II Kings 4:27-37

1. Intro.
1. background for this event
1. the hospitality of the Shunammite woman had been rewarded by the gift of a son
2. as all earthly mercies are of uncertain duration, so this child after some time fell sick and died
3. the distressed but believing mother went quickly to the man of God
4. Elisha was the one who had given her the promise of a son, now she goes to plead her case with him
5. she wanted Elisha to go before his Divine Master and obtain for her an answer of grace
2. the position of Elisha in this case is exactly our position in our work for Christ
2. Elisha had to deal with a dead child
1. the death in which we must come in contact is not a less real death because it is spiritual
1. people all around us are "dead in trespasses and sins" – Eph. 2:1
2. let us never forget the state in which all humans are naturally found
3. unless we have a clear understanding of the ruin and spiritual death of all people, we will be incapable of being a blessing to them
4. we should not go to them as a people that are asleep, and whom we can awake with our own power
5. we need to go to them as spiritual corpses, who can only be quickened by Divine power
2. Elisha had a great goal to achieve
1. his objective was not to clean the dead body, or embalm it, or to wrap it in fine linen; and then leave it still a dead corpse
2. he aimed at nothing less than the restoration of the child’s life
3. let us never be content with aiming at secondary benefits, or even with realizing them
4. let us always strive for the grandest of all ends, the salvation of immortal souls
1. our business is not just to teach people to read their Bible, or to live morally
2. our high calling is to be the means by which God brings life from heaven to dead souls
3. to raise the dead is our mission
1. how is so strange a work to be achieved
1. if we yield to unbelief, we will be staggered by the fact that the work to which we have been called is quite beyond our personal power
2. we cannot raise the dead, but we are no more powerless than Elisha was
3. Elisha, by himself could not restore the woman’s son
4. we by ourselves cannot cause dead hearts to beat with spiritual life, but a Paul or an Apollos would be just as powerless
5. this fact should not discourage us, but direct us to the true power
2. the man who lives in the region of faith dwells in the place of miracles
1. faith sees the promises, and looks only to them
2. faith laughs at impossibilities, and believes it shall be done
3. Elisha was no common man now that God’s Spirit was upon him
1. God had called him to the work and was now aiding him in it
2. as a believer we are no longer an ordinary person, but we have become the temple of the Holy Spirit
1. by faith we have entered into a career of a wonder worker
2. we have not been sent into the world to do the things which are possible to man
3. we have been sent to do the impossible, which God works in us by His Spirit (accomplished by faith)
4. we should not view the resurrection of the dead as unlikely or difficult, when we remember who it is that is working through us
3. Elisha should have remembered the example set forth by Elijah his teacher – I Kings 17:17-22
1. if he would have, he would not have sent Gehazi with a staff, but would have immediately went himself
2. maybe he felt that the divine power was so generously upon him that he could do it any way he liked
3. it was not until Elisha followed Elijah’s example that the miraculous power was manifest
4. it is good for us to imitate our Master
1. we should study the methods of our glorified Master, and learn at His feet the art of winning souls
2. He came with the deepest sympathies, and into a close contact with our wretched humanity
3. He humbled himself to stoop to our sorrowful condition
4. only by imitating the spirit and manner of Jesus shall we become wise to win souls
4. the staff was an external part of Elisha
1. to often the truth we deliver is much the same
2. as long as the truth we deliver is unconnected with our innermost being, it will have the same results as Elisha’s staff
5. when Elisha failed in his first effort, he did not give up
1. Elisha did not conclude that since the child did not revive, there was no hope
2. Elisha put forth greater effort
1. he got personally involved
2. he put forth fervent prayer – II Kings 4:33
6. the means by which life was restored – II Kings 4:34-35
1. what does this teach us
1. if we are to bring spiritual life to a person, we must vividly realize that persons state (dead)
2. God would have us come in contact with that death by painful, crushing, and humbling sympathy
3. when Jesus decided to raise us from death, He first had to die Himself
4. if we would raise the dead, we must first feel the chill and horror of their death
2. we must have a distinct sense of the dreadful wrath of God and of the terrors of His judgment to come
1. if we lack this, we will lack energy for the work and also lack one of the essentials for success
2. when the death of someone alarms and overwhelms us, then is when God is about to bless us
3. the result of the prophet’s work soon appeared – II Kings 4:34 [the flesh of the child waxed warm]
1. Elisha must have been pleased, but it did not cause him to relax his efforts
2. never be satisfied with a person who is in hopeful state
3. what we want is not just a conviction, but a conversion
7. there must be perseverance and patience – II Kings4:35
1. notice the restlessness of the man of God, but he was still patient [walked in the house to and fro]
2. notice the perseverance (stretched himself on the child a second time)
1. what is good to do once is good to do a second time, and good to do seven times
2. if our past warm has made someone else warm, let not a future chilliness make their heart cold again
3. as surely as warmth can flow from us, so can a coldness come forth from us
3. finally the child sneezed
1. the sound was nothing very articulate, but it spoke of life
2. this is all we should expect from a new born babe in Christ
3. if a new believer gives any true sign of grace, we should receive them and nurse them for the Lord
4. the child opened his eyes
1. how beautiful and lovely those eyes must now seem
2. any eye that God helps us to open will be beautiful
3. may you often gaze into the eyes of those who have had the dark film of spiritual death removed
8. conclusion
1. are you willing to put forth the effort to see souls saved
2. do you sense the danger that the lost are in
3. do you have the patience and perseverance to see souls saved