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the character of God, and to a more simple and childlike faith in Him, Who afflicteth
not willingly, but for our profit.
We feel convinced that the explanation of Gehazi's commission must be sought
within the narrative itself. When Elisha dispatched his servant with his staff, it was
with the intention that he should take his master's place. What afterwards determined
him to go personally was the expressed resolve of the woman: "As Jehovah liveth,
and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee [viz., behind; I will not go, nor yet go
without thee]. Then he arose and went after her." All this seems in accordance with
what has been previously stated. If, as Elisha expressed it with sorrow, Jehovah had
not communicated to His servant what had happened in the house of the
Shunammite, then the prophet was not only ignorant of the final issue, but left
without any Divine commission in the matter. In these circumstances he would wait
for such direction as might be indicated to him in the course of events. And he
received it, clearly and unmistakably, through the expressed resolution of the
Shunammite. Accordingly he immediately followed her. The previous mission of
Gehazi may have been tentative and preparatory; and the laying of the prophet's staff
on the face of the child perhaps symbolic of the arrestment of the progress of decay.
Nor can there be difficulty in understanding the prophet's direction to Gehazi not to
salute any one by the way, nor to return any salutation. It was intended not only to
indicate the necessity of speed on what brooked no delay, and of avoiding any
worldly distraction when on such an errand, but also to prevent all such publicity as
to the matter in hand, as would have been the natural sequence of conversation,
especially on the part of one like Gehazi (comp. here also Luke 10:4).
The narrative passes in silence over the long ride across Esdraelon to Shunem.
Evening must have gathered on the deep blue summer sky, when the two at length
neared the desolate home. Ere they came to it, Gehazi had met them with the report:
"The lad is not awaked," - and this also is significant of Gehazi's thoughts about the
matter. He had literally obeyed his master's behest, and laid the staff upon the face of
the child, "but there was neither voice nor attending [on the part of the dead child]."
But by this time, we dare not doubt it, Elisha knew what he had to do. Even if the
Lord had been silent to him, he had already received sufficient direction (comp. here
Exodus 14:15). What follows in the narrative (v. 32) is chiefly intended to set more
clearly before us the reality of what now took place. Arrived in his chamber, the
prophet shut the door upon himself and the dead child that lay on his bed. We have
learned to understand the meaning of this act, which symbolically set forth being
alone with God. As regards his prayer to Jehovah and the close personal contact with
the dead child, Elisha followed, as from every point of view we would have
expected, the example of his master, Elijah, when he recalled to life the widow's son
at Sarepta^181 (1 Kings 17:17, 24).
(^)