[1]NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Bible Studies For Life curriculum.
Bible Passages: 2 Kings 4:8-17, 32-37
Discussion Questions:
- When has giving to others been a fun experience for you?
Food for Thought by Robbie Peay:*
[2]My call to ministry came later in life. At 32 years of age, I was attending seminary full time, working two part-time jobs, and my wife worked full time. We were doing our best to take care of three small children and ourselves. Money was tight.
A man from my home church knew of our financial stress and handed me a check for a large amount of money. Immediately my pride took over and I said, “Thanks, but we’ll get by.” After his insistence that I take the money, I refused again. In response, this man said something I’ve never forgotten: “If you don’t take this money, you’ll take away the joy and blessing I have from giving it.”
Initially I thought his statement was simply trying to convince me to take the money, but as I’ve grown in my walk with the Lord, I understand now what he meant. For believers, there’s a joy and blessing that comes as we let God work through us for the sake of others. Meeting the needs of others can reveal God’s hand at work.
When Elisha assumed Elijah’s role as God’s prophet, he also assumed his duties. It’s unclear what all that might have encompassed, but we see from today’s text that part of those duties involved travel.
The sons of the prophets played a role in calling God’s people back into a covenant relationship with God, and it’s possible that Elisha would travel regularly to meet with these men. We can also surmise that Elisha’s call as prophet to God’s people required participation in national interests, whether social or political, which would require traveling. Whatever the case, we see Elisha traveling to Shunem. The implication from “whenever he passed by” (v. 8) suggests Shunem wasn’t the destination but simply part of the route.
There was a prominent woman who noticed Elisha’s frequent travels through Shunem. I’m sure there were other inhabitants that noticed it as well, but she saw it as an opportunity to be a blessing to him. She persuaded Elisha to eat some food in her home, becoming a regular stop for Elisha when he traveled through Shunem. Her desire to be a blessing to him didn’t stop with just food; she enlisted her husband to build a private guest room equipped with the essentials for Elisha. Through her provision, this Shunammite woman served Elisha.
When believers surrender their lives to Jesus, they also willingly assume certain duties. One of those duties is to bless others by meeting their needs. Blessing others isn’t easy, and it always involves sacrifice. That reality may not jump out at us from these verses, but there were some specific barriers in place that made it difficult for the Shunammite woman to bless Elisha.
- The Shunammite woman was prominent but that doesn’t necessarily mean wealthy. Perhaps she was wealthy, but providing food and lodging required some sacrifice.
- The Shunammite woman rightly described Elisha as “a holy man of God” (v. 9). This phrase gave Elisha a status above the sons of the prophets and showed a sense of awe and reverence. This would naturally cause her to think that Elisha was unapproachable.
- The Shunammite woman knew her plans to bless Elisha put a strain on the social customs of the day. We see this strain referenced with the inclusion of the words “she stood in the doorway” (v. 15). The private room was necessary to provide the appropriate separation between Elisha and her, and she respected that separation by not entering his room.
These same barriers can prevent believers today from looking for opportunities to be a blessing to others. Believing we are short on time or money, wondering if anyone would even want our help, or worrying that our efforts might get the stink-eye from observers can stop the process before it starts. These and any other excuses we might come up with are poor starting points for our obedience to God and His call on our lives. A better place to start is the realization that we are blessed, which paves the way for us to bless others.
*Robbie Peay is senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Ray City, Ga.
Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life connects the Bible to life for adults, students, and kids. Bible Studies for Life helps individuals and groups know God’s Word through trustworthy content, creates biblical community through engaging and conversational group studies, and helps people engage the culture missionally by unpacking what the Bible says about real-life issues. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/biblestudiesforlife [3].
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