171 would seem that by our sorrows only we are called to a knowledge of the in finite.— Swetchine. v. 23. It shall be well. The son of promise was dead, yet in the midst of her great sorrow she could say, “ It is well.” Like Abraham when he put the son of promise upon the altar, the Shunammite counted on resurrection and believed on Him who can raise the dead. She had lost her son for awhile but not her faith.—Anno. Bible. v. 26. It is well. This is not to be understood as prevaricating but as wishing to be let alone for the present. —Gray. The words put into Gehazi's mouth, which came so warm from Eli sha’s lips, had cooled on the road and sounded formal from Gehazi. It is .hard for selfish indifference to carry tender words without freezing them. The bearer of sympathy must be sympa thetic. As Gehazi spoiled Elisha’s mes sage, so we Christians too often do our Master’s, and cool it down to our own temperature. The fact that Gehazi had done so is suggested by her curt answer. —Maclaren. v. 27. Her soul is vexed. Sow great is a mother’s love! How won drous are the works of providence! Her child was in every respect the free gift of God. Was she then allowed to re joice in the possession for a little, only to be pierced with sorrow? Perish doubt and unbelief. This event hap pened that “ the works of God should be made manifest” and “ for the glory of God.”— Jamieson. Hid it from me. The limitations of the prophet’s knowl edge he frankly owns. How much bet ter would if have been for the church if its teachers had been more willing to copy his modesty, and said about a great many things, “ The Lord hath hid it from me.”—Maclaren. v. 28. Do not deceive me. See verse 16. She upbraids Elisha for a worse deceit than she had meant by mock ing her with a gift which was wrenched from her hands so suddenly and so soon. How many a sad heart is today tempted to raise this cry of anguish.—Alex ander. v. 29. Take my staff.. The proph et’s staff was the badge of prophetic office. Recall Moses’ rod which was the symbol of divine power. It seemed an error for Elisha to have dispatched hiie servant on this commission but prophets are not infallible except when
THE K I N G ' S BUS I NE S S of One who could call Himself Master and Lord, receiving the homage of faith even while He had not where to lay His head.— Bellet. A Great woman. In the very first verse of Has Word pic ture God names this woman a great woman. She was a woman of hospital ity, a woman who had sweet concord with her husband, a woman of striking humility, a woman who had great love and desire for her children, a woman capable of caring for the young lives God gave her, a woman who could rise above her sorrows.— Mrs. Parsons. Con strained him to eat bread. Like many other virtues hospitality is practised in its. perfection by the poor. If the rich did their share how would the woes of this world be lightened!— Kirkland. v. 12. Call this Shunammite. Grati tude i's a duty none can be excused from because it is always at our own disposal. He who receives a good turn should never forget it. He who does one should never remember it.— Charron. v. 13. What is to be done for thee? No doubt the prophet knew what the woman wanted, yet a good purpose was to be gained in causing her to state her case in her own words. This is how God Himself proceeds in the matter of our own prayers.— Parker. To the king. This confidence in his influence with the king is accounted for by the miracu lous aid recently given by Elisha (3:16- 19).—Bulldnger. v. 14. . She hath no child. Call not that man wretched who, whatever ills he suffers, has a child to love.— South ey. Nothing in the world is so blessed and so sweet as the heritage of chil dren.—Mrs. Oliphant. v. 20. He died. Does not this seem like mockery on the part of God? Is it not true that the things we most de sire are turned most heavily against us, so that our comforts become our distresses?— People’s Bible. v. 21. Laid him on the bed. The good Shunammite had lost her son, but her faith she lost not. Overwhelming as was this calamity she suppressed all her emotions and instead of bursting into the wild helpless wail of eastern mourners dr rushing to her husband with the agonizing news, she took the little boy’s body in her arms, carried it up to the chamber which had been built for Elisha and laid it upon his bed.— Hall. There can be no rainbow without a cloud and a storm.— Vincent. It
Made with FlippingBook Online document