Men's Ministry
Please read II Kings 3:21-27
10. God sent the water as He said He would in verse 20, though there’s no indication where it came from (except the direction of Edom) or how it came. What theories might explain where all this water came from – in a desert?
11. The coalition of three armies saw the water as a blessing. What did the Moabites see it as?
12. The most horrific part of this chapter is the sacrifice of Mesha’s son on the city wall. And the most difficult question is why this act would bring wrath, fury, or indignation against Israel? After all, it wasn’t Israel that did it. Why would they be the recipients of the wrath?
11. The coalition of three armies saw the water as a blessing. What did the Moabites see it as?
12. The most horrific part of this chapter is the sacrifice of Mesha’s son on the city wall. And the most difficult question is why this act would bring wrath, fury, or indignation against Israel? After all, it wasn’t Israel that did it. Why would they be the recipients of the wrath?
Please read II Kings 4:1-7
1. Why would this unnamed woman approach Elisha? Why not someone else, someone with political clout or authority?
2. The woman is in trouble because her husband had a creditor who wanted to be paid. She had nothing and so the creditor was going to take her children as his slaves. Is this proper? Is it fair?
3. When Elisha told the woman to collect vessels from her neighbors, she didn’t know what was going to happen. If probably seemed like a useless assignment. Why did Elisha tell her to do this without telling her why? Why did she obey?
4. Once she collected all the vessels, Elisha told her to pour the little oil she had into the borrowed vessels. (The oil she had was probably in a small bottle, reserved for anointing.) Note that Elisha told the woman to pour the oil into the large vessels. How do you think the woman felt about pouring oil from a small bottle into large vessels?
5. What spiritual lesson can be gathered from this story? What do the large vessels represent? What does the small bottle of oil represent? What does the gathering of many vessels by the woman teach us? Is there a New Testament miracle that parallels this one?
2. The woman is in trouble because her husband had a creditor who wanted to be paid. She had nothing and so the creditor was going to take her children as his slaves. Is this proper? Is it fair?
3. When Elisha told the woman to collect vessels from her neighbors, she didn’t know what was going to happen. If probably seemed like a useless assignment. Why did Elisha tell her to do this without telling her why? Why did she obey?
4. Once she collected all the vessels, Elisha told her to pour the little oil she had into the borrowed vessels. (The oil she had was probably in a small bottle, reserved for anointing.) Note that Elisha told the woman to pour the oil into the large vessels. How do you think the woman felt about pouring oil from a small bottle into large vessels?
5. What spiritual lesson can be gathered from this story? What do the large vessels represent? What does the small bottle of oil represent? What does the gathering of many vessels by the woman teach us? Is there a New Testament miracle that parallels this one?
Please read II Kings 4:8-17
6. Don’t miss the small details in Scripture. The Shunammite woman was hospitable even though she didn’t know Elisha. How do we know there was no previous relationship between them? See verses 13 and 14.
7. The culture of the day required that people be hospitable. The Shunammite woman seems to have been more hospitable than most, even to the point of having a guest room added to her house. We do not live in a society like this and we could possibly put ourselves in danger by asking a stranger to enjoy a meal in our house. What New Testament principle is this woman demonstrating? What are some ways that we can communicate a hospitable spirit to the strangers we come in contact with?
8. We’re not told how old the Shunammite woman is, but we are told that her husband is old. In what other biblical story is child given when it seems there’s no hope? Hint: There are at least two.
8. We’re not told how old the Shunammite woman is, but we are told that her husband is old. In what other biblical story is child given when it seems there’s no hope? Hint: There are at least two.
Please read II Kings 4:18-37
9. The boy goes out to the fields one morning and apparently suffers a sun stroke. He’s carried to his mother by a servant, sits on her lap until noon and then dies. She then lays him on Elisha’s bed. Why? Notice that the father is clueless as to what’s going on, mostly because his wife didn’t tell him. Why?
10. When her son dies, the Shunammite woman goes to the man of God. When an impossible calamity occurs in your life, where do you go? Do you go right away or do you try to fix it on your own first?
11. Skeptics might say that the boy wasn’t really dead, he had fallen asleep or fainted. (They say the same thing about Jesus’ death and resurrection.) Therefore, there was no miracle. How might you refute their false claims?
12. Elisha laid himself on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, hands to hands. Is this a magical formula to raise someone from the dead? If not, what is it? What else did Elisha do besides laying himself on the child?
10. When her son dies, the Shunammite woman goes to the man of God. When an impossible calamity occurs in your life, where do you go? Do you go right away or do you try to fix it on your own first?
11. Skeptics might say that the boy wasn’t really dead, he had fallen asleep or fainted. (They say the same thing about Jesus’ death and resurrection.) Therefore, there was no miracle. How might you refute their false claims?
12. Elisha laid himself on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, hands to hands. Is this a magical formula to raise someone from the dead? If not, what is it? What else did Elisha do besides laying himself on the child?
Please read II Kings 4:38-44
13. In Exodus 15:22-25, the wandering Israelites come to an apparent oasis after wandering for three days without water. Take a look particularly at Exodus 15:24-25 and compare that with the situation here in verses 40 and 41.
14. Based on what we’ve studied about the kings of Israel in the last few chapters, why do you think the man from Baal-shalishah brought his firstfruits offering to Elisha? Shouldn’t he have brought them to the Temple?
15. What New Testament miracle parallels Elisha feeding 100 men?
16. Do you see a common thread in all these stories? What is God doing through Elisha? What is God doing through you?
14. Based on what we’ve studied about the kings of Israel in the last few chapters, why do you think the man from Baal-shalishah brought his firstfruits offering to Elisha? Shouldn’t he have brought them to the Temple?
15. What New Testament miracle parallels Elisha feeding 100 men?
16. Do you see a common thread in all these stories? What is God doing through Elisha? What is God doing through you?