The Prophet Who Took Elijah's Place

The life of the prophet Elisha.

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A few weeks back, we considered the life and work of the greatest Old Testament prophet - Elijah.

Elisha is the prophet God chose to take Elijah’s place and finish the work he started.

Elisha is Chosen by Elijah.

God instructed Elijah to anoint “Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah” as prophet in his place (1 Kings 19:16).

As with Elijah’s name [which means “The LORD is my God], Elisha’s name (meaning “God is salvation” or “God saves”) was the essence of his ministry. His name evokes memory of Joshua (“The LORD saves”). Elijah was given someone to finish his work, just as Moses was, and Elisha channeled the covenant blessings to the faithful in Israel just as Joshua brought Israel into the promised land. In the New Testament John the Baptist (“Elijah,” Matthew 11:14; 17:12-13) was followed by Jesus (“Joshua,” Matthew 1:21) to complete God’s saving work. - NIV First-Century Study Bible Notes

Abel Meholah was a town near the Jordan River in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Elisha’s father was named “Shaphat,” which means “judge” or “he judges” so Elisha was known as “the son of the judge.”

When Elijah finds Elisha, he is plowing with twelve yoke of oxen (1 Kings 19:19). Some believe these twelve yoke of oxen represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Elijah throws his mantle, or cloak, over Elisha, and keeps walking.

The prophet’s mantle was made of skin and covered with hair, probably of goat’s skin with the hair turned outward. It was the distinctive clothing of the prophet (2 Kings 1:8; Matthew 3:4 and especially Zechariah 13:4). - The Interpreter’s Bible, p. 165

Elisha understands that Elijah has chosen him, and he chases after Elijah and says, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you” (1 Kings 19:20). Elisha requests to say goodbye to his parents. Elijah’s response is challenging to properly interpret.

Perhaps he is saying something like, “What I’ve done to you does not prevent a proper goodbye to your people.” Perhaps, and this may be more likely, Elijah is saying, “You know I’ve chosen you to follow me in the name of the Lord. Go say your goodbyes, and return to me.”

Elisha goes home, kills a yoke of oxen, and cooks them for a feast with the people - probably including his family and the people from the town. After this is over, he follows Elijah and is his servant (1 Kings 19:21).

Elisha Takes Elijah’s Place.

As the Lord prepared to take Elijah away, Elisha refused to leave Elijah and stuck by his side until the moment God took Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:1-11). Before Elijah was taken away, Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit (2 Kings 2:9).

Elisha was not necessarily expressing a desire for a ministry twice as great as Elijah’s. This could have been a request made out of humility and inadequacy. He was using terms derived from inheritance law to express his desire to carry on Elijah’s ministry. Inheritance law assigned a double portion of a father’s possessions to the firstborn son (Deuteronomy 21:17). With that said, the writer of 1 and 2 Kings lists about twice as many miracles performed by Elisha as by Elijah. - NIV First-Century Study Bible Notes

When Elisha sees Elijah taken to heaven by a whirlwind, riding a chariot of fire, he cries out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” (2 Kings 2:12).

Elisha depicted Elijah as embodying the true strength of the nation. He, rather than the apostate king, was the Lord’s representative. The same description was later used of Elisha (2 Kings 13:14). - NIV First-Century Study Bible Notes

When Elisha returns to Jericho, the sons of the prophets come to meet him and say, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha,” and they bow to the ground (2 Kings 2:15). Then these men requested that Elisha allow a search party of 50 strong men to go out and search for Elijah. Their reason for this request was that “perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” Elisha refused (2 Kings 2:16).

But they insisted until Elisha “became embarrassed” (NET), and allowed the search party to be sent out. After searching for three days, they returned to Jericho without Elijah (2 Kings 2:17). Elisha responded, “I told you so” (2 Kings 2:18).

Then the men of the city approach Elisha and want his help. The town was situated in a good position, but the water wasn’t good for drinking, and the land was unfruitful (2 Kings 2:19). Elisha asks for a new bowl with salt put in it. He took that bowl to the water source and threw the salt in. Elisha said, “Thus says the LORD: 'I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.’” And it happened just as Elisha said (2 Kings 2:20-22).

Afterward, Elisha left Jericho and traveled to Bethel. While he was going up the road, some young boys came out and started mocking Elisha - “Go on up, baldy!” (NET). Elisha turns around, looks at the boys, and pronounces a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the boys (2 Kings 2:23-24).

Elisha pronounced a curse similar to the covenant curse of Leviticus 26:21-22. The result gave warning of the judgment that would come on the entire nation should it persist in disobedience and apostasy (2 Chronicles 36:16). Thus Elisha’s first two acts were indicative of his ministry that would follow: God’s covenant blessings would come to those who looked to him (2 Kings 2:19-22), but God’s covenant curses would fall on those who turned away from him. - NIV First-Century Study Bible Notes

Elisha continued his journey from Bethel to Mount Carmel and ended up in Samaria (2 Kings 2:25).

Elisha’s Miracles, Prophecies, and Ministry.

Three Kings Need Elisha’s Help.

The kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom allied themselves to attack Moab (2 Kings 3:5-9). However, they found themselves without water in the Wilderness of Edom, and susceptible to attack. At the suggestion of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, the kings go to Elisha to inquire of the Lord (2 Kings 3:10-12).

Elisha tells the kings that the Lord will supply them with water and deliver Moab into their hands (2 Kings 3:16-19). It all happened exactly as Elisha prophesied (2 Kings 3:20-27).

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil.

A widow who had been married to one of the sons of the prophets came to Elisha, desperately seeking help. Her husband, who feared the LORD, was dead, and now, someone was coming to take her two sons away to be slaves as payment for their debt (2 Kings 4:1). This sort of behavior was in direct contradiction to the law of God (Leviticus 25:35-43). Those who feared the LORD were being taken advantage of by those who did not fear the LORD.

Elisha asks how he can help, and if she has anything of value in her house. She responds, “I have nothing but a jar of oil” (2 Kings 4:2). Elisha tells the poor widow:

"Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones." (2 Kings 4:3-4)

She did what Elisha said, and her one jar of oil filled every single vessel she borrowed. When she told Elisha, he said, “Sell the oil to pay your debt, and you and your sons live on what remains” (2 Kings 4:5-7).

Elisha and the Shunammite Woman.

One of the towns Elisha traveled through often was Shunem. It was a city inside the territory of the tribe of Issachar. Living in Shumen, there was a wealthy woman who always provided a meal for Elisha when he passed through town (2 Kings 4:8).

One day, this woman talked to her husband and convinced him to make a small room for Elisha - “the holy man of God” - to rest when he visited them (2 Kings 4:9-10).

The next time Elisha and his servant Gehazi were in town, they stayed in the upper room. Elisha wanted to do something for her because she had done so much for them (2 Kings 4:11-13). Gehazi tells Elisha, “She has no son, and her husband is old” (2 Kings 4:14).

So, Elisha tells the woman, “You will hold a son about this time next year.” The prophecy sounds too good to be true to the woman, but sure enough, she had a son just like Elisha said (2 Kings 4:15-17).

Sometime later, after the child had grown a little bit, the boy went out to his father in the fields (2 Kings 4:18). Suddenly, the boy starts complaining about his head, and the father tells one of the servants to carry the boy to his mother (2 Kings 4:19). The boy sat in his mother’s lap until noon when he died (2 Kings 4:20).

The woman laid her son on Elisha’s bed in the upper room and closed the door. She asked her husband to let her take one of the servants and one of the donkeys to go see Elisha (2 Kings 4:21-22). Her husband wonders why she is going to see the prophet, as this visit is out of the ordinary, and she tells her husband everything is alright (2 Kings 4:23).

However, she tells the servant not to slow the pace unless she says to slow down (2 Kings 4:24). On Mount Carmel, Elisha sees her coming from a long way off, and sends Gehazi to see if everything is alright (2 Kings 4:25-26). Again, she responds to Gehazi that everything is alright, but when she arrives, she falls at Elisha’s feet and clings to him in distress (2 Kings 4:27).

When she reveals that something has happened to her son, Elisha sends Gehazi ahead with his staff. He tells Gehazi not to speak to anyone and to go lay his staff on the boy’s face (2 Kings 4:28-29). Elisha and the woman start traveling back to her house together (2 Kings 4:30).

Gehazi arrives at the house before Elisha and the boy’s mother and does what Elisha told him to do, but nothing happens. Gehazi returns to Elisha to tell him the bad news (2 Kings 4:31).

So Elisha goes into the room with the dead boy and prays to the LORD (2 Kings 4:32-33). As a side note, Elijah had done something similar years earlier (1 Kings 17:20-22).

Elisha lays down, face to face with the dead boy, and the boy’s skin becomes warm again (2 Kings 4:34). He walks around in the house and then returns to the boy and lies down face to face again, and this time the boy sneezes seven times and opens his eyes (2 Kings 4:35). Elisha calls the woman in to pick up her son. But first, she falls at Elisha’s feet, and then she picks up her son and leaves the room (2 Kings 4:36-37).

Elisha and the Deadly Stew.

Elisha returns to Gilgal, the place where the Israelites camped after crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 4:19-24), and there was a famine in the land. During a meeting with the sons of the prophets, Elisha tells his servant to make a pot of stew (2 Kings 4:38). The servant goes out to gather herbs for the stew - but does not know what all the plants are (2 Kings 4:39).

When the stew is served, the men realize something isn’t right with the stew and cry out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” The stew was poisoned by some of the plants that had been gathered (2 Kings 4:40).

Elisha calls for some flour, puts a little in the pot, and then the stew is fine to eat (2 Kings 4:41).

Elisha and the Feeding of 100 Men.

After this, a man came from Baal Shalisha, a community near Gilgal. He brought Elisha 20 loaves of barley bread from his firstfruits and newly ripened grain. (2 Kings 4:42).

Instead of bringing the firstfruits of the new harvest (Leviticus 2:14; 23:15-17; Deuteronomy 18:3-5) to the apostate priests at Bethel and Dan (1 Kings 12:28-31), godly people in the northern kingdom may have contributed their offerings for the sustenance of Elisha and those associated with him. Thus they looked upon Elisha rather than the apostate king and priests as the true representative of their covenant Lord. - NIV First-Century Study Bible Notes

Elisha tells the man to give the food to the people to eat, but the man knows this isn’t enough food for 100 men to eat. But Elisha says, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the LORD: 'They shall eat and have some left over.'“ So he obeys, and it happens just as Elisha said, “according to the word of the LORD” (2 Kings 4:43-44).

When Jesus fed the multitudes and there were leftovers, those familiar with the Scriptures would have made the connection between the Lord’s miracles and this miracle through Elisha (Matthew 14:20; 15:32-39).

Elisha and the Commander of the Syrian Army.

We are introduced to Naaman - the commander of the Syrian army. This man was “esteemed and respected by his master” (NET) because through him the Lord has given Syria military victories. He was a mighty, courageous warrior.

But, Naaman was a leper (2 Kings 5:1).

The term “leprosy” in the Bible refers to a wide range of skin diseases - from something as serious as “Hansen’s Disease” to various infectious rashes and irritations on the skin. People with leprosy were not allowed to mingle normally with society, so Naaman, although he is a highly respected warrior, has a major problem.

But, as it turns out, Naaman’s wife had a captured servant girl from Israel, who told Naaman’s wife about a prophet in Samaria who could heal him of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:2-3).

Naaman tells his master about this, and the king of Syria sends him along with a letter to the king of Israel. Naaman takes 10 talents (about 75 pounds each) of silver (worth about $390,000 today), 6,000 shekels (about $5 each) of gold (worth about $30,000 today), and ten changes of clothes as a gift (2 Kings 5:4-5).

However, it seems the king of Syria misunderstood who would do the healing, because the letter said, “Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy” (2 Kings 5:6).

When the king of Israel read this letter, he was greatly upset and tore his clothes, thinking the king of Syria was “trying to start a fight” (2 Kings 5:7). Elisha heard about what happened, and sent a message to the king of Israel: “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel” (2 Kings 5:8).

So Naaman shows up at Elisha’s house with his entourage, and Elisha sends out a messenger with this simple message: “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean” (2 Kings 5:9-10).

Naaman became very angry.

Indeed, I said to myself, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.' Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean? (2 Kings 5:11-12)

As Naaman prepared to storm off, his servants approached him to try to talk some sense into him.

“My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" (2 Kings 5:13)

They knew Naaman was a mighty warrior and a courageous man - they knew he would have done anything great the prophet demanded. So why not just do something as simple as “wash, and be clean?” Naaman listens to his servants, obeys what “the man of God” told him to do, “and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14).

Naaman returns to Elisha and confesses that the only God in all the earth is the God in Israel, and he offers a gift to Elisha (2 Kings 5:15). Despite Naaman’s urging, Elisha refuses to take anything (2 Kings 5:16).

So Naaman made a request of Elisha.

“Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD. Yet in this thing may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD please pardon your servant in this thing.” (2 Kings 5:17-18)

Naaman wants dirt from Israel so he can build an altar to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings to the LORD - and no other god. But, his job required him to enter the temple of Rimmon (an idol god of Syria) with the king of Syria, who it seems needed help getting around. He asked for the LORD to pardon him when he went into the idol temple with the king and helped the king worship his idol god.

Elisha answers, “Go in peace” (2 Kings 5:19). Here we see a prime example of the Lord’s graciousness during the time of the Old Testament extended to someone who was not an Israelite.

When Naaman was just a little ways down the road, Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, got the idea to go after Naaman and get some of Naaman’s gifts for himself (2 Kings 5:20). When Naaman sees Gehazi running after him, he stops and asks, “Is everything alright?” (2 Kings 5:21).

Gehazi says, “Everything’s alright, but my master sent me after you because two sons of the prophets just arrived and my master wants to give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing” (2 Kings 5:22). Naaman urges Gehazi to take two talents - after all, why not have one talent for each of the men? So Naaman’s servants carry these things back and Gehazi takes them from Naaman’s servants and stores them in the house (2 Kings 5:23-24).

When Gehazi returns to Elisha, Elisha asks, “Where did you go?” Gehazi said, “I didn’t go anywhere.” Elisha responds:

“Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” (2 Kings 5:26-27)

And it immediately happened to Gehazi just as Elisha said.

Elisha and the Floating Ax Head.

The sons of the prophets tell Elisha that the place where they are staying with him has become too small for the group (2 Kings 6:1). So, they propose to go to the Jordan to get beams to build a bigger place to live. Elisha tells them to go (2 Kings 6:2). One of them asks if Elisha will go with them, and he agrees to go (2 Kings 6:3).

Once they arrive at the Jordan, they start cutting down trees (2 Kings 6:4). But as one of the sons of the prophets was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head came off and fell in the water. The distraught man cried out, “Oh no, my master! It was borrowed!” (2 Kings 6:5 - NET).

Elisha asked the man to show him the place where the ax head fell into the water. Once he knew the place, Elisha cut off a stick and threw it in the water, and the iron ax head floated. Elisha told the man to pick it up, and he did (2 Kings 6:6-7).

Elisha Captures the Syrian Army.

The king of Syria decided to go to war against Israel. But he had a problem - somehow, the king of Israel knew his every move (2 Kings 6:9-10). The king of Syria assumed there must be a traitor in their midst, but then he discovered that the problem wasn’t a traitor or a spy among his men. The problem was the prophet Elisha, who told the king of Israel everything - even “the words that you speak in your bedroom” (2 Kings 6:11-12).

The king of Syria found out Elisha was in Dothan, and “sent horses and chariots and a great army there” and surrounded the city during the night (2 Kings 6:13-14).

When Elisha and his servant stepped outside in the morning, they saw the city surrounded by the Syrian army. Elisha’s servant cried out, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15). Elisha comforted his frightened servant by saying, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). Elisha prayed that the Lord would open his servants eyes. The Lord did, and the servant saw the mountain “full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).

As the Syrians began to come down to take Elisha, he prayed the Lord would strike them with blindness, and He did. Elisha then told the Syrian army, “This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” So they followed Elisha, who led them into the city of Samaria (2 Kings 6:18-19).

Once inside the city, Elisha prayed for the Lord to open the eyes of the Syrians, and He did. They immediately saw they were inside Samaria, surrounded and at the mercy of the Israelite army (2 Kings 6:20).

The king of Israel asked Elisha, a bit too eagerly, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” But Elisha said, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master” (2 Kings 6:21-22). So, they fed the Syrian army and sent them home to the king of Syria. This stopped the Syrian raiders from coming into the land of Israel (2 Kings 6:23).

Elisha and the Syrian Siege.

Sometime later, Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, brought his whole army and besieged the city of Samaria. This caused a terrible famine in the city, to the point where a donkey’s head sold for 80 shekels of silver and a small amount of dove droppings sold for 5 shekels of silver (2 Kings 6:24-25).

Things had gotten so desperate that a woman appealed to the king of Israel for help because she and another woman had made an agreement. They agreed to eat the first woman’s son one day, and the next day they would eat the second woman’s son - but she had hidden her son (2 Kings 6:26-29).

The king became deeply emotional when he heard this and tore his clothes, revealing he had been wearing sackcloth under his clothes (2 Kings 6:30). The king decided who the real problem was - it was Elisha. Elisha must die (2 Kings 6:31).

When the messenger was sent ahead of the king to Elisha, the prophet said, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent someone to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?” (2 Kings 6:32).

The king of Israel followed close behind his messenger, blaming the Lord for the disaster that had fallen upon the city and refusing to rely on the Lord anymore (2 Kings 6:33).

Elisha told the king, “Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: 'Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.'“ The officer who helped the king mocked Elisha’s prophecy by saying, “Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” Elisha said, “You’ll see it, but you won’t eat it” (2 Kings 7:1-2).

The scene shifts to four lepers at the entrance to the city.

They talked among themselves, saying, “Why should we just sit here until we die? If we enter the city, we’ll die there. If we stay here, we’ll die here. Let’s go surrender to the Syrians. If they kill us, then so be it, we were going to die anyway. But perhaps they will let us live” (2 Kings 7:3-4).

When they arrive at the outskirts of the Syrian camp, they are surprised to discover no one is there. The “narrator” tells us why the Syrian camp was deserted:

For the LORD had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!" Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives. (2 Kings 7:6-7)

The lepers were enjoying themselves - eating and drinking, carrying off some of the spoils. But then, they stop themselves and say, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king's household” (2 Kings 7:9).

They went and told the city gatekeepers, who relayed the message to the king’s house. The king was suspicious of a trap, so one of his servants offered to take several men to investigate the Syrian camp (2 Kings 7:10-14).

The king’s men followed the trail of clothing and weapons from the Syrians all the way to the Jordan River - the Syrian army was indeed gone. So they returned and told the king (2 Kings 7:15). And the people plundered the camp of Syrians, and flour was just as plentiful as Elisha had prophesied (2 Kings 7:16).

But remember, there was another part of that prophecy.

The soldier who mocked the prophesy had been left in charge of the city gate. He was unable to control the mob of Israelites rushing outside to find food and was trampled to death at the city gate (2 Kings 7:17-20).

Elisha and the Shunammite Woman’s Land.

After these things, Elisha told the Shunammite woman to go stay wherever she could to take care of herself and her family - for God was going to send a famine in the land of Israel for seven years. The woman listened to Elisha’s warning and went and lived in the land of the Philistines during the famine (2 Kings 8:1-2).

At the end of the famine, she returned and appeared before the king of Israel to have her land restored to her (2 Kings 8:3).

Meanwhile, the king of Israel was getting Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, to tell him all the great things Elisha had done (2 Kings 8:4). As Gehazi told the king these things, he saw the Shunammite woman and said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life” (2 Kings 8:5).

When the king heard her case, he appointed an officer to make sure everything was restored to her and that she received the proceeds that had been produced from her property (2 Kings 8:6).

Elisha and a New King of Syria.

When Elisha traveled to Damascus, Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, was sick. When the king was told Elisha had come, he sent Hazael to Elisha with a present and told him to inquire of the LORD whether or not he would recover from his disease (2 Kings 8:7-8).

Hazael meets Elisha with forty camel-loads of “every good thing of Damascus” and relays Ben-Hadad’s request. Elisha tells Hazael, “Go, say to him, 'You shall certainly recover.' However the LORD has shown me that he will really die.” Then Elisha stares at Hazael until it made Hazael uncomfortable. Then, Elisha began to weep (2 Kings 8:9-11).

When Hazael asked why Elisha was crying, Elisha answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: Their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword; and you will dash their children, and rip open their women with child” (2 Kings 8:12). Hazael protested that he could never do such a thing.

Various translations place a little different emphasis on his protest. Some make it sound like Hazael is protesting the horror of this terrible prophecy: “Am I a dog to do such gross things?” Other translations, and the majority seem to do this, make Hazael’s protest about his own insignificance: “I’m as insignificant as a dog, how could I do such things?”

Elisha tells Hazael, “The LORD has shown me that you will become king over Syria” (2 Kings 8:13). Elisha’s response probably fits best with Hazael protesting that he is too insignificant to do such terrible things.

Hazael returns to Ben-Hadad and tells him what Elisha told him to tell - that the king would recover. But the next day, Hazael took a wet, thick cloth and smoothered the king to death. And Hazael becomes king of Syria (2 Kings 8:14-15).

Elisha and a New King of Israel.

Later, Elisha sent one of the sons of the prophets to Ramoth Gilead to anoint Jehu - the commander of Israel’s army - as king over Israel. Once the man did this, he was to flee without delay (2 Kings 9:1-3).

The young man goes to Jehu, and the two withdraw into the house. The prophet pours oil on Jehu’s head and says:

"Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'I have anointed you king over the people of the LORD, over Israel. You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab all the males in Israel, both bond and free. So I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. The dogs shall eat Jezebel on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.' " (2 Kings 9:6-10)

Then the young man flees - obeying the word of Elisha.

When Jehu came out of the house, one of his servants said, “Is everything alright? Why did this madman visit you?” Jehu tries to play off what had happened by saying, “Aw, you know that fella was just crazy.” His servants know Jehu is lying and urge him to tell them what happened. Jehu responds, “The Lord said I am now king of Israel.” The servants quickly removed their garments, laid them on the ground for Jehu to walk on, and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!” (2 Kings 9:11-13).

The Death of Elisha.

Sometime later - Joash is king of Israel now - Elisha becomes sick, and this will be the illness that kills him. Joash comes to visit Elisha and weeps saying, “O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!” (2 Kings 13:14). This was the same thing Elisha said when Elijah was taken to heaven (2 Kings 2:12). The king of Israel was acknowledging that Elisha was the true strength of the nation.

Elisha tells Joash to take a bow and some arrows and to shoot the bow out of an east window. The king did, and Elisha said, “The arrow of the LORD's deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them” (2 Kings 13:15-17).

Then, Elisha told the king to take some arrows and to hit the ground. The king hit the ground three times and stopped. Elisha becomes angry with the king and says, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times” (2 Kings 13:18-19).

Then Elisha died and was buried.

Later, during a springtime raid by Moab, some men were burying a man. They saw the Moabite raiders, and in their hurry to finish burying the man, they put him in Elisha’s tomb. When the dead man touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man came back to life and stood up (2 Kings 13:20-21).

And there, Scripture closes the record on the prophet Elisha.

Prophetic Points.

The Demonstration of God’s Power.

While Elijah was a powerful prophet of God, Scripture records far more miracles by the Lord through Elisha. Miracles occurred to confirm that what was being done or said was from God. It was God’s way of drawing people’s attention to the moment and urging them to pay attention.

Within a few short years after Elisha’s death, the northern kingdom of Israel would fall and be carried off into Assyrian captivity (2 Kings 17). God’s judgment came on the heels of two of the Old Testament’s most powerful prophets.

When John sent messengers to Jesus to ask if He was “the Coming One,” Jesus sent the messengers back with this message: "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Luke 7:22-23). All the miracles Jesus was doing was to get the people’s attention - “God is doing something marvelous! Don’t miss it; don’t reject it” (Romans 1:16-17).

Just as God’s judgment followed closely behind the miracles done by Elisha and Elijah before a rebellious people, so God’s judgment comes upon those who reject His Son (Hebrews 10:28-31).

Having a faithful preacher is not a guarantee of a church’s faithfulness.

Would you say Elijah and Elisha were “faithful preachers” of God? Certainly, I think we all would agree with that. Was the nation of Israel - where Elijah and Elisha ministered - faithful to God during this time?

Absolutely not.

I’m afraid that sometimes churches think, “Oh, we’ve got us a good preacher! Our church is in good shape.” But is it? Just because a church has a man who faithfully proclaims God’s word doesn’t mean that the people are listening and obeying what God has said (2 Timothy 4:1-4).

The nation of Israel had two of the best “preachers” the world has ever known in Elijah and Elisha, and just a few short years after they were gone, God “closed the doors” of the “church” - the nation of Israel was destroyed and went into captivity.

Why? Because they refused to obey God and listen to those who preached His word (2 Kings 17:7-23).