2 Kings 2:15-25 Elisha’s Start
Elijah just left in a fiery chariot and deposited a double portion of his anointing on Elisha. Now it is time for him to start walking in that anointing and office.
Elisha is alone when he comes back across the Jordan and he does it on dry ground. The prophets of Jericho who had come out following Elijah and Elisha recognized the miracle Elisha did as being the same as Elijah did in front of them. Therefore they also recognized the spirit of Elijah on Elisha. No one but Moses, Joshua and Elijah had parted the waters. The same Spirit rested on these three and now Elisha.
I don’t know if the men could see the chariot of fire that took Elijah but his absence from Elisha’s side said something to them. They knew the two were inseparable and if Elijah was gone, God must have done it. So where could he be? They wanted to find him. They were willing to search far and wide for him.
Elisha didn’t need or want them to search. He knew exactly where Elijah was. He was with the Lord. He had NO doubt about this. The only reason he even let them search was because they kept at him until he finally gave in.
“Let us go search for Elijah.”
“I saw the Lord take him.”
“The Lord has taken him to other places before. Maybe He dropped him off somewhere else.”
“He is with the Lord.”
“But how do you know that?”
“Because I saw it! I saw the horses of Israel and the chariot of Israel. And I saw where they were going. You won’t find him anywhere on earth.”
“At lease let us look!”
Elisha finally gives in because they won’t. “Go” he says in exasperation. He knows the truth but they won’t believe it until they check it out for themselves.
It takes three full days before they give up the search. They come back to him in discouragement. “We couldn’t find him.”
“I told you not to search. He is with the Lord.”
Elisha is not idle while the men are searching. He is staying in Jericho during this time and he is enjoying the company of the people there. He is also seeing to their needs. Their greatest need is fresh water. Something has fouled their spring. I wonder why they didn’t address this with Elijah at an earlier time. Did Elijah not stay with them before? Were they concerned with other things during his visits; if he visited? Is it that because Elisha is waiting for this futile search to be completed that he has time to learn of the city’s need?
Elisha requires little from them beyond faith to receive their miracle. A new bowl with salt in it is all he asked of them. But their faith and his was required for the actual healing of the water. There is NO WAY the water would have been healed if Elisha didn’t believe that God would act on his request. It was the Spirit of the Lord that told him what to do in the first place. All he had to do was believe that God would keep His word when he obeyed His voice.
That’s all He asks us to do for our miracles. I’m NOT saying to call out every promise in the book and tell God how He has to honor them. What I am saying is that when He tells you to do something He has a purpose for it and will fulfill what He has called you to do. Trust His Spirit.
I’m curious about the boys who he cursed. This must have been a LARGE group of them. Why were they taunting him? Were they an ancient example of a gang? I’m thinking that they were probably regular troublemakers for the area. But how did “small boys” get to be such a problem? Where were their parents? Were they orphans?
I don’t believe Elisha would have cursed a group of children that were doing a ‘one off’ with mocking him. He probably had thicker skin than that. But something of the Spirit of the Lord surely told him to do so. Again, he listened to the voice of the Lord and things happened.
The same Spirit that walked with Elijah was active in Elisha. AND it is STILL active today. If we will listen to His voice. I have no idea what He will call you (or me) to do but I can guarantee that if we listen the results will be amazing! Maybe not on an Elijah/Elisha scale but in our own lives in the places where He brings us.
Father God, thank You that Your Spirit speaks to me. I know I don’t always listen and I’m sorry for that. I have no idea how many miracles I have missed out on because I didn’t listen. But I thank You for not giving up on me and continuing to call out to me. When I do listen it is AMAZING! Not a ‘part the water’ miracle but one that fills my heart with faith and joy. And allows me to bless others.
