STUDY UNIT: BECOMING WHAT GOD WANTS ME TO BE. 6-30-02

"GOD WANTS ME TO BE KIND." 2 KINGS 4: 1-17

2 KINGS 4: 1-2, 3-7, 8-10, 11-13, 14-17.

PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO 2 KINGS 4.

Today we will be looking at the story of Elisha and the hospitable woman as an example of biblical kindness. Studying this lesson reminds us of the importance of relating to others with kindness.

1. PLEASE READ 2 KINGS 4: 1-2.

The sons of the prophets in vs. 1 were a group of prophets who were associated with the work of Elijah. This shows that the prophets sometimes acted individually, but they were part of a group of true prophets. Jezebel tried to kill all such groups. The sons of the prophets were true prophets, not to be confused with the court prophets hired by the kings to do their bidding.

The widow of one of these prophets came to Elisha for help. The Jewish Targum identifies this prophet as Obadiah. Obadiah served as King Ahabs’ chief steward. He saved 100 of the Lord’s prophets from the king’s wife, Jezebel (1 Kings 18:4). The Targum represents Aramaic oral translations of the Hebrew Old Testament. Eventually these were written down. Often these Aramaic paraphrases contain material not found in our canonical Old Testament. The first-century Jewish historian Josephus wrote that this Obadiah went into debt by borrowing money to feed the young prophets.

Her husband, like many prophets then and now, did not have much money. In fact, this prophet left his family heavily in debt. Since his wife said that Elisha knew that the dead prophet did fear the Lord, the man must not have deliberately left his wife and two sons in such a plight.

The widow’s problem was that the creditor was about to take her sons to be bondsmen or "slaves". Such debt slavery was common in the ancient Near East; the Old Testament allowed it but placed humane restrictions on it. Leviticus 25: 39-42 stipulated that an Israelite who owed a debt might become the creditor’s servant, but he was not to be treated as a slave. A child might become a servant of a creditor. The servant worked until the debt was paid from his wages. The law of the sabbatical year required that debts be released on that year. Many people were able to afford to come to America by becoming indentured servants to those who loaned them money for the trip. Their length of service usually was limited to a certain amount of time. Like the ancient system, this often was abused.

Elisha asked the widow, "How can I help you?" This is a question asked by a kind person who wants to help someone else. Rather than rushing in to do what we think needs to be done, asking the person in need is a better place to start. This is a key question of people who want to help others. Elisha’a question was an expression of kindness to a widow in need. He was sincerely concerned about her well-being. When Elisha asked what provisions she had in her house, she replied that she had only a little oil.

2. PLEASE READ 2 KINGS 4:3-7

In verses 3-6 Elisha encouraged the widow to collect empty jars from her neighbors. The word translated jars could refer to various kinds of vessels. Elisha specifically told her to ask for many jars. He told her, "don’t ask for just a few." He wanted the woman to borrow as many vessels as she could. The number of vessels she collected would determine the amount of oil she would receive. The widow’s faith in Elisha’s ability to help her, required obedient action on her part. Would she feel embarrassed to ask for empty jars from neighbors who would undoubtedly look at her request with curiosity or skepticism? Her own lack of faith in failing to ask for many jars could limit the miraculous increase of oil God planned to give her.

Elisha instructed the widow to take these jars into the privacy of her home and pour the oil into all the jars. By closing the door to her house, the widow could carry out her task without being observed, questioned, and disturbed by other people. Performing these actions, especially apart from the presence of Elisha, required great faith on her part. The prophet’s absence emphasized God’s power at work- not Elisha’s. The Lord intervened personally on the woman’s behalf. When the last jar was full the oil stopped flowing.

The miracle Elisha performed with the poor widow’s jars of oil is a parallel to Elijah’s miracle. (1 Kings 17:14-16.) This story would have us understand that a miracle is a display of God’s power where grace meets faith. Moreover, the amount of oil that flowed from the impoverished widow’s vessels was limited only by the number she collected. Thus this story teaches us the more initiative we take on God’s promises, the more He blesses.

The fact that she kept pouring without stopping revealed her strong faith. She continued to act in faith until every borrowed vessel in the house was full. As one of her sons said, "there is not a jar left." Elisha’s words of promise had come to pass in response to the widow’s faith in action. No doubt the fact that she had witnessed and participated in this miracle increased her faith still more. Her obedience had resulted in God’s blessings.

In verse 7 the prophet then told the widow to sell the oil and pay her debts. Olive oil had many uses. The woman had a product everyone needed and used. She would have no difficulty in making a profit from her abundant supply of oil. By paying her debts, she no longer had to sell her sons. She "redeemed" them. Finally, with the overabundance God had provided, the woman could meet her family’s needs, living on what remained from the sale of the oil.

Being kind includes recognizing someone else’s need or problem and finding a constructive way to respond to the need. When the widow explained her problem to Elisha, his first response was to ask, "How can I help?" Some people today would be surprised at Elisha’s eagerness to offer help to the widow. They may think that if they help someone once, they will be caught in a long-term relationship. Because some have been "burned" by helping others, they avoid offering help anymore.

Sometimes people are reluctant to voice their needs as directly as did the widow in this story. In our society, expressing a need for help often is viewed as an indication of weakness. Our culture stresses presenting an image of strength and independence. Some people will deny they need help rather than appear helpless or unsuccessful. As Christians, we need to be discerning and attentive to the people around us. The better you and I know people, the more likely we are to notice if they need help.

In her desperation, this widow shared her need with Elisha. Elisha willingly responded to the widow’s crisis. Although God may not work a miracle through me as He did through Elisha, I can learn from Elisha’s example that I need to respond kindly and constructively to the problems experienced by people I know.

Kindness also is evident in the provision of more than the widow needed to meet her immediate crisis. She had gathered a number of containers and she would have enough oil to pay her debts and support her family for a while.

One direct application of this passage is the need to help poor widows, especially widows of preachers who have little on which to live. Many retired Southern Baptist ministers, missionaries, and their widows have small annuities and little or no Social Security. Some are known to be living in poverty. Many of these dedicated men and women served during a time when little concern was given to retirement. Others served small churches unable to contribute to benefit programs. The Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention has a program designed to give churches, Sunday School classes, and individual Christians an opportunity to help one specific couple or one widow. For information, write or call the Annuity Board, Endowment Department, P.O. Box 2190, Dallas, Tx. 75221-2190. Or call 1-800-262-0511.

3. PLEASE READ 2 KINGS 4: 8-10

As the leading prophet of the Northern Kingdom, Elisha traveled frequently. The prophet was like a circuit-riding preacher of frontier times. Elisha traveled back and forth across the land of Israel. His travels often took him through Shunem. A well-to-do or wealthy woman who lived in Shunem, observed Elisha’s travels, and urged him to stay for a meal. She did what millions of other good women have done since--- she fed the preacher. They go out of their way to prepare meals for the pastor, evangelist, missionary, or someone else who serves the Lord.

After this initial contact, Elisha enjoyed her kind hospitality whenever he came by. Something about Elisha’s character made this Shunammite woman identify him to her husband as a holy man of God. Perhaps she also had heard about the prophet’s miracles and his proclamations on behalf of the Lord.

The woman suggested to her spouse that they prepare a special small room for the prophet on the flat roof of their own home. They would also furnish it by putting in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp. This would provide a private and comfortable place for Elisha to rest during his travels. Perhaps she felt a holy man should have a room separated from others, including herself and her family. With access to the roof shelter by an outer stair, Elisha could come and go as he pleased.

Evidently the husband agreed with his wife’s idea and prepared the special guest quarters. This couple shared generously out of their resources. They offered their hospitality without any expectation of a reward or payment in return. One way to show kindness is to extend hospitality. When our daughters were in college, my wife and I often hosted some of their friends for a meal. To these college students a home-cooked meal was a welcome treat! We had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with many foreign students as well as students from several states. These students enriched our lives.

4. PLEASE READ 2 KINGS 4: 11-13

On one of his visits to Shunem as Elisha rested in his guest quarters, he called his servant Gehazi. He used Gehazi as his messenger in turn to call the Shunammite woman to come to him. When the woman finally stood before him, Elisha did not address her directly but spoke to her through his servant. So downtrodden was the position of women in the East, that any dignified person, much more a great prophet, could not converse with a woman without compromising his dignity.

Perhaps he did this out of respect for the awe that she had of him, the holy man of God. Perhaps Elisha felt the woman would speak to Gehazi more freely and boldly and express honestly the desires of her heart. At any rate, Elisha wanted to repay the Shunammite woman’s hospitality and many kindnesses to him.

Neither the woman nor her husband asked anything from Elisha or his servant. It was the prophet himself who asked what he could do for her because of all the trouble she had gone to for him and his servant. Elisha offered to speak on her behalf to the king or the commander of the army. Elisha’s status as the leading prophet gave him these high-powered contacts. The woman, however, needed no political or military favors. She lived in peace among her countrymen.

She did not need for Elisha to intercede with the king and leaders of the kingdom. She simply replied, "I have a home among my own people." Her reply showed her humility and honest contentment with her life. With her friends and family close by and all her needs met, the Shunammite woman was satisfied. She never expected anything in return for her generous hospitality to the prophet and his servant.

5. PLEASE READ 2 KINGS 4: 14-17

The woman made no requests of Elisha. She implied that she had everything she needed. She felt secure and content among her own people.

Elisha then asked his servant, "What can be done for her?" Perhaps Elisha realized that his servant might have noticed some need or concern she had but which she did not want to share with the prophet.

Gehazi had observed that the Shunammite woman had no son and her husband was old. Apparently her husband was past the normal age for fathering a child. Without a son, the family’s name would cease, and this woman might one-day lack provision and protection in her old age. As we saw in the lesson about Hannah, barrenness was a terrible experience for a married woman in that day.

Perhaps she did not ask for a child because she thought that it was too late since her husband was so old. More likely, she had not done good for the prophet so he would do something for her. Perhaps Elisha had been too preoccupied to realize that having a child was a deep desire of his hostess. Sometimes it takes a third person to show needs that ought to have been obvious to us. Gehazi thus played an important role in alerting Elisha to this need.

Elisha immediately realized that this was just the thing to show his gratitude. So he called the woman back into his presence. The prophet told the woman that she would embrace a son. The time would be about this season, according to the time of life. This reminds us of the Lord’s appearance to Abraham and Sarah to tell them that by that time the next year Sarah would have a son. (Gen.18).

In verse 16, the woman’s response was, "Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid," or " Don’t mislead your servant." The news seemed to her too good to be true. She was amazed and afraid to believe that such a wonderful thing would happen. Verse 17, however, records that it did: the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, "according to the time of life". Just as the Lord kept His promise to Abraham and Sarah, so He kept the prophet’s promise to this woman.

From the stories of Elisha’s experiences with both the widow and the Shunammite woman, we can learn some basic lessons about showing kindness to others. First, Elisha was sensitive to others’ genuine needs. The widow told Elisha about her financial needs, and Elisha learned through his servant about the Shunammite’s need for a son. The Shunammite and her husband were also sensitive to Elisha’s needs. They hospitably provided food and lodging for the prophet. We also can be sensitive to the needs of people around us. For example, each Sunday we share prayer concerns. Our church through the intercessory prayer ministry has prayed for the needs of literally thousands of people.

Second, Elisha took action to meet the needs. The prophet did not try to "take over" a situation. He gave the widow instructions related to resolving her financial crisis, but she had to act to gather the empty jars. God worked a miracle, but the widow was responsible for doing her part. The Shunammite and her husband took action to meet Elisha’s needs by making a room for him in their home.

Third, Elisha demonstrated tact in dealing with others. Being kind to others requires

sensitivity. Some people might feel offended at our offers of help. 27 years ago when Walter Mullican was ordained to preach by Immanuel Baptist Church, he was called to the church office and given two sets of commentaries and other books that became his entire library. Three weeks ago today Dr. Mullican learned that anonymous giver was John Fiegel.

Our society has such a strong emphasis on independence that some people are reluctant to ask for or accept help. Furthermore, people who need help may fear being conned or manipulated by others. We may know people who help another and then assume an authoritarian stance toward the person they helped. The helper implies, "I helped you once, so now I can tell you what to do!"

When we help another person we need to remember that person’s dignity and worth. Just because someone is experiencing some type of crisis does not mean we should feel superior to that individual. All of us will face crises in life, and at times we all need someone to help us.

Finally, when we help others, we should expect nothing in return for our kind deeds. The Shunammite woman and her husband extended hospitality to Elisha with no thought of reward. Some people do kind deeds with ulterior motives. They may help others in order to attract attention to themselves. Jesus warned against doing good deeds to be noticed. He talked about those who gave money to the needy in order to be praised. (Matt. 6:2-4). Other people do good deeds in an attempt to make those they help dependent on them. They like the power they feel from viewing another individual as indebted to them.

Christian kindness has no ulterior motives. It involves doing good to others with no expectation of reward. Such kindness is much more than being polite or civil to other people. Christian kindness grows out of love---the kind of love God has shown us in Christ. In Paul’s familiar discussion of love, he wrote in 1 Cor. 13:4, "love is kind". Such kindness acts unselfishly in other’s best interests.

NEXT SUNDAY FROM 2 KINGS 22, WE LEARN THAT "GOD WANTS US TO DO WHAT’S RIGHT." A.V. DAUGHERTY 6-30-02