Sermon Notes + 11.23.2025
The Man of God Wept
2 Kings 8:1-15
Dr. Tony Chute, Lead Pastor
Overview: The prophet Elisha continues his ministry of comforting and confronting others with the Word of God. In the case of the Shunamite woman whose son was restored to life, Elisha had instructed her to find a home elsewhere to avoid the famine coming upon Israel. She responded by sojourning in the land of the Philistines for seven years and returning afterward in hopes of regaining her property. The timing of her return providentially coincides with a conversation between the king and Gehazi, in which the account of her son being brought back to life by Elisha was being recounted. King Jehoram is so impressed by her testimony that he orders her land and its produce to be restored. Attention then turns to Elisha himself, who is sought out by Hazael in order to discover whether or not the Syrian king, Ben-hadad, will recover from his illness. Elisha does not answer directly, informing Hazael instead that Ben-hadad will not die of the illness but by another means. Elisha begins to weep, knowing that Hazael is both the cause of Ben-hadad’s death and the instrument of God’s judgment upon Israel. In both situations, it is clear that God’s Word will be fulfilled by those who obey and those who disobey the Lord, thus prompting us to walk by faith rather than living for ourselves.
01. God will fulfill every promise He has made to those who walk with Him by faith; let us remain confident that every hardship we may face has a definite purpose for our good and God’s glory.
02. God will honor every threat He has made to those who live for this world rather than the next; let us lament the fact that people we know will choose their own path and suffer the wrath of God.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & DISCOVERY
1. The major theme in this text is the power of the Word of God and the certainty of its fulfillment. In what ways does that theme develop with regard to the coming famine (verse 2), the restoration of land to the woman (verse 6), the death of Ben-hadad, and the succession of Hazael (verse 15)? In what ways is it clear that the fulfillment of God’s Word does not negate human responsibility?
2. Consider all that the Shunamite woman went through with the death and resuscitation of her son, her displacement from her home, and her return to Israel with no guarantee that her land would be restored. How do these events coincide in verses 1-6 to demonstrate God’s providence in her life? What are the chances that she would appear before the king at the very moment Gehazi was recounting the mighty deeds of Elisha? What does this text suggest about the timing of God’s intervention in our lives?
3. How does this narrative of the woman who has lived by faith during difficult trials in life and is later rewarded with what she once had and more point to the gospel? Read Hebrews 11:13-16. How does this passage assure us that living by faith in Christ is not a wasted life, but a life that looks ahead to an eternal city and reward which can never be taken away?
4. What do you make of Ben-hadad’s desire to reach out to Elisha regarding whether or not he would recover from his illness? Does this situation indicate or suggest that Ben-hadad had a deathbed conversion? Of all the people you personally know who have come to faith in Christ, whose conversion has been the most unexpected to you?
5. Why did Elisha stare at Hazael and then begin to weep? In what way does Elisha’s response in this situation serve as a reminder that God’s Word will be fulfilled in ways that we find heartbreaking? How can we as a church speak directly about the certainty of God’s judgment while maintaining a compassionate heart toward others?
For Further Reading: D. A. Carson, The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God (Crossway, 1999)