RAISING THE DEAD – ELISHA AND JESUS
Friday – June 22, 2018, Tamuz 9, 5778
God is so good! We must never forget that no matter the circumstances of our lives that God is good. He is never anything else, and we have cause for thanksgiving in and for all things. We must actively look for the good and thank Him for that. The reason we get caught up in the bad so often is due to the selfish tendencies of our flesh. Like our old father, the devil, we can get swallowed up in it being all about me, but it is never all about us. The featured picture today is of Patti and me a few years ago, and again we see that beautiful smile. That smile today in Heaven is radiant with all the glory of God. God is so good. Now, let us dive into our Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews. We will start by reading our text aloud.
Hebrews 11:35-37 (KJV)
35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Today I am going to pick up with the account of Elisha raising the dead son of the Shunammite woman.
2 Kings 4:8-9 (KJV)
8 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.
9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
I think we can see the common thread here concerning the widow of Zarephath and the Shunammite woman. They both recognized that the person before them was a man of God and received them as such and got the Prophets reward, the righteous mans reward. This woman and her husband built a room onto their house for this Prophet and his servant to stop and rest from their travels. Elisha inquires as to what the woman wants. She is childless and wants a child. The Prophet speaks a child into her life. However, this child like the widow of Zarephath’s son died. Let’s watch this woman’s faith in God, in the man of God.
2 Kings 4:26 (KJV)
26 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.
The child is dead upon the bed of the Prophet, yet she makes her faith statement saying “It is well” when asked about the child. Any other statement and this powerful testimony would never have occurred. Remember, we must call things as though they are that be not just like our Heavenly Father.
Romans 4:17 (KJV)
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
We are to call it the way God calls it, the way the Word declares, and not according to the flesh or what we can see. Now let’s witness the wonderful conclusion of this event, a faith demonstration.
2 Kings 4:36-37 (KJV)
36 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.
37 Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.
As we draw to a close for today and the study of Hebrews for the week, let us take a look at another woman who received her dead back to life.
Luke 7:12-15 (KJV)
12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
Notice that this also is a mother and an only son just like the widow of Zarephath and the Shunammite woman. Jesus sees this and is moved by compassion however that was not the key to the raising of this dead son. Jesus came to this woman and told her not to weep. This was a key moment. This moment is just like the moment when a person from the house of Jairus came and told him his little daughter was dead. Jesus told Jairus to fear not but believe only. He did as commanded and his little daughter was raised to life. This woman obeyed as well and received her son back to life. There is any number of things she could have done including scorn Him. She believed and stayed silent and at the command of Jesus; “he that was dead sat up and began to speak”. Oh my, how good is our God! Where is our faith, is it in death, or is it in the Word?
Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Ephesians 1:16-17 (KJV)
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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