Shunamite Woman

Many times in Scripture we see women, whether they are wealthy or poor, helping the servants of God with all they have. One such woman is the Shunamite woman in 2 Kings 4. To be perfectly honest, I was given an assignment to compare the Shunamite woman with the Virtuous Woman in Proverbs 31. Specifically verse 11 which states: The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. So this essay aimed specifically at that correlation. I think I will dig deeper into this story at another time.

The first glimpse we get of her relationship with her husband is when she gives him an idea of how to help Elisha. “And she said to her husband, Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way. Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there.” While I do not think she is demanding of her husband, I do not think she is asking for permission. I think it is fair to say that there is a large amount of trust built into their relationship. Makes me stop and think, have I built a relationship with my husband where he trusts my judgment on things.

I also see from this interaction that she is a woman of industry. She did not wait around for someone to tell her to make an apartment for Elisha. She had an idea and acted on it, and within the bounds of proper submission. She gave her husband the opportunity to discuss the idea with her before she acted. I think she is further proof that a woman can be incredibly industrious while maintaining a submissive spirit.

The story progresses and the Shunamite woman is given a son as a blessing from Elisha. She is hesitant at first because her husband is old, but the son is born and grows. Tragedy strikes, and the child dies. This is where we see the woman and her husband interact again.

The Shunamite woman puts her son in Elisha’s apartment and in verse 22-24 we see her conversation with her husband: “Then she called to her husband and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again.” And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath.” She said, “All is well.” Once again she discusses her plan with her husband with confidence. This time however, he questions her. I’m sure he was curious why she would want to go see the Elisha when it wasn’t a day for church. I think it’s safe to infer that she regularly attended services or gatherings with Elisha. I’m sure her husband was curious as to why she was going, yet when she confidently tells him “all is well” he gets the donkey and servant and she leaves to find Elisha. Once again we see that her husband’s heart does “safely trust in her”. The story does have a happy ending, and the son is brought back to life by God through Elisha.

There are many truths to be gained from this story, but when I just focus on her relationship with her husband I am convicted. I’ll add the caveat that some husbands are not so accommodating, but I wonder if even that could be helped by a wife with a good heart attitude. To me, the open and trusting relationship we see in this passage is one that was built over time. I’m sure her husband trusted in her more and more over the years. I think it is obvious that he trusted her discernment when it came to spiritual and financial matters.

As women today I wonder how we can be more like this woman. I think one way we can start is with prayer, and asking the Lord to give us good discernment. Prayer that the Lord would give us wisdom in discussing all areas of life with our husbands. Prayer that the Lord would give us the respect we should have when speaking to our husbands. I also think we can start by respectfully discussing issues with our husbands before we act on our ideas. This not only displays our respect but it also builds trust into the relationship.

I’m hoping as women we can work toward the Shunamite woman’s shining example.