DoublePortion_October2023_8.5x5.5_REV.indd

15 Compare and Contrast (Who, of the two, are you?) “Gehazi went out ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response” (2 Kings 4:31). ******** W ho could forget the old “compare and contrast” assignments from days gone by in high school and college English classes? In these essays, we explored similarities be tween two or more subjects, while at the same time detailing their differences.Topics might include authors, movies, actors, cultures or perhaps political ideologies and viewpoints. In the realm of biblical history, Elisha and his assistant Gehazi provide wonderful subject matter. In terms of similarities, they were both servants of God who ministered among the people and witnessed the performance of many miracles. Unfortunately, there’s a whole lot more to write about when delving into their differences.We’re going to stay in 2 Kings 4 and the story of the Shunammite woman, focusing specifically on verses 18-35. Let’s look first at Gehazi, who today might be called a “poser, ” a “believer” going through the motions, focusing on the following four realities.

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