The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 52

perceived how deeply her soul was "vexed" within her, though e.s yet he could not divine the cause. There ia e. sile~ce which is often more eloquent than speech. God does not need our words to tell him what we want; he can read even the "groanings the.t cannot be uttered" (Rom. viii. 26). Th~s m~urner took her trouble to the right ple.ce. (2) By-and-by she found words, which m form were words of expostulation "Did I dc_sire a son of my lord? d_id I not _say, Do not dec~ive me?" In reality sh~ was recallmg to the prophet that 1t was hie own word which had promised her this child. She was telling him in effect that the child was dead, and supplicating his help to prevent his original promise being completely cancelled. God is pleased that we should plead his promises with him. He bids us" put him in remembrance" (Isa. xliii. 26); like Job, "fill our mouth with arguments" (Job x.xiii. 4). He will honour his own word, for "his gifts e.nd calling a.re without repentance" (Rom. xi. 29). III. THE CHILD RESTORED. 1. Gehazi~s failwre. Anxious to lose no time in doin" whe.t he was confident it was the will of God should be done, Elisha directed bis servant who could go much more quickly than himself, to speed forward, and lay his staff ui;o~ the face of the child. He was neither to allow time to be wasted, nor his thoughts to be distracted, by saluting any one on the way. (" The King's business required baste;" 1 Sam. x.xi. 8; cf. Luke x. 4.) Gebazi did as be was commanded, but "there was neither voice nor hearing." The staff did not work the wonder-was never intended to do so; it was only a symbol of the prophetic authority under sanction of which the deed was to be wrought. There have been many speculations as to the ea.use of Gehazi's failure, some supposing that Elisha had stepped beyond his province in presuming to delegate this power to another; others, that the failure was a designed rebuke to Gehnzi; others, that this was a new trial of the Shunammite's faith. Bllt surely the simplest explanation is also the most probable. Gehazi was sent in good fe.ith, but the deed was not one to be wrought by magic, but by the ~oncurrence of ,faith e.nd prayer. Elisha's prayers accompanied his messenger, but the defects in Gehazi's own spiritual nature proved too serious for the work be had to do. God wollld not act through such an instrument. Even when Elisha came upon the scene, it was not without difficulty that he accomplished the mire.cle. His foresight in thi, was limited, even as in the matter of the child's death the fact was " hid" from him. 2. Elisha's success. The Shunammite bad refused to leave Elisha, and now, as they journeyed onwe.rd, Gehazi met them, announcing, "The child is not a waked." Elisha himself now took in he.nd the task in which Gehazi had failed. (1) He went into the room where the child was, shut the door "upon them twain," and prayed. The prophet e.nd the dead a.re alone together, but God is there too. Elisha attacked the problem from its spiritual side. His iirst object was to get his own soul into a spiritual frame, and to secure God's approval of bis efforts. He believed, like bis master Elijah, in the virtue of "effectual fervent pre.yer" (J as. v. 16). Such preparations are necessary if we would accomplish the greater miracle of raising the spiritually dead. Prayer attains its highest power when "secret" (Matt. vi. 6). (2) Divinely directed in answer to his prayer, Elisha now stretched himself upon the body of the child, placing bis mouth on his mouth, bis eyes on his eyes, his bands on his hands, etc. (cf. 1 Kings xviii. 21), and a first stage in restoration was accomplished-" the flesh of the child wax.ed warm." We can give no explanation whatever of the rationale of this procedure, which yet in some way unknown may have made Elisha a co-agent in the work of restoration. If life was not absolutely extinct-a supposition countenanced by thll fact that decomposition does not seem, even e.t the distance of many hours, to have set in (Bii.hr)-some reason might be seen for it. (3) Elisha now arose, walked for e. time to e.nd fro, perhaps to increase e.nimal heat, moro probably in an energetic bracing of mind e.nd spirit to overcome reme.ining obstacles to the power of faith, then renewed his former position of contact with the child. Life gradually reasserted its power; the child sneezed once, again, seven times; tbeo opened his eyes, and was restored to his parent. 'fhe lessons from this concluding part of the story are: (1) Prayer conjoined with appropriate action does not foil of its reward. (2) The duty of perseverance. (3) Some spiritual tasks a.re more difficult thnn others (Mark ix. 29). (4) In the case of the Shuno.mmite, the victory of faith. (6) 'l'be ease with which Christ wrought his mirncles as compared with these laborious exertions of Elisha-a proof of the superior e;reatness of his powcr.-J. 0.  90 TRE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. [OH. IV, 1--44,