![]() They show us all how to stand for God, even when we feel like we may be the last voice for Him. There are certainly strange happenings in their stories, so it’s important to read them in the context of Israel’s history and the culture of the times.Įlijah and Elisha are strong role models in devotion, faith, prayer, and unwavering obedience in the face of corrupt power and persecution. They have lessons to teach us about the value of mentoring, and even more lessons about the power of God. There is great value in reading the Bible’s chapters devoted to these two great prophets. What Can We Learn from Elijah and Elisha? And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen, and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet” ( 2 Kings 13:20-21 ESV). Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. The prophet’s power was so great that an amazing story concludes his life's history. He was still prophesying right to his last hour. He prophesied the death of Ben-Hadad and that Israel would defeat Aram.Įlisha’s death is recorded in 2 Kings 13:14-21. He struck the Aramaens blind and prophesied the end of their siege. Elisha also raised a child from the dead, purified poison soup, multiplied loaves to feed a large group of people, and made an axe head float.įurther, Elisha healed Naaman of leprosy and cursed Gehazi with leprosy. Some miracles attributed to Elisha were parting the waters of the Jordan River, purifying water, sending bears after his attackers, causing a flood to save Israel from the Moabites, and healing a barren Shunammite woman so she could conceive. What Did Elisha Do After Elijah Was Gone? The Bible attributes eight miracles to Elijah but attributes sixteen to Elisha. He did appear and was seen by Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17.īut, from here, Elisha assumed the prophet’s ministry and does, indeed, receive a double portion of his spirit. Some speculate that Elijah is one of the two witnesses spoken of in Revelation 11 because he hasn’t yet died. Chariots of fire came down in a whirlwind from heaven, escorting Elijah home. In killing and boiling his oxen, Elisha was destroying everything that might tempt him to return to his old life so he would be completely focused on moving forward with Elijah.Įlijah was “taken up to God,” which is why when Jews celebrate a traditional Passover Seder, they leave an empty chair for Elijah. In casting his cloak on Elisha, Elijah was signifying his desire to have him as his student or protégé. Their meeting may seem strange, but no stranger than fishermen dropping their nets and leaving everything to follow the One who was to come. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.” And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. “So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. ![]() The prophets’ meeting is recorded in 1 Kings 19:19-21 ESV: God let him know there were others, and he was not completely alone. Elijah talked about feeling alone among the prophets in a land that had forsaken God. After this, God spoke to Elijah and, among other things, told him to anoint Elisha to become a prophet in his place. Instead, God told him to sleep, then sent food and water by an angel, and Elijah slept some more. Not long after this, with Jezebel threatening to end his life, Elijah sat down exhausted under a broom tree and asked God to let him die. When he called on the Living God of Israel, fire consumed not only the sacrifice but also the wood, the stones, the dust, and the water from the filled trench. ![]() When it was Elijah’s turn, he asked all the servants to soak the bull, soak the altar, and even dig a trench around the sacrifice and fill it with water. Of course, there was no answer from Baal. They made a great show of performing their rituals and shouting to Baal, asking for fire to rain down and consume the sacrifice. He challenged them to call down fire from Baal to burn up a sacrificial bull. ![]() Elijah is best known for his showdown with the false prophets of Baal. ![]()
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