II Kings Chapter 2
Please read: II Kings 2 –
Intertwined in the story of the people of Israel and their wicked kings who followed after their own lusts rather than the LORD, is the intervention of men called by God to be prophets. These prophets were commissioned by God to intervene and to inject His Words and His will whether they heeded them or not. He continually tried to reach mankind with His mercy and truth and He still does today.
Elijah had been told by the Spirit of God that he was going to be taken up to heaven. It is not clear if he understood exactly what that meant. Had God allowed him to know ahead of time in what a grand fashion he would be taken up, or did Elijah think it meant that he was going to die? What is even more special is God allowed Elisha and other prophets to know that Elijah was soon to leave this earth.
Let's Reflect
1. Knowing that he was going to depart from life on earth, what did he try to get Elisha his protégé to do?
2. It may have been a test of Elisha’s loyalty, but one thing is for sure, Elisha was not going to leave Elijah. He thought of Elijah as if he were his father, a spiritual mentor. What did Elisha cry out in pain after Elijah was taken up? See verse 12.
3. Elisha was not the only prophet who knew that Elijah was leaving this world. Who else knew?
4. There were about 50 men, that followed behind Elijah and Elisha but stayed back a good distance. The Bible tells us that a miracle happened at the Jordan River. What was the miracle?
5. Thinking of Elijah as his spiritual father, when he asked what he could give to Elisha before he departed. Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit upon him. This was just like the act of a father giving a double portion of his inheritance to the firstborn son in his family. This was quite honestly not something that Elijah could physically give to Elisha, but he could ask God to grant Elisha’s request. What did Elijah say to Elisha about his request?
6. The second miracle that happened that day was the chariots and horses that appeared between Elijah and Elisha. How does the Bible describe them? Elijah had been the man who had been used to be a powerful force keeping Israel apprised of the will of God. The power of God was certainly greater than any king’s army of chariots and horses.
“Who by thy example, and counsels, and prayers, and power with God, didst more for the defense and preservation of Israel, than all their chariots and horses, or other warlike provisions.” [Poole]
7. Elisha was saddened to see his “father” leave him. What did he do that shows he was sad?
8. The next miracle that happened was when Elisha went to cross the Jordan again to get back to the other side and to where the group of men were still standing. Elisha knew that the power to cause the Jordan to part was not in touching Elijah’s mantle to the water. He knew the power came from whom?
9. The awaiting group of men either saw Elijah go up in the chariot of horses or Elisha told them. They had this wrong idea that God might have deposited him at some other location. They wanted to go and look for him. What did Elisha try to tell them?
10. Another miracle is told in this chapter regarding the water that was in the city where they were staying. What miracle did God do through Elisha?
11. There is a strange event recorded in the last few verses of the chapter. Some Bible versions say that these were young boys, but some interpret this as young men. The truth we need to understand is that there was sort of a mob mentality that meant to ridicule the ministry and the man of God. They chided that Elisha should “go up” as if to say, “sure, sure we believe you that your friend was taken up to heaven by God” in a sarcastic tone. And they also chided him about being bald when men in their culture had very thick and long hair and beards. Elisha left the judgement up to God. He called a curse from God on them. The Bible does not say if they were killed, but what did happen to them?
12. Where did Elisha go next?
