Shunem wRS ~o arise with her household, and leave her home and farm for seven years. He told her, indeed, that there was to be a famine in the ll\nd. But she might have wanted more proof. She might hl\ve S1Lid, " Well, I shall wait till I see some signs of t~e famine. . It is ~ great hardship to ~ave to get up in this way and leave my home, without any 1mmed1ate reason. What if Elisha's fears should turn out to be untrue? May not the famine be as bad anywhere else?" So men often reason when God gives them some command or points out to them the way of salvation. Lot lin~ered, when urged to depart out of Sodom, though the very angels of God had come, to warn him of his doom. So men linger still, when urged to flee from the wrath to come, They linger, though every day is bringing them nearer to eternity. They linger, though they know not the day nor the hour when the Son of man may come. Whether it be the path of salvation or the path of Christian service which God calls us to tread, let us not linger, let us not hesitate to obey, but, like this woman of Shunem, let us do at once what God commands. II. Loss rncURRED. This woman actually did suffer by her prompt obedience. She escaped the famine, indeed, but she lost her land. On this subject Dr. Thomson says, in 'The Land and the Book,' "It is still common for even petty sheikhs to confiscate the property of any person who is exiled for a time, or who moves a.way temporarily from his district. Especially is this true of widows and orphans, and the Shunammite was now a widow. And small is the cha.nee to such of having their property restored, unless they can secure the mediation of some one more influential than themselves, '!'he conversation between the king and Gehazi about his rooster is also in perfect keeping with the ha.bits of Eastern princes; and the appearance of the widow and her son so opportunely would have precisely the same effect now that it had then. Not only the l,and, but all the fruits of it would be restored. There is an air of genuine verisimilitude in such simple narratives which it is quite impossible for persons not intimately familiar with Oriental manners to appreciate, but which stamps the incidents with undoubted certainty." We may incur loss from a worldly point of view by obeying a wmmand of God. But which do we prefer-worldly gain or a conscience at peace with God? Which loss is greater-the loBB of a few pounds, or the loss or our heavenly Father's smile? Even if we do lose by it-it is best to do the will of God, to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. IIL QUESTIONS ASKED. We a.re not told what led to this remarkable conversation which Jehora.m had with Gehazi. Perhaps the time of famine had humbled him. Perhaps he was becoming penitent for hie threat of taking Elisha's life. Perhaps it was mere idle curiosity. But at any rate, here is the King of Israel inquiring of Gehazi, "Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done." Gehazi, at this time, loved to think and speak of Elisha. He had been a good master to him. His deeds were worth recording. And so Gehazi proceeds to tell the story of Elisha's mighty deeds. I. We ought to be ready to answer questions about our Master. They may proceed from curiosity, from wrong motives. Never mind. Our answer, given in a Christian spirit, may be the means of disarming ridicule. It may be an oppor- tunity for us to tell the old, old story of the cross. 2. We ought not to be ashamed of our Master. He is "the chiefest among ten thousand . . . and altogether lovely." His Na.me is above every name. The Name, the life, the works, the words, of Jesus ought to be a. favourite theme with us. IV. RESTITUTION MADE. When God's time comes, how very easily he can fulfil hie purposes! Geha.zi had just reached that part of his story whrre Elisha restored the Shunammite's son to life, when, to his astonishment and delight, the Shunammite herself appeared on the scene. She came with her petition to the king that he would ea.use her house and land to be rest.ored. Gchazi, not, perhaps, very regardful of courtesy or etiquette, calls out in the fulness of his joy," My lord, 0 king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life." The king, whose feelings had already been touched by the pathetic narrative of the little lad carried home from the harvest-- field to die, touched also by the entreaty of the woman for the restoration of her lost pro)!erty, and perhaps recognizing the hand of Providence in the remarkable events of that day, gives orders that not only her land, but the fruits of it from the day she left. Hhonld be restored to her. That wa11 wholeaale restoration and restitution, Who shall 11ay it was unjust? What a disgorging there 'l";ould be, if all who have taken Ll0ney. cm, vm.1-29.) THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 177
or land from others by unlawful means, all who have extorted unjust rents, were com- pelled to_restore their ill-gotten gains I The Shunammite had not suffered, after all, by her obedience. "No one hath forsaken houses, or lands, or father, or mother, or friends, •.. but he shall receive an hundredfold more in this life, and in the world to come life everlnsting."-C. H. L