1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: John Stangey, and today we're in Second King's chapter four, 5 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: and this is what we read. One day, the widow 6 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: of a member of the group of prophets came to 7 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: Elisha and cried out, my husband, who served you, is dead, 8 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: and you know how he feared the Lord. But now 9 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 1: a creditor has come, threatening to take away my two 10 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: sons as slaves. What can I do to help you, 11 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 1: Elisha asked, Tell me what do you have in the house. 12 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 1: Nothing at all except a flask of olive oil, she replied, 13 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: And Elishah said, borrow as many empty jars as you 14 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your 15 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: house with your son and shut the door behind you. 16 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting 17 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: each one aside when it is filled. So she did 18 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, 19 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: and she filled one after another. Soon every container was 20 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: full to the brim. Bring me another jar, she said 21 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: to one of her sons. There aren't anymore, he told her, 22 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: and then the olive oil stopped flowing. When she told 23 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: the Man of God what had happened, he said to her, 24 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and 25 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: you and your sons can live on what is left over. 26 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: One day, Elijah went to the town of Shunam. A 27 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come 28 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he 29 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat. 30 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: She said to her husband, I am sure this man 31 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: who stops in from time to time is a holy 32 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: man of God. Let's build a small room for him 33 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, 34 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a 35 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: place to stay whenever he comes by. One day Elisha 36 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: returned to Shunam and he went up to this upper 37 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: room to rest. He said to his servant Gahazi, tell 38 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: the woman from Shunam, I want to speak to her. 39 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: When she appeared, Elisha said to Gahazi, tell her, we 40 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can 41 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: we do for you? Can we put in a good 42 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: word for you to the king, or to the commander 43 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: of the army. No, she replied, my family takes good 44 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: care of me. Later, Elisha asked Gahazi what can we 45 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 1: do for her. Gahazi replied, she doesn't have a son, 46 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: and her husband is an old man. Call her back again, 47 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: Eli Shah told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said 48 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: to her as she stood in the doorway, next year, 49 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: at this time, you will be holding a son in 50 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 1: your arms. No, my lord, she cried, Oh, Man of God, 51 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 1: don't deceive me and get my hopes up like that. 52 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant, and at 53 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: that time the following year she had a son, just 54 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: as Elisha had said. One day, when her child was older, 55 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: he went out to help his father, who was working 56 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: with the harvesters. Suddenly he cried out, my head hurts, 57 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: my head hurts. His father said to one of the servants, 58 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: carry him home to his mother. So the servant took 59 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: him home and his mother held him on her lap. 60 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: But around noontime he died. She carried him up and 61 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: laid him on the bed of the Man of God, 62 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: then shut the door and left him there. She sent 63 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: a message to her husband, send one of the servants 64 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: and a donkey, so that I can hurry to the 65 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: Man of God and come right back. Why go today, 66 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: he asked, It is neither a new moon festival nor 67 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: a sabbath. But she said it will be all right. 68 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, hurry, 69 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: don't slow down unless I tell you to. As she 70 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 1: approached the Man of God at Mount Carmel, Elisha saw 71 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: her in the distance. He said to Gahazi, look, the 72 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: woman from Shoodham is coming. Run out to meet her 73 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: and ask her. Is everything all right with you, your 74 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: husband and your child? Yes? The woman told Gahazi everything 75 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: is fine. But when she came to the Man of 76 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: God at the mountain, she fell to the ground before 77 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: him and caught hold of his feet. Gahazi began to 78 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 1: push her away, but the Man of God said, leave 79 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: her alone. She is deeply troubled, but the Lord has 80 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: not told me what it is. Then she said, did 81 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: I ask you for a son, my Lord, and didn't 82 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: I say? Don't deceive me and get my hopes up. 83 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 1: Then Elishah said to Gehazi, get ready to travel, take 84 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 1: my staff and go. Don't talk to anyone along the way, 85 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: go quickly and lay the staff on the child's face. 86 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,919 Speaker 1: But the boy's mother said, as surely as the Lord 87 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 1: lives and you yourself live, I won't go home unless 88 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: you go with me. So Elisha returned with her. Gahazi 89 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child's face, 90 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 1: but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He 91 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: returned to meet Elisha and told him the child is 92 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: still dead. When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, 93 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: lying there on the prophet's bed. He went in alone 94 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,239 Speaker 1: and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. 95 00:05:57,160 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: Then he lay down on the child's body, placing his 96 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:02,719 Speaker 1: man my mouth on the child's mouth, his eyes on 97 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: the child's eyes, and his hands on the child's hands. 98 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: And as he stretched out on him, the child's body 99 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: began to grow warm again. Elisha got up, walked back 100 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:18,239 Speaker 1: and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself 101 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:22,600 Speaker 1: out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed 102 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: seven times and opened his eyes. Then Elijhah summoned Gehazi 103 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: call the child's mother, he said, And when she came in, 104 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: Elijhah said, here, take your son, She fell at his 105 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she 106 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:46,840 Speaker 1: took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs. 107 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: Elisha now returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine 108 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: in the land. One day, as the group of prophets 109 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 1: was seated before him, he said to his servant, put 110 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,480 Speaker 1: a large pot on the fire, and make some stew 111 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 1: for the rest of the group. One of the young 112 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: men went out into the field to gather herbs and 113 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: came back with a pocket full of wild gourds. He 114 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: shredded them and put them into the pot, without realizing 115 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: they were poisonous. Some of the stew was served to 116 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: the men, but after they had eaten a bite or two, 117 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 1: they cried out, Man of God, there's poison in this stew. 118 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: So they would not eat it. Elisha said, bring me 119 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: some flour. Then he threw it into the pot and said, 120 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: now it's all right, go ahead and eat, and then 121 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: it did not harm them. One day a man from 122 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: bail Shallashah brought the Man of God a sack of 123 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 1: fresh grain and twenty loaves of barley bread made from 124 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: the first grain of his harvest. Elisha said, give it 125 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: to the people so they can eat. What his servant exclaimed, 126 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: feed one hundred people with only this, but Elisha repeated, 127 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: give it to the people so they can eat. For 128 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: this is what the Lord says. Everyone will eat, and 129 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: there will even be some left over. And when they 130 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: gave it to the people, there was plenty for all 131 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: and some left over, just as the Lord had promised. 132 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, and 133 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege of being able to 134 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: look at this passage of scripture. And Lord, as we 135 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: witnessed these miracles that you did through Elisha, we see 136 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: a variety of things here that you were doing to 137 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: glorify your name and to benefit your people. But we 138 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: also see a series of miracles here that point to 139 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: the miracles that would be done by your son Jesus Christ. 140 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: They remind us, or they show us a foretaste of 141 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: some of his miraculous activity. We know that at the 142 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 1: wedding feast that Jesus turned the water into wine and 143 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: there was plenty to go around. We know that he 144 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 1: fed a group of five thousand, and that he fed 145 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: a group of four thousand after that, and he displayed 146 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:03,319 Speaker 1: to you people that he was who he said he was. Lord, 147 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 1: we know that at times we find ourselves people who 148 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:10,000 Speaker 1: struggle with doubt. But then, by your grace, you put 149 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: all these reminders in front of us that testify to 150 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,679 Speaker 1: your power, testify to your compassion, and testify to your 151 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 1: presence with your people. So, Lord, we pray that throughout 152 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: the course of today, as we live out our faith 153 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:25,559 Speaker 1: in your son Jesus Christ, that we would be confident 154 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 1: of your presence with us each and every day. And 155 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: we're grateful Lord for this reality. Lord, we love you, 156 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:34,440 Speaker 1: and we commit this day to your care, and we 157 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:38,319 Speaker 1: thank you for all of these things in Jesus' name. Amen.