In I Kings 19:16 God sent Elijah through southern Judah to find Elisha and anoint him as his eventual successor in the role of prophet. Elijah anointed Elisha and for a while Elisha stayed with Elijah in Israel. But God had work for Elisha back in Judah and in yesterday’s reading we saw him prophesy to the three kings before they waged war on Moab, 2 Kings 3:4-27

In today’s reading, Elisha traveled to the border of Israel and Judah where he joined up with Elijah again. God had told the prophets that Elijah’s time on earth is almost over and Elisha wanted to be with him.

Elijah Has a Restless Day

“When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.’” 2 Kings 2:1

Elisha refused to leave Elijah’s side so they went to Bethel together. The resident prophets at Bethel took Elisha aside and asked him, “‘Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?’ ‘Yes, I know,’ Elisha replied, ‘so be quiet.’” 2 Kings 2:3

From Bethel God called Elijah to Jericho and once again he told Elisha to stay where he was, but Elisha refused to separate from him. The company of prophets who lived at Jericho asked Elisha if he understood that God was going to take Elijah that day and once again he said “Yes, I know, so be quiet.”

 Next Elijah said God was sending him to the Jordan River and Elisha insisted upon going with him again. Elijah struck the river with his rolled up cloak and the waters parted to allow Elijah and Elisha to cross over on dry ground. Fifty prophets followed them, but stood at a distance watching to see what would happen.

Elijah’s Final Gift

“When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me what can I do for you before I am taken from you?’

‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,’ Elisha replied.

‘You have asked a difficult thing,’ Elijah said, ‘yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise it will not.’” 2 Kings 2:9-10

They went on their way, walking and talking, until suddenly “a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, ‘My father! My father! The chariots and horses of Israel!’ And Elisha saw him no more.” 2 Kings 2:11-12

Elisha tore his garment in two as a sign of grief. Then he picked up Elijah’s cloak which had fallen to the ground, took it back to the bank of the Jordan River, and struck the water with it.

“‘Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.” 2 Kings 2:14

The company of prophets from Jericho thought perhaps God had just moved Elijah to another place, so they went and looked for him for three days, but he was gone.

Elisha Performs Miracles

It seems that when Elisha received a double portion of Elijah’s prophetic spirit, it equipped him to do miracles. His entire life of ministry was laced with amazing supernatural events.

While Elisha was still in Jericho the people mentioned to him that while the city was in a good location, the water there was contaminated and poisoning the soil. Elisha put some salt into the spring that supplied the water and told the people,

“This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’

 The water was never a problem in Jericho again.

Next Elisha performed a miracle for a widow who was about to have her two sons taken from her to repay a debt. All she had to her name was a small jar of olive oil. Elisha instructed her to borrow as many jars as she could from her neighbors and pour her oil into them. God added to the oil until she had enough to sell and pay her debts, with some left over for her family to live on.

Elisha and the Shunammite Woman

Elisha took up residence in Samaria, but he often traveled to Mount Carmel and passed through Shunem on the way. A wealthy woman and her husband gave him meals and a place to stay in their home in Shunem. Elisha was so touched by the woman’s hospitality that he asked what he could do for her.

The woman wanted a son, but her husband was old and they had not been able to have a child. Elisha prayed for her and a year later she gave birth to a son.

The boy grew and went out with his father to the fields. One day he complained of a headache and was taken home, where he died in the arms of his mother. The woman wanted to see what Elisha could do for him so she told her husband she was going to see the prophet.

If she had told her husband their son was dead, he would have been obligated to bury him that day, as was the custom. So she kept the death a secret and went to find Elisha.

Elisha respected the woman and wanted to help her so he went and prayed over the child. He stretched his body out over the boy’s body and it grew warm. Then Elisha paced the room and stretched himself over the boy again. This time life returned to him; he sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

Elisha gave the boy back to his mother who fell at Elisha’s feet and bowed to the ground in gratitude.

A Miracle During a Famine

One time Elisha was meeting with a company of prophets and they needed a meal. He told his servant to make a stew for them, but it was a time of famine, so they had to forage in the fields to find ingredients. One of the men found a vine with gourds and cut them up into the stew. When they tasted the concoction it seemed to be poisoned. Elisha threw some flour into the stew and it became edible.

Later a visitor arrived with twenty fresh barley loaves and some grain. Elisha told him to distribute the bread to the people who were with him, but the man protested that there wasn’t enough to go around.

“Elisha answered, ‘Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: They will eat and have some left over,’ Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.” 2 Kings 4:44

God Was Always in Israel

After Jeroboam caused Israel to sin with the golden calves, there was always a question about whether God was present with the ten northern tribes. Did he desert them as they gradually turned to idols?

God thought of Israel the way a father thinks of a wayward child. He didn’t give up on them. He kept sending prophets to them and doing miracles among them. He disciplined them, but he also showed them his love. God never forgot the people of these northern regions, even after they sinned so badly that he finally had to let them go.

When Jesus came to the lost world on behalf of his Father, he made his home in Galilee and spent time in Samaria. He grew up in those northern regions and most of his ministry took place there.

The prophet Elijah once asked King Ahaziah,  “Is there not a God in Israel?”

Yes, God was always in Israel. And while Israel turned away from him, he never left them.