Elisha promised a son for a Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4. When the child had grown, one day, he got sick and died:
25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
She wanted to ask Elisha's help.
When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite. 26 Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?’” And she answered, “All is well.”
She was focused. She wanted to talk to Elisha personally.
27 And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.” 28 Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”
Now, Elisha knew the problem.
29 He said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child.”
Initially, Elisha thought sending Gehazi and his staff would do the job.
What did the staff symbolize?
Like a shepherd's staff, it symbolized guidance, protection, and leadership. Like
Moses' staff, it symbolized power and authority. God's staff could deliver one from death, Psalm 23:
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me,"
Elisha thought his staff was enough. But:
30 then the mother of the child said, “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her.
She did not have faith in the staff but in Elisha.
31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, “The child has not awakened.”
32 When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. 33 So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD.
The mother wasn't physically with Elisha in the room.
34 Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. 35 Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 Then he summoned Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” 37 She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.
Could the child be resurrected without Elisha's physical presence?
I think so if the mother had believed that Elisha's staff was enough to do the job. In the NT, Paul's handkerchiefs were used for healing. Acts 19:
11 God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
