Haftarah V’yeira
“Hospitality Blessings”
2 Kings 4:1-37 (A); 4:1-23 (S)
excerpted from TorahScope Haftarah Exhortations
As you ponder this week’s Haftarah reading and contemplate why the ancient Sages attached it to V’yeira (Genesis 18:1-22:24), the connective reasons appear to be the two common threads of hospitality and the blessings of offspring. In the case of the account of Elisha and the Shunammite woman, and Abraham and the Divine messengers, there is every indication that both were inherently hospitable without any hidden motivation to receive anything for their hospitable acts. There is a suggestion that the woman perceived that Elisha was a holy man of God, and we do know that Abraham showed reverence for the three men when he bowed before them.
Reacquaint yourself with these two complementary passages, and note that between Elisha, and earlier the Divine messengers, that both eventually get around to making a declaration that in approximately one year from their visits—a son would be born to the Shunammite woman, and a son would be born to Sarah:
“One day Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman; and she persuaded him to eat bread. So it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread. She said to her husband, ‘See now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God who passes by us continually. Please, let’s make a little room on the roof. Let’s set a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp stand for him there. When he comes to us, he can stay there.’ One day he came there, and he went to the room and lay there. He said to Gehazi his servant, ‘Call this Shunammite.’ When he had called her, she stood before him. He said to him, ‘Say now to her, “Behold, you have cared for us with all this care. What is to be done for you? Would you like to be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the army?”’ She answered, ‘I dwell among my own people.’ He said, ‘What then is to be done for her?’ Gehazi answered, ‘Most certainly she has no son, and her husband is old.’ He said, ‘Call her.’ When he had called her, she stood in the door. He said, ‘At this season next year, you will embrace a son.’ She said, ‘No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your servant.’ The woman conceived, and bore a son at that season when the time came around, as Elisha had said to her” (2 Kings 4:8-17, WMB).
“The LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, and said, ‘My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant. Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. I will get a piece of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant.’ They said, ‘Very well, do as you have said.’ Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, ‘Quickly prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.’ Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it. He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate. They asked him, ‘Where is Sarah, your wife?’ He said, ‘There, in the tent.’ He said, ‘I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.’ Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Sarah laughed within herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’ The LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, “Will I really bear a child when I am old?” Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will have a son.’ Then Sarah denied it, saying, ‘I didn’t laugh,’ for she was afraid. He said, ‘No, but you did laugh’” (Genesis 18:1-15, WMB).
While some might want to conclude that you are only to be hospitable to godly or holy people, in order to receive the blessings of the Lord, the balance of the Holy Scriptures actually indicate that hospitality should be a common trait of all who serve Him. The Apostolic Scriptures are replete with communicating how the gift of hospitality, or simply being hospitable, is a recognizable attribute of a godly person. Consider the following statements from the Apostles, as you sort out in your mind the blessings of being hospitable:
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor prefer one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, enduring in troubles, continuing steadfastly in prayer, contributing to the needs of the holy ones, and given to hospitality” (Romans 12:9-13, WMB).
Love without hypocrisy, practices hospitality to the holy ones or saints. Additionally, according to Paul, hospitality must be an attribute of the overseers of the assembly:
“This is a faithful saying: someone who seeks to be an overseer desires a good work. The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching; not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence; (for how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule his own house take care of God’s assembly?) not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil” (1 Timothy 3:1-6, WMB).
“For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain; but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him” (Titus 1:7-9, WMB).
Peter indicated that hospitality is one sure way to exhibit love and serve one another:
“And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:8-10, WMB).
Paul said that godly widows should express their piety by being hospitable:
“Let no one be enrolled as a widow under sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, being approved by good works, if she has brought up children, if she has been hospitable to strangers, if she has washed the holy ones’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, and if she has diligently followed every good work. But refuse younger widows, for when they have grown wanton against Messiah, they desire to marry, having condemnation, because they have rejected their first pledge” (1 Timothy 5:9-12, WMB).
Finally, it is critical to note this statement from the author of Hebrews, who pointed out that indiscriminate hospitality has its rewards. Unlike determining whether someone else is godly or holy, in this case simply extending hospitality to strangers just might result in hosting angels:
“Let brotherly love continue. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:1-2, WMB).
Reviewing these passages and applying them to yourself, how would you rate your current level of hospitality? Are you only hospitable to persons who are perceived to be godly or holy? Are you expecting something in return for your generous hospitality? Or have you discovered the joy of giving freely expecting nothing in return? This form of hospitality epitomizes the agapē love of the truly born again followers of the Messiah Yeshua.
I believe that when the Lord sees an hospitable heart at work, genuinely extending hospitality to whomever a Believer encounters, I am confident that the blessings will flow. Whether such blessings are in the form of offspring as considered in the Genesis and 2 Kings passages, or are simply a personal attribute of an overseer or godly widow, it is obvious that our Heavenly Father desires His people to be hospitable when appropriate. Inevitably, His blessing will come because you love the brethren!
