did things pretty much the same way Elijah did them; the way he was taught. Here we see him short-circuiting the program, so to speak. It was only after he did things as the Master taught, that the boy was revived.

Glory to God for the lesson here. With God, there are no short-cuts. Nothing will happen in our lives until we do things the ways of the Master. Having failed the first time, Elisha did not persist in doing what was wrong but rather changed the method. That reminds me of the saying "You cannot do things the same way and expect a different result." How many of us are guilty of that? We ask the Lord for some things and are quick to say it must not be His will when we there are no answers, yet we refuse to consider that we perhaps need to change our methods; i.e. the way we live our lives. I like what Charles Spurgeon had to say on this point: "We try this doctrine and that truth, this anecdote and the other illustration, this way of teaching a lesson and that manner of delivering an address; but so long as ever the truth which we deliver is a matter apart from ourselves and unconnected with our innermost being, so long it will have no more effect upon a dead soul than Elisha's staff had upon the dead child." Until we do things the ways of the Master, no matter how much prayer we pray, how many prophesies are/were declared over us, how many times we are anointed with oil, we will not get the desired results.

That lesson really jumped out at me during my study of this fascinating story.

[Queen]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

Alright CEW, can we go on to the next aspect of the Shunammite woman discussed in Chapter 8. I'll refresh my memory and come back for more discussions.

[Diplomat]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

Originally posted by Queen:
[qb] Alright CEW, can we go on to the next aspect of the Shunammite woman discussed in Chapter 8. I'll refresh my memory and come back for more discussions. [/qb]

Sure, but the sub-plot was just as intriguing and cannot be overlooked. It is a very important part of the story [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Queen]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

A sub-plot in Chapter 4? or 8?

[Diplomat]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

Originally posted by Queen:
[qb] A sub-plot in Chapter 4? or 8? [/qb]

The part about Elisha's first "failure" as recorded in Chapter 4.

[gracie]

Re: Women Of The Bible (WOTB) - The Shunammite

CEW Another perspective to Elisha having to pray more than once is to encorage us as children of God not to give up praying when the answer to our oft repeated prayers doesn't come readily. We have to persevere. The most fascinating thing about this woman is that she believed Matthew 10 v.41"He who receives a prophet in the name of the prophet shall receive a prophet's reward." Her unselfish act teaches us total dependency on God and interdependency on our fellowmen.What is quite impressive about her is when Elisha sent his servant to go ahead of him and pray for the boy she refused to go with him. See this woman's faith recognized that the servant was not the real thing. She refused to settle for what she knew would not work. She told Elisha "as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." Now that's trust and faith working together. And for us it doesn't matter what we go through we have to let the fact rivet in us that when Jesus said "it is finish," then it is finish. He holds the key to every situation in our lives and His desire is to give us our exoected end, but are we willing to trust Him. He already conquered death an hell itself so no situation we experience can be graver and even if it is then He is still able to work exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or think. Let us trust Him because faithful is He who made that promise to us.