Read 2 Kings 8 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraphs:
8:1-4 {s} The Shunammite woman sojourned 7 years during a famine/ Gehazi told the king Elisha’s great deeds
8:5-6 {p} The woman appealed to the king to restore her land just as Gehazi told the king/ he restored all to her
8:7-15 {p} Elisha in Damascus to fulfil the word to Elijah/ Hazael murdered Ben-Hadad and became king in Syria
8:16-24 {p} Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat’s reign in Judah/ he did evil in YHVH’s sight as the kings of Israel
8:25-29 {p} Ahaziah the son of Jehoram’s reign in Judah/ allied with Israel, for his mother and wife were of Ahab
The Strong theme:
7:3-8:6 {s+s+p} Elisha’s word came to pass/ his true prophesies and great deeds told to the king of Israel
2 Kin 8:1-6 Chiastic structure:
Then the king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done.” 2 Kin 8:4
Elisha’s deeds were great, because YHVH is great, who is the real Doer of the deeds.
You know what I love about the Shunammite woman? When Elisha told her to pack up her household and leave for seven years, she didn’t say, “Oh, but the science academy has said nothing about a famine!” or “What a lot of work it will be to move the entire household, there’s no way I can do it!” or “If I leave someone else will take over the house and lands, and then I will be stuck!” No, she packed up her household, and left.
And when the famine was over, and come to find out someone had indeed taken over the house and lands, YHVH made sure that when she went to appeal to the king, her suit would be favorably heard. She didn’t plan anything. She just obeyed. And YHVH had her back.
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