Boldly Approach: Lessons from a Desperate Mother and Our Great High Priest

The unfolding narrative of God's interaction with humanity reveals a profound progression, culminating in the complete work of Jesus Christ. At the heart of this progression lies the powerful truth that our access to God is not limited, but gloriously free. This enduring message is beautifully illuminated when we draw a theological line between the steadfast resolve of the Shunammite woman in her time of crisis and the New Covenant invitation to draw near to God with confidence.

The Shunammite woman, a figure of deep piety in an era of widespread apostasy, exemplified unwavering faith. When the miraculous son given to her in response to her hospitality suddenly died, she faced an ultimate test. Instead of succumbing to despair or adhering to customary mourning, she immediately acted with decisive faith. Her response to her questioning husband, "It is well," was not a denial of tragedy, but an affirmation of her hope in God's perfect, loving character, despite the agonizing reality before her. She refused to accept that a divine promise could be revoked, determined to stand on the covenantal word she had received.

Her journey to seek the prophet Elisha was driven by urgent desperation, bypassing any traditional liturgical restrictions or social pleasantries. Upon reaching Elisha, she rejected the intervention of his servant, Gehazi, and later, the prophetic staff that Elisha sent ahead. Gehazi, representing inadequate human mediation, lacked the necessary sympathy and tried to enforce rigid protocol. The staff, though a symbol of prophetic authority, proved utterly powerless to impart life; it was a dead object, symbolizing the insufficiency of the Mosaic Law and mere religious formalism to bring true spiritual resurrection. The Shunammite instinctively understood that symbols and subordinates were not enough; she needed the personal, living presence of the mediator. Her powerful declaration, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you," was a fierce, covenantally grounded refusal to be deterred, mirroring Elisha's own tenacious clinging to Elijah for a double portion of his spirit. This persistent, bold faith compelled the prophet to act.

Elisha's subsequent actions in raising the child from the dead provide a vivid foreshadowing of Christ's work. He did not maintain a detached distance but performed an intensely personal, incarnational act. By physically lying upon the dead boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands, Elisha intimately identified with the corpse, transferring his own living warmth to impart life. This powerfully prefigures Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who, though infinite, humbled Himself to take on human flesh. He entered the realm of human mortality, suffering, and spiritual death, absorbing our sin and brokenness, to impart His eternal life and righteousness. Just as Elisha physically sympathized with the dead child, our Great High Priest intimately knows our weaknesses, sorrows, and temptations, yet without sin.

This historical drama lays the groundwork for the radical invitation extended to believers in the New Testament. Because we have such a sympathetic and perfect High Priest in Jesus Christ—one who has passed through the heavens and is both fully divine and fully human—we are commanded to draw near to God's presence with parrhesia . This Greek term means "confidence," "boldness," or "fearlessness," embodying the democratic right of a citizen to speak freely and candidly without shame.

Under the Old Covenant, access to God's holiest presence was terrifyingly restricted, even for the High Priest, who entered only once a year with elaborate rituals and the fear of divine wrath. However, Christ's crucifixion tore the temple curtain from top to bottom, signifying that all barriers between humanity and God have been permanently removed. Now, we are invited into the very "throne of grace" – a deliberate paradox where God's absolute sovereignty is merged with His boundless, unmerited favor.

This unprecedented access empowers us to approach God not just for His mercy to address our present suffering, but also for His grace to overcome our underlying sin and guilt. This help is "well-timed" or "seasonable," perfectly suited to our every need.

Therefore, as believers, we are called to embody the Shunammite woman's unwavering parrhesia . In our own times of crisis, we must:

Act with Urgency: Recognize that our need for divine intervention is immediate, refusing to let conventional routines or societal expectations delay our pursuit of God. Reject False Intermediaries: Come directly to Jesus, our one Mediator. We need not rely on saints, human rituals, or any other created thing to approach God. Christ Himself advocates for us and welcomes us.

Cling with Importunate Faith: Hold relentlessly to God's character and promises, refusing to settle for anything less than His personal presence and power. Our "I will not leave you" becomes a perpetual, prevailing prayer that activates His intercessory ministry on our behalf.

Just as the Shunammite received her son back as a living testament to God’s faithfulness, we receive eternal spiritual life and continuous empowerment through the Holy Spirit. Our High Priest, Jesus, perpetually lives to intercede for us, ensuring that the throne of grace is always open and overflowing with mercy and grace in every season of our need. Let us, therefore, with unshakeable confidence, continually draw near to Him.