What Makes a Woman, a
Great Woman
2Kings 4:8-37
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
22 Mar, 2009
AM
I.
Introduction ()
A.
A teacher gave her class
of a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day in a written test, she
included this question: "My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I
pick up things. What am I?" When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was
astonished to find that almost half of the students answered the question with
the word Mother.
B.
Humorous Story
1.
Mom and Dad were watching
TV when Mom said, "I’m tired, and it’s getting late. I think I’ll go to bed."
She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day’s lunches. Took meat
out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box
levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and
started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning. She then put some wet
clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and
secured a loose button. She picked up the game pieces left on the table and put
the telephone book back into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a
wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry.
2.
She yawned and stretched
and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the
teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a textbook out
from hiding under the chair.
3.
She signed a birthday card
for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick reminder for
the grocery store. She put both near her purse.
4.
Mom then washed her face
with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night Solution & age fighting moisturizer,
brushed her teeth and clipped and filed her nails.
5.
Dad called out, “I thought
you were going to bed.” “I’m on my way,” she said. She put some water into the
dog’s dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked. She
looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps, hung up a
shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with
the one up still doing homework.
6.
In the bedroom, she set
the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack.
She added three things to her 10 most important things to do list. She opened
her Bible, read her chapter in Proverbs, prayed about tomorrow, and thanked God
for a good day.
7.
About that time, Dad
turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. "I’m going to bed." And
he did... without another thought.
C.
Illustration: A Mom put
her son to bed on the eve of his fifth birthday. She was trying to communicate
that birthday idea to him. “Kevin,” she said, “this is the last night of your
fourth year. Do you understand that?” Kevin was ready to communicate with his
hands. For a full year, he had shown people four fingers for his four years, and
now he was ready to add a thumb. Seeing his four fingers, his mother nodded, and
said: “When you go to sleep tonight, you’ll still be 4-years-old. But do you
know how old you’ll be in the morning, when you wake up?” Kevin nodded
enthusiastically, added his thumb to his four little fingers and said,
“Tomorrow, I’ll be a handful!”
D.
There are two people in
the Scripture this morning in 2Kings 4
1.
A Great Prophet
a.
Elisha – man of God
b.
He had learned under
Elijah, and had been the one who asked God for a double portion of the Spirit
that was on Elijah, and got it!
c.
Times were hard. He gave
the nation hope and direction from God through those hard times!
2.
A Great Woman
a.
Not great because of her
name (she is unnamed)
b.
Not great because of her
money, or her abilities, but because of special characteristics that every woman
in here should want, especially mothers
3.
I want to honour the
mothers in our church this morning by learning from a great woman – the only
woman in the entire Bible who is called great. We need good examples, good role
models. Well, here is one for you
4.
As a matter of fact, the
Bible is full of them:
a.
Jesus had a great Mother
didn’t He?
b.
Moses had an awesome
Mother – Jochebed
c.
Hannah was an amazing
Mother
d.
Solomon had an awesome
Mother – Bathsheba
e.
f.
And the list goes on!
E.
Let’s learn from a Great
Woman – a Great Mother, who lived in a little town called Shunem. And let’s see
what makes a person truly great in God’s sight!
F.
The Truth is, our world does
not need great economists, or great doctors, or great politicians…
G.
We Need Some Great Women!
II.
Message
A.
She Was Great Because of Her Kindness
(2Kings 4:9-11)
1.
Elisha was a travelling
preacher. Covered hundreds of miles every month, going from place to place,
preaching in every village, and teaching in several Bible Colleges (called
schools of the prophets)
2.
He regularly travelled by
a home in Shunem, owned by a man and his wife
3.
The husband was a very
busy man – that’s a good thing. Didn’t notice Elisha always travelling by. He
just didn’t.
4.
But his wife did. She
wanted to be a blessing to the pastor – to the man of God.
5.
She offered Elisha supper.
He at first refused. But she wanted to be a blessing. She got a blessing out of
giving, and out of being a blessing
6.
Hey, greatness begins with
giving of your time, and yourself to others!
7.
She had an open home.
Every time he was passing by there, he was always welcome to come for a meal!
8.
But the woman wanted to do
more
a.
There were no hotels, and
very few inns along the way
b.
Elisha often had to sleep
outside
c.
This woman had an idea –
build a small flat for the prophet. Just for him
d.
The idea pleased her
husband and they built it along the wall of their property so he could come and
go as he pleased and did not have to feel like he was intruding in their home
life.
e.
A simple flat – a bad, a
table, a stool and a lamp – perfect
f.
It blessed Elisha and his
faithful servant named Gehazi
9.
Now, she didn’t do this to
get anything back – just being a blessing is blessing enough
10.
But God was going to bless
her back anyway – He always does!
11.
Thank God for mothers!
They are usually kind by nature!
12.
That’s what makes you
great!
B.
She Was Great Because of Her Desire
(2Kings 4:12-17)
1.
Elisha wanted to be a
blessing back
a.
Isn’t it wonderful when
people start being a blessing to one another?
b.
All of sudden, people who
have been blessed by someone start going out of their way to be a blessing back,
and in no time, life is full of people just piling on help and blessings
2.
Elisha asks Gehazi to go
she what she would like? Honour from the king? A promotion? A government job?
Protection by the army from an enemy?
3.
This wonderful wife did
not want anything. She was content. What a way to live! Tru, real hospitality
gives and seeks nothing in return – and THAT is what God honours!
4.
She had everything she
wanted. No complaining, no murmuring.
a.
She had a husband, and
loved him
b.
She had a home
c.
She had God – loved God,
and worshipped Him faithfully
d.
She had her people –
family around her, good neighbours
e.
We take things for granted
and think we are missing something
5.
Elisha knows God wants to
honour this woman’s kindness, and presses for a way to bless her
6.
Gehazi has noticed no
children around the home. No teenagers, no grandchildren.
7.
Elisha quickly called for
the woman, and announces in under a year, she would be holding her own little
baby!
a.
Oh how that shocked her!
b.
She didn’t want to have a
false hope
8.
You see, she secretly,
deep down wanted to be a mother – it was, and still is, an honour! A great thing
to be a Mom!
9.
For so many years, her
desire was to be a Mom. But it had become evident that she and her husband could
not have children. Now they were old. And she finally had given up praying for a
baby. But God had not forgotten!
a.
The same things had
happened with Elizabeth and Zachariah
b.
Sarah and Abraham
10.
Elisha could have put a
good word in for this woman and her husband at the royal court of king Jehu, but
instead, he put a good word into the court of heaven for her!
11.
What are your desires?
Your deep longings that you have given up on because it just doesn’t seem
possible anymore?
a.
How many young women
desire praise and accolade and attention like Brittany Spears?
b.
Only to realise years
later, she wishes she was a Mom, a Mother, a woman of faith and trust in God?
12.
God honours women who
honour Him, and He will do the impossible, if you only believe in Him and will
trust Him!
C.
She Was Great Because of Her Faith
(2Kings 4:18-20)
1.
Now comes the trying of
her faith. All great women (and men) were forged by fire – great trials
2.
There is no real greatness
without real faith – faith that can stand the trials and testings
3.
The young child grows up.
He is probably around 12 or 13
4.
It is harvest time. – the
busiest time of the year!
5.
And for the first time,
the young boy is allowed to go out into the fields and work along side his
Daddy! Oh how proud they both must have been!
6.
There were hundreds of
workers, cutting down the barley and wheat stalks, binding them, sifting them
and storing them away for the winter
7.
As the sun beat down on
all those workers, the son collapses, grabbing his head
a.
Possibly sunstroke
b.
An aneurism
c.
Don’t know
d.
Probably just too much
work for the young boy
e.
Sent home to his mother.
Probably just thought it was a migraine from heat exhaustion and would recover
8.
The mother knows something
is wrong and cradles him in her arms. Surely some rest would be all that he
needed.
9.
But then, at noon… he…
died!
10.
Sudden tragedy!
11.
Her blessing, her
God-given thrill and joy was gone!
12.
How should she react? What
does she do now?
13.
This child was a miracle
child. A promised child. She had not demanded God to give her this boy – GOD had
freely given him to them! This child was not a possession that she owned – he
was a gift that she treasured!
14.
And now he was ripped away
from her world!
15.
But that is NOT the end of
the story!
16.
This woman has a faith
that made her great! And God likes faith!
D.
She Was Great Because of Her Determination
(2Kings 4:21-30)
1.
She doesn’t bury the
child! She is determined that this child will live again!
2.
She is determined to trust
in the Lord with all her heart!
a.
She doesn’t despair, give
up, quit, get mad, or start blaming!
b.
Could have blamed the
husband for working him too hard, or not watching out for him, etc.
c.
Could have blamed herself
for not waiting a little longer before letting him go out to the fields
d.
Could have blamed herself
for not doing something more than just rocking him while he was faint
e.
But instead, she believes
God! Oh that women today believed God!
1)
The apostle Paul in Acts
27:25, in the midst of a deadly hurricane said, “Wherefore, sirs, be of good
cheer: for I believe God!”
2)
Listen to how Abraham
handled the impossibility of trusting in God in Romans 4:18-22: “Who against
hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations,
according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in
faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred
years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the
promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to
perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.”
3)
Proverbs 3:5,6 says “Trust
in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In
all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
3.
She is determined to find
Elisha!
a.
She remembers that GOD
used Elisha to give her that child!
b.
Puts the lifeless body of
her son not on his bed, or on her bed, but on Elisha’s bed!
c.
She informs her husband
that she has to go and find Elisha
1)
The husband is surprised
2)
She has not told him that
the child is dead yet – he would never have let her go if he knew that his son
was dead
3)
It was not a normal
worship time (like our Sundays and Wednesday evenings) and so Elisha could have
been anywhere!
4)
But she trusts that GOD
will guide her!
d.
She heads out at full
speed!
e.
She found Elisha! At Mt
Carmel, 20 miles away. Took her 3-4 hours to get there!
4.
She is determined to get
Elisha back to her house to raise that boy back to life
a.
Elisha sends Gehazi to go
and find out what is wrong? Elisha knows nothing about what has happened.
Sometimes, God showed His prophets things, and sometimes, He lets them discover
them on their own
b.
Notice her response – “It
is well”
1)
Now that she has found
Elisha, it truly is well
2)
Even though her son is
dead - with God, all things are well
3)
She believes everything
will be okay now!
4)
She has hope (Rom 5:3-5)
and she is not ashamed of that hope no matter how foolish it may have seemed!
c.
I believe this woman had
more faith than Elisha
1)
Elisha kind of flippantly
just send Gehazi with his staff to go and lay it on the body – not real faith or
struggle in faith – just kind of cocky
2)
Elisha has to be pushed to
leave
d.
Hey! This woman moved
Elisha to help her. Elisha was FOLLOWING HER now
e.
THAT’S determination, and
THAT is greatness!
5.
Great women don’t give up!
They have a determination to believe God, and hope when others have given up!
Isn’t THAT the characteristic of a Great Mother?
E.
She Was Great Because of Her God
(2Kings 4:31-35a)
1.
Her eyes told her that her
son was dead
2.
Gehazi told her that her
son was dead
3.
But God is greater than
death!
4.
God steps into the
situation now and teaches us how to trust Him when things are dead
a.
Get alone (4:33) – bring
your problem not to a counsellor, or to a drinking buddy, or to another friend.
Bring your impossible problem to God!
b.
Pray (4:33). Pray like you
have never prayed before. Earnest prayer is
1)
Total effort – not a
passing comment to God, or a quick word in passing
2)
It is a passionate act –
an all consuming act
3)
Where you hunger, yearn,
desire, ache for God to hear and act on your behalf
4)
Jesus prayed earnestly
(Luke 22:44)
5)
Elijah prayed earnestly
(James 5:16,17)
c.
Try everything (4:34)
1)
Here, Elisha tries mouth
to mouth resuscitation
2)
He is not laying some old
stick on top of this lifeless body, he is laying HIMSELF out. Elisha is giving
everything he has got for this boy
3)
The pressure of his body
on top of the child’s body compresses the heart and helps the blood to flow
slowly
4)
And the flesh started to
get warm again!
5)
Elisha is doing everything
HE can, and God starts to do what only HE can
d.
Expect Life Again
1)
Elisha looked in the eyes
of that boy to see if there was any sign
2)
Doctors do it today!
3)
But Elisha is looking to
see God bring this boy back to life
4)
Don’t ever give up!
5)
Everything you do has to
be done by faith, looking for GOD to act
a)
Soul-winning
b)
Training up you children
c)
Loving and honouring your
husband or your wife
d)
It doesn’t matter how dead
your relationship might be, or your heart may be, or someone else’s heart may
be! TRUST GOD!
e.
Don’t Stop until you have
succeeded (4:35a)
1)
After a while, Elisha
would stand up and walk around, and then try again
2)
He wasn’t going to stop
until he succeeded
3)
Oh that we would never
give up! We have the victory! We have the answer!
4)
I believe he was totally
worn out, but he kept at it
5)
I believe the woman
outside that door was wrestling just as hard in her heart in prayer
6)
Neither were giving up!
7)
And neither should you!
a)
Do you have a wayward son
or daughter?
b)
Do you have a Mom or a dad
who is spiritually dead and not interested in getting saved?
c)
Do you have a financial
situation that is impossible?
d)
Stay doing right! Stay
trusting the Lord’s way, and trusting His word to work!
f.
Expect the Unusual (4:35a)
1)
This is great! We are
dealing with the impossible, so expect the unusual!
2)
The child surprises Elisha
by sneezing
3)
I bet Elisha jumped out of
his skin when this dead boy shook all over and took a deep breath and then
sneezed real loud!
4)
And then to watch him take
another deep breath and sneeze again, and then again. Seven times
5)
And then he sat up,
blinking his eyes and looking around wondering what had just happened!
5.
Hey! Do you know what?
This was not a miracle by Elisha, or by this woman. This was an act of God
almighty!
6.
GOD made this woman great!
Simply because she trusted in Him, and waited on Him, and expected only from God
(Psalm 62:5). Every good thing in our life, every miracle is only because of the
Lord!
F.
She Was Great Because She Got What She Wanted
(2Kings 4:35b-37)
1.
A great woman is great
because she gets what she wants!
2.
This woman did not want a
bigger house, or a better husband, or praise and possessions
3.
She wanted REAL treasures
a.
She wanted her son back
b.
She wanted God to get all
the glory
c.
She wanted to raise a son
to trust the Lord as much as she did
d.
She wanted a family
4.
And do you know what? She
got it all!
a.
Just like Hannah got what
she wanted – a son
b.
Just like the widow woman
in Luke 18 who stayed at it, stayed on the unjust judge until she got what SHE
wanted
5.
Plenty of you ladies know
how to get what you want, but have never directed your efforts in prayer towards
God for some REALLY BIG things!
III.
Conclusion
A.
We have learned a little
about a Great Prophet named Elisha. But he wasn’t the main thing in this
Scripture was he? No.
B.
We have learned more about
a Great Woman. Unnamed, but called GREAT by God!
C.
She is a great example of
real greatness!
D.
We need some Great Women
today
1.
Our world’s problems don’t
need better economists
2.
Or better politicians
3.
Or better doctors
4.
or better counsellors
5.
We need great Mothers
6.
God gave us a great
example
E.
Why was this woman called
Great by God?
1.
She Was Great Because of Her Kindness
2.
She Was Great Because of Her Desire
- What was her desire, deep down, and secret? To be a Mom!
3.
She Was Great Because of Her Faith
4.
She Was Great Because of Her Determination
- She is determined to trust in the Lord with all her heart
5.
She Was Great Because of Her God
6.
She Was Great Because She Got What She Wanted
F.
It all begins by the new life.
Not a religious act, but a yielding to the Son of God who loved you and gave
Himself for you!
G.
No mother, no matter how
devoted she may be, no matter how sacrificial, no one is more important than
Jesus, and no mother can live without Jesus!
H.
If you are not born again
this morning, today would be the best day to repent of trying to live without
Him as Lord of your life, and simply ask Him to save your soul and make you His
child!
I.
He seeks to save you from
YOUR sins and make you HIS child, and fill you with HIS Spirit!
J.
Happy Mother’s Day
everyone!