<< 2 Kings 4: Elisha and the Home in Shunem >>

 ELISHA journeyed about, as Elijah did, probably visiting often the places where companies of the prophets lived. He had a house in Samaria. He often went  northward into the plain of Esdraelon and to Mount Carmel, where Elijah had made the sacrifice. Probably he also went from Esdraelon by the branch of the plain which leads between Gilboa and Little Hermon to the Jordan, and so down to Jericho.

So he often passed the little town of Shunem, which stands on the lower slopes of Little Hermon, looking out from its gardens and orchards over the great plain to the west. Here there was a woman of influence who lived with her husband in a comfortable house with servants. She made Elisha welcome whenever he passed on his journeys, and they built for him a little room, cool and quiet, on the roof of the house, and put for him there a bed and a table and some sort of a comfortable seat and a stand for a lamp. You know that the flat roofs of Eastern houses are often used because they are so cool and pleasant, and chambers on the roof are the best.

As we read the beautiful story you will see how a blessing came to the home in Shunem, where they were so kind to the Lord's prophet. A son was born.
The woman's saying, "I live among mine own people," seems to mean that she lived among friends and loved her home, and had no need of favors from the king. But by and by sadness came to the home, for the hoy went out to his father to the reapers, and was taken sick, perhaps struck by the hot sun. They carried him to his mother, but at noon he died. Then read how the mother laid the child upon the bed in the prophet's room, and took an ass, and a young man to run at the side to drive it, and crossed the broad plain some twenty miles, to Mount Carmel, to find the prophet and get his help. No doubt the prophet was often there, and perhaps they went to him sometimes at the new moon, or on other feast days.

The woman's answer to her husband and to Elisha, "It is well," or "Peace," was not meant to deceive; it was a common greeting, and seems also to mean, "Say nothing."

As we read how Elisha went with the Shunammite, and how the child was raised to life, we remember how Elijah raised the widow's son at Zarephath, and we think of the Lord, who years afterwards walked over these same paths and brought a blessing to the homes where they received Him, raising to life some who had died.

Now listen; you must not lose a word of this beautiful story.

And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. And 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, and shut the door upon him, and went out. And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel.

And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well: And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?  Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.---2 Kings IV. 8-34.

Author: William L. Worcester 1904

Spiritual Correspondences

Housetop Chamber >> Interior, Heavenly states of mind where the Lord can reside

Furnish the chamber >> True thoughts and kind affections

Birth of the child in the home in Shunem >> A new life from the Lord

The child becomes sick and dies at noon >> We lose our Heavenly life through selfish and evil loves

Saddling of the ass >> Trying to rediscover the Lord through our power of thought and understanding

“his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands,” >> The Lord's help in every weakness

Spiritual Meaning

2 KINGS IV

8And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.
 
 8. But, in the course of regeneration, the Word is also communicated to the exterrnal or natural man as well as the internal or spiritual, because there also is the affection or truth, and the appropriation or good by truth with determination, so that this appropriation is constant.
 
  9And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
 
 9. For affection conjoined with intelligence has the power of discerning the holiness of the Divine Word, and that revelation therefrom is continuous.
 
  10Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
 
 10. It also provides a suitable receptacle in the mind for Divine things, guarded by ultimate truths, and furnished with interior truth and good, as well as exterior good and truth---that is, with vessels recipient of such goods and truths---and thus it cherishes them,
 
  11And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
 
 11. So that the Divine Word finds, even in the external man, a distinct reception and resting-place, which is the literal sense thereof.
 
  12And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
 
 12. And the literal sense of the Word, abiding in the natural understanding and will, is subordinate to the spiritual sense; and through it the natural man has communication with the Lord, and acknowledges the Lord and the Word.
 
  13And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.
 
 13. In which state there is perception even by the literal sense of the Word that the natural man earnestly cherishes the Divine Truth thence; and also investigation as to whether the desire of reward from self-derived in telligence or selfderived natlural affection predominates. But the new natural man loves the truth for its own
sake.
 
  14And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
 
 14. And consequently there is further perception in the natural mind, that it desires truth exceedingly, it being the end or consummation of the church.
 
  15And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
 
 15. And hence there is Revelation to the natural man through the literal sense of the Word to which the natural man applies himself,
 
  16And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
 
 16. That at the end of the old church and the beginning of the new, the truth is made manifest. But the natural man, although he acknowledges Divine Good and Divine Truth in general, cannot, as yet, acknowledge the Divine Human.
 
  17And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
 
 17. But nevertheless Revelation is made and Divine Truth appears in the end of the church among those who have spiritual life in the natural degree.
 
  18And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.
 
 18. And also at the end of the church, among those who are in good merely natural, when judgment takes place, Divine Truth appears.
 
  19And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.
 
 19. But with them the Divine Human is denied, both as to the will and as to the understanding, through the heat of self-love. And yet in externals it is acknowledged to belong to the church.
 
  20And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
 
 20. And so long as there is any conjunction between the internal and external man the truth survives; but when self-love is at its greatest intensity, then Divine Truth perishes, or is withdrawn.
 
  21And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.
 
 21. Those in the church who are in good, however, and are thereby elevated, acknowledge that the Divine Human is supported and affirmed by doctrine from the Word, and that it is entirely sacred, even when neglected by the church.
 
  22And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.
 
 22. Wherefore they consult the understanding as to both the interior Rational and the exterior, in order that, from sincere desire, they may apply themselves to the Word and thus be restored.
 
  23And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
 
 23. But while the understanding is in doubt during states of obscurity, when faith is not in its prime, and love is not in its greatest power, yet affection sees its way and is comforted,
 
  24Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
 
 24. And the natural man being prepared, the interior Rational is excited, and is eagerly desirous of instruction from the Word.
 
 25So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:
 
 25. The consequence of which is that the man of the church enters into a more interior degree of good; for the Lord by His Divine Truth knows the condition of such persons in their remoteness through temptation, and communicates with them by accommodated truths.
 
  26Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well:
 
 26. And herein is manifested the intensity of Divine Love for conjunction with the church as to affection, as to intelligence, and as to innocence, producing a state of reciprocal conjunction interiorly,
 
  27And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
 
 27. And thus a state of good conjoined with truth interiorly and exteriorly even as to natural affection. But the natural man as to truth without good, in the state of temptation, is desirous to destroy conjunction, while interior truth is merciful and renders aid; but, as yet, good is not revealed, and consequently neither is truth.
 
  28Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?
 
 28. Wherefore man acknowledges that he does not, of himself, love and confess the Divine Human, and is naturally disposed to regard it as an illusion.
 
  29Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
 
 29. And therefore in order that he may do so from the Lord, the natural man must be prepared to receive and act, having the interiors held together by a common bond; also he must rely on the genuine truth of the letter of the Word, and thus he must advance in truth. Further he must not recognise falsities as truths, nor be deluded by evils; and he must acknowledge that the Word is entirely from from the Divine Human as to good.
 
  30And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.
 
 30. Also man must be endowed with a strong affection for this good, acknowledging that all the 1ife of good and tru th from the Lord; and he must have an earnest desire for Divine Truth, which will result in the reception thereof and conjunction therewith.
 
  31And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.
 
 31. But the natural man first co-operates, and acknowledges that the doctrine of the Divine Human as to good is primary in religion, and that this is the teaching of the genuine sense of
the letter of the Word. Still there is, as yet, no full reception of truth or of goodness and thus
no genuine life; wherefore a change of state follows, involving the reciprocal conjunction of the natural with the spiritual man, and the confession that the Divine Human is not realized in the former apart from the latter.
 
  32And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
 
 32. The result or which is, that the Word is received more fully in the natural degree, whence comes the perception that, although the doctrine of the Divine Human as to good, or the doctrine of charity, is especially the doctrine of the Word, it is not yet vivified that is, the truth is not yet animated by good, as to consciousness in the natural man.
 
  33He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.
 
 33. But now, as the result of former states, Divine Truth is operative, and is conjoined with
its affection in the natural man apart from selfish motives, and from a sincere aspiration for spiritual life.
 
 34And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
 
 34. And there is consequent elevation and conjunction; in innocence, as to thought, as to intelligence, and as to activity; and thus full interior conjunction, so that now genuine innocence and good indeed appear.

Author: Rev. HENRY MACLAGAN (1905)