Women of Faith
Women of Faith
Hebrews 11:35; 2 Kings 4:8-37
Wednesday PM, January 28, 2009
PRE-INTRODUCTION
Please turn in your Bibles to 2 Kings 4 and Hebrews 11!
This evening we will be looking at both passages.
If you have been with us you know we have been studying the “Women of Faith” mentioned in Hebrews 11.
This evening we come to the fifth and final woman of faith mentioned in the chapter.
Up to this point we have looked at the faith of….
· Sarah the wife of Abraham
· Rahab the Harlot
· Jochebed, the Mother of Moses and last week
· The Widow of Zarephath
This evening we will take a look at the fifth and final woman of faith found in the Faith Hall of Fame here in Hebrews 11.
This woman is not mentioned by name, but she is often referred to as…
· The Shunammite Woman
Let’s begin by reading about her in God’s Word!
READ
Hebrews 11:32-35 (NKJV)
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
Notice verse 35!
It says…
“Women received their dead raised to life again.”
AS YOU STUDY THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT YOU WILL FIND THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST TWO WOMEN WHO HAD THEIR DEAD RAISED.
· One of these was the “Widow of Zarephath.”
· The other is the “Shunammite Woman.”
The Bible does not tell us her name, but we do know that she was a woman of great faith. Let’s take a look at her this evening.
Before we do, let us pray!
PRAY
INTRODUCTION
You have heard the old saying, “A picture paints a thousand words.”
I believe that is true.
This evening I would like for us to take a look at the life of the Shunammite woman. In the Old Testament Book of 2 Kings, we see a snapshot of her life.
As we look at this snapshot of this woman’s life we learn quite a few lessons about faith.
First of all we learn that…
1. TRUE BIBLICAL FAITH RESULTS IN WORKS!
Let’s read God’s Word!
2 Kings 4:8-10 (NKJV)
8 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.
9 And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly.
10 Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.”
As we read this passage we are reminded that true biblical faith results in works!
By now you are probably getting a little tired of hearing me say this, but the best way to know what you believe is to look at how you behave.
I have repeated this many times in this study because it is true!
Your true beliefs are revealed by your behavior!
Consider superstitious people!
Superstitious people….
· May carry a rabbit’s foot in their pocket for luck
· May refuse to walk under a ladder
· May read their horoscope
· May fear something bad will happen to them on Friday the 13th
Why is that?
It is because of what they believe.
There may be absolutely no rational basis for what they believe and the way they behave, they do so because this is what they believe!
IF YOU ARE INTO SPORTS, YOU KNOW THAT MANY ATHLETES ARE SUPERSTITIOUS!
Did you know that…
Michael Jordan always wore his blue North Carolina Tar heel shorts under his Chicago Bulls uniform because he believed it brought him good luck!
Wade Boggs, former Boston Red Sox third baseman, was referred to as the “Chicken Man” by some of his teammates because he always ate chicken before a game because he thought it brought him good luck.
All of this may sound strange. It may seem irrational, but this is what they did because this is what they believed!
Your beliefs will reveal what you believe!
That is true for everyone including the Shunammite woman!
WHAT DID THIS WOMAN DO THAT DEMONSTRATED HER FAITH?
As you read through this passage you discover she demonstrated her faith through giving!
· She gave Elisha the prophet a meal when he passed by her town!
· She gave Elisha the prophet and his servant Gehazi a place to stay when he was in town!
She demonstrated her faith through the good works of giving!
How about you?
Do you have faith?
How do you know that you have faith?
What in your life demonstrates to you and those around you that you truly have faith?
Do you give?
Do you witness?
Do you pray?
Do you read God’s Word?
Do you serve?
Do you give to missions?
Do you go on mission trips?
What do you do to show that you have faith?
THE SHUNAMMITE WOMAN SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE OF FAITH, BUT ALSO IN GIVING!
What does she teach us through her giving?
· There is more to give than money!
This woman was “notable.” This means she was “great.” She probably had great possessions, but she did not give money.
She had plenty of food, so she gave it!
She had plenty of room in her house, so she gave!
There is more to give than money.
You can give time!
You can give talents!
You can give service!
You can give of yourself!
Someone emailed me recently and wanted to know about a widow woman in the church. They could tell this person seemed lonely and they wanted to know about visiting with her.
That is a way to give!
· Giving should be done willingly!
This is important!
Do not give out of guilt!
Do not give out of manipulation!
Do not give because the televangelist pleads with you!
The Bible says “God loves a cheerful giver.”
Why did this woman give?
She gave because she wanted to. She thought the world of Elisha and she wanted to give to him and his servant Gehazi.
· Giving should be communicated with your spouse!
You may agree or disagree, but I believe I am right on this. When you give, communicate with your spouse. She talked with her husband. It was their home. She wanted him to be on board with it.
It has been my policy to communicate with my wife. I think it is important for the two of you to be on board.
· Giving should be to a good cause!
She was not throwing her resources away. She gave to a man of God. Elisha was tried and true. He was a person of integrity. He was called by God. He was making an impact for God’s kingdom.
Be wise in your giving. Give to someone who is making an impact!
So, the first lesson we learn from studying this snapshot of faith is that true biblical faith results in works!
Second, we learn that true biblical faith results in rewards as well!
2. TRUE BIBLICAL FAITH RESULTS IN REWARDS!
Look at God’s Word!
2 Kings 4:11-17 (NKJV)
11 And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there.
12 Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him.
13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’ ” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”
14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.”
15 So he said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway.
16 Then he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!”
17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.
Another point I have made repeatedly in this study and I must make it again is this:
God rewards our faith!
This truth is repeated so I must repeat this truth!
Listen to God’s Word!
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Any time we step out by faith and act on God’s Word we can expect to blessed or rewarded by God.
Any time we step out by faith and do what God says, we can expect to be blessed by God!
She apparently had all she needed materially!
She was lacking nothing materially.
But there was one thing she did not have. She did not have a son. She and her husband were childless.
How did God reward her?
God gave this woman a son!
Imagine her shock, surprise, and joy.
She and her husband had been unable to have a children, but now God was going to give her a child, not just a child, but a son.
Her son was God’s gift to her for faithful service to his servant Elisha.
God will do the same for us!
God rewards our faith.
He does it in a variety of ways.
Many times we expect God to reward us in a monetary way.
Sometimes he does, but some of the best gifts God can give us, money cannot buy!
God gives us children!
God gives health!
God gives grandchildren!
God gives peace of mind and contentment!
Some of God’s greatest gifts money cannot buy!
I would not take a million dollars for my girls, but I might take two!
Let me add that we ought to seek to be a blessing to those who bless us as well!
This Shunammite woman was good to Elisha. He wanted to do something for her as well.
We ought to follow that example.
When someone is good to you, do something good for them. Return the favor. He could not give her anything materially because he did not have it, but he could pray for her.
He did!
Finally, we see in this snapshot of faith that…
3. TRUE BIBLICAL FAITH RESULTS IN HOPE!
What I am about to tell you is very important!
This is a very important truth we all need to be reminded of periodically lest we lose our faith.
GOD REWARDS OUR FAITH, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN HE WILL NOT ALLOW TRAGEDY TO COME INTO OUR LIVES.
You can be faithful.
You can be faith filled.
You can have faith that would move mountains, but that does not mean that you are immune to hurt and pain.
God blessed this woman of faith with a child, but unfortunately a few years later tragedy struck her home.
This is a long passage I will not take time to read it, but let me tell the story!
One day her son was in the fields with his father and he complained that his head was hurting.
So, his father told a servant to take him to his mother. He did.
She took him up in her arms and he sat on her knees. I am sure she loved on him and tried to console him, but he died.
Imagine the hurt she must have felt!
I have never been in her sandals, but in my opinion this has to be one of the most painful experiences a family could go through, the death of a child.
· This is not how it is supposed to happen
· Parents are not supposed to bury kids
· Kids are to bury parents
I have told you that one day I was working on a funeral sermon and Mary came to me and asked “What are you doing?” She was about five at the time.
I told her that I was working on a funeral sermon. She said, “Daddy will you preach my funeral?”
I said, “Baby I hope you come to my funeral, I do not want to attend yours!”
· The death of a child must be a night mare
· This was her only son
· This was her son of reward
· This was her son in older age
· Not only did he die, but it all happened so suddenly
One minute he is here and the next he is gone!
This reminds us that….
Godly people have hurts!
Good people have tragedy!
She had hurt, but she did not lose her hope!
She had tragedy, but she did not lose her trust!
She immediately went to find the prophet Elisha.
When she found him at Mount Carmel, he sent his servant Gehazi to the house. He put his staff on him, but to no avail.
Elisha finally arrived and he went into the room where the child was. He shut the door.
He put his mouth on his mouth.
He put his eyes on his eyes.
He lay across his body and the little boy came back to life.
What is the message here?
Does this mean that when a loved one dies they will come back to life?
Not necessarily. I think there is much we can learn here!
· No matter how much faith you have, you are not exempt from suffering and pain!
I talked with Willene McMinn on the phone yesterday.
She and Delano have had a tough time since the death of their son Philip in a car wreck.
He was their son of promise. They had wanted to have children, but God had not given them kids. They prayed and prayed. They were ready to adopt, but Delano’s mother encouraged them to believe God for a child. God gave them Philip.
They were so proud of him. He was a pastor. He had just gotten his doctor’s degree. He was Dr. Phil. He was pastoring a large growing church. He had a great vision for the church. His life was ended so tragically in a car wreck.
No matter how much faith you have, you will face times of suffering and pain.
This is a sobering reality. I do not say it to be dismal or dark, but your life and mine can change in the blink of an eye!
· True biblical faith will not make you immune to hurt, but it will give you hope in the midst of your hurt!
I remember when my nephew was killed in Iraq. It will be four years this October. I hurt, but I had hope.
I remember when my grandmother died in August of 2006. I hurt, but I had hope.
True biblical faith results in hope.
NOW THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD HERE ON EARTH!
Although it happens!
Did you read in the paper about the police officer in Pickens, Ken Kirby, who had a heart attack on December 27th while putting up Christmas decorations?
According to the paper he flat lined for 49 minutes.
In fact the doctor was telling the family that they had done all they could do when the nurse detected a faint heart beat.
Today he is recovering and doing well!
There are times it happens, but our ultimate hope is in the resurrection of the body!
Paul speaks of this in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18!
I read this passage at both of my grandmother’s funerals and I have read it at the graveside of the funerals of many others as well!
Listen to God’s Word!
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NKJV)
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18….
· Paul reminds us where they are!
They are with the Lord.
· He reminds us that they will come with the Lord.
· He reminds us that they will be resurrected.
Then he closes the passage with these words.
“Comfort one another with these words!”
CHILD OF GOD YOU WILL HURT AT TIMES NO MATTER HOW MUCH FAITH YOU HAVE, BUT IN YOUR HURT YOU WILL HAVE HOPE!
This is what biblical faith looks like!
Do you have it?