November 12, 2022: Haftarah – II Kings 4:1-37
This week's Haftarah reading is from II Kings 4:1-37. Join Dr. Jeffery Myers, as he portrays the beautiful story of the Shunammite woman; A woman of faith, who stood at the doorway of opportunity!
Follow along in the AUDIO PODCAST, by clicking on the play button below, and reading along with the notes, as you listen to today's Haftarah:
Lion of Judah Speaks: Haftarah Portion – II Kings 4:1-37
The part of this haftorah I want to focus on is II Kings 4:8-17, the story of the Shunammite woman. This was a wealthy woman who opened her home to the prophet Elisha to stay for meals when he passed her house. This city near Galilee, was in the northern part of Israel. She had a heart to serve the man of Adonai. The woman had such a reverence for the man of Adonai that she went out of her way to build a place for him to stay. In II Kings 4:9-10, it says, “She said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of Adonai, who passes by us regularly. Please let us make a small upper room on the wall, and let us put a “bed’ for him there, and a “table” and a “chair” and a “lampstand”, so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there. Elisha asked Gehazi, his servant, to call the woman to the upper room. When he had called her, she stood before him in the “doorway”. As she stood in the doorway in verse 15, he said in verse 16, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son”. She told him not to lie to her but she conceived and bore a son when the “appointed time” had come, of which Elisha had told her.
There are a few things I want to share with you. This woman of faith stood at the doorway of opportunity! She could either believe and receive or disbelief and reject…she chose to believe! So many times, Adonai brings us to the doorway of our blessing, victory, healing, and deliverance and all we have to do is exercise our faith and believe what Adonai says is true. The doorway is one of victory or disappointment depending on how we decide to believe. Adonai brings you to many doorways…opportunities to stretch your faith and trust in His Word. We either stand and receive His Word or we shut the door on what Adonai desires for our lives. Adonai wanted to move on this Shunammite woman, to grant her what she desired for years but had decided to “give up” because she saw no means of receiving. She had settled in her heart and spirit that it would never come to pass until she was called to the doorway of opportunity!
There are three things that stand out in regard to this Shunammite woman. Three things she put in motion that would create a door of opportunity and eventually give her a son of promise. These three things are also applicable to us in regard to setting us up for a move of Adonai in our life.
The Shunammite woman had a perception—she perceived that Elisha was a man of Adonai. Elisha was the door to a move of Adonai. And she decided to make preparation for that move. Her faith was in operation from the very beginning as she laid a foundation for her miracle. What is our perception of what Yah is doing today? Do you perceive that we are on the edge of one of the greatest moves of Yah the world has ever seen? Do you perceive that HaShem is preparing you to be an active participant of this great outpouring? Even as sin runs rampant and lawlessness abounds can you see the doorway He has created for a powerful move of His Ruach? If you know that Adonai is moving, what preparations have you made in your life to receive it and maintain it?
Elisha passed by the woman’s house once but she wanted it to continue so she “prepared him a place” that he might occupy when passing by. Her city was insignificant, out of the way but she was not going to let this opportunity pass he by. Leonard Ravenhill said, “The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity.” So, let’s seize the day, seize the moment. Don’t let it pass you by!
So, what are we doing to prepare for this last-day move of Adonai? She perceived the move of Adonai and made preparation to receive and maintain it. She made a “room”. She made room! She furnished it with a cot, a table, a chair, and a lampstand. Each of these are significant for us to keep what Yah wants to do. The cot is symbolic of our rest in HaShem for all that He has prepared for us. The table is the place of fellowship prepared for divine visitation. The chair represents the authority of Yah in our lives. The lamp signifies the illumination of Yah’s revelation of Himself to us.
Let’s focus on the chair for today. The KJV says “let us set for him a stool” --“kiccha” (kis-say) from the Hebrew word “kacah” meaning properly covered, i.e., a throne (as canopied): seat, stool, throne. In English, Webster defines throne as “the chair of state of a sovereign or high dignitary; the seat of a deity; royal power and dignity.”
What is a chair? A device that holds or supports. It can also mean, an official seat or a seat of authority, an office or position of authority. A stool represents a throne, a place of authority. It’s important we realize what supports us and who and what has authority in our life.
The Shunammite woman gave Elisha a chair; demonstrating her dependency was on Adonai and she gave Adonai her seat of authority. So, let me ask you this question; Who is sitting on your throne: is it self; is it sin; or is it Yeshua HaMashiach? Someone is sitting on the throne of your life. It is who you yield to, who you allow authority and power and access, who you have exalted in your life as the most important. Whoever is on the chair is the one you will serve.
In the beginning there was only one will, the will of HaShem but after the rebellion of man there were two wills that have increased in number as sin abounds. Satan has wanted to be like the Most High and since our rebellion we also desire to be like the Most High! Isaiah 53:6 tells us, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and Adonai has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
What authority is sitting on your chair? Whoever or whatever controls your life; drugs, alcohol, habits, sickness, disease, job, church, religion, Satan, self, or Adonai is dependent on whom you have placed on your chair. Yeshua was given all power and authority in heaven and earth. Why? John 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the Will of Him who sent me.” The power in your life is demonstrated by who is sitting on your chair. Yeshua’s Messiahship was demonstrated by His authority and power that was given to Him. The Shunammite woman gave her chair to the prophet of Yah. Who are you giving your authority to? Is it the world, Satan or is it self? In Daniel 7 it says Yeshua was given dominion and glory and a Kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve and obey Him. He is the One who is and who was and Who is to come because He has taken His great power and reigned according to Revelation 11. Revelation 12:11, it states, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death”.
A revival is a determination of Yah’s authority—if He is on the chair—There is Revival! If He is not then there is no revival!
On this Sabbath day create a chair for Yeshua to sit that He may pour Himself out on you! Join us every Wednesday at 7 pm for Bible Study and every Saturday at 11 am for Sabbath service at:
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Have a great Sabbath…Shalom Aleicheim!
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