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The people of Israel were now
sinning very much against God. They and their king were
idolaters: they did not care for the true God who had done so many
wonderful things for them. What sad ungrateful people the Israelites
were! But we ourselves are often very much like them. God
gives us as many blessings as He gave them; yet how often we forget Him,
and love the things of the world better than the things of God! Thus
we set up idols in our hearts, and make God angry with us, as He was with
Israel and their king. God
said, He must punish his ungrateful people. He told Elisha, He would
send a famine upon all the land for seven years. But there were some
good people in Israel still, who had not forgotten to love and serve the
Lord. The good Shunammite was one. She and her family had not
forsaken the God who had been so kind to them, and Elisha did not forget
the good woman who had taken care of him many years before. So he
went to her and said, "God will very soon send a famine upon the land
for seven years. He is going to punish the wicked idolatrous people
of Israel. Take they family, and go away into another country, where
they may find food." The woman thanked Elisha for so kindly
telling her this; and she called her family, and went with them to the
Philistines' country, and there they stayed seven years. But God was
with the Shunammite's family; and they had His blessing to comfort them
still. Wherever we are, if God is with us, we may be contented and
thankful. Perhaps we may be obliged to leave our own happy country,
and to go to some distant land where God is not known; but His eye can see
us there; His hand can keep us still, and His blessing will be upon us, if
we love and serve Him. He will say to us, what He said many years
ago to Jacob, who was obliged to leave his home, "I am with thee, and
I will keep thee in all places whither thou goest." Genesis
28:15. When the seven years
of famine were ended, the good Shunammite went to her country again.
She felt very glad to return; but when she wished to go back to her own
house, and her own possessions, she found that they had been taken away,
and given to strangers. Some years before, she had been very rich,
and had great possessions; now, she was poor, and had nothing. Rich
people very often become poor, and perhaps, like this good Shunammite,
have no home to live in. How foolish, then, it is to "trust in
uncertain riches," which must be taken away so soon! It is best
to have our riches in Heaven, and a possession there which we shall never,
never lose. The good
Shunammite did not love her possessions in this world more than she loved
her possession in Heaven; but she knew it was just and right that her
house and land should be given to her given; so she went to the king to
ask for them. When she came to the king, she saw a man talking to
him. Who was he? He was Gehazi; Elisha's former wicked
servant. Joram wished to know the wonderful things that Elisha had
done; so he called Gehazi to tell him all he knew. Gehazi had seen
many of the miracles which Elisha had done; and he particularly remembered
the beautiful story of the Shunammite's little boy whom Elisha raised to
life again. Gehazi was telling this to the king, when the woman
herself came in; for God made her come just at the right time, that the
king might be kind to her, and give her back her possessions. When
Gehazi turned round, and saw the Shunammite, he said to the king,
"This is the woman, and there is her son whom Elisha raised to
life." Then Joram spoke very kindly to her, and asked her if
Gehazi had told the truth about her, and about her son. The woman
said, "Yes, it is all true. I am the woman whose child
died: Elisha raised my child to life, and here he is now, alive and
well." Then the king commanded one of his servants to give the
woman all the possessions that belonged to her, and sent her away
contented and thankful.
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