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Elisha used often to go to a
place named Shunem, where a good woman lived who was very rich. This
woman loved God; and as she knew that Elisha was a prophet of God, she
loved and honored him too. One day, when she saw Elisha passing by,
she ran and called him into her house, and gave him food to refresh him on
his journey. Elisha went to Shunem many times afterwards, and he
always turned into the house where the good woman and her husband
lived. They were glad to see him, because he was a holy man; and he
talked about God and Heaven, and taught them many good and holy
things. The kind Shunammite prepared a little room in her house for
Elisha. She put in it for him, a bed, and a table, and a stool, and
a candlestick; and when Elisha wanted to be quiet, and to read and think
alone, he used to go into this little room. How kind the Shunammite
was! Why did she honor Elisha so much? Because she loved God;
she knew that Elisha was the prophet of God, and she showed her love to
Elisha's master by honoring Elisha. We ought always to be kind and
generous to those who come to us, and to love God's people very much, and
try to comfort them and do them good. St. Paul says,
"Distribute to the necessity of the saints, and be given to
hospitality." Romans 12:13. Elisha
was thankful to the good Shunammite, and wished to show kindness to her,
as she showed kindness to him. But he could not pay her with money;
she had enough. So Elisha asked her, "What shall I do for
thee? Shall I speak for thee to the king, or to the captain of the
army? Can they do anything for thee?" But the Shunammite
said, "No, I want no honors; I am happy and contented to live quietly
among my own people." This good woman knew that God could give
her a better possession than the king of Israel could. She did not
want worldly riches, and worldly honors; all her riches were in
Heaven. She was contented with what God was pleased to give her now;
and she knew that when she died, He would give her eternal glory, and
riches which would never pass away. What could Elisha do for this
contented woman? What did she want? Gehazi, Elisha's servant,
said, "She has no child; perhaps she would like a son."
Then Elisha asked God to give a little son to this good Shunammite, to
comfort her, and make her happy. He knew God would hear his prayer,
and he called the woman, and said to her, "Very soon, God will give
thee a son." The woman wondered when Elisha told her this; but
God attended to Elisha's prayer, and, soon after, the little boy was born. The
mother was much pleased to have this dear child, and very thankful to God
who gave him to her. She took great care of her little son while he
was a babe; and when he grew older, she began to teach him about those
holy things which parents who love God always try to teach their
children. The little boy grew, and soon he could run about, and
talk, and learn many things. One day, in harvest time, his mother
sent him into the fields where his father was, to see the men reaping the
corn. The little boy was much pleased to stand there by his dear
father, and looked at the beautiful yellow corn. It was a very hot
day. The sun shone brightly, and it struck the head of the little
boy, and made him feel very sick; and he cried to his father, "My
head, my head!" He was in great pain, and could not stay longer
in the fields: so his kind father called a lad, and said,
"Carry the child to his mother." She took him on her lap,
and nursed him, and kissed him, and did all she could for him; but he grew
worse and worse; and, after a few hours, he died in her arms. Death
often comes very suddenly to little children, and to grown-up people
too. When we awake in the morning, we may feel well and strong; but,
perhaps, before night we may be cold and dead. We cannot tell when
we shall die. Perhaps we may die very soon; perhaps we may die
suddenly, like this little boy. Are we ready to die? Have our
sins been all washed away in Jesus's blood? Have our hearts been
made new by the Holy Spirit? If they have, then we are ready:
and we need not fear even if we should die to-day, because we should go to
a better world where there is no more pain nor sorrow. When
the mother saw that her little boy was dead, she carried him up into
Elisha's room, and laid him upon the bed. Then she told the servant
to saddle an ass directly, and to ride with her to Mount Carmel.
Why? Because she wanted to see Elisha, and to tell her sorrows to
him. This woman had great faith in God; she knew He could raise her
child to life again if He pleased. She took a long journey; and when
she came near to Mount Carmel, Elisha saw her, and sent Gehazi to meet
her, and asked, "Is all well? Is it well with thy
husband? Is it well with the child?" The mother answered,
"Yes, all is well." She knew all was right, because done
by God. Though He had taken away her child, yet she knew all was
"well." When the Shunammite came to Elisha, she ran and
caught him by the feet; she was so full of sorrow she could not
speak. Gehazi wanted to push her away; but Elisha said, "No,
she is unhappy, and we must be kind and gentle to her." Elisha
soon understood what it was that made her sorry; and then he told Gehazi
to go before very quickly to the Shunammite's house, and lay his staff
upon the child's face. Gehazi obeyed. He went to the house,
and into the room where the little dead boy lay, and put his master's
staff upon the child's face. But there was no voice; the child could
not see, nor hear, nor speak to Gehazi. Then Gehazi went to meet his
master, who was following slowly with the poor mother, and said, "The
child is not awaked." So Elisha came on to the house, and then
he went alone into his room, and looked at the child. He was
dead. The staff was upon his face, but the staff had no power to
make him live; and Elisha himself had no power; God alone could raise the
child to life again. Elisha knew this; so he shut the door, and
prayed to the Lord. Then he went and lay upon the child, and soon
the child began to grow warm. Then Elisha walked about the room,
praying in his heart, and waiting God's time to raise the little dead
boy. At last, the child sneezed; and then Elisha knew that he was
alive, and that God had heard his prayer. The little boy sneezed
again seven times, and opened his eyes. Then Elisha called the
Shunammite; and when she came in, he showed her the child alive and well,
and said, "Take up thy son." The mother bowed herself down
to the ground in thankfulness, and took up the child, and went out. When
Jesus Christ was on earth, He often raised dead people to life by His own
power; for He had power to do all things, because He was God. But
Elisha was only a man, and had no power himself; all he had God gave
him. God is not now pleased to raise the dead by miracles.
When people die, they are put into their graves, and we see them no
more. But will those dead bodies never live again? Yes, at
some future day, we cannot tell when, they will all be raised, and come
out of the tombs, and stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.
"The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised." 1
Corinthians 15:52. "The dead shall hear the voice of the
Son of God, and they that hear shall live." John 5:25.
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