The Prophet Elisha

1. Elijah was a very well remembered prophet of the Lord. He done many miraculous things during his lifetime. And he is also remembered because of being taken up into Heaven in a whirlwind; rather than having to face a physical death. And the Lord God told Elijah, before he was taken up into Heaven, that he should anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, to be the prophet to take his place. We read in 1 Kings 19:15-16: “And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.” Elijah had a very important task to fulfill for God, before he was taken up to Heaven. He had to anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, anoint Jehu to be king over Israel, and anoint Elisha to be the prophet to take his place. The word anoint comes from the Hebrew word mashach (maw-shakh); which means to rub with oil, or to consecrate; as to set aside for a special purpose of work for the Lord God. Elijah Calls Elisha2. We continue by going to 1 Kings 19:19-21: “So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.” A. Elijah found Elisha plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; and Elijah cast his mantle upon him. Hebrew-addereth (ad-deh-reth): a large garment or a long robe. B. Elisha left his twelve yoke of oxen, and ran after Elijah, and asked Elijah’s permission to kiss his father and mother, before he followed him. Elijah told Elisha to go back and do as he had desired. What Elijah was actually telling Elisha was, “Have I not come to anoint you for a calling which is ordained by God Almighty? Is it necessary for you to go back to get the approval of your parents?” But evidently, Elisha did not take heed to the words of Elijah. This reminds me of a short story which Jesus told us, in Luke 9-57-62: “And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto Him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of

man hath not where to lay his head. And He said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” We see here that the man acted as though he was truly dedicated to following Jesus. But when Jesus told the man to follow Him, he first wanted to go back and bury his father . Jesus told the man to let the dead bury their dead. In other words, He was attempting to get the man to realize that the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of God was far more important than anything else. Do not be concern about those who have passed from this life, and can no longer be of any benefit to God upon this earth. Another man told Jesus that he would follow Him, but he first wanted to go bid his loved ones who were at home farewell. And Jesus said unto him, no man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. In other words, if we decide to serve the Lord, and then have seconds thoughts about doing so; or we are always looking back on what we have had to forsake to do so, then we are not fit for the kingdom of God. Even though I do not believe that Elisha had any second thoughts about following and serving the Lord, he felt that he should have to go back to and inform his parent’s of his decision to do so. C. Elisha returned back from Elijah, and took and slew a yoke of oxen, and boiled the oxen and gave them unto the people, and they did eat. Elisha then arose and followed Elijah, and ministered unto him. Elijah Is Taken Up Into Heaven3. We come now to the time of the end of Elijah’s ministry; and God is ready to take Elijah up into Heaven. We read in 2 Kings 2:1-12: “And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into Heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el. And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from the head today? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I

will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today? And he answered, yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. !And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into Heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.”A. God would take Elijah up into Heaven by a whirlwind. Hebrew-caaar (sah-ar) or cearah (seh-aw-raw): a hurricane, storm, tempest, or a terrible windstorm which blows in a circular motion. B. Elijah and Elisha first came from Gilgal. Elisha would not leave the presence of Elijah. Elijah was sent by God to Beth-el, Jericho, and to Jordan; and he requested that Elisha tarry behind each time; but Elisha refused to tarry behind in every case. And in the first two cases, there were sons of the prophets who were asking Elisha if he knew that God was going to take away his master (Elijah) from his head that day. And Elisha told them in both cases, that he was aware of the situation. C. When Elijah and Elisha got to the Jordan River, fifty men of the sons of the prophets stood afar off to see what would take place. D. Elijah took his mantle, or his robe, and wrapped it up and smote the waters, and they divided, so that he and Elisha could cross the river on dry ground. E. After they had crossed the Jordan River, Elijah asked Elisha what he would have him to do for him, before God took him away. And Elisha asked that he be given a double portion of the Spirit which was upon Elijah. And Elijah told Elisha that he had asked for a hard thing; yet he told Elisha that if he would witness his disappearance, or his being taken away into Heaven by the Lord,

that he would receive his request. But if he failed to witness the Godly event, that his desire would not be granted. F. And as Elijah and Elisha continued on, and talked, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted the two of them; and Elisha saw it, and cried, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.” And Elisha saw Elijah no more. And Elisha took hold of his own clothes, and tore them in two pieces.Elisha Returns Without Elijah4. After Elijah was taken up into Heaven in the whirlwind, Elisha began his own ministry; which we first read of in 2 Kings 2:13-18: “He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest preadventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?” A. Elisha first put on the mantle, or the robe, which Elijah had left with him, and went back and stood by the Jordan River. And he also smote the waters of the river with the mantle, just as Elijah had done; and he called upon the God of Elijah, and then he crossed back over the river. B. And when the sons of the prophets which were watching at Jericho saw Elisha, they declared that the spirit of Elijah also rested upon Elisha. The sons of the prophets were very ignorant concerning some matters. They should of realized that the spirit of a human being; regardless of who it may be; cannot rest upon or reside within any person other than themselves. And then they came and met Elisha, and bowed themselves unto him. They declared that there were fifty strong men with them, who needed to go and seek the master of Elisha; referring to Elijah. For they supposed that the Spirit of the Lord had taken him and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. But Elisha warned them not to go. I do not know why Elisha preferred not to tell the sons of the prophets that God had taken Elijah up into Heaven. Maybe he knew that they would not believe it, if he told them the truth. Or maybe he

was warned of God not to tell them. C. The men continued to try and persuade Elisha to tell them to go, until he was ashamed. Hebrew-buwsh (boosh): to become pale, disappointed, or frustrated. So Elisha told them to go. But they searched for Elijah for three days without having any success. And when the men returned to Jericho, where Elisha was, he said unto them, “Did I not tell you (at the beginning) not to go?”Elisha Purifies A Spring5. We read of another of Elisha’s mighty works, in 2 Kings 2:19-22: “And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.” A. The men of the city told Elisha that the situation or the circumstances of the city, was pleasant. Hebrew-towb (tobe): good, or well. B. But the water is naught. Hebrew-ra (rah): bad, distressful (tasting), or harmful (to the human body). C. And the ground is barren. Hebrew-shakol (shaw-kole): unfruitful, or unstable for production (of crops, or natural growth of any kind). D. Elisha told the men to bring him a new cruise, and to put salt in it. Hebrew-tselochiyth (tsel-o-kheeth): vial, cellar, or a tall bucket or keg. E. When the men brought unto him the cruse of salt, he went to the spring of water, and poured the salt into the water; and then he declared that the Lord had healed the waters of the spring; and that there should be no more death or barren land. And Elisha’s words were fulfilled. The Children Curse Elisha6. We will see that the children had no respect for Elisha. We read in 2 Kings 2:23-25: “And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the woods, and tare forty and two children of them. And he went from thence to Mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.” A. As Elisha went from Jericho up to Bethel, the children came out of the city and made fun of him; calling him bald head. Evidently, Elisha must of been a bald-headed man. B. And Elisha turned and looked at the children and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And then there came forth two female bears out of the woods, and tore apart forty-two of the children. Elisha then went up to Mt. Carmel, and then

returned to Samaria. Elisha Helps Jehoram Defeat Moab7. Next, we will read of how Elisha helped Jehoram to defeat the Moabites, in 2 Kings 3:1-27: “Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred-thousand lambs, and an hundred-thousand rams, with the wool. But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel. And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to Battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses. And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom. So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them. And the king of Israel said, Alas! That the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab! But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, The Word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab. And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah., I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind,

neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: He will deliver the Moabites also into your hand. And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones. And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood in the border. And they rose up early in the morning and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood: And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their own country. And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kir-haraseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the singers went about it, and smote it. And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven-hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not. Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.”A. Jehoram, the son of Ahab, reigned over Israel for twelve years; beginning during the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah. B. Jehoram wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but nothing comparable to the evil which his father and his mother, Ahab and Jezebel, committed during Ahab’s reign. For Jehoram done away with the image of Baal, which Ahab his father had made. C. But Jehoram followed after the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who persuaded Israel to walk in sin. And he never departed from committing the sins of Jeroboam. D. The king of Moab, Mesha, was also a sheepmaster. And he gave unto Ahab, before he died, one-hundred thousand lambs, and also one-hundred thousand rams, with the wool. But after the death of Ahab, Mesha rebelled against the

king of Israel. E. When this rebellion began by king Mesha of Moab, Jehoram went out of Samaria and took a census of all Israel. F. Jehoram also sent a message to Jehoshaphat of Judah, informing him of king Mesha’s rebellion; and requesting that he go to battle against the Moabites with him. And Jehoshaphat agreed to go to battle with Jehoram; telling him that all of his people, and all of his horses were the same as his. G. Jehoshaphat asked which route to take to go and face the Moabites; and Jehoram told him to take the way through the wilderness of Edom. So the two kings; Jehoram and Jehoshaphat; and the prince of Edom; which is here called a king; went by a seven-day route; because they led a very large army, which could only move very slowly. But they found no water for themselves and their armies, nor for their cattle that followed them. It was very dry and humid in the land in which they were traveling. H. The king of Israel said Alas! For he thought that the Lord had called them all together to deliver them into the hands of the Moabites. Hebrew-ahabah (a-hab-aw): love or affection. In other words, Jehoram is saying in his own words, “What has happened to the love and affection of God?” He is attempting to blame the bad circumstances on God; as if it were God’s fault that they were found in this tragic situation; when it was truly nobody else’s fault except his own. I. Jehoshaphat asked if there were not a prophet of the Lord, whom they might use to call upon the Lord. One of the servants of Jehoram told them that Elisha the son of Shaphat, who had poured water upon Elijah, was around at the time. And Jehoshaphat stated that the Word of the Lord was with Elisha. So the three sent down to Elisha. And Elisha responded by asking what he should have to do with them. Elisha told them to go and inquire of the prophets of thy father and thy mother. But the king of Israel refused to do so. For he declared that the Lord had called them together to deliver them into the hands of the Moabites. And Elisha declared, “As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, would I not regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, and look toward thee and see thee?” But the Lord told Jehoshaphat to bring before Him a minstrel; and when it played, the hand of the Lord came upon Jehoshaphat. Hebrew-nagan (naw-gan): one to make music or play a melody before the Lord; by beating a tune with the fingers, as on a stringed instrument.!J. And Elisha spoke that the Lord had instructed them to make the valley full of ditches. And he declared that the Lord had said that they should not see wind, nor see rain; yet the valley would be filled with water; that they and their cattle both may drink, and their other beasts also. And Elisha declared that this was a light thing in the sight of the Lord; and that He would deliver

the Moabites also into their hand. And they would smite every fenced city, and every choice city; and that every good tree would fall, and all the wells of water would be stopped from giving water, and every good piece of land would be marred with stones. K. And the next morning, when they offered the meat offering, there came water through Edom and the country was filled with water. And when the Moabites heard that the kings were come to fight against them, they gathered and put on all the armor that they could find, and went up and stood at the border. L. The Moabites rose up early the next morning, and the sun shown upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood; and they said, “This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another.” So the Moabites rushed to take their spoil. And when they came to the camp of the Israelites, the Israelites rose up and slew the Moabites; and they fled before them. And the Israelites followed after them, even into their own country. And the Israelites beat down the country of the Moabites, and on every good piece of the country, they cast their stones, and filled it. They stopped the production of all their wells of water, and knocked down all the good trees; and the slingers went all over the Moab country, and smote it. And when the Moab king saw that the battle was took difficult for him to win, he took with him seven-hundred men; and they drew their swords and tried to break through to smite the king of Edom, but they could not do it.M. Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who should of reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And that was great indignation against Israel. Hebrew-qetseph (keh-tsef): rage, strife, or wrath. And the Israelites and the Judeans departed, and returned to their own land. !!Elisha Helps A Prophet’s Widow8. Now we come to a time, when Elisha begins to be used by God in a different way. We read in 2 Kings 4:1-7: “Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and

shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.” A. One of the women, who was a wife of one of the sons of the prophets, called upon Elisha. She told Elisha that her husband was dead. She reminded Elisha that he knew of how her husband had feared the Lord. And she also told Elisha that the creditor had come to take her two sons to be bondmen. Hebrew-ebed (eh-bed): servants, workers, slaves, or laborers. B. Elisha asked the woman what she had in her house. And she told him that all she had was a pot of oil. And Elisha told her to go and borrow vessels from all of her neighbors; empty vessels. And do not borrow just a few vessels, but many. C. Elisha told her to bring the vessels into her house and to shut the door upon herself and upon her sons; and to pour out the oil into the vessels. And Elisha told the woman to set aside all the vessels that were full of oil. And she left and done as Elisha had told her to do. D. When the vessels were full of oil, she told her son to bring her another vessel. But he told her that there was not another vessel. And the oil remained in the vessels. E. She then came and told Elisha, the man of God, that all the vessels were full of oil. And Elisha told her to go and sell the oil, and pay her debt; and to use the money that remained for the support of her and her children. Elisha And The Woman From Shunem9. We next read of where Elisha met a woman in Shunem, in 2 Kings 4:8-17: “And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care. What is to be done for thee? Wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is

old. And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.”A. The woman of Shunem was a great woman; or one who had been blessed abundantly by God Almighty. And therefore, when Elisha passed by her house, she persuaded him to stop in and eat bread with her and her husband. B. She talked with her husband of how that she perceived that Elisha was a holy man of God; and that he very often passed by their house. So she also persuaded her husband to make living quarters for Elisha, so that when he passed by on his way, he might stop and rest and reside with them. C. On one of the days when Elisha and his servant, Gehazi, stopped in to reside with the woman and her husband, Elisha wanted to show his appreciation to the Shunemite woman. So he had his servant to ask the woman what she desired for him to do for her; because she had without limits, shown so much loving care for them. But she told him that she dwelt among her own people; probably meaning that she had need of nothing at all. But Gehazi the servant told Elisha that she had no children, and her husband was old. So Elisha had her called to the door once again. And Elisha told her that about the same time the following season, or year, that she would have a son. But she thought that Elisha was lying to her. But she conceived, and bare a son at exactly the same time that Elisha had told her. Elisha Raises The Woman’s Son10. We will read next of the death of the child of the Shummite woman, and of the miracle which is done through Elisha. 2 Kings 4:18-37 tells us: “And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him today? It is neither new moon, nor Sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. So she went and came unto the man of God to Mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: Run now, I

pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me? Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child, and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.”A. When the child was grown, one day he went out to where his father was, with the reapers. Hebrew-qatsar (kaw-tsar): harvesters, farmers, or farm hands. B. When the woman’s boy got to the fields, he began to yell that his head was hurting extremely bad. So his father asked another lad to carry him back to his mother. And when her son was brought back to her, he sat on her knees until noon, and then he died. And she took him and laid him on the bed which they had made for Elisha; and she shut the door upon him, and went out. She acted as though she had faith that her son would be brought back to life, by the prophet Elisha. She made no plans or arrangements for the burial of her son; but just left him as though she expected a miracle to happen. C. She then wanted her husband to get her one of their young servants, and one of their asses, so that she might go and find the man of God; speaking of Elisha;

and then she would return back home. Her husband asked her if she would go to him today; for it was neither the new moon, nor the Sabbath. Her husband was telling her that it was neither of the religious memorial days, when they normally joined together to praise the Lord; and to pray with one another unto the Lord. She thought nothing of it. She said that all would be well. She had faith that the man of God would bring her son to life again. That is why she made no preparation for the burial of her son; but rather made plans for the trip to find the prophet Elisha. D. The woman did not allow her husband to know the true circumstances of her trip to find Elisha; for fear that he may not allow her to take the trip. This woman and her husband showed mutual regard for one another. She would not go on her trip, until she had acquainted him with it. And he was so kind to her, that he would not appose her taking the trip. E. She made much haste in getting to the prophet Elisha. When he saw her coming from a distance, he sent his servant to her to see if anything was wrong. Elisha wanted to know if everything was alright with her, her husband, and her son. He was told that all was well. She desired not to communicate very much with the servant. F. When she came to the mount where Elisha and his servant resided, the servant caught her by the feet, and was going to throw her back down the pathway. But Elisha told the servant to leave her alone. For he could tell that her soul was vexed within her; and the Lord had hid the matter from him, and not yet told him about the problem. Hebrew-marar (maw-rar): to be bitter, or to be grieved. G. The lady thought that the whole matter with the new son whom was given unto her, was just a trick or a deception; else he would not of died. So Elisha at first told his servant to take his staff and go and return to the dead lad, and lay the staff upon his face. And the mother of the child swore that as long as the Lord liveth, and her soul liveth, she would not leave the presence of Elisha; so he arose and followed her. And his servant passed on and went before them; and laid his staff upon the face of the child. But there came no voice from his mouth whatsoever. So he returned and found Elisha and told him that the child had not yet awakened. And when Elisha came into the house, the child was still dead, and laid upon the bed. Elisha therefore went in and shut the door, and prayed unto the Lord. And Elisha went up and layed down upon the child, and put his mouth upon the child’s mouth, and his eyes upon the child’s eyes, and his hands upon the child’s hands; and stretched himself upon the child. And when he had done this, the child’s flesh became warm. Then Elisha returned, and walked to and fro within the house, and went back and stretched himself upon the child, and the child sneezed seven times, and then opened his eyes. And then Elisha called for Gehazi his servant, and told him to call the Shunammite woman. And when she came in Elisha told her to

take up her son. So she went in and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out of the house. The Poison Food Is Made Edible11. Next, we read of Elisha causing food which was making men sick, to be made pure. We read in 2 Kings 4:38-44: “And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seeth pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot. And there came a man from Baal-shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the Word of the Lord.” A. When Elisha came to Gilgal, there was a dearth in the land. Hebrew-raab (raw-awb): hunger, famine, or food shortage. B. The sons of the prophets were sitting before Elisha, and he said to his servant, Set on the great pot, and seeth pottage for the sons of the prophets. a. Seethe-Hebrew-bashal (baw-shal): to boil up, bake, roast, prepare, or to cook. b. Pottage-Hebrew-naziyd (naw-zeed): soup, or stew; something boiled. C. One went out and gathered herbs from the field, and found a wild vine, and gathered a lap full of wild gourds. And then he brought them in and shred them and put them in the pot. D. And when the men began to eat, they cried out that there was death in the pot, and they couldn’t eat out of it. The man evidently collected some poison plants among the herbs which he collected. E. But Elisha then told them to bring meal to him, and he poured it into the pot. Then he told them that the pot was safe to eat from, and there was no harm or danger in the food. F. Then they came a man from Baal-shalisha, who brought Elisha bread of his firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk. And he gave instructions to give unto the people that they may eat. G. And his servitor said, What? Should I set this before a hundred men? But he

was told again to give unto the people that they may eat. For the Lord said that they shall eat, and have more than enough; having more left over. And after he set it before them, they ate, and had food left over; just as the Lord had said. Hebrew-sharath (shaw-rath): an attendant, servant, or a waiter. Naaman Is Cured Of Leprosy12. Naaman was a very honored man in the Syrian Army; and had been God’s hand of deliverance to the Syrians many times; but was a leper. We are going to read of his healing, in 2 Kings 5:1-19: “Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! For he would recover him of his leprosy. And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six-thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? Wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee to do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash,

and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? For thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord. In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.”A. Naaman was captain of the hosts of the king of Syria; a great man with his master, and honorable. a. Great-Hebrew-gadowl (gaw-dole): advanced, older, experienced, or proud. b. Honorable-Hebrew-kabad (kaw-bad): respectful, or excellent. B. He was also a mighty man in valor. Hebrew-chayil (khah-yil): will power, determination, strength (mental as well as physical), or eagerness. C. But Naaman was also a leper; which meant that he had sores or boils all over his body. D. Naaman had a little maid from Israel, who lived in his house and waited on his wife. And the little maid told her mistress, or the woman for whom she worked; Naaman’s wife; that if Naaman would go to the prophet who was in Samaria, that he would help him to recover from his leprosy. And one of the servants went in and told the king of Syria what the maid of Israel had said. And the Syrian king told Naaman to go, and he would send a letter to the king of Israel. And Naaman departed and took with him ten talents of silver, and six-thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And Naaman brought the letter to the king of Israel. And the letter told the king of Israel that Naaman had been sent so that he may be healed of his leprosy. But the king of Israel got really upset after reading the letter, and rent or tore his clothing. He felt as though people were putting confidence in him, as if he was God; able to kill, and to make alive, and able to deliver Naaman of his leprosy. And it does sound as though the king of Syria is trying to pay the king of Israel to heal Naaman. He felt as though the king of Syria was only attempting to get a quarrel or a feud started between them. But when Elisha heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes; which was usually done only for a very serious matter; he sent and inquired of the king of Israel, why he had rent his clothes. He told the king to send Naaman to see him, and he

would know that there was a prophet in Israel. E. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at Elisha’s door. And Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman, and told him to tell Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan River, seven times; and his flesh would be clean from the leprosy. F. Such a command made Naaman wroth. And he went away angry. And he told those with him, that he thought that Elisha would at least come out to greet him. He thought that some big dynamic episode would take place; and that Elisha would call upon the name of the Lord, and hold up his hands over him, and his leprosy would be miraculously taken away. For the Jordan River was not a real clean river. There were rivers which were much cleaner, and also which were much closer; the Abana and the Pharpar Rivers of Damascus; which were supposed to be much better rivers than all the rivers of Israel. And because Naaman could not wash in them, instead of the Jordan River, he went away in a rage. a. At first, Naaman was very wroth. Hebrew-qatsaph (kaw-tsaf): to get mad, or to cut a fit; very angered, displeased, or provoked. b. We best just learn to obey the orders of God. There is no doubt, that Elisha had received his orders for Naaman from God Almighty. And God expects obedience. Naaman let his self-pride get in his way. Even though Naaman may of been an honorable man in the Syrian Army, he was in no position to question the orders that had came to him from God Almighty. God will heal our bodies, or fulfill any other promise that He has given us; but He also expects obedience and respect when he tells us what to do, or not to do. We must receive our healing the way that God chooses to send it; not the way that we always desire to receive it. Regardless of how clean or how near the other rivers may of been, Naaman’s main concern should of been how to get rid of the leprosy; not getting it done his way. G. Naaman’s servants came to him and persuaded him to go ahead and dip seven times in the Jordan River as the Prophet Elisha had instructed him to do; and be cleansed from his leprosy. For they told Naaman that if Elisha had told him to do some great thing, that he would of done it; no questions asked. And I guess this made Naaman realize how foolish he was acting. And when Naaman went ahead and followed the orders of Elisha, he came up out of the river as clean as a little child. H. And Naaman then went and offered to give a blessing unto Elisha, for what had happened to him. But Elisha refused to receive the offering; knowing that he was only doing what God expected him to do. And Naaman knew that Elisha’s servant would never offer any offering to anyone other than God Almighty. And then Naaman asked that when his master goeth into the house of Rimmon; which was a Syrian god; and he also had to bow down before the Syrian god; that he be pardoned for doing such. And Elisha told

Naaman to go in peace. Gehazi Gets Naaman’s Leprosy13. Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, done a very foolish thing. He thought of a way to gain a little profit for himself; but it caused him to become a leper; in much worse condition than Naaman was ever in. We read in 2 Kings 5:20-27: “But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from Mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. And when Gehazi came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed. But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.”A. Gehazi thought it was very foolish for Elisha to refuse to receive Naaman’s gifts. So he decided that he would sneak and receive the gifts for his own private gain. B. When Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he stopped his chariot, and got down and asked Gehazi if all was well. C. Gehazi said that Elisha had sent him to Naaman; telling him that two of the sons of the prophets had come to him from Mount Ephraim; and he was asking Naaman to give them a talent of silver, and two changes of garments; which Naaman immediately agreed to do. He told Gehazi to be content. Hebrew-yaal (yaw-al): to be calm, pleased, or satisfied. D. Naaman put the two talents of silver in two bags, along with the two garments; and he laid them upon two of the other servants, and they carried them for Gehazi. E. When Gehazi came to the tower, he took the bags from the other men’s hands, and took them into his house; and the other men departed. Hebrew-ophel (o-fel): a fort, or a mount; a secret place where Gehazi hid the silver and the garments; not being wise enough to

realize that Elisha had Godly inspiration; which would inform him of Gehazi’s deceitfulness and lies and treachery. F. When Gehazi went in and stood before his master Elisha, he told Elisha that he had been nowhere, when Elisha asked him where he had been. Elisha had already been informed by the inspiration of God, of Gehazi’s dirty work, but Gehazi denied it. And the leprosy of Naaman came upon Gehazi; and his seed forevermore; and he departed from Elisha’s presence a leper; as white as snow. Elisha Makes An Axe Head Float14. We read in 2 Kings 6:1-7: “And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! For it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.” A. The sons of the prophets were claiming that the place where they dwelt with Elisha was too strait. Hebrew-tsar (tsar): narrow, tight, crowded, close, or too small (for the present population). B. The men asked for Elisha’s approval to go over to Jordan, and make them a dwelling place there; and he approved, and told them to go. And they also asked Elisha to go with them, and he agreed. And when they arrived there, they cut down wood, to build dwellings. C. When one man dropped the axe which he was using into the river, he began to panic; for he said that it was borrowed. And Elisha asked the man to show him where the axe had sunk under the water, and he done so. And Elisha cut down a stick, and cast it into the river at the exact spot, and the axe came to the surface of the water, and did float. And Elisha told the man to take up the axe from the water, and he did so. Elisha And The Syrian Troops15. Elisha was most certainly full of faith in God; and trusted Him in whatever situation he found himself in; as we will see in our next story. 2 Kings 6:8-23 tells us: “Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, in such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore the heart of the king

of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! How shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And He smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. And it came to pass, when they were come to Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? Shall I smite them? And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: Wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.”A. The king of Syria was at war with Israel, and he privately told his men where he would be camped. But by inspiration of God, Elisha was also informed as to where the Syrian king would be camping. So he sent a message to the king of Israel, and warned him not to pass through the place where the Syrians were camped. Elisha warned him several times, so he protected himself from the place. B. So the king of Syria was greatly troubled; assuming that some of his own troops had committed treason, and informed the king of Israel of their hiding place. So he called his troops together, and questioned them as to who had been showing favor to the king of Israel. And one of the Syrian servants told the Syrian king that none of them had informed the king of Israel; but that

he had been informed by Elisha, the prophet in Israel. C. So the Syrian king told him to go and spy and find out where Elisha was; that he may send and fetch, or capture him. And the king was told that Elisha was in Dothan. So the king of Syria sneaked and sent in his horses and chariots and his troops, and surrounded the city at nighttime. D. When Elisha’s servant arose early in the morning, he saw the horses and the chariots that surrounded the city. And he nearly began to panic; asking Elisha what they were to do. And Elisha told his servant to be not afraid; for the number of troops on their side, was far more than the Syrian troops which surrounded the city. And Elisha prayed to God to open the eyes of the servant, that he may see. And when God opened the eyes of the servant, he could see the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around about Elisha. And when they came down from the mountain, Elisha prayed once again unto the Lord; and the Lord smote the Syrian people with blindness. And Elisha told them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek;” and he led them to Samaria. And when they got to Samaria, Elisha prayed once again for God to open their eyes; so that they could see that they were in the midst of Samaria. And the king of Israel asked Elisha if he should smite them, and he told the king, no! He asked the king if he would smite those whom he had captured with the sword and bow. Elisha told the king to feed them, and then to let them return to their own king. So the Israelite king done so; and then the Syrians returned to their homeland, and came into Israel no more. The Syrian Army Surrounds Samaria16. We read now of where Beh-hadad, king of Syria, surrounded and besieged Samaria. 2 Kings 6:24-7:2 tells us: “And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver. And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. And he said, If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? Out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son to morrow. So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son. And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him: and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? Look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him? And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer? Then Elisha said, Hear ye the Word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in Heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.”A. Later, the Syrian king took his army and surrounded and attacked Samaria, where there was a great shortage of food at the time. It was so bad that a donkey’s head sold for about two pounds of silver, and half a pound of dove’s dung sold for about two ounces of silver. B. A woman yelled out to the king of Israel for help, as he passed by on the wall. And the king said unto her, that if the Lord wouldn’t help her, then how could he possibly help her? The king asked the woman what her problem was. And she explained to the king that another woman had agreed with her that if she would allow them to boil and eat her own son on the previous day, that this day they would eat the son of the accused woman. But the accused woman had hid her son, to prevent him from being eaten. And the king heard the woman’s story, and then rent his clothes, and wore sackcloth upon his flesh. And the king said that God would do so and even more to him, if Elisha’s head was not removed that day. C. Elisha sat in his house with the elders; and the king sent a man to him. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “This murderer; speaking of the king; is sending men to cut off my head.” Elisha told them when the messenger arrived, to shut the door and hold it; and don’t let him in, for the sound of his master’s feet is behind him. Elisha was still speaking when the messenger arrived. The king declared that this trouble had come from the Lord; and why should he wait for the Lord any longer? Elisha told him to listen to the Word of the Lord. And Elisha told him what the Lord had said: “About this time tomorrow seven quarts of fine flour will be sold for two-fifths of an ounce of silver; and thirteen quarts of

barley would be sold for two-fifths of an ounce of silver. Elisha declared that this would happen at the gate of Samaria. Then one of the king’s lords said, “Behold, if the Lord would make windows in Heaven, this thing might come to pass.” And he said, “Behold, thou shall see it with thine own eyes, but shall not eat thereof.” !The Syrians Retreat17. We read of the Syrians fleeing their camp in 2 Kings 7:3-20: “And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrian: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household. So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were. And he called the porters; and they told it to the king’s house within. And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city. And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see. They

took therefore two chariot horses, and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king. And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine four was sold for a shekel, according to the Word of the Lord. And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria. And the lord answered the man of God and said, Now, behold, if the Lord should make windows in Heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.”A. The Syrians had forsaken their camp, leaving behind everything. And there were four lepers that sat at the city gate. They decided that rather than just sit at the gate and die, they would enter into the Syrian camp, and maybe by some slim chance, the Syrians would help them. What did they have to lose? So they rose up at twilight and went into the camp of the Syrians, and found no man at all. Hebrew-nesheph (neh-shef): dusk, when the evening breeze blows, or at dark. B. The Lord had made the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and of horses. And they supposed that the king of Israel had hired the king of the Hittites and of the Egyptians to come against them. So they rose up and fled, and left their tents, their horses, their asses, and fled for their lives. C. So the lepers went into the Syrian camp, into one tent, and ate and drunk, and carried away silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it. Then they returned to another tent, and done the same again. D. Then the lepers decided that what they were doing was wrong. For it was a day of good tidings, and they were telling no one. Hebrews-besowrah (bes-o-raw): good news, or rewards. E. The lepers said that if they waited until morning light, that some mischief would come upon them. Hebrew-avan (aw-van): affliction, displeasure, or trouble. F. So the lepers decided to go to the Israelite king’s house and inform them of the matter. And they told the Israelites of the forsaken Syrian camp; with all the horses and asses and empty tents. And they called the porters and had them spread the news throughout the king’s house. Hebrew-shower (sho-are): janitor, or doorkeeper. G. The Israelite king assumed that the Syrians were hiding in the fields; knowing that the Israelites were hungry; and when they came out of the city, the Syrians would attack them, and enter the

city. H. One of the king’s servants suggested that they take five of the Syrian horses, and go and see what was truly going on. So the king of Israel sent them to see what was truly happening. And all that they found was left behind garments and vessels, which the Syrians had left in their speedy escape. So they returned and told the king. I. And then the Israelites went out and took everything from the tents of the Syrians. And then a measure of fine flour was sold fort a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel; just as the Lord had told them through Elisha. J. So the king of Israel appointed a lord to have charge of the gate to the city. And the people ran over him in the gate, and he died; just as Elisha had previously said when the king came down to him. And all was fulfilled which Elisha had prophesied. The Woman Returns To Shunem18. We read of the warning of the seven-year famine from Elisha, in 2 Kings 8:1-6: “Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the Lord hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years. And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And it came to pass at the seven years’ end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land. And the king talked with Gehazi the previous servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how Elisha had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.”A. Elisha told the woman who’s son he had brought back to life, to go from Israel and sojourn wheresoever she could; for there would be seven years of famine in Israel. So she arose with her household and sojourned for seven years in the land of the Philistines. B. The king of Israel asked Gehazi, who had been the servant of Elisha, to tell him of all the good things that Elisha had done. And as Gehazi was telling the king of how Elisha had brought back to life the son of a woman, she came into the king’s chamber, and begged him to give her back her house and her land. So the king appointed a certain officer to restore to the woman her house and her land, as well as all the fruit of the field since the day that she had left the land.

Elisha Has Jehu Anointed King Over Israel19. Chapter 9 of 2 Kings tells us of how Elisha sent one of the children of the prophets to anoint Jehu king over Israel. We read in verses 1-13: “And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead: And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber; Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not. So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain. And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the Lord, even over Israel. And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab, thy 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 him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel: And I will made the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah: And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled. Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and one said unto him, Is all well? Wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man and his communication. And they said, It is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then they hasted, and took every man his garments, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.” A. Elisha told one of the children of the prophets to go to Ramoth-gilead, and take a box of oil and find Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat. And Elisha told him to go in to him, and take him into an inner chamber; away from his brethren; and take the box of oil and pour it upon his head, and tell him that the Lord hath anointed him king over Israel. Then, he should open the door and flee in a hurry. B. So the servant went as he was told, and found the captains of the host sitting together. And he told the captains that he had an errand to perform for Captain Jehu. So Jehu arose

and went into the house with him, and he poured the oil on Jehu’s head; and he told Jehu that the Lord God of Israel had anointed him to be king over the people of Israel. C. The servant told Jehu further, that he was to smite the house of Ahab; who was his present master. For God was going to avenge the blood of his servants of the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, who had died at the hand of Jezebel, the wife of Ahab. D. He also told of how the whole house of Ahab would perish, and God would cut off from Ahab, even him that pisseth against the wall; and him that is shut up and left in Israel. He said that the house of Ahab would be like the house of Jeroboam (1 Kings 14:10, 16:29, & 21:22), and like the house of Baasha (1 Kings 16:3 & 11). And he told Jehu of how the dogs would eat Jezebel’s flesh in the streets of Jezreel, and there would be none left to bury her (1 Kings 21:23 & 2 Kings 9:30-37). And after telling Jehu the news, he turn and fled, as Elisha had told him to do. E. After this, Jehu came back to the other servants of the Lord. And when they asked him if all was well, he told them that he thought that the servant who had delivered the message, was mad. But they told Jehu, no; that the servant was not mad. And when Jehu told them that the servant had anointed him to be king over Israel, they took their garments and laid them at the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king. 20. We now come to the end of the life of Elisha. We read in 2 Kings 13:14-21: “Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth was him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.”A. Elisha ws suffering from a

sickness which would cause him to die. And the king of Israel came and visited him, and wept over him. B. And then Elisha told the king to take a bow and arrows, and put his hands upon the bow; and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. And he told the king to open the window on the east side, and shoot the bow and arrow; so the king did so. Elisha declared that it was the arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria. For the king of Israel would smite the Syrians in Aphek, until he had consumed them. And then Elisha told the king of Israel to take the arrows and smite the ground; and he done so three times. And Elisha was upset with the king, because he told the king that he should of smote the ground five or six times; for then he would smite Syria until he had consumed it. C. And then Elisha died and was buried. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the beginning of the new year. And when they went to bury a man, they noticed a band of Moabites spying on them, and they threw the man’s body into the sepulchre of Elisha; and when the man’s body touched the bones of Elisha, his body was revived, and he came back to life. !!!!!!!!Conclusion:Elisha was truly a devoted man of God. He first received a double-portion of God’s Holy Spirit, as he watched Elijah be taken up into Heaven in a chariot of fire. God used Elisha to perform many miracles, and to also proclaim many great prophesies. He was a very important figure in the development and the survival of the nation of Israel. He will always be remembered for his great devotion to God, and for his love and care for his fellow-man. Elisha was truly a prophet of courage and determination to always fulfill the desires of the Heavenly Father. May this always be the desire of every one of our hearts; as we serve God upon this earth. We should always desire to be fully empowered by God’s Holy Spirit, as Elisha was; and always seek to please God in every area of our life. Calvin Smith