59. ELISHA CONTINUES GOD'S WORK

"The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha"

Aim

To show how Elisha was anointed to continue the work of leading God's people of Israel and Elijah was taken away.

In lesson 8 we saw how Jezebel hated Elijah and was determined to kill him. She had already put to death some of the prophets during the time of famine and many had hidden from her in caves (1 Kings 18:3-4, 13). Now God was sending Elijah back to encourage the faithful men that were left in Israel, so that they might be able to teach the people how they must serve the true and living God. These "sons of the prophets' as they were known, needed a leader. Elijah had been their leader but the time had come for a younger man to take his place. God told him to go back and anoint Elisha, the son of Shaphat, to be the next prophet to lead the people.

1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2: 1-18

ELISHA IS CHOSEN: 1 Kings 19:19-21

Elijah returned to Israel to look for Elisha, as God had told him. He found him ploughing in a field with his servants. As Elijah passed by, he took off his mantle (or cloak) and placed it on Elisha. The young man would have known straight away what this meant € for Elijah was show ing him that he must follow him and take up the work that he was doing as God's prophet.

Immediately Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah, who had kept on walking. "Let me I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee," said Elisha (v 20). So Elisha returned and killed two oxen and made a feast for all the people on his farm. His work as a farmer was finished. Now he must follow Elijah and learn as much as he could about the work of teaching God's people.

ELIJAH DEPARTS: 2 Kings 2:1-7

The two men became very close companions. Every-one was used to seeing Elijah with his servant Elisha, but the time came when Elijah must be taken away.

As they were leaving Gilgal, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tarry here, I pray thee; for Yahweh hath sent me to Bethel". Elisha knew that God would take Elijah away that day and he was determined to stay with him as long as he could. "As Yahweh liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee" (v 2). So long as Elijah was alive, he would not leave him.

Then they both went down to Bethel. The "sons of the prophets" at Bethel came out to meet Elisha and said, "Knowest thou that Yahweh will take away thy master from thy head today? " (v 3). Sadly Elisha replied that he did know. "Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace ".

Then God sent Elijah to Jericho. He suggested that Elisha should stay at Bethel, but still Elisha would not leave him. The "sons of the prophets" at Jericho also knew that Elijah would be taken away that day. But again Elisha replied, "I know it, hold ye your peace". He did not want to talk to them about it.

Then Elijah said," Yahweh hath sent me to Jordan." Again Elisha told him, "as Yahweh liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee " (v 6). So the two of them went down to the river Jordan, while fifty of the "sons of the prophets " came and watched afar off to see what would happen (v 7).

GOD TAKES ELIJAH: 2 Kings 2:8-11

When they came to the banks of the river Jordan, Elijah "took his mantle and wrapped it together and smote the waters " with it (v 8). The waters of the river Jordan parted, leaving a dry path for the two men to cross to the other side.

When they had crossed over, Elijah turned to Elisha and said, "Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee " (v 9).

Now Elisha loved and respected Elijah like a father and it was the law in Israel that the firstborn son, who became the head over the house when his father died, received "a double portion " or twice as much of his father's goods as the other sons. It was a sign that he was the new head over the family. Elisha wanted to continue the great prophet's work, as the head of the prophets of God. So he said to Elijah, "I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me " (v 9), He was not asking for twice as much power as Elijah but that he might take the old prophet's place and carry on his work. He wanted the "sons of the prophets" to recognise him as their new head, in Elijah's place, so that the work of teaching God's people would prosper. It was not however something which Elijah could give. He had asked a hard thing, which only God could answer. "If thou see me when I am taken from thee it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so" (v 10).

So the two men went along talking together, when suddenly, "be hold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven " (v 11),

Elisha was no doubt astonished, but he remembered Elijah's words and watched him taken from his sight. "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof, he cried out (v 12). God had blessed him in letting him see his beloved master taken up in the whirlwind and in seeing the fiery chariot as God's angels came between them. Then he saw him no more.

ELISHA BECOMES THE HEAD OF THE PROPHETS: 2 Kings 2: 12-15

Elisha was now left alone on the other side of Jordan. He took hold of his clothes and tore them in two pieces. Then he took up Elijah's mantle that had fallen from him as he was snatched away in the whirlwind. Remember how Elijah had first laid it on him when he was in the field ploughing, as a sign that he should follow him? Now he took it up and went back to the river banks. He wrapped up Elijah's mantle as he had seen Elijah do. "Where is the God of Elijah?" he cried (v 14). Then the waters parted as they had done for Elijah, and Elisha passed over to the other side on dry ground.

So Elisha returned to Jericho, where the sons of the prophets met him. They had seen him cross back on the dry path through the river and came out to meet him. They bowed down before him and said, "The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha" (v 15). God had heard Elisha's re quest and answered his prayer. He was sure, and the "sons of the prophets " were sure, that God had given him the double portion of Elijah's spirit.

LESSON FOR US

The "sons of the prophets" were those faithful men in Israel who studied God's law and showed others how to worship the true and living God. We must be like them. We must study God's word daily to find out what God wants us to do. If we love his word we will become the close companions of all those who love the Truth. We will be eager to learn from those who teach the Truth faithfully.

QUESTIONS

Short Answers

/. In Elijah's day, what were the groups of faithful men in Israel called?

2. What was Elisha doing when Elijah found him?

3. What did Elijah do to Elisha when he first saw him?

4. Why was Elisha sad as he followed Elijah to Bethel and Jericho and then Jordan?

5. What was the wonderful miracle Elijah performed when he came to the river Jordan?

6. What did Elisha ask Elijah to do for him before Elijah was taken away?

7. What came between Elijah and Elisha as they walked on the other side of Jordan?

8. How was Elijah taken away?

9. What did Elisha cry out when he saw Elijah taken away?

10. How did Elisha cross back over Jordan?

11. What did Elisha say when he struck the waters of Jordan?

12. What did the ''sons of the prophets'' say when they saw Elisha return?

Detailed Answers

13. Tell how Elijah chose Elisha to follow him.

14. Tell what happened after Elijah and Elisha left Gilgal together and how they crossed Jordan together.

15. Tell how Elijah was taken up into heaven.

Additional Answers

16. (a) When the two men crossed the river Jordan what did Elijah say to Elisha?

(b) What did Elisha ask for?

(c) How did the "sons of the prophets " know that God's spirit rested on Elisha?