03.22. The Dying Child

The Dying Child The history passes over an interval of a few years; after which we find the Shunammite’s child, who naturally had become the joy and hope of his parents, appointed to be the occasion of a most wonderful event in Elisha’s ministry. The happiness of this family at Shunem appears to have been hitherto uninterrupted, and perhaps they had begun to imagine that nothing more would obscure the sunshine of their days; when lo, the cloud of a frowning providence hangs over this happy abode. The father had gone out early into his fields to the reapers; and his dear child followed him soon afterwards, as it appears, to be with him, and to attend upon him. But while he was there "he said unto his father, My head, my head;" and the father, not suspecting danger, desired one of the young men to carry him home to his mother. Who can describe the shock sustained by the poor Shunammite, at seeing her beloved child thus brought home in a dying condition, for such it proved! "He sat on her knees till noon, and then died." Alas, for the poor afflicted mother! Her only child lies pale and stiff in her arms. He is dead; but can she yet believe it? Does she not call him by his name, and implore him again and again to look at her, but all in vain? The beautiful flower is faded, is dead; and the serenity of the happy family in Shunem is departed with it. But why hath the Lord done this? We presume not to pronounce on what particular account it pleased him to water these plants in Shunem with such a chilling dew. Perhaps He saw it necessary to convince them that the summit of happiness is not to be found on earth. Perhaps the child had robbed Him too often of their livelier affections, and these he would again reclaim. Or, they needed by some deep affliction to be more weaned from the world, to be more habitually sensible that their happiness every moment depended on the grace and mercy of God. One thing, at least, we know, that the affair was to terminate gloriously; that here they were to gather grapes from thorns; that a time was to come when they would kiss the hand that smote them, and would joyfully exclaim, Blessed be God, who hath led us after the counsel of his will, and not after our own! when they would be abashed that they had for a moment complained of a providence, in which only thoughts of love and peace prevailed. To those who love God, all things must necessarily work together for good.