The Closed Door
Gateway to Spiritual Fullness
Gateway to Spiritual Fullness
The Shunammite Woman II – Spiritual fullness
II Kings 8:1-6
The intriguing story of the Shunammite woman seemingly ended with her son
brought back to life in II Kings 4:37. All’s well that ends well. Then she
unexpectedly resurfaced again in chapter 8 with a backdrop of severe famine in
the land.
The chapter opens with Elisha asking the woman to flee with her household from
an impending seven-year famine. She followed the man of God’s advice and
“went with her household” and dwelt in the land of the Philistines for seven years
(8:2).
Then the very next verse addresses her return from sojourn. The story omits
all the details of the entire seven years as though nothing happened during the
time when the family of three lived in the territory of the Philistines.
But, as we discussed previously, much of the significance, or “greatness,” lies
not with the Shunammite woman’s words or deeds; it is hidden in the unspoken.
First of all, it was the Shunammite woman with whom the prophet communicated
both in chapter 4 and chapter 8. Her husband, no doubt a good man, never took
part in the conversation. True fellowship that hits the mark is from deep unto
deep, or from spirit to spirit. No doubt, the Shunammite woman has spiritual
depth and discernment to facilitate fellowship with the prophet.
There is nothing quite as uplifting as fellowshipping with brethren who are full of
Christ and full of spiritual insight. But I also remember times when elderly and
spiritually matured brothers’ fellowship flew right over my head. There were
other times when I received email from seeking brothers and sisters who
lamented that no one in their respective congregations understood a word they
were saying – it was as if they spoke in a foreign language.
The problem is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of spiritual depth. Knowledge
comes by relatively easily; spiritual depth is gained only by yielding to the work
of the cross. One of the deficiencies of seminaries, trainings, or any mass-
production schemes is the emphasis on turning out pupils, followers, and
workers without turning on their spiritual depth. The kingdom of God is not
going to be won by brethren unified in knowledge and walking in lockstep, but by
common folk who have had their spiritual depth turned on.
This is not to say, however, that saints with spiritual depth should only
fellowship with kindred spirits, but never attempt to communicate with spiritual
novices. If it were so, then none of us would have the light we have today. If
Jesus were such, He would not have spoken to His largely clueless disciples, and
we’d all be doomed to darkness.
Spiritual depth does not necessarily refer to stoic or somber demeanor, or men
and women walking around with a Bible tucked under their arm while a halo
floats above their head. In fact, it is a joy to talk to simple believers who just
love the Lord. A simple greeting from a child always warms my heart. A hand
drawn card with squiggly notes handed to my wife during her time of physical
affliction often moved us both greatly. It seems that the Lord comes through
simple folk much more easily than sophisticated folk. May the Lord help us
return to simplicity.
Take our precious Shunammite woman for example. She received and
understood Elisha’s fellowship, and she must have shared it with her husband
also, as we saw in chapter 4. Here in chapter 8, her fellowship with her husband
is hidden in the unspoken. Notice that Elisha told her, not her husband, about
the impending famine, but she went “with her household” to the land of the
Philistines (v. 2). Undoubtedly, her husband took the lead on account of her
fellowship, and she merely followed – it’s a beautiful picture of fellowship, isn’t
it?
We have to give the Shunammite’s husband tribute for being a simple person
with an open heart for fellowship. Though not shown to possess spiritual depth,
he gladly received his wife’s fellowship time and time again without reservation.
As a result of this openness, the entire household received blessings.
As we consider the attributes of the Shunammite woman, her husband’s
simplicity and openness to receive fellowship should not be minimized. In a day
and age when spiritual knowledge is easily accessible through books and the
Internet, everyone seems to be fortified and puffed up with many spiritual
concepts which prevent open and uncluttered fellowship. To have the
Shunammite’s husband’s simplicity and openness would be a great blessing
indeed!
Then, an interesting thing happened. Instead of the woman returning with her
household, it simply says, “the woman returned from the land of the
Philistines.” And not only so, but we read that “she went to the king to make an
appeal for her house and for her land” (v. 3). Given the Shunammite woman’s
spiritual depth and maturity, something extraordinary must have happened
during those seven years for her to take the lead in coming home, and to make
an appeal before the king for her house and for her land!
Hidden in the unspoken is that her husband must have died during the seven-
year sojourn in the land of the Philistines, leaving the Shunammite woman alone
to lead the family back and appeal to the king with only her son in tow (vv. 3 &
5).
How can we prove that her husband died during those seven years? The first
clue is that her husband is “old” (4:14). Then we know from history of the Old
Testament that the Philistines are perennially arch-enemies of God’s people. So
it’s not hard to imagine the physical and emotional stress this old man must have
endured in having to move his entire family to resettle in the harsh conditions of
a repressive ruler in a strange land.
Perhaps a small window is open so that we can see something of the tremendous
sufferings this Shunammite woman must have endured during those seven years
of exile, i.e. the famine, the move, the resettlement in enemy’s land, and
ultimately, the loss of her husband.
There is reason to believe that the Holy Spirit broke the continuity of the
Shunammite’s story into two parts (II Kings 4:8-37 & II Kings 8:1-6) with more
than three chapters of unrelated stories in between to show us just how dark the
situation was and how dire the sufferings were.
II Kings 4:38 begins to detail different aspects of the suffering. There was the
“wild gourds” that became “death in the pot.” There was the feeding of one
hundred hungry men. There was Naaman’s leprosy and Gehazi’s greed. There
was the meager living condition of the “sons of the prophets.” There were
wars. There were famines. Folks were driven to do the unspeakable, even to
cannibalism!
Then, out of all these horrendously dark and gruesome tragedies emerges a
pure, simple and humble woman who has herself undergone afflictions and
tragedies yet seems to have been untouched and undaunted by any of them.
There is simply no mention of the woman’s sufferings, hint of her groaning, or
even a murmur of any kind throughout the story. Although her beloved and
only son suddenly died in her lap, she conducted herself in perfect calmness. It
reminds me of Daniel’s three friends who were thrown into a fiery furnace that
was intensified seven times. When they came out, there was not so much as the
smell of smoke on them.
Many Christians cringe at the slightest hint of God’s dealing. They miss many
golden opportunities to allow the Lord to deepen them from within and constitute
them with the Lamb’s humble nature and character. The greatest blessings are
often, if not always, hidden under rough disguises.
On the other hand, many teachers ministering on the subject of the cross must
take heed lest their sharing does not match their inner constitution which has to
have been molded and conformed to Christ’s image before the message can
become a blessing.
I appreciate what the Holy Spirit intends to show us in presenting the other
stories found in chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7 before returning to consummate the story
of this precious Shunammite woman. As we have seen in these chapters, when
suffering, starvation and the terrors of war come, God’s people struggle in
despair for deliverance. We hear their collective cry, “There is death in the
pot!” But in stark contrast, our Shunammite woman, having yielded herself to
the Lord, calmly stands as a fragrant aroma in the midst of horrendous
situations that no amount of teaching or human endeavor can alter. She needs
not shout, lecture or even speak much; her being emanates the reality of the
cross, not just her words – this, dear friends, is what makes the Shunammite
woman “great.”
Un-molested, unaffected, and unafraid through all the turbulent tribulations, our
brave Shunammite woman stands quietly and humbly before the king to appeal
for what was once her husband’s, now hers, home and land. There was no
thought of regret for not taking Elisha’s offer seven years prior in asking for a
favor before the king (II Kings 4:13) which would have made it easy now to get
her house and land back. But then she would have owed a huge debt of favor to
the king that might encumber her and her family for the rest of her life, not to
mention the effect such a course would have had on her spiritual stature.
We can learn a lesson from the Shunammite woman with regard to our
relationship with our earthly “king” (leaders). Let it be a sobering warning that
we should always be careful in seeking to develop a special relationship with our
spiritual leaders. Our relationship horizontally, with one another, should be the
result of our relationship with the Lord vertically. Excessive reliance upon a
leader, especially a well respected one, will develop into an undue loyalty to him,
and many leaders exploit this loyalty to manipulate innocent flock.
But there is no such danger with our Shunammite woman who put the Lord
before the king and declined Elisha’s offer of seeking favor from him in chapter
4.
It is interesting to note that in chapter 8, the Sunammite's son stands by her
side as her silent testimony of life. Many are those who labor in the vineyard of
the Lord. Many are those who stake a claim in the land of God’s kingdom.
Many are those who believe they have a position in the household of God’s
people. But the crucial question remains, Do they have a silent testimony of life
by their side?
When the King of kings returns in His glory, we must all stand before Him. Many
may lay claim before Him concerning the "great works" and "mighty miracles"
which they claim to have done "in His name". But if the silent testimony of divine
Life is missing, a Life known only through experiencing His death and
resurrection, the Lord may say to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you
who practice lawlessness." (Matthew 7:23).
How, then, is this silent testimony of life acquired? Remember the Shunammite
woman.
Only God's sovereign grace could have arranged the conversation between
Gehazi and the king, and the timely appearance of the Shunammite before the
king. God moves, through the king, to restore not only her former house and
land, but also all that the land has produced since the time that she left! This,
dear friends, is none other than spiritual fullness.
In everything the Shunammite woman did, we see Christ. We see Christ
speaking in and through her. We see Christ manifested in and through her
words and actions. It was the cross of Christ operating in her that sent forth a
sweet aroma of His death. It was her experience of Christ's cross that gave
depth and meaning to her sufferings. It was also the cross of Christ that
brought forth a resurrected son – the silent testimony of resurrection life.
Finally, it was that same cross of Christ that ushered her into spiritual fullness.
O, that we would echo Paul’s longing and prayer that the body of Christ might
be built up "until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith, at the full knowledge of
the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ." Amen!
Oliver Peng
Feb. 2, 2010
II Kings 8:1-6
The intriguing story of the Shunammite woman seemingly ended with her son
brought back to life in II Kings 4:37. All’s well that ends well. Then she
unexpectedly resurfaced again in chapter 8 with a backdrop of severe famine in
the land.
The chapter opens with Elisha asking the woman to flee with her household from
an impending seven-year famine. She followed the man of God’s advice and
“went with her household” and dwelt in the land of the Philistines for seven years
(8:2).
Then the very next verse addresses her return from sojourn. The story omits
all the details of the entire seven years as though nothing happened during the
time when the family of three lived in the territory of the Philistines.
But, as we discussed previously, much of the significance, or “greatness,” lies
not with the Shunammite woman’s words or deeds; it is hidden in the unspoken.
First of all, it was the Shunammite woman with whom the prophet communicated
both in chapter 4 and chapter 8. Her husband, no doubt a good man, never took
part in the conversation. True fellowship that hits the mark is from deep unto
deep, or from spirit to spirit. No doubt, the Shunammite woman has spiritual
depth and discernment to facilitate fellowship with the prophet.
There is nothing quite as uplifting as fellowshipping with brethren who are full of
Christ and full of spiritual insight. But I also remember times when elderly and
spiritually matured brothers’ fellowship flew right over my head. There were
other times when I received email from seeking brothers and sisters who
lamented that no one in their respective congregations understood a word they
were saying – it was as if they spoke in a foreign language.
The problem is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of spiritual depth. Knowledge
comes by relatively easily; spiritual depth is gained only by yielding to the work
of the cross. One of the deficiencies of seminaries, trainings, or any mass-
production schemes is the emphasis on turning out pupils, followers, and
workers without turning on their spiritual depth. The kingdom of God is not
going to be won by brethren unified in knowledge and walking in lockstep, but by
common folk who have had their spiritual depth turned on.
This is not to say, however, that saints with spiritual depth should only
fellowship with kindred spirits, but never attempt to communicate with spiritual
novices. If it were so, then none of us would have the light we have today. If
Jesus were such, He would not have spoken to His largely clueless disciples, and
we’d all be doomed to darkness.
Spiritual depth does not necessarily refer to stoic or somber demeanor, or men
and women walking around with a Bible tucked under their arm while a halo
floats above their head. In fact, it is a joy to talk to simple believers who just
love the Lord. A simple greeting from a child always warms my heart. A hand
drawn card with squiggly notes handed to my wife during her time of physical
affliction often moved us both greatly. It seems that the Lord comes through
simple folk much more easily than sophisticated folk. May the Lord help us
return to simplicity.
Take our precious Shunammite woman for example. She received and
understood Elisha’s fellowship, and she must have shared it with her husband
also, as we saw in chapter 4. Here in chapter 8, her fellowship with her husband
is hidden in the unspoken. Notice that Elisha told her, not her husband, about
the impending famine, but she went “with her household” to the land of the
Philistines (v. 2). Undoubtedly, her husband took the lead on account of her
fellowship, and she merely followed – it’s a beautiful picture of fellowship, isn’t
it?
We have to give the Shunammite’s husband tribute for being a simple person
with an open heart for fellowship. Though not shown to possess spiritual depth,
he gladly received his wife’s fellowship time and time again without reservation.
As a result of this openness, the entire household received blessings.
As we consider the attributes of the Shunammite woman, her husband’s
simplicity and openness to receive fellowship should not be minimized. In a day
and age when spiritual knowledge is easily accessible through books and the
Internet, everyone seems to be fortified and puffed up with many spiritual
concepts which prevent open and uncluttered fellowship. To have the
Shunammite’s husband’s simplicity and openness would be a great blessing
indeed!
Then, an interesting thing happened. Instead of the woman returning with her
household, it simply says, “the woman returned from the land of the
Philistines.” And not only so, but we read that “she went to the king to make an
appeal for her house and for her land” (v. 3). Given the Shunammite woman’s
spiritual depth and maturity, something extraordinary must have happened
during those seven years for her to take the lead in coming home, and to make
an appeal before the king for her house and for her land!
Hidden in the unspoken is that her husband must have died during the seven-
year sojourn in the land of the Philistines, leaving the Shunammite woman alone
to lead the family back and appeal to the king with only her son in tow (vv. 3 &
5).
How can we prove that her husband died during those seven years? The first
clue is that her husband is “old” (4:14). Then we know from history of the Old
Testament that the Philistines are perennially arch-enemies of God’s people. So
it’s not hard to imagine the physical and emotional stress this old man must have
endured in having to move his entire family to resettle in the harsh conditions of
a repressive ruler in a strange land.
Perhaps a small window is open so that we can see something of the tremendous
sufferings this Shunammite woman must have endured during those seven years
of exile, i.e. the famine, the move, the resettlement in enemy’s land, and
ultimately, the loss of her husband.
There is reason to believe that the Holy Spirit broke the continuity of the
Shunammite’s story into two parts (II Kings 4:8-37 & II Kings 8:1-6) with more
than three chapters of unrelated stories in between to show us just how dark the
situation was and how dire the sufferings were.
II Kings 4:38 begins to detail different aspects of the suffering. There was the
“wild gourds” that became “death in the pot.” There was the feeding of one
hundred hungry men. There was Naaman’s leprosy and Gehazi’s greed. There
was the meager living condition of the “sons of the prophets.” There were
wars. There were famines. Folks were driven to do the unspeakable, even to
cannibalism!
Then, out of all these horrendously dark and gruesome tragedies emerges a
pure, simple and humble woman who has herself undergone afflictions and
tragedies yet seems to have been untouched and undaunted by any of them.
There is simply no mention of the woman’s sufferings, hint of her groaning, or
even a murmur of any kind throughout the story. Although her beloved and
only son suddenly died in her lap, she conducted herself in perfect calmness. It
reminds me of Daniel’s three friends who were thrown into a fiery furnace that
was intensified seven times. When they came out, there was not so much as the
smell of smoke on them.
Many Christians cringe at the slightest hint of God’s dealing. They miss many
golden opportunities to allow the Lord to deepen them from within and constitute
them with the Lamb’s humble nature and character. The greatest blessings are
often, if not always, hidden under rough disguises.
On the other hand, many teachers ministering on the subject of the cross must
take heed lest their sharing does not match their inner constitution which has to
have been molded and conformed to Christ’s image before the message can
become a blessing.
I appreciate what the Holy Spirit intends to show us in presenting the other
stories found in chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7 before returning to consummate the story
of this precious Shunammite woman. As we have seen in these chapters, when
suffering, starvation and the terrors of war come, God’s people struggle in
despair for deliverance. We hear their collective cry, “There is death in the
pot!” But in stark contrast, our Shunammite woman, having yielded herself to
the Lord, calmly stands as a fragrant aroma in the midst of horrendous
situations that no amount of teaching or human endeavor can alter. She needs
not shout, lecture or even speak much; her being emanates the reality of the
cross, not just her words – this, dear friends, is what makes the Shunammite
woman “great.”
Un-molested, unaffected, and unafraid through all the turbulent tribulations, our
brave Shunammite woman stands quietly and humbly before the king to appeal
for what was once her husband’s, now hers, home and land. There was no
thought of regret for not taking Elisha’s offer seven years prior in asking for a
favor before the king (II Kings 4:13) which would have made it easy now to get
her house and land back. But then she would have owed a huge debt of favor to
the king that might encumber her and her family for the rest of her life, not to
mention the effect such a course would have had on her spiritual stature.
We can learn a lesson from the Shunammite woman with regard to our
relationship with our earthly “king” (leaders). Let it be a sobering warning that
we should always be careful in seeking to develop a special relationship with our
spiritual leaders. Our relationship horizontally, with one another, should be the
result of our relationship with the Lord vertically. Excessive reliance upon a
leader, especially a well respected one, will develop into an undue loyalty to him,
and many leaders exploit this loyalty to manipulate innocent flock.
But there is no such danger with our Shunammite woman who put the Lord
before the king and declined Elisha’s offer of seeking favor from him in chapter
4.
It is interesting to note that in chapter 8, the Sunammite's son stands by her
side as her silent testimony of life. Many are those who labor in the vineyard of
the Lord. Many are those who stake a claim in the land of God’s kingdom.
Many are those who believe they have a position in the household of God’s
people. But the crucial question remains, Do they have a silent testimony of life
by their side?
When the King of kings returns in His glory, we must all stand before Him. Many
may lay claim before Him concerning the "great works" and "mighty miracles"
which they claim to have done "in His name". But if the silent testimony of divine
Life is missing, a Life known only through experiencing His death and
resurrection, the Lord may say to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you
who practice lawlessness." (Matthew 7:23).
How, then, is this silent testimony of life acquired? Remember the Shunammite
woman.
Only God's sovereign grace could have arranged the conversation between
Gehazi and the king, and the timely appearance of the Shunammite before the
king. God moves, through the king, to restore not only her former house and
land, but also all that the land has produced since the time that she left! This,
dear friends, is none other than spiritual fullness.
In everything the Shunammite woman did, we see Christ. We see Christ
speaking in and through her. We see Christ manifested in and through her
words and actions. It was the cross of Christ operating in her that sent forth a
sweet aroma of His death. It was her experience of Christ's cross that gave
depth and meaning to her sufferings. It was also the cross of Christ that
brought forth a resurrected son – the silent testimony of resurrection life.
Finally, it was that same cross of Christ that ushered her into spiritual fullness.
O, that we would echo Paul’s longing and prayer that the body of Christ might
be built up "until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith, at the full knowledge of
the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ." Amen!
Oliver Peng
Feb. 2, 2010
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