This Article: (2 Pages)
- 1. Three Lives
- 2. Providence in Three Lives
1) Three Lives
How often do we think, 'what a co-incidence' and subscribe it to providence? Possibly many of these events are merely co-incidences. However we have been given evidence that the Elohim do indeed work actively amongst humans. The case of Gehazi, the King of Israel and the Shunammite woman is a remarkable case of providence.
The great woman of Shunem, who made a chamber for Elisha, received a son. Her son is miraculously restored to life. Later in a time of famine they leave at Elisha's advice. They are absent during the famine that lasts for 7 years. On their return from the land of the Philistines, their land had been taken and she requires justice by judgement from the king to gain her land and possessions back.
Meanwhile, Gehazi the servant of Elisha, despite having seen all the great miracles of Elisha, becomes greedy of temporal gain and covets and obtains gifts from Namaan, Captain of the Host of Syria. Gehazi is made a leper, forcing him out of the presence of Elisha, to become unclean. In the famine compounded by the invading Syrians, Gehazi would be with the other lepers outside the gates of Samaria. It is most likely he was one of the four who discover the Syrians have fled and who then went to the king's house to report their findings (after hiding their loot). Once the leper's reports proved true they would have been people of importance.
At the same time, the King of Israel has been having faith problems, which he expresses in public, due to the severe famine recorded in 2 Kings 6. He sends to Elisha to ask “Behold this evil is of Yahweh: what should I wait for Yahweh any longer?”. He is asking why should he, or his people, serve Yahweh. He is answered directly in the miraculous deliverance of Israel from the Syrian invasion (2 Kings 7:6-7) and in the remarkable fulfilment of the prophecy by Elisha (2 Kings 7:18-20).
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