As we observed Parents’ Day Service, I would like for all of the parents to use this opportunity to reflect on how you reared your children in faith so that they can grow and develop as the children of God with the heart to love and fear God. For this purpose, we will examine the images of true parents and the children of faith depicted through the passionate motherly love of a Shunammite woman.
I. The great mothers of faith who appear in the Bible.
From the Bible, we find 5 great mothers of faith. First, it is Sarah the wife of Abraham. Even though she was not able to conceive children, she ultimately became a mother of all nations by giving birth to Isaac in faith; and the kings of all nations came through her (Gen 17:16). Second, it was Jochebed the mother of Moses. She risked her life to raise Moses and reared him in faith so that he was able to become a great leader of Israel. Because there was Jochebed’s fervent prayer, her patriotism for her nation and passionate love for her children to love them as her own body, Moses was able to become such a great leader. Third, it is Hannah the mother of Samuel. She also was barren like a dried branch and was not able to conceive children. However, she gave birth to Samuel when she prayed so hard that the people mistook her for being intoxicated. If the bright light like the Sun was illuminated through Samuel during the spiritual dark times of Israel, all this was due to Hannah who raised Samuel completely in God-fearing faith ever since he was young. Fourth, it is Queen Esther. She is a great mother of faith who saved the whole congregation of Israel by truthfully reporting to the king by risking her life when the Israelites were under the danger of total destruction with Haman’s schemes. With Esther’s faith, she was able to give birth to millions of people instantly. For the fifth and final example, it is a Shunammite woman who appears in today’s scripture text.
II. The motherly love and the faith of a Shunammite woman.
This Shunammite woman that appears in today’s Scripture text is a nameless woman but shows us the image of true faith and the passionate motherly love as a parent.
1. This Shunammite woman was careful and thorough about serving the man of God. Prophet Elisha referred to this woman as “careful” in today’s Scripture text, 2 Ki 4:13. “Thoroughness” means a person is “complete, meticulous and very detailed.” We see from the Bible that an individual or a nation is influenced and swayed by a woman. By marrying a Gentile woman named Jezebel who did not believe in God, King Ahab of Israel ended up leaving God and brought tragic death upon himself, where the dogs tore up his flesh (2 Ki 9:7-10, 30-37). This is all due to the fact that he disobeyed the command of God not to marry a Gentile woman (Deut 7:2-4). Hence, we can say that the tragic death of the household of King Ahab is due to the fact that he chose the wrong wife. However, the Shunammite woman that appears in today’s scripture text is a careful, wise, and virtuous woman (Prov 31:10), and a woman of noble character (Prov 12:4) that brought great blessings to her husband and her household. She invited Prophet Elisha to her house, provided food for him, and built him a room and provided a table, a chair, a lamp and a bed to him by talking to her husband. After she recognized Prophet Elisha as a holy man of God, she consistently provided for him and served him with the same sincere heart. No matter how close you are with someone, you can sincerely provide for him or her for maybe a day or two, but then you begin to grumble and have a change of heart with prolonged time of care. Yet, this Shunammite woman provided for him with the same heart from the beginning to the end. As a result, in her childless household where her husband was old, God gave a son as a precious gift (2 Ki 4:16-17).
2. By believing the man of God, this Shunammite woman experienced a living miracle. The great faith of this Shunammite woman was once again revealed when she was faced with the death of her son. Even though her son is dead, she was not at all influenced by this and went to see Prophet Elisha without even telling her husband because she had faith that her son will revive once the man of God comes. Who would not even wail or not tell her husband when her son is dead? However, she did not even tell the prophet when she went to see him. All she did was to hold on to his feet and pleaded with him to “please go with her at once” to her house. This great faith was possible when there was indisputable faith that her son will revive once the man of God comes. The Bible says that you will be treated the same way you treat others. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward (Mt 10:40-42). Therefore, this Shunammite woman was able to receive the blessing of life because she believed and provided for the man of God, Elisha, as God and not as a layman.
Conclusion:
This complete and
Original Text (Korean): http://www.pyungkang.com/logos_01/168809
Translation by Kim Yeon Hee (Orlando Green Hill Church, USA